《Biomancer: Songs of Sirens》


 My Final Frenzy

    An explosion booms past the edge of my ear as I pound my feet against the hard, grating gravel beneath my feet. With each step, my lungs heave for breath as my legs ignite with the fire of lactic acid. Another roaring boom pierces my eardrums wobbling me off balance while muting my hearing.

    The immediate contrast between hellfire and shearing iron to silence gives the quiet an eerie foreboding as I trip on a root beside me. As I land, I hold out my arms before I smash into the ground. As I scramble to my feet in a frenzied dash, the air around me contorts as the The Fog catches up to me.

    My strain multiplies as I tear the skin of my heels leaping across the earth with a grace that only my impending death could evoke. The edges of my vision close as I focus on one thing - moving forward. The edges of my clothes corrode as I cleave my arms up and down. The wind cools my face as my hair singes behind me.

    The wet squelching grows as I pass another limping biomancer. He uses a summoned leg for supporting his movements, but his lack of familiarity with the limb prevents him from sprinting. As The Fog consumes him, thousands of locusts explode from his chest before he lays on the ground writhing in excruciating torment as the horde of gegandarins rend the little skin he has left off his body.

    My own skin sprouts small portions of locusts as The Fog scrapes against my back. The adrenaline prevents my exhaustion, but even with my numerous muscle and tendon enhancements, I still run at only seventy kilometers per hour. Right as my skin begins bursting, the entrance of a cave pops into my view.

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    The refuge invigorates my attempts for escape, so slam against the earth removing my muscle limiters as I leap from my sprint with enough force to break several of my toes and rupture my Achilles tendon. Swarms of agony stampede up my skin crushing against my skull with the force of a molten maelstrom.

    Before I lose my senses to the engulfing anguish, I throw a cryo grenade at the top of the cavern as I plunge into its depths. As darkness surrounds me, the arctic explosion thunders through the air busting my ear drums while freezing my feet. Ice stalactites detonate from my feet, yet no pain radiates from the numb stumps.

    I brace my shoulders down preparing for my collision with the earth. The levity of free fall floats my insides. The weight of acceleration drags me towards the steely rocks beneath me.  Several seconds pass before I smash against cold water.

    The speed of my descent gives the once liquid surface the toughness of concrete, so my useless legs snap before I puncture the water tension as I dive into a cooling abyss of aqua. As I struggle where I believe is upwards, a body pushes against mine.

    Panic explodes from my being before a brilliant radiance shows a siren singing her soothing song. The phosphorescent appearance of the dangerous mermaid appears before me with her luscious lips and curvy figure. She clamps my shoulder and waist pulling me into her embrace.

    Our lips meet, yet I miss any sensation. The world fades into darkness amidst the ethereal beauty of a siren and soldier meeting in the black of oblivion.

 Healing

    As I open my eyes, the lights of thousands of orange gems radiate from the surface of the cavern. I turn my head as a variety of glowing jellyfish with blue electricity floating in the pool of cavern water. The cerulean blue accentuates the glassy water as the bottom of the lake harbors several small vents exuding heated water.

    The large pool stretches with a semicircular patter creating a beach with several glowing jellyfish caught on its shores. The electricity no longer emanates from them as they dry on the beach, and black rocks of the cavern reflect sheens of orange and blue as the smooth stone gorges the eyes with splendor.

    My head rests on something soft however. I shake my skull until the blue green face of the siren who kissed me bursts into view. She hymns a soothing lullaby with such a subtle tune, I failed to notice her presence. I jerk from on her rolling onto my side. My feet explode with pain, but I ignore my body''s sudden rejection over my actions.

    The Teran army tells stories about the entrapping powers of sirens, though they never spoke of their presence in caves. The sirens in oceans would drag sailors into the depths where they weep after their victims suffocate. I anticipated the same fate whenever I found her grasping me.

    Yet I live. As I peer backwards, her smooth, silky skin shifts as she gazes at me with the glance of a confused child. Her tail folds back and forth leading up towards her slender hips forming the flowing cadence of a beautiful woman. Her curious expression exacerbates her sexiness, but I stifle my lust as I peer downwards at my feet.

    While still butchered, they hide fewer internal injuries than I anticipated. As I calm myself, I notice a stark contrast with my previous specs. Whenever I passed biomancing at the Gelta Base, I achieved a rather powerful combination of rapid biological manipulation as well as shifting specializations.

    Most successful biomancers used their muscular physiques as bases for their mutations. With my gangly frame, I managed by focusing my efforts towards creating specific limbs for scenarios while inputting all of my energy into a particular point rather than dispersing it throughout my body like everyone else.

    This gave me short bursts of strength compared with others, but I compensated using my superior timing. That''s how I escaped The Fog from earlier, yet as I check my internal hud, my specs increased dramatically. The enormous leap offers me many resources for shifting my body''s resources.

    As I heal my injuries grinning over my sudden empowerment, the siren slithers over towards me. I raise a hand shouting as my legs reform skin, "Stop. What do you want?"

    She points at herself singing another hymn except with a discordant tune rather than a harmonious one. She leans on both her hands waiting for my reply, so I say, "Ugh. What language do you speak?"

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    She chimes a few high notes before silence envelops us once more. As I raise an eyebrow, I say with surprise in my voice, "So you can understand me?"

    She nods as her tail slaps the water flowing waves over the once serene pool. The liquid bounces off the edges of the caverns walls as I say, "What were you doing to me earlier?"

    She replies with a melodic tone enrapturing my ears with her splendor. Before I lose myself in the notes, I say snapping from my trance, "I''ll rephrase the question. Are you trying to hurt me?"

    She shakes her head jostling her emerald hair as she sprinkles water around her. Her gestures give her an astonishing amount of humanity, so I say with the tone of a negotiator. "Then would you mind approaching me slowly then stopping within arms reach?"

    She smiles revealing opalescent teeth that shine with a snow white before she slides into the water with a smooth grace. She paddles through the water gliding through the lquid with the ease of a bird flying through the air. She lifts herself from the water with a slow, composed motion before she slithers over the near polished stone.

    Her pace slows until she lays beside me within arms reach. She leans on an arm as her slight smile paints her face with a tempting glow. I reach out an arm poking her face shows several sharp azure runes that ebb a purple miasma while her eyes glow a sky blue like beacons of light.

    My finger sinks into her skin with a peculiar lack of resistance. I expected a rather muscled frame underneath, yet she giggles at my touch with a echoing radiance. I grin as I say, "You''re not very strong are you?"

    Her grin grows as she leans closer singing an enthralling tone that pulls me towards her before she pushes me away.

    I boom a laugh before I say, "But you have your own talents, I hear you. No need to be so feisty."

    My mood sobers as I continue, "That does leave a question. Why did you save me?"

    She lays against the warm stone folding her arms singing with the tone of child while closing her eyes. I say, "Were you curious then?"

    She nods her head as she grabs my arm pulling me towards her. I squint my eyes ready for combat as my body recovered while we spoke earlier, but she lays my head against her folded legs/tail. She sings the resonating harmony of earlier as I find my eyelids grow heavy.

    Normally I would panic, but she saved me earlier. I can''t just fear her every move as the cave ensnares us both. As my eyelids grow heavy, her azure runes grow brighter as she smiles and her eyes turn white.

 Suffocation

    As I awaken, find the same pillow of her tail  leaving me rested and energized. I turn towards the pool where she floats with her arms outstretched. The water never ripples as she stays unmoving on her pool except the gentle moving of her chest as she breaths.

    Her jade colored hair covers another layer underneath of pale blue hair that flutters across the water dispersing in every direction. After a few moments of watching her, I lift myself from touch with measured slowness as not to wake her. I walk over to a jellyfish picking the creature up before I use it for lighting the area.

    I avoid grabbing its tentacles for obvious reasons, and as I use the blue light for illuminating the chasm, I saunter towards the edge of the waterfall where I discover a far larger pool with the same blue radiance due to jellyfish. The pool''s size allows seven other sirens who play with one another while coral of all colors dots the bottom of the pool.

    The 300 foot drop off prevents me from moving further down, so I watch these creatures as they dance through the water with their other worldly elegance.

    My cryo grenade entrapped up here with piles and piles of rubble, and without any other artillery, my other ways to escape dwindle to nothing. My stomach rumbles as I watch them, so I glance closer eventually spotting them eating the jellyfish that fall on shore.

    Similar vents line the bottom of the larger pool, so I reason the jellyfish and other phosphorescent creatures feed from the nutrients in the water. The ecosystem fascinates me, so I nibble at the jellyfish I used for light as I peer at these majestic creatures.

    They dive from the water with their tales like dolphins while their gills open whenever they move through the water allowing them both in and out of water breathing. Whenever they sleep, they float on the water by placing their muscular tails on shore while their softer upper bodies float in the water.

    The jellyfish resists my chewing with texture like rice. The flavor reminds me of bread and garlic, and I stuff myself with less than half of one of their bodies. The density of the morsel amazes me before a finger taps my shoulder.

    I jump startled at the sudden sensation, but chuckle as I turn around saying, "So how did you get here?"

    A gentle song fills my ears as lift myself from the edge of the waterfall. As I turn around, the purple aura around the tattoos that line her face glow with a noticeable increase in intensity. The blue-purple compliments her skin and hair however, and her cheery smile offers yet another drawing point for my viewing. What a temptress.

    She slides into the stream leading to the waterfall where she over powers the current with several powerful strokes of her tail. As we reach the edge of her pool, she gestures for my coming over to her. A small smile grows on my lips before I crawl to the edge of the pond.

    I lay down beside her as she leans on the outside of the pool rester her arms on the edge of the pool. Her voluptuous chest lays against the edge of the stone accentuating her alluring aspects, but I maintain my suave as I meet her eyes saying, "What do you want to talk about?"

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    She leans towards me motioning her hand for me to come closer. As I lean towards her, she grabs me jerking with her tail forcing me into the pool with her. As water surrounds me, her voice comes into clarity as she laughs. The warmth of the water so closely mimics the temperature of my skin that I only feel the resistance of the water.

    The salinity of the water even allows me to open my eyes without any pain or discomfort as if the water mimicked my own tears. She grabs me spinning me around as she says with a voice that reverberates through the water with deep yet feminine tone, "Finally you come back to the water."

    My eyes widen, and she answers my unasked question, "My voice only swims through water, not air. You''ll find my conversation more enlightening down here."

    I grin as I point at my nose, so she says tapping her cheek, "You breathed in the water before though. I wonder why you can''t any longer?"

    Her declaration shocks the air from my lungs, so I dash towards the surface. The siren pulls me into her embrace jerking my body as though I were a ragdoll. She embraces me against her soft figure whispering, "Please don''t leave me."

    The wave of guilt almost overwhelms my desire for air, but my urge to breath engulfs all other sensations. I scramble and writhe against her grip, but her strength crushes all my attempts for escape. She says in the tone of a viper, "Why do you wish to leave?"

    I form a plan within two seconds, so I relax my body mirroring death. She gasps releasing me as she claps her cheeks saying, "What? Why? I don''t understand."

    My ploy works before I explode flail my limbs against the water pushing my body upwards. As I near the surface, my lungs convulse for air as my heart pumps many times faster than normal. The top of my head hits air, but right before my nose breaches the surface, the siren rams into me hugging me as she says with a palpable relief,

    "Oh thank the mother leviathan! I thought you had died. I don''t want to be alone any longer. The thought hurts worse than breathing in icy water."

    Her relief transforms into grief as she whimpers with the most desperate and forlorn voice imaginable, "Please, I''ll be better. I didn''t mean to say anything awful. I swear on my life. I swear by the ocean."

    The depths of her loneliness cracks my resolve for air as I question for another precious moment. As my heart skips a beat racking my body with pain, I remember the reason for my goals.

    I jerk from grasp as she weeps belting my mind with guilt. Tears fall from my eyes at her heart felt weeping. My own emotions warp as I scramble to the surface, but before I reach the surface, my body defeats my minds commands as I breath in the water around me.

 A Pleasing Prison

    The water enters my mouth rushing down my throat, but it never reaches my lungs. The life giving liquid pours out of my throat filling my blood with oxygen as I inhale the heavy liquid. The desperation of before relinquishes I  relaxed my tense muscles and tendons.

    The water passes through my throat like heavy air, but each time I inhale, I gain more breath than air would give. I lift my arms touching my throat. A set of ridges meet my hands before I peer down at the weeping siren. She knew I had gills. Hmmm. Whatever caused this will likely explain my regeneration as well. Either way, more pressing matters require my attention.

    I say with the words ringing in my mind more than through the water,

    "I''m sorry. I thought I would die..."

    She peers upwards as tears of purple float upwards from her eyes before they drift towards the surface of the pool. She wipes her face before she smiles saying, "As you could not understand me at the surface, neither can I understand you underwater."

    I grin as I swim towards her passing by several jellyfish.  I evade their tentacles before I reach her grabbing her cheek before I lean my forehead onto hers. I close my eyes as I float in the water by moving my legs back and forth.

    She only wants to help me. She has given me comforting company while giving my sleep a peace with her songs. Even her appearance soothes me. After a moment, she latches her arms underneath my chest while I wrap my own around her small shoulders.

    She shreiks out her sobs while saying between them, "I...I''m sorry. I just...I thought you knew you could...breath...and I had to....watch you...I didn''t-""

    I clamp her frail figure against my own as silencing her outbursts. There we lay floating in the momentary perfection as time ceases to pass. I engrave the moment into my soul as we understand one another with remarkable clarity. She yearns for someone to talk to alone in her pool, and I gave her liberation from her loneliness.

    She offered her songs with such a serene sincerity. Her very soul flew with her words, and now she doesn''t need words. She needs understanding.

    After several minutes, she regains composure of her emotions saying in her entrancing voice that resonates through the water, "Thank you...for being here."

    I grin before I release her from my hug. I point upwards while pointing at my mouth. she nods before we paddle upwards reaching the surface. As my face lifts out of the water, I shake the water from my lungs while she grabs  my waist lifting me further out of the water.

    I raise an eyebrow before I lower my head into the water. Her calming voice caresses my ears as she says, "If you want to breath using your lungs, you have to lift your gills out of the water. Otherwise your gill flaps won''t lift letting you breath in water."

    I nod my head before I lift my head from the water saying, "Then you figured I couldn''t lift myself far enough out of the water to do so?"

    She smiles while nodding her head. Her genuine happiness infects me as I say, "My name is Pyrex. What''s yours?"

    I lean my ear against the water as she lowers her mouth into the water saying, "What is a name? I''ve heard others call me a siren before, but they go to the lake below rather than stay with me."

    Their other victims must fall for the allure of the horde of sirens versus this single creature. The thought inspires my next words as I say, "Would you mind me naming you?"

    She leers as she says, "Not in the slightest."

    I calm my pulse before I say, "Then I will call you Allure. The names rather self explanatory I believe."

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.She leans closer saying, "Oh really? Would you mind explaining in further detail?"

    As I swallow my longing once more, I say, "Let''s save it for later temptress."

    We reach the shore where I lay against the edge of the pool with an ear in the water while she keeps hers above the water. She says with an inquisitive shifting of pitch, "So where do you come from Pyrex?"

    I meet her gaze replying, "I come from Bigel. It''s a town outside of the cave."

    Her eyes widen as she says, "There is more outside of the cave?"

    I quint my eyes saying, "Of course. Have you never left this pool?"

    She lowers her gaze saying with dejection, "Uh. Yes. I''m stuck here."

    I murmur, "Would you like to escape this place one day?"

    She smiles with a melancholy drooping her happiness, "Of course, but it will never happen. The pool below is over 300 feet. Water is hard at such height. You felt this. The entrance of the cave disappeared whenever you flew in here along with your wounds."

    My eyes pierce her while I say in a voice filled with iron, "We will escape from here. I won''t leave you alone any longer, nor will I leave you here trapped in this small pool."

    She frowns as she says, "How do you intend to do so, weaver of tall tales?"

    I clamp a fist as I look towards the caverns roof saying, "Do you remember the condition I was in when I fell here?"

    Her shoulders droop while she closes her eyes saying, "It was...gruesome."

    I open my hand saying, "Yet now I am perfectly healed. I may know biomancy, but I can''t recover such wounds so quickly."

    She raises an eyebrow saying, "You did have a rather rapid recovery despite my songs of healing."

    I glance back at her saying, "you were healing me?"

    Her skin shows an elegant lavender as she blushes at my comment saying, "I didn''t want to be alone, though I will admit you looked rather noble. Like a fallen angel. I saw the other sirens drown other people who walked in here, so I tried breathing my stores of air in your lungs."

    I redden as I say, "so that''s why you kissed me then?"

    she blushes purple further as she says meeting my gaze, "That isn''t the only reason."

    I close my eyes as I breath deeply quelling my inner demons. How my own body suggests forbidden relations with her. After a moment, she says like a worried newly wed, "I''m sorry, did I say something wrong?"

    I open my eyes saying, "Actually, you said too much, but you said it all to correctly."

    "Better than too little I presume?"

    "Well that''s debatable."

    I lift myself from the water checking my specs once again. My overall conditioning eclipses my previous ability by magnitudes. Excellent. I say towards her, "I will be back after several hours." I pick up a jellyfish before I continue, "I''ll be tearing down the rubble in front of the cavern''s walls so we can escape."

    She lifts her head singing a few melancholy notes before I say, "Have some faith here. I won''t be leaving you. I promise."

    She lowers her body beneath the water bubbling up a few unspoken words as she pouts. I say, "When I get back, I will grant you one request. How does that sound?"

    She places a hand on her sleek chin before she lifts her self singing a fluid harmony. I wave my hand saying, "I''ll take that as a yes. I''ll see you later then allure."

    She shivers as I use her name before I leave.Strange. As I reach the edge of the cliff I fell from, I look upwards at the hundred feet of stone above me soaking in the sight. I have a lot of work ahead of me.

 Rend and Rip

    As I stare at the cliff, I activate my obelisk. The integrated chip activates as enhancing my metabolism. As I close my eyes while gripping my fists, my hud activates. My pulse, blood pressure, and energy levels appear as bars on my left side. A set of tabs pop on my right, and if I think of activating them, they open revealing visual indications of my current physical capacities.

    My stats all increased namely my durability and strength. They doubled in value while my flexibility also increased, but my heart rate shocks me. 300 beats a minute. That is six times higher than my previous norm. My blood pressure also lowered by leaps and bounds while my metabolism spikes at ten times faster than normal. Amazing.

    The only solution I fathom for my sudden dramatic increase in strength is my contact with The Fog. The plague sweeps across the continent at a furious pace. As the air touches the skin of its victims, thousands of locusts spawn destroying the creature''s epidermis.

    The Fog then spawns beetles from the leaking blood that devour the rest of whats left of the victim. No one throughout the entire history of Tera has survived a brushing with The Fog. Except me, though just barely.

    After the fog passes, all organic matter besides insects transforms into these hordes of beetles and locust. I''ve faced them countless times as a biomancer. They fight without the might of their older brethren. An aged locust transforms into a cocoon that creates a shambling mutant with razor mandibles and freakish strength.

    These are the enemies that dwell in the nightmares of veterans. I remember fighting with a unique variant that had a whip arm lined with paralyzing venom and an extra set of spike arms. It killed over five experienced biomancers before I charged my hardened arm through its core.

    The fog will no doubt have passed the area above, but I refuse sitting here forever avoiding the battle above. My family waits for me back in Bigel. They may be surprised when I bring back a siren, but just like my announcement for joining the military, they will accept the complication with grace. I hope so anyway.

    With the excess capacity gained from The Fog, I expand the muscles in my arms and legs focusing on several formulas ensuring the stability of my adjustments. Power rushes through my fingers as I grow claws on my fingertips and toes before I squat downwards.

    I crush my feet against the stone radiating a loud boom as I fly towards the caves roof. Rock breaks under my feet before I leave the ground, and the wind brushes my face. After a second of enhanced acceleration, I outstretch my arms and legs towards the roof before my claws peirce the stone.

    Webs of cracks emanate from my talons as I grip into the stone with my fingers and toes.I jerk an arm out of the rock before slamming my fingers back into the melody of minerals. A crunch grates the air while my fingers grind through the substance like heated saber through putty.

    As I move using one limb at a time, I crevice I fell from earlier. I pull closer against the earthen wall before I drive all four of my limbs into the stone dashing me across the air. I slam into the wall outweighing my expectations, so I bounce of the wall before I scramble my arms trying to pierce my hands into the stone.

    I fail. As I accelerate downwards, I angle my arms redirecting my body downwards. My skin pulls upwards with my stomach before I smash into the stone earth.

    A deafening impact with the explosive power of thunder expands from my feet as I sink into the stone. A small crater forms around each of my feet as I absorb the force with a smooth crouch. I stand back up looking back towards the glowing pool where I spot a wide eyed Allure staring at me.

    Only her bunched up hands and the top of her head remain out of the water, so I say, "Don''t worry about me. I''m completely fine. This isn''t my first rodeo."

    I jerk my feet out of the spiky craters around my feet as I ponder my sudden fall. I hadn''t planned on crashing into the roof, neither had I anticipated pushing my hands into the stone. Not even the best biomancers held such overwhelming power.

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    I stare at my hands noticing a slight change in the tint of my skin. My skin tone grayed substantially since my last checking -the same gray as The Fog. Dread spreads from my stomach before I swallow my unease. Whatever insane abomination I become, I should focus on what I can accomplish before I turn. Worrying about my future does nothing for the present regardless.

    As I crouch, I readjust the power in limbs before I propel myself from the ground powering through gravity''s pull. As a lessened acceleration drags my blood into my feet, I shove against the cliffside. I crawl up the stone shearing stone with each movement before I reach the crevice I smashed into earlier.

    As I crawl through the entrance, I chip stone with my grip. The world no longer feels substantial. After enhancing my strength, everything breaks if I apply even the slightest amount of force. Even rocks bend under my grip like jello. The sensation unnerves me. What if I grabbed an ally with this power...or my little sister''s daughter.

    I shake the morbid thoughts from my head as I reach the crevice''s entrance. A mountain of crushed stone meets my eye, but with this new strength, I smash through the stone by gyrating my fists into the stone. I push my feet against the floor beneath me as my hands explode against the rock with enough force to generate seismic shocks.

    At one point, I miss the rocks propelling me through the air with my momentum. The pull rips my body from the ground before I slam into the edge of the pile of stone. Numerous jagged splinters stab into my skin while my right arm breaks at the force.

    Tendrils of pain mince up my arm and back while a detonation of utter and excruciating  agony erupts from my upper left arm. As I roll across the stone, I gasp in a silent protest against my bodies signals. All of this strength, yet my bones still shatter at my strength. The realization barely registers as I flail on the ground engulfed in my torment.

    The healing song of Allure eases my suffering enough for my mind to recollect itself. I grit my teeth after several minutes of groaning. I must heal this wound. I jerk my left arm into place roaring another round of anguish up my spine and into my skull. As I use my obelisk, my metabolism rapidly heals the arm, and after several minutes of silent squirming, the pain subsides.

    Alright...I will take as much time doing this as I need to. I will not experience something like that again just so that I can finish a chore faster. What an awful experience.

    After several minutes I shout, "I''m fine now. Thank you for the song. It really helped."

    A high pitched yelp meets my declaration, so I slap my cheeks before I move boulders one at a time with a now slow, methodical transport. After several hours of the tedium, I wipe sweat from my face. That''s enough for today.

    I jog down the chasm moving through several choke points while maneuvering past stalactites and stalagmites. As I reach the edge of the cliff, I roll my shoulders before I leap from the expanse. The same weightlessness brushes my frame as I outstretch my arms controlling my descent.

    The grounds details expand in my vision before I land against the stone. The stone transforms before my eyes as the rock chips upwards towards the sky lodging my feet into the stone once more. I rend my feet from the earth walking back to the edge of the pool where I grab a jellyfish from the shore.

    I pace up to a hiding Allure as she gazes at my exposed arms and back. The cloth hangs from me in tatters, so I rip my shirt off before I lay on my side with an ear in the water.

    Allure murmurs, "I didn''t realize moving rocks was so...perilous."

    I roll my eyes as I say, "I didn''t either."

 Love

    (Authors note: There is sexual content in this chapter. Please keep calm about the whole thing. Not that big a deal.)

    Allure reaches out poking the side of my face with a single finger as she says, "How did you...do all that stuff earlier?"

    A small smirk grows on my lips as I say, "I have a rather rare set of talents. I was a part of the Melotic military. After I graduated from the academy, I was funneled to the front lines. I learned all the tricks of biomancy there after two years of the training."

    She murmurs while blushing lavender against her blue green skin, "So that''s why your so...muscular?"

    I raise my arm in front of me noticing a startling shift in muscle tone from my earlier appearance. the changes must be affecting my physiques appearance as well. I say, "I suppose so..."

    I reach out my arm touching her cheek as I say, "What are these tattoos for? I didn''t see them on the other sirens."

    Her soft, smooth skin presses against my fingers before she pushes my hand against her face with a gentle movement. she closes her eyes as she says, "Your hand feels good. It feels strong....like I don''t have to worry about anything hurting me."

    Her declaration sets my heart racing once more, but I quell my lust as I say with a sudden grin, "That doesn''t really answer my question."

    She grins with a mischievous glint in her eye as she says, "Some secrets are better left unsaid."

    I raise my eyebrows as I say, "I would agree." She moves closer as she wraps her arms around me giggling. She nudges with a childish glee as I roll my eyes, but after a few seconds of her struggle, I flop into the cavern''s water. She nudges against me pushing her supple figure against mine.

    She hugs me with an ecstatic grin on her face while her tail swings back and forth. The fin at the edge of her tail relaxes preventing her from shoving us across the lake. Her tattoos glow with the same azure brilliance as before as she presses her body against mine, and she smiles with an ecstasy as she leers at me from under the water.

    My desire overwhelms me I wrap my left arm around her shoulders and my other hand through her hair. I tilt my head sideways as our lips meet, and she blushes the light purple of lilacs. She wraps her arms around my waist pulling me against her as her voluptuous chest pushes against my bare skin.

    Her plush lips mold against mine as her hands wander across my back as she feels my body. Her hands caress across my skin sending shivers through my skin until she reaches for the front of my hips. She holds her hands against the sensitive area, but I push her hand and face away.

    She says with a voice flooding with lust, "I felt you down there. At least that part of you''s being honest."

    I smile as I shake my head. She pouts as she says, "Is it too fast?"

    I shake my head before I lift her hand against my side as I pull her back into my embrace. After a minute of the passionate embrace, she wraps her tail around me and we sink onto the floor of the pool. As we stop kissing, I tug her against my chest as she snuggles against the nape of my arm.

    The smooth stone beneath me offers no discomfort as the water leaves me light so even the stone''s hardness passes my notice. The jellyfish ebb and flow with their waving tentacles dancing through the water. The orange crystals of the cavern''s walls glisten over the blue water while the liquid around me warmed as we fell closer to the heated vents.

    We relax there for several minutes before Allure says, "The tattoos across my skin...do you really want to know about them."

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    She turns from the makeshift pillow of my chest meeting my gaze. I shrug my shoulders in indifference, so she re-snuggles against my chest as she says,

    "I believe you deserve to know...I really like you. Your the only person to have ever spoken to me, and you even feel for me as well. At least your body says so."

    I flick the side of her head.

    "Ow...I was trying to say that ever since I was born, I had these tattoos. I used to be with the other sirens when we where children, but a violent quaking of the earth created the divide you see between us now. Our mother never spoke with us...She would only sing the songs of sirens."

    She hugs against me forcing herself closer against me as she says, "I never...I never heard her voice...I couldn''t understand anything the other sirens said."

    Her words alter into a whisper as she says, "Whenever other people walked into this cavern, I could hear their songs however, and whenever the people would leap from the cliff, I could hear their life end whenever they landed on the water. It saddened me, but..."

    Tears of violet lift towards the pools surface as she says, "They...would eat the people...that died. I...I''m a "

    I activate my obelisk as I stand up on the stone floor. I lift her delicate figure in my arms before I leap from the ground through the water forcing myself through the water. The liquid rubs against my skin until we sink towards the pool''s floor once more.

    With another leap we land ten feet from the shore. I jump one last time exploding us out of the water where we fly twenty feet into the air. As we fall, Allure sings a song of fear, but we land with a smooth grace as I soak the kinetic force with a smooth crouch.

    Her violet tears lace her face as she peers around with a growing panic, but I grab her against me as I say with the warmth of home and the liberation of acceptance,

    "You are no beast. You healed me, you tried saving me with your kiss, and you''ve given me a shining light in this abyss of absolute darkness. You are my eden in this wasteland allure."

    I walk over to the shore where I wade into water 5 feet deep. I grab her hand as I kiss her while gently nudging her towards a smooth portion of the floor. Once our lips part, she lays in the water exposing all her beauty as she cries saying, "I don''t...I''m not...I''m disgusting...I''m a fre-"

    Before she finishes her words, I latch my lips against hers as I lay myself against her. I remove my clothes, and we mold together as she moans in excitement. I will not watch such an endearing and sweet lady writhe in self hatred.

    Words only say so much as actions communicate with a clarity beyond speech. She needs me, and I can''t watch her suffer alone. As we feel one another, her moans grow in volume while the runes across her body shine with a gorgeous splendor like an amethyst moon eclipsing the sun.

    The light saturates the room until only the aura of her fills my senses. As we climax, an explosion of cerulean engulfs the blue. Allure heaves for breath as her tattoos altered color to the same light blue as her eyes. I lay beside her, and after several minutes, we catch our breaths.

    She says while looking at me saying, "That was...amazing."

    I smirk with pride, but a sudden explosion from the top of the cavern ripples through the water we lay in. My stomach sinks as my heart pounds blood with enough force that my skin pulses. They found us.

 Power

    I raise from the water around me, but my specs lower values lash against me. My strength, durability, and even my heart rate returned to near normal values. Fuck. I raise my head above the water as Allure raises her head above the water, and I say, "The Fog''s deviants found us. I want you to hide in a crevice around this pool. I''ll fight them as long as I can.

    Her eyes widen, but before she sings in response, I place my finger against my lips saying, "If they find you, you''re dead. Period. There''s no chance for fighting this force. An army of armageddon marches up there. I am a decoy so that you can live on."

    I grab her kissing her lips with a rushed passion before I say, "The moments I spent with you here are some of the best in my life. Goodbye."

    I strengthen my limbs before I sprint towards the cliffside. I leap towards the wall with my skin dragging behind me. I land on the wall before I kick once more shoving me towards the crevice leading outside. I stab my fingers into the stone noticing the dramatic increase in resistance before I peer through to the inside of the cave.

    Aged mutants shamble sniffing every inch of the cave frenzying like insects. Allure won''t escape unless I lure them away from here. I sigh before I dig deep into my soul for resolve. Few things will inspire strength like guarding a loved one, so I steadily build my reserves of energy before a monster peeks his head through the crevice.

    I lift my foot before I smash its face against a wall with the same motion as kicking a door down. A gut wrenching splat and crunch resonates in the cavern, but I shove its body aside as I crawl through the hole. They''ll see the pools of sirens, and no one will escape, namely Allure.

    So I''ll fight them before they reach through this gap. As I reach outside, a charging aberration reaches me. the dark yellow monster leaks orange slop from its mandible. Squirming tentacles flail from its mouth mimicking a moving and uprooted tree stump. Misshapen, gaping wholes in its skull show no mental capacity while the three arms and and three legs shove the entity forward like a charging gorilla. Nothing about the animal flows smoothly - this is an abomination.

    As it lifts a right appendage, I step my right foot behind me sliding me outside of its direct path, but I lean forward as I push through the floor gyrating my elbow against the creature''s head.  My elbow snaps through its skull before my blow sinks two feet further down its chest bathing me in the glowing yellow blood of these monsters. I roar filling with the spirit of a warrior destined for death yet not defeated in spirit, "COME. FACE ME."

    Several dozen mutants peer towards me before they rush towards scrambling over one another. Once one meets me, I grab at what appears to be its neck before I lift the entire body of the creature slamming the monster against another creatures skull. I clamp my hand behind the other creatures skull pulling the heathens together splattering their orange brains against me as I close my eyes at the moment of impact.

    I leap towards the roof with my left foot as I jerk my right upwards. My arm sinks into the soft flesh and through the hard carapace lining its torso. I turn my arm destroying its insides before I chuck the body away from me as I wipe my eyes with my left hand.

    I use the momentum of the monster''s body flying to the floor to plant my own feet into the roof with a crouch. I rocket from my closed position activating my absolute maximum power with gravity aiding my efforts. Before I land, I alternate my power from my legs into my shoulder as I crash into a pile of squirming bodies.

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    As I mush through flesh, the sensation of diving through syrup and wooden bars covers my entire body before I impact the ground. Bodies splat everywhere as I shake their organs and blood from my body. I open my eyes thundering my struggle through the cavern.

    For the first time, my enemies reel backwards rather then continue their charge. A single monster defies my command, so as he reaches me, I duck under neath a strike from its left side by crouching. I power through my bent knee uppercutting the creature creature against the roof as the force explodes out the back of its chest.

    Its corpse slaps against the roof, and as it flops down towards the earth, I backhand the creature shoving the body from in front of me without averting my gaze from the horde in front of me. I boom my voice as I pound my chest, "I SAID FIGHT ME."

    The creatures experience an emotion that''s flooding through my veins with each beat of my heart. Fear. Anyone can attest to the paralyzing effect of fear, and the only method for overcoming this petrification is experiencing the sensation and powering it with willpower.

    These monsters operate as a hive mind, so the only way to inflict fear is to scare all of them at once. I exploded with such force hoping for this exact moment. Even though my muscles burn and I heave for breath, I stand tall disguising my weakness. Most battles are won before their fought, and I''ve won this single skirmish with my tactics.

    Unfortunately, life isn''t so kind. The creatures move out of the way of a dreadnought. The most ancient of The Fog''s denizens eventually evolve further becoming a hulking monstrosity with six enormous limbs six feet in length each. Their jaw splits at the bottom as the bone curves around its jagged skull like face.

    Each step jars a boom as its large hands with thick, armored fingers digs into the stone. The previous globular body of the lesser denizens covers with shifting, interweaving plates of stony muscle. The six spikes from the dreadnought''s back scrape against the ceiling sending sparks and chips of stone against the floor.

    Humans that survive the infection as I did transform into these mongrels. After several years of mutating, nothing of their previous form remains except this hulking behemoth. This is the fate that awaits me. I may have said I was the only person to survive the fog, but that was before I noticed my physical changes. I thought I had pierced past this sad future. I did not.

    I crush my fear and guilt. I have not time for self pity nor dread. A lonely angel swims behind me, and I shall become the wall that protects her. None shall stop me. I shall overcome this fate until Allure sits in a sanctum of safety. Even if I have to fight without a mind, I shall pound and pulverize my foes.

    As I brace myself, the dreadnought charges towards me bellowing a deep growl that vibrates my skin and bones. The sound''s so loud, my teeth chatter against one another...That may just be fear however. I clench my fists while gritting my teeth as my stomach sinks.

    I charge towards the creature as well. If this will be my last stand, then these monsters shall see the engulfing power of a human with more to protect than just his life.

 Abduction

    As I reach the dreadnought, I jolt sideways dodging its charge. As I slide, I grow a series of claws on my hand, and I stab my hand into its second foot on its left side. 4 gashes form on its side leaking a less familiar red blood. Streaks of yellow line my path as the monster pulls with three of its feet in stone while pushing with the others on the opposite side.

    I faint towards the same jolt as before, but after I take the first step, I catapult my foot cracking stone as I jerk through the air. The behemoth''s front arms crush where I jumped from, yet I dodge its blow while slicing  with a clawed hand. Four more cuts appear across the other front arm of the creature.

    I use the resistance of carving its flesh for torquing my body towards the ceiling. As my feet plant into the roof, a limb thick as a tree lifts towards me, but I leap from roof cleaving more wedges into its hulking frame, but the dreadnought torques its skull whipping an acid coated tongue towards me.

    I crouch downwards while dashing forwards torquing my arm overhead. My claws hack through the monster''s acid whip, but the force shakes its tongue flinging globs of acid onto my bare skin. Excruciating torment hacks my back before I grab a claw lining the left side of the beast''s face.

    I grunt as I pull myself towards its bleeding mouth as I plant both of my feet against its knobby head. I leverage the claw pulling with all of my strength before the limb breaks like a splitting an orange with your bare hands. A limb flings towards me from both sides, but before I smash against its face, I rip the curved tooth from its skull stabbing the talon through the left sided limb.

    As I pierce the armor plates on its hand, I jerk  upwards flinging me downwards. I release the claw as the limb continues its trajectory. I gyrate through the air crashing against stone as patches of my skin rip of from the friction with the stone. I gasp as I look up, but I discover the creature''s tooth stabbing into its skull with the armored hand stuck against its head.

    Waiting for its charge, I breath deep, ragged breaths as my entire body burns from every building stockpiles of lactic acid. I no longer feel the skin on my back while I peer downwards spotting several streams of blood down my figure. I''m wearing down.

    The behemoth turns towards me, but it no longer charges with a reckless abandon as before. It limp towards me with red streaking from all over its body. I hyperventilate soaking my body with oxygen as I prepare my assault. I will need to smash this monster before the entity regains the confidence for its assault.

    After a dozen deep breaths in rapid succession, I dash towards the creature, but right before I dash sideways, the monster spews the blood leaking from its bloody stump tongue. the red liquid covers me blinding my charge. I attempt slowing down, but a wall of iron slams against my left side.

    My body crumbles against the brutal blow lobbing me across the room. Agony flares from my arm while the excruciating anguish from my shoulder  implodes my composure. As I tumble across the ground, the puncturing pains stabbing my mind remind me of having my exposed bones grinded against rusty, rough iron.

    I yelp in pain for a moment before  limping stomp resonate from the cavern''s walls. I grimace as my will wilts in the face of such an overwhelming foe. One hit landed, and now I lay in shambles. The injustice of our disparity in powers minces against my sense of fairness.

    But before I fall into despair, I focus clearing my thoughts from the endless pain as I center myself in this sea of suffering. I remember the life I wish to live. I remember the family I need to go to. I remember Allure cringing below in the cavern.

    As I convulse at my body''s misery, I wipe my eyes of the red blood coagulating on my skin. The congealing goop peels from my skin at my force, so I open my eyes as the monster shambles towards me with weak steps. The tongue wound pours blood while the wounds on its side never scabbed over as the dreadnought''s motions tear the clotting process.

    I shove the ground with my arm forcing my body to stand as another wave of torture emanates from my left arm. The limb hangs with a pendulum''s swing as I grab it. I torque the arm sideways while manipulating my obelisk to regrow my ruptured tendons. After three seconds of complete strain, I clench my left hand having healed the limb somewhat.

    The monster reaches me before I leap backwards, but the giant pincers my movements with its arms pressuring me into a corner. The remnants of its intelligence enable such tactics, but I own more than mere fading memories of sentience.

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    The whole he  presses me into owns sharp stalactites and stalagmites on its borders, so I dash towards its two limbed side feigning an escape. The behemoth contorts its other limbs whipping the two logs of plated flesh towards me at a frightening pace.

    I duck rolling into the cluster of rock spines evading the blow by a hair''s length. The wind of the blow flings my hair as I stand kicking a stalagmite. The force ruptures the five foot spike. As I pick up the weapon, the creature grabs a spine with its front arm before it swings the weapon crosswise from overhead.

    Instead of dodging away, I alternate my strategy as I dash towards the monster. The demon torques its middle arm towards me flinging the open hand like a club of bone. I ignore his assault as I jab the stalagmite through the underpart of its jaw through the missing  bottom half of its jaw.

    The rock pierces deep into the creature''s brain, and the life of its body leaves its movements. Unfortunately, the force of the limb never leaves the being, so a wall of mutant armor plate smashes into my right side crushing my bones.

    Crushing pain and stabbing agony erupts from my own trampled bones digging their sharp edges into my insides. As I fly into the air, I flop shearing me with further stabbing needles of gruesome injury. I collide with a recognizable crevice. Fuck.

    I close my eyes as the horde of monsters turn their heads at the songs of sirens below me. While Allure may make no noise, the other sirens hold no such code. We''re both dead.

    Opening my eyes, I accept our fate, so I crawl through the hole. I leap from the edge of the cliff using my last bit of strength for strengthening my legs as I land cracking stone. My strength gives at the last moment, so my shins fracture as I fall forward, but I grit my teeth. I want to see her one last time before I die. I will see her one last time before I die.

    As I crawl across the floor, throbbing of every kind of horrendous sensation consumes my senses. The sounds of slobbering abominations grows as I reach the edge of the pool. Allure howls songs of biting sadness as she holds my cheeks in her palms, but I place my palm against her face as I choke,

    "I''m sorry...I couldn''t save you....I know it may sound selfish, but...I wanted to see you before I die."

    I cough blood from my lungs as they fill with the fluid. Allure weeps her purple tears as my vision blurs. Strength leaves me as my body shuts down. She pulls my face against her chest, and a blinding light of bright blue shines from her tattoos as her eyes bloom with the radiance of stars.

    Her songs eliminate all other sounds as her lyrics come to life entering my ears with their meaning,

    "Praise the fallen warrior before me. As he gave his life for mine, I give my soul for his."

    Even the monsters dwelling in the cave stare at the display as twelve spheres of light appear around her. She fades into a blue aura as the energy leaks into me. Power floods my veins as sudden clarity and comprehension explode through my senses.

    I no longer feel cold. I no longer feel alone. I open my eyes as I stand upwards with Allure''s words surging my efforts forward. As I take a step, ice crackles from my feet in sharp, multi-branched patterns across the floor. I stare at the ground as I breath outwards, and a stream of icy air flows from my mouth.

    I lift my arms as I raise my head staring at my now blue gray skin. As I clamp my fists, the air around my vibrates. A forcefield of ice appears around me booming a high, piercing sound like breaking glass. Daggers of ice expand from the ice as I lift my left leg.

    I stomp shattering my shelter shooting my spikes in every direction with the force of shrapnel from a grenade. Thousands of ice spines impale my opposition. Yellow blood splats across the walls before a flowing, red aura falls from the crevice.

    A red haired girl laced in full plate armor shines in crimson as she brandishes a sword of blood. The aura around her expands as she says in a voice flooding with blood lust and exposing her disdain, "So you are what stopped an entire squadron of our troops. You may prove useful for our ambitions. Who are you?"

    I say in a resonating, deep voice that shakes the air as I emit a blue aura,

    "I am the cold of death. I am the numb of ice. I am the frozen might of broken passion...and now, I am your enemy."

 Ice and Fire

    The air around me condenses until liquid oxygen forms around my skin. The liquid, blue as the deepest sea, crystallizes into jagged armor as if thousands of sapphire needles interlocked with all of them facing my back. Swords of pale blue form as tear the moisture from the air producing blades of water.

    As I move the swords, wires of ice trail past the tips as super cooled air radiates from the swords. Explosions of frozen water and nitrogen explode from each of my steps as I walk towards the demoness in front of me. As I Lean downwards, the warrior before me snaps, "The horde faces far greater foes than mere cold."

    I gaze up at her as I say, "I am not cold. I am absolute zero, and the end of you."

    I flare from my crouched position accelerating with the violence of bullets and a speed like sound. She braces with her sword, but I shear through the metal with ease smashing her until we reach the stone wall. A boom loud enough to break bones rips through the air as we collide with stone.

    A shockwave rips through the cavern shoving the dust and debris away from us. As her body freezes, I lean towards her saying with a voice like vibrating metal, "Is a little cold to much for you?"

    She smiles as she grabs her hand liquefies into slop as she screams, "Prepare for assimilation!"

    Her goop flies against my armor, but no fear braces my frame. After her flesh blocks my vision, I grab the frozen arm on my face mask before I rips the frozen shards from my armor. A gaze of horror meets my exposed stare as I grin underneath my faceless helmet.

    I freeze her limbs before I release her. She remains alive despite the black of her flesh, so I lean towards her saying with ice in my breath, "Where you expecting another outcome?"

    She tries spitting on me, but her saliva freezes mid air, so I grab the frozen phlegm snapping her tongue of as I rip the ice from her mouth. She screams cruses of unknown origin, but I say silencing her outburst, "Your entire race shall suffer for robbing me of my flame. For stealing my light in darkness. For ending my nirvana."

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    Tears of orange fall from her large eyes as she says, "I never wanted this. I just wanted to be good to my father. I don''t want to die."

    I clasp my hand over her face as I say, "Speak of mercy to the lost souls of your victims."

    I emit cold into her head, and the water inside explodes spines of ice as her feral screams end in an instant. I lift myself from her as I gaze upwards. hordes of monsters shake against the top of the wall. I pound my fists together shouting, "I pray you brought a swarm, for you fight against an army of one."

    I push from the earth echoing a thunder-strike of sound before I smash into the roof. I rip myself from the rock as I shove myself towards the horde of mongrels. They turn running from me, but none shall escape. I fight with fire of burning vengeance in my heart that moves the ice of my skin. They shall fall before me.

    As I slam into earth beneath me, I brandish my swords commencing the storm of death. I flow through each enemy slicing through them with the blades of ice. My movements meld together with a continuous flow as I dance across the blood splattered cavern with ice trails hanging behind me. Each enemy detonates with ice after I slice through them, and after stabbing through the body of the last straggler ice implodes from its chest, I peer behind me.

    What was once a splattering of decay and death transformed into a mural of sky blue ice and streaks of ice. The trails form into a complex, interweaving spectacle like the arcing of birds in flight. It''s beautiful...but the beauty only reminds me of Allure.

    As I remember her face, the depths of blazing rage within me explode as my outer body evokes a large aura of blue. Fires of absolute cold sheer off me as I walk out of the cavern. I gaze upon the armies of monsters beneath me, yet tears roll down my cheeks.

    The warm liquid cools the fires of my soul as I hear the most enchanting voice on this bleak, hopeless earth. I hear the songs of sirens. I hear the voice of Allure as she says, "I''m still with you."

 Continuity

    I whisper saturating in my disbelief, "How?"

    She echoes through the air alarming several mutants near me, "After we laid with one another, did you feel yourself weaken?"

    I raise an eyebrow saying, "Hmmm. I actually noticed a dramatic reduction in my power."

    She echoes through the air, "I believe some kind of seal was placed on me using the runes that interlaced my body. You broke that seal by giving a life''s worth of energy. I didn''t understand it until you reached me once more. Suddenly, I understood."

    She whispers in a voice that only I may hear, "You were the only one I could bond with. It could be no one else."

    I nod my head as my thoughts connect the chain of events. My mutations slowed afterwards along with my reduction in raw physical specs. She also shined brighter than after our union. I would have died if I hadn''t been infected with The Fog, she wouldn''t have been able to bond with anyone, and The Fog would have taken over my mind if not for her draining of its power.

    I squint my eyes as I say in my arctic voice, "Our meeting feels almost too perfect..."

    She says, "I believe in fate. This was meant to happen."

    I whisper, "I''m sorry the first sight you''ll see of the outside world is one of carnage."

    She says with her peculiar seductive charm like the hypnotic trance of a snake, "These hordes attempted to separate us Pyrex. Do you remember the scene you left after decimating the horde in the cavern?"

    "Yes."

    She murmurs in a voice loaded with power and purpose, "I thought your battle was elegant, like a dance of death. Let us stop the force below us in an even greater maelstrom of ice both graceful and decisive."

    As several monsters sprint towards me leaking their orange, gooey saliva, I say, "We shall become the arbiter of their apocalypse. The act of their Armageddon. The cause of their cataclysm."

    After my announcement, a scouting ship flies over head from behind us. They must have used the beacon in my obelisk for tracking my location.  A voice appears from the ship, "What are you?"

    I boom my voice, "I am Pyrex Amador. Back away, else you be caught in my crossfire."

    A confused voice answers through the sounding system on the ship, "What? We are here to save you! Get on board before your overwhelmed."

    Instead of answering, I charge the cold in me using the my fiery hate for these abominations as fuel. I lift my right foot as I flip my ice sabers in my hands towards the ground. I shout, "I will overwhelm, they will fall."

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    I slam my foot into the ground shattering the earth beneath me, but the collapse bolts outwards in every direction like a lightning strike of force. The ground around me cracks as jutting slabs of rock tumbling in every direction. A circle 500 meters across  crumbles at my might, but I continue my assault.

    I crush my swords into the ground channeling absolute cold from the ground. The air above the crushed area implodes downwards as my strength saps the area of all heat. A layer of liquid nitrogen, oxygen, and co2 falls from over head. As the liquid touches my enemies, they detonate from the water within their bodies expanding rapidly.

    I pull my swords from the ground as I stand, but I cross them in front of me as I roar, "I am the harbinger of their slaughter."

    I rip the swords apart brandishing the swords against my sides as a single seismic wave funnels through the ground in all directions. As the wave passes, the wasteland of cold reconstructs to its previous warmth while the super cooled liquids I covered the area in from before detonate as they return to their gaseous state.

    The attack produces an engulfing cannonade with the rapid explosiveness of a carpet bombing. As the ship shakes in the air, the voice says, "What in the hell is going on?"

    I crouch downwards before I dash into the remaining hordes of creatures as I say, "This hell is freezing over."

    Allure laughs at the cheesy line as I grin at my own joke. I push on the frozen earth beneath my feet jutting me through the air as I fly with my swords trailing an arc of ice beneath me. Low hanging clouds surround me as I freeze the water creating portions of ice daggers falling from the sky. The sensation of weightlessness pulls me as I accelerate towards the earth.

    Before I land, I build power in my arms and legs as a single thought booms through my mind - I am unstoppable.

    Right before I crash into the ground, a sickening aura of dark red like moving blood appears as the incarnation of hell pops into my vision below me. Her gray skin accentuates the fire of her hair and the blaze of her aura. Her armor accentuates her lean figure that supports an astonishing feminine charm.

    The liquid blood around her expands channeling towards me as she says with a voice like black ichor spilling into my eyes, "Unstoppable aye? Hahah, then meet the immovable."

 Capture

    Before her tentacles crash into me, I densify the air around me creating a slab of ice from the moisture in the air. Right before the tendrils slam into my platform, I leap from the plate redirecting the angle of my descent before I pulverize the ground beneath me.

    I shout after I land, "Who are you?"

    She raises into the air using her slimy arms of blood as she crosses her arms. She says, "I am an apostle of The Fog. You killed my younger sister, though she was a pathetic weakling. I can feel the fog in you as well. Why do you fight us?"

    I hiss my words as I say, "Your kind is a plague on this planet. I shall not sit idly by while you corrupt the land and decimate our planet''s resources."

    she raises an eyebrow as she says, "Look around you. There is nothing but miles and miles of rock in every direction. You humans are killing this planet. We are the cure for your infestation, but you aren''t like the other mortals I''ve faced. You''re different."

    I shout, "This doesn''t concern my differences. The Fog destroys all organic life. How is that saving the planet?"

    She lowers herself 20 feet from me with a smooth motion as she says, "Tell me, have you ever seen The Fog morph anything else?"

    I stammer, "What?! No, but I''ve seen the lands you cover. There is nothing left afterwards."

    She taps her cheek as she says, "Did you see the wastelands before we infested them?"

    I squint my eyes as I say, "...No."

    She smirks as she says, "So soldier boy operates off his orders and nothing else. Did you ever even consider an alternative to thinking you are good, and we are evil?"

    I hiss my words with a deep hatred, "I''ve seen your kind maul men and your fog destroy their skin as they die in agony. I don''t need a commander''s words to decide if that''s evil or not."

    She crosses her arms as she says, "Tell me, has the fog ever attacked a city?"

    I blink several times before I say, "We have defense mechanisms versus your gas. You can''t attack our cities."

    She giggles before she says, "So why can your kind stop us there but not here near your precious mines and factories?"

    I say, "Hmmmm. Why are you telling me this?"

    She leans on one leg as she crosses her arms saying, "The Fog''s within you, and you used words rather than weapons at our initial greeting."

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    My armor of oxygen dissipates as I stand from my crouch saying, "Obviously you don''t want to figh-"

    A blades of blood fly towards my neck and organs at a breakneck pace interrupting me words, but before they attempt piercing into my skin, they halt their sudden speed. The woman says, "You''re quite right, though trusting your enemies is strange."

    I shrug my shoulders as I say, "I''m not some battle driven maniac. I just want to return to my family while making sure they''re protected. That, and showing Allure the wonders of this world."

    As I say so, Allure materializes from a cloud of blue forming overhead. I scramble before I catch her in my arms. I gasp, "What happened?"

    She hugs me as she says, "I think the gods blessed us."

    I pull her towards me as I say, "I thought you were gone."

    The ice on my skin and body lessens until I return to my now gray skinned self. My power wanes until I return to a normal human along with an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. As my knees wobble, Allure says, "We''ll need to get better at that."

    The Fog''s apostle walks up saying, "You should be consumed by now. How did you stop the fog''s contamination?"

    I heave for breath as I say, "I don''t know. I don''t know anything anymore. This is all so crazy."

    I crouch downwards before I fall backwards keeping Allure on me rather than the ground. My vision blurs as Allure says, "Uh...I had some sort of seal, and he used the fog''s excess energy for unlocking it."

    The apostle walks up before she taps Allure''s cheek where the tattoo now glows purple. She says, "This isn''t a seal. This is an energy conversion seal. It absorbs the life force of whoever falls for this siren''s charms...You fought of the infection with her...Wow."

    My limbs numb as I say, "Are you going to kill us now? I can''t move anymore, and I''m so tired and starving. I...I don''t want to fight anymore."

    The apostle snaps her finger as she smiles saying, "I''ll handle this for now. Just rest Pyrex. I''ll make everything...better."

    As hordes of monsters surround us, my vision blurs as a single thought stabs into my mind before I pass out.

    I should have gotten on that scouting ship. Fuck.

 Subterfuge

    -----------------------------

    As I lay on his chest, Pyrex closes his eyes as his body relaxes from the white hot tension of earlier. His sleeping face reminds me of when we first met a few days ago. People take on a different feel when they sleep. All the stress of conscious life ebbs away until they appear with a pure relaxation. It''s like he transforms into a younger version of himself. I like watching him when he rests like this.

    I hold my fear in containable levels by distracting myself with these thoughts. The monsters around us scare me. I never imagined the outside world would hide such obvious evil. Pyrex spoke of the surface as a plain of varying experiences, but all I''ve seen so far will fill my nightmares for many nights and many moons.

    The monsters grab Pyrex, but they never touch me. Instead of tearing us apart, the dark red goop that the apostle controls pulls me from Pyrex. This wench separates us, so I shout empty words. My voice distorts until songs sing from my throat once more.

    I squint my eyes as I clench my fists biting my lip. I hate the limits of my voice. The black glob lifts me until I float beside the gray hellion before she covers us both in the gunk, so I shout, "Why do you rip me from him you ugly, manipulative, hateful, spiteful-"

    She places a fingertip over my lips, and awareness of my now vocal voice permeates around me. She covered me so that I could speak. Maybe she isn''t that evil.

    she says, "Listen before you berate your warden. I could kill you at any time."

    I squint at her as I say, "Why haven''t you? I know you didn''t kill Pyrex for his mutations, but why not me?"

    She smirks as she says, "Because you have presented me with an ambassador for my cause. Pyrex is still partially human, so his own kind may trust his words."

    I purse my lips as I say, "Hmmm. So you want someone to speak for you?"

    She opens her palm as she says, "More or less. I can also study your seal. It is the only form of oppressent that I''ve ever seen for our infection. That interests me."

    I swim through the murky liquid as I say floating around her, "Did you ever intend to hurt us?"

    She says, "Hah, of course. I was coming to kill you both before I learned about your seal. I can''t show mercy, and we can''t give any territory back to the humans."

    I can''t sense any danger from her, so I swim in front of her as I graze her cheek with my fingers saying, "Why not?"

    Her eyes squint as she says, "Their industrial operations involve sapping this planets resources. We are a biological mutation for fighting them from this world. If we give them even an inch of ground, they will double their efforts to crush us."

    She opens a palm towards me as she says, "Humans won''t allow an existence that poses potential harm to exist on one of their planets."

    Hmmm. Few creatures would I''d imagine. As I graze her neck feeling her soft skin, I say, "What''s your name?"

    She pushes my hand away as she says, "I''m the leader of the hivemind that controls The Fog. I have no name."

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    I had no name before Pyrex gave me one. Ahhh, I wish I be with him. I say, "Pyrex will give you a name if you''d like. IHe gave me the name Allure."

    I move through the water before I press my hands against her waist while moving my lips near hers as I say, "He said the reason was obvious."

    She moves her hand towards me own before I dash away from her giggling. Hihi, she''s fun to be around, though not as fun as Pyrex. I say, "Where''s Pyrex?"

    She lifts her eyebrows as she says, "Aren''t you worried for his safety?"

    I smile as I say, "He''s like iron. He won''t die from falling asleep. Can we go to him?"

    She shoos me away from her as she says, "We''ll need to wait until he''s submerged before we check on him. The process can be...disturbing for a normal being."

    Hmmm. I can''t stop her from killing him either way. I''m better off warming up to her. I say, "Did you ever want a name?"

    She says, "If you require a name for me, then call me Gorge since my forces will eat all that stands before me."

    I swim behind her as I rub my hands through her silky hair saying, "It could be because your gorgeous as well."

    I dart away before her backhand reaches my face. I hope she has a sense of humor. I say, "Hihi, do you dislike being beautiful?"

    She squints at me as she says, "You''re mocking me."

    I swim towards her as I say, "How so?"

    "You''re just belittling me by not taking my words with the weight they carry. It wastes both our times."

    I lean my chin against my hands as I say, "I can''t just be terrified all the time you know. I''ll go insane."

    She frowns as she says, "So it''s a coping mechanism?"

    I shrug as I say, "I don''t really know. I''m new to talking with others...I thought of a better name than Gorge for you."

    She rolls her eyes as she crosses her arms saying, "What?"

    I grin as I say, "Unity!"

    Her eyebrows raise as she uncrosses her arms. After several seconds of thought, Unity says, "Well. I actually like that name."

    I swim towards her hugging her against me as I say, "Hihi, excellent. I liked it when I got my name as well."

    She pushes against me with a halfhearted nudge as she sighs saying, "Alright, alright. I get it. Let''s go see if your lover''s doing any better. He feels better at least."

    I raise an eyebrow as I say, "How do you know?"

    Unity smirks as she says, "He is a part of me now. I can read his thoughts, though he refuses to submit to my will until the infection overwhelms his conscious. You can help with that using your...talents."

    I press my cheek against hers as I say breathing warmed water on her neck, "Sounds like fun, Care to join us?"

    She flicks my forehead before I back away from her. She says, "I''d rather not. Try to contain yourself till you meet with him, siren."

    I float behind her grazing her lower back with my fin as I say, "No promises."

    She''s so fun to tease.

 Anomaly

    We float across the hordes of mutants as none of them shift even a step. They just stand staring at us as Gorge uses her tentacles to cross them. I wonder what else she could do with those tentacles.

    As we reach a glowing, fleshy construct on the ground formed with mounds of the mutants horded together, Gorge lowers onto the ground keeping me afloat using her gel. As we pass through a crevice that slides open with a squelch, the glowing yellow of the inside offers lighting for the lumpy interior.

    Every few steps, a series of glowing sacks ebb a orange light with a red lining while little creatures swim in the transparent covering. The floor sinks under Gorge''s feet as she [aces through a series of grotesque hallways. She paces with firm steps as we traverse down staircases, but the stair remind me more like sloping hallways covered in ducttape.

    The mush of the floor fuses with her feet allowing her to walk as her body angles the same as the floor. So even though she walks at a 45 degree angle, she never loses her balance. The spectacle permeates the surreal, moody atmosphere the whole area emanates.

    As we reach a large corridor at the bottom of the expanse. Several other members circle around a single tube at the center of the room. Another girl with navy blue hair stands with her arms crossed eying Pyrex as he floats in the chamber while an 8 foot tall red man stands with his chest puffed and chin lowered.

    Another man with green spectacles stands over a nob on the side of the tube with his arms fused into the fleshy mound while his eyes glow the same shade of neon yellow as the opaque liquid. An orange man with a lithe figure leans on a red sword with his pointed eyebrows and chin glaring at Pyrex in the tube.

    Pyrex''s skin grayed since our last meeting, but he pulls the ashen warrior look off with his raven hair and red eyes. His broad shoulders lead towards his lean, strong neck while his exposed chest shows his chiseled mid section. It''s like staring at a dream.

    He thinks the same of me I''m sure. I say as Gorge enters the room, "Pyrex! When will he wake up?"

    Gorge says towards the others ,"Use verbal communication since Allure can''t hear us."

    The navy blue haired women with sky blue wings and purple skin rasps in a voice like smoke, "Why are we saving a human?"

    Gorge snaps her finger as a tentacle slams into the feisty seductress with enough force to crush stone. She smashes into the floor beneath us. Gorge says spitting her words acidly, "Never. Question. My. Decisions...Understood?"

    The other other members nod as the blue pulp on the floor regenerates from the catastrophic damage. As her face reforms, tears of purple lace down her cheeks until she reforms whimpering without voicing her displeasure.

    The brutality of the gesture overwhelms me with fear. My vision narrows until I no longer recognize the sides of my sight while my heart rate heightens. She could have killed me before. I was too naive to notice.

    Gorge says, "The human has been infected with the fog for over three days, yet he hasn''t mutated. He fights off his infection with this siren''s unique seal. Bordore, I need you too observe the marks to correlate the view to any known languages."

    The giant red man says with a voice that pronounces its words with a sharp clarity, "Of course. I see you''ve taken on the name Gorge. It is fitting. I enjoy it."

    She smiles as she hands me off into his brawny arms. His skin oozes a oil that smells like powdered stone. I dislike his touch, but I say nothing after the display by Gorge earlier. As I leave the room, Pyrex''s eyes flare open, but they show a far more animalistic glint than before.

    As our eyes meet, the seething anger he harbors explodes as his shiny aura encircles him like before he jumped into the stone. The liquid soaks into him within seconds while the green proctor overseeing his tube falls against the flesh mound hanging by his hands.

    His eyes no longer shine. Instead, a blank grayness replaces his stare before he rips his hands off of the console. Gorge shouts, "Stop Harlow. What are you doing?"

    He rears his head back smashing into the glass case shattering the expanse before Pyrex radiates a shockwave shooting wind in every direction. A set of plated tails grows out of his back that end in sharp blades as he says cracking his fists, "I feel amazing."

    Gorge stares at him in disbelief as she says, "You aren''t mutating like normal. why haven''t you become a dreadnought after soaking the solution up? It should have sped up your mutations if you absorbed it like that."

    Pyrex snaps, "I don''t really know, but more importantly-" He gazes towards Bordore saying with a tone like flossing with barbed wire. "I believe your hands are two  coarse for Allure''s soft skin. Give her back."

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    Bordore blinks in surprise as before he looks towards Gorge. She says, "Alright. Let the lover birds enjoy each others company."

    He walks over as the tails on Pyrex''s back lift me from his arms with a gentle care. The smooth, warm plates remind me of scales before I fall into his arms. He glances at me with a feral intensity as he says, "I''ve missed you."

    He''s so sexy. I melt in his arms as I hug against him. The orange man with a pointed chin leaps towards Pyrex before two more tentacles burst from his back with one stabbing through the mans chest while the smashes him against the floor. Pyrex turns towards Gorge as he says,

    "Keep your dogs away from me and Allure."

    She squints her eyes as she says, "Your one of my dogs now."

    Pyrex flashes one of his determined grins as he says, "Try me. You''re biting more than you can chew, Gorge."

    Her five tentacles of blood shoot towards Pyrex, but another set of tails spout from Pyrex''s back with the same interlocking of plates like parallelograms of iron. He blocks the tentacles grimacing as he says,

    "I''m willing to listen to what you have to say, just calm down. I want to do what''s right, and your statements earlier having me questioning what I know."

    Gorge places sits down on a spawned chair of black blood she crafted as she lowered herself. She places both her hands together as she says leaning on a platform of red goop, "Alright then. If your willing to listen, then I''m willing to talk."

    Pyrex wafts a scent like a super sweet jellyfish as he smiles saying, "How is the Melotic Empire destroying this world?"

    Gorge''s eyes harden as she grates, "You''d best sit down. It''s a long story."

    I smile as I sing, so Gorge reaches her tentacles towards me before Pyrex blocks with his own saying, "What are you doing?"

    I place a hand on his cheek turning his eyes towards me as I say my sharp notes. Gorge may be violent, but she does not lie.

    Our gazes meet, and he understands me intention, so he allows the tentacles to submerge us. The black sludge becomes a warm pink allowing us to see each other. I say as I circle my tail around him, "She just wants to allow me to speak. Thank you for trusting me."

    He smiles as he says, "As you are as faithful as the moon and her stars, I devote myself for your light."

    My face flushes as I stammer, "Wow. That was really...poetic. Thank you."

    He says, "It''s a quote from the Magna Alma. One of the greatest legends of our world spoke those words to Gaia herself."

    The declaration only exacerbates my embarrassment before he leans his forehead against mine as he says, "I don''t appreciate you offering Gorge threesomes however."

    I look around as I flush further saying, "Uh...How did you know about that."

    He smiles as he says, "Gorge can listen to my thoughts and give me her own. She actually enjoyed your teasing more than she admits."

    Gorge spouts, "Be quiet. You need to listen more. You may find yourself learning more that way."

    Hmmm...I say, "How can I hear you?"

    Pyrex smiles showing sharpened teeth as he says, "This gel operates as a telepathic medium between us."

    He changed languages their for a second, but I scratch my head as I say, "Hmmm. Ok. That makes sense."

    He moves his hands through my hair as he says, "It doesn''t matter how. I''m just glad we can speak with each other."

    His warmth soothes my nerves as I say leaning towards him, "We can do more than that if you want."

    Gorge flicks the back of my head as I imagine her rolling her eyes towards me. I turn towards her saying as my panic from earlier melts, "Are you jealous? There''s always room for one more?"

    Pyrex flicks the back of my head as he rolls his eyes in the exact same way I imagined Gorge would earlier. I raise an eyebrow as I say, "Why not? She''s beautiful. Enchanting even."

    He floats to his side as he presses his muscular body against mine saying as he breaths in my ear, "She''s not you though."

    What a smooth talker. I want to eat him up. Gorge says, "Can we focus for a few minutes?"

    Pyrex glances towards her saying, "Of course."

    She leans against a hardened portion of gel in front of her as she says, "It started long ago in the fields of Maria."

    Pyrex''s eyes widen as he says, "No...It can''t be..."

    Gorge closes her eyes before she says, "It can''t, but it is."

    I say gazing between them both, "What is it?"

    Pyrex closes his eyes as he says, "The Fog...It''s divine retribution upon us."

 Tall Tales

    Gorge says, "Maria is the holiest site on our planet according to your troops. Apparently, one of your legends fought here on this world thousands of years ago versus some overwhelming force. He and his guard of devotees somehow managed to destroy the force."

    She sighs as she says, "It is there that I met your your legend. I was a normal girl at the time, at least for our race. That was before the shockwave of him landing crushed my body. The pain was overwhelming, but I never felt it. I could only stare at him...I can understand why you worshipped and continue to worship him."

    Pyrex whispers in awe, "What did he look like?"

    Gorge stares at a different time as she grins saying, "He was grayer than steel, and he stood eight feet tall with incredibly broad shoulders. His muscles shifted under his skin like snakes and his eyes pierced me. Despite his...otherworldy aura, he walked up to me with confidence before he grabbed me into his arms."

    She closes her eyes as she says, "I can understand how he rewrote the Magna Alma. He speaks with a silver in his tongue that amazes me even now. He told me, ''Your smile is flame that warms my heart. The fire reminds me of old friends and even older family.''"

    Pyrex''s eyes open as he says, "What did he sound like?"

    Gorge smirks towards him saying, "You sound rather preoccupied with him. Why do you want to know so badly?"

    Pyrex blinks before he says, "He''s the Arbiter of Armageddon. The Enabler of Apocalypse. The Harbinger of Cataclysm. His names are endless as are his legends."

    She raises an eyebrow as she says, "I didn''t realize he was so...known. Regardless, he sounded deep with a sharp tone to his syllables. He had an energy to his gestures. He felt...endless, but this isn''t a story about him. It''s a story of me."

    Pyrex leans down as he says, "Ahh. Yes...Sorry about that."

    She shrugs as she says, "My story is far less interesting than his, so I can understand. He isn''t as relevant as I am at the moment however. He lifted me with his arms before he placed his hand against my back. He ebbed seething tendrils of pain within me. The pain eclipsed all other pains I''ve ever before and since.

    Imagine a thousand steel worms crawling into your body. It was like that. The agony eventually ended though, and he apologized for the pain I felt the whole time. His sweet words eased the pain quite significantly. I''d like to see him again at some point if only to do battle."

    Pyrex scoffs before Gorge says, "What''s so funny?"

    He smirks as he says, "He''s crushed entire planets with his fists Gorge."

    Her eyes widen as she spits, "How?"

    "Sometimes it''s better to neglect asking how or why. I just accept it."

    She crosses her arms and ankles saying, "That is why you mindlessly followed your army despite the signs telling you of their corruption."

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    Pyrex winces before Gorge continues, "Either way, after he healed me, my body began to change. I outlived my family and husband. I lived past hundreds of years before your Melotic Empire first grounded on our planet. Your kind promised ours a peaceful coexistence.

    Of course your leaders spit at our culture. It was an invasion against our entire race. I remember when our citizens began their first terrorist attacks. Even though your changes in the environment from the mining killed millions of our citizens, your race completely ignored this."

    Venom leaks into her voice as she rasps, "Instead, your kind responded with a brutality that I''ve embraced thereafter. I remember the bombs of nerve gas that singed the skin on every member in my village...I watched my great great granddaughter die while she was pregnant. She screamed and hissed in pain as her skin melted."

    The venom transforms into a the depths of a toxic ocean as she grates, "I watched my entire family I spend 600 years building melt in one day...Something snapped. It was too unjust. Everything was too unfair. The power your god granted me snapped. This sludge flowed from my eyes and ears and mouth.

    The Fog poured from my skin as I screamed with the force of a banshee. I hated your kind with such an overwhelming passion. I would eliminate every women and child from this decaying earth. No longer will your empire use our people as slaves or eliminate them as it suits them."

    Her voice darkens as she hisses, "I am the embodiment of vengeance that your kind spawned."

    I say, "How does that help though?"

    Her eyes slowly turn towards me as she says, "What?"

    I stammer, "W-well killing tons of people won''t help bring them back."

    She roars, "But it gives meaning to their deaths, and it prevents these mongrels from destroying more of my beloved planet."

    Pyrex stares forward peering onto the ground. His grip no longer holds the same strength as before. The other members of her guard squirm with discomfort before Gorge stomps onto the ground shouting, "I will kill every last single one of you who dares to step on this planet."

    She heaves the pink gel as the veins on her face bulge. She clenches her fists before she relaxes them and her shoulders releasing us from the sludge. She floats out of the room leaving the icy atmosphere. Pyrex falls to his knees holding me up with the last of his strength while the plated tails on his back lose tension arching off his back onto floor.

    He closes his eyes, and a tear crawls down his eye before it lands on my cheek. He rasps,

    "What have we done."

    <hr />

    Magna is latin for great while Alma means a female name given in hope that the child will grow to be kind. Just a little food for thought.

 Redemption in Gray

    --------------------------------------

    I can''t believe it...Our Empire. Everything I''ve ever done. It was all for nothing. I fight for a corrupt and greedy government. Even with all of battles I''ve suffered from Altiese to Gargell. I''ve killed hundred of this world''s citizens all because I believed I was doing the right thing.

    Anguish explodes from my chest as the realization sinks sharpened fangs into my throat. I set Allure upon two of my plated tails while I sit upon two of the other ones while holding my weight with the other two. Using them reminds me of using tentacles back at the academy. Everyone despised the course involving using limbs without fingers, but I relished in it.

    Yet I used those same skills for tormenting a world at the brink of ruin. I grab the sides of my head in my hand as I clasp my eyes shut. I whisper,

    "What have I done."

    Allure leans over grabbing the side of my face as she pulls my head upwards. She whispers soothing songs, so I swallow my suffering as I crick my neck. My grieving can happen later. I say towards the other thralls of Gorge, "Is their a pool of water were we can rest?"

    The hulking red one says, "Ah...yes. Right this way. The blue one stares at me with a vile hatred as her face wrinkles in anger while the green one cringes in fear. I conquered his control of the tank as he tried controlling me through the liquid. He held his own longer than I imagined he would, but he''s no warrior whether it comes to wills or blows.

    We walk through one of three doors lining the back of the pulsing room where they stored me as we funnel past small hallways. They expand as we shift passed them repulsing me, but Allure pokes the moist walls with a morbid curiosity. She''s still new to this world, so she doesn''t own any common sense.

    I enjoy her airy nature. She''s spontaneous, and that excites me in more ways than one. After passing through another room with a massive heart pulsing with enough force to siphon blood through the entire building, we reach a room above it with several pools of steaming water. The ugly floor transforms into well polished concrete before we walk beside the tub of bubbling water.

    The scene strikes me as surreal. The pool holds several lilies at the side of its expanse while the sudden shift from organic horror house to serene pool accentuates the alienating force of the atmosphere. Allure doesn''t mind the sudden shift however since she pushes off my tails falling into the water with a splash.

    Her awkward clumsiness above land vanishes as her underwater elegance appears. Even with limited pool space, she drifts through the water spiraling as she displays her excitement. I shrug before I say, "Thank you. What was your name again?"

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    He raises his eyebrows as he says, "Uh...me?"

    I look around the room before I say, "Yeah. You."

    He blinks several times before saying in his deep voice, "I''m Bordore."

    I reach out a hand saying, "It''s good to meet you Bordore."

    He reaches out his hand without grabbing mine as he stands with a rigid, unbending erectness. I raise my eyebrows as I lower my hand saying, "So I''m assuming all human customs were thrown out of the window by Gorge."

    His posture relaxes as he says, "She has a way of hating humans more than anything else."

    I squint my eyes as I say, "She didn''t show that hatred towards me. She may have changed somewhat."

    He shakes his head before he says, "Or you may not be human. It''s hard to say...I doubt Gorge will come back here for the rest of the day as she tends to become...emotional...Please, do not break anything. This place means a lot to Gorge."

    I grin as I say, "Of course not. I''ll see you around Bordore."

    He nods before saying, "Let''s hope. Gorge seemed...angry."

    He turns pacing with wide steps before I wade knee deep in the warm water. The heat singes my skin with a pleasant pain, and Allure dashes from underwater pulling me down with a frantic jerk. I could stop my fall with my new limbs, but I choose to fall to her desires before the sultry seductress says, "Back in the water. Finally."

    I lay on my back as she pushes me against the floor 10 feet beneath the water. She says, "I know you feel sad from earlier."

    The barbs of guilt return as I avert her gaze, but she grabs my hair pulling my face towards hers with a gentle tug as she says, "I remember being alone in that pool for what felt like an eternity, and whenever you found me, a single thought crawled around the corners of my mind - how much time have I lost?"

    I open my mouth releasing the air in my lungs before I breath in water remembering my own limitations underwater. She continues with a voice like silk, "I know, it isn''t about the time I''ve spent. What matters is how I spend it now...your the same. you may have done evil, but you can change. You can do what''s right."

    I lower my gaze before she presses her voluptuous chest against mine saying, "You know, I like this brooding soldier look you''ve got going."

    I roll me eyes before she leans her head towards mine easing towards me with a slow, careful approach before our lips lock. The sadness dissipates as fire takes it place. She slides her hand down my side as I nuzzle my right hand into her hair. My hands guide themselves across her body as she whispers with her tattoos glowing,

    "I''ll steal your sadness away...I''ll steal everything."

 Fairview Down the Water

    I roll my eyes as I say, "Don''t you think that''s kind of dramatic?"

    She giggles as she says, "I am taking your life force though."

    I run my hands down her back as I say, "It''s life force worth giving."

    She blushes lavender as we spend the rest of the evening enjoying each others company.

    We end up sleeping by floating in the water, and the sensation invigorates me. Water cradles with absolute perfection despite my strange and now permanent modifications on my back. The gills absorb some oxygen from passing water while my lungs breath with a slow, steady ease that enables utter relaxation. It''s soothing especially after having fought with such vehemence the past days.

    The tension of the situation leaves us somewhat aghast at how to continue however. After several days of exploring the area, we find areas with insects being researched by the green alien named Harlow. I apologized after our initial greeting, and his quirky intelligence presented far more depth then I imagined initially.

    He fills the stereotype for a nerdy scientist with his hunched shoulders and probing eyes, but he enjoys dabbling with poisons and needles as well as his fingers suit the work with their mechanical efficiency. We exchange a few military tactics as he retained a few of his memories of serving with the Melotic Empire, and we end up becoming friends to my amazement since our initial meeting created so much chaos.

    The blue girl with flowing, crisp clothes and gestures named Teralla. She despises me with a burning passion because of my instigating the scenario were Gorge smashed her though she melts before Allure''s charms. She controls the militant aspects of the tiny research center utilizing her sharp mind for destroying forces with brute force when necessary while incorporating advanced tactics such as operating with Trojan horses or faints for setting up flanking maneuvers.

    Despite her hatred, she remains professional in all scenarios besides the scorching tone in her voice when she rasps at me. She enjoys strong females who dominate in conversation however, so she loves Allure and Gorge alike. She acts with a near pretentious air that irritates me, though she operates with a cold confidence in her duties. The outburst in the room was a characteristic anomaly of her normal behavior apparently, and without her emotions running high, she''s as frigid as arctic storms to the general male populace on the ship.

    I enjoy most of the other members though. Bordore assists with whatever questions we have before he gives both Allure and I two books made of a plastic filament from his research. the manuals detail the layout of the ship as well as a plethora of other common questions we may have of the ship. His bulky frame and enormous hands handle deft tasks with a fluid and innate talent that shocks me. He reminds me of what I imagined a fighting author would act like - both scholarly and obtuse.

    The orange man who assaulted my back before Gorge and I clashed ignores any attempts for the reasonable approach that Teralla incorporated. He illustrates his general disdain of my existence at every opportunity, and he uses the sharpness of his facial features for adding a deepness to displaying his displeasure I disagree with. It''s petty however. His jabs spawn from a immaturity, and after speaking with Bordore about the scenario, I comprehend his circumstances.

    He offered his soul to The Fog before he had transformed, so he remains one of Gorges most trusted advisors. He devotes himself as a vassal, and he operates as her elite guard though after sparring with him, I understand the rift between the acolytes and Gorge.

    Even with my constant mutations and advancements in strength, Gorge obliterates me in spars. She utilizes her tools of strength and the liquid she owns with such a smooth, creative flow that I struggle just to understand her motions at times. She never missteps. She never fails her attacks. She never leaves a single opening. The hundreds and hundreds of years of constant combat left her with a palpable strength that I''ve never seen matched during my dozen years in the army.

    Regardless, I find allure altering as she stores our...uh...charges in her tattoos. She glows with vitality, and she no longer needs to eat. She feeds of my soul instead. The relationship''s strangeness bewilders me at times, but I relish the abatement of my mutations after any of our sessions.

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    The plates on my tails grow from my back interlocking over my skin with a refreshing protection while the tentacles themselves increase in size towards the ends of their expanses giving them a nice snap when I sheer them through the air. Even with the multiple hours of practice I use incorporating them, Gorge overwhelms me with her own due to her superior use of the utensils.

    That''s where I find myself now. I roll my shoulders as I walk through the squelching doorway spotting Teralla and Gorge battling. Well, what appears like a battle. Gorge decimates any attempts at attacking her without even the slightest twinge of difficulty while Teralla uses her swords with a proficiency lacking the flexibility of Gorge''s black liquid.

    As I pace over, Gorge parries the left sword of Teralla by hardening the liquid of her gel then striking the sword at an angle. Even though she could easily overpower Teralla, Gorge uses her skill maintaining her razor sharp technique. The sword slides down the gel slamming into the ground before Gorge launches another tentacle towards Teralla''s sharp eyes.

    She releases her sword before bending backwards kicking sword as she backflips. The unique tactic shocks me, but Gorge turn grabbing the handle of the sword midair before she builds her momentum turning sideways while her gel knocks Tellara''s hands from under her pulling her arms and legs stretching her out like a tanned skin.

    Gorge stops the serrated, 4 foot long blade just shy of the back of Tellarra''s neck as she says, "Excellent use of your resources there. You should always maintain a solid footing though. When you try fancy tricks like that, any tactic you use relies on surprising your opponents for compensating the reduced power of the technique. That won''t work on any powerful opponent."

    I wince before Tellara responds, "Ah, that makes far more sense now. I suppose trying to surprise a warrior who''s faught for millenia borders folly."

    I say opening my palms as I walk into the room, "It would''ve worked on me personally."

    Tellara rolls her eyes as she says, "Anything works on you."

    I grin as I point a finger and a plated tail towards her saying, "Besides everything you''ve ever tried."

    She squints her eyes as she says, "You''ve never battled me when I was serious."

    I hunch my shoulders while brandishing my fists and tails towards her saying, "Care to try?"

    Gorge spits, "Alright ladies, keep your cat fight to yourselves. We''re here to learn." She stares at Tellara saying, "You need to stop him from antagonizing you so easily."

    Tellara leans forward while whispering with a loudness like shouting, "He acts so superior."

    Gorge purses her lips as she says, "He doesn''t act superior to you in combat. He is superior. End of story. You need to accept that. You''re a superior commander. Focus on your strengths rather then your weaknesses."

    Tellara bites her lip as she glares at me hissing her words, "I hope you can give Gorge a better spar than I did..."

    The sudden shift on her words inspires my own as I say, "I saw the maneuver with the sword. You''re selling yourself short. Besides, Gorge was right in saying this isn''t an area of expertise you excel at. We can''t win at everything."

    Her eyes soften as she says, "Hmmm. Alright then...Where is Allure?"

    I smile as I say, "She''s resting in the pool. That''s why I left. She isn''t too tired. I''m sure she''d love some company."

    Tellara blushes before she trots out of the room with wide steps. She hides her affection of Allure, but anyone could see she loves telling allure different stories of her life before she became a part of Gorge or gossiping about the crew members. There''s no one else she could discuss those matters with, and I believe she savors her meetings with Allure.

    Gorge says snapping me from my thoughts, "You ready?"

    I stretch out my arms and legs as I say, "whenever you are."

    she nods before she says, "Then let us begin."

 800 Years

    She pushes from her feet dashing towards me as I shoot off towards the side slicing diagonally with two tails as my feet slide. She parries my attacks before I activate my obelisk generating two swords comprised of steel using trace minerals I''ve stored. I slice towards her using my upper and lowest four tails for slicing a spiral ex through her congealed barrier.

    Even though she hardened the obstacle, my impromptu drill tears through her coagulating shield as I slice downwards with my left hand, but she blocks using her own crossed swords overhead. The power of my charge drives her feet into the floor beneath us before she pivots the sword in her right downwards while she lifts her left arm flinging my swords sideway while her left sword slices upwards grinding against my own blade.

    I planned for her attack as I had brandished my right handed sword with the blade facing away from my thumb rather than towards it. This allows me to lift my right hand like throwing an uppercut blocking the sword at an angle to divert her blow from reaching me.

    After her arms oustretch, I force my right arm backwards elbowing towards my right with all my strength diagonally downwards. This drags the sword towards her sealing her fate. Unfortunately, she pushes her arms together as she leans backwards, so the tip of my blade only scrapes down her chest.

    Her blades crisscross over my throat slicing my jugulars as I fall to my knees. Blood spews from my neck before I wrap a tail around the appendage using my obelisk to heal the injuries. She dashes towards me using her liquid for preoccupying my five free tails before she slices downwards towards me using her right arm while swinging her left arm backwards and pivoting her feet.

    This puts enough force into her blow that I can no longer block by normal means, but I I slam my swords into the ground diverting her strike using the ground as a supporting figure before she pivots her leg with her strike  covering the limb with the thick, red glob.

    I swing my other sword towards the limb, but the blow only sinks 4 inches into her globular shield before I sigh as she halts the strike an inch from my face. My wounds heal as she says, "That was an excellent adaptation from your earlier form. You injured me this time."

    I shrug my shoulders as I stand up wiping myself off with my tails saying, "You sliced my neck open. If it wasn''t for my mutation, I would be dead right now."

    the inkling of a smile forms before she says, "This is the first time I''ve been injured in over five years in a spar however. You should take pride in that."

    My expression sours as I say, "This is the 80th time I would''ve died in a spar in the past three weeks. It''s rather...humbling."

    She sheaths her swords as she says, "You''ve become far better at utilizing your new limbs since coming here, and your raw strength rivals my own."

    I purse my lips as I say, "Only after I fuse with Allure. My control over ice may turn the tides against you, but I doubt my ability after having seen the abilities you have."

    She nods as she says, "Then you''ve matched my strength after training for only several weeks. That i s a feat in and off itself."

    She places a hand on her left hip before she leans onto her left leg while she raises her right arm saying, "Pyrex...would you mind representing us as some diplomatic agent between our races. I despise killing so many humans without any meaning behind their deaths."

    I grimace as I say, "I doubt many humans will enjoy the prospect of ceding the territories you have control over."

    Her eyes harden as she squints at me saying, "It isn''t a negotiation. Think of yourself as an informer."

    After hearing her story, I can''t side with the Melotic Empire any longer. Whatever they achieved may be bathed in the blood of millions I know nothing of, and after learning of the specific operations of The Fog, I realize they aren''t evil anymore. The transformation process leaves humans...alive. Somehow.

    I had to watch the event. It contained the same horror as before, and the victim screamed in torment, yet they stood up afterwards. The beetles don''t consume the flesh of their victims. They coat them in a cocoon of healing sinews that regenerate the missing skin while absorbing moistures from the surrounding air to replenish their blood.

    The process leaves them deformed if they squirm during the process, but as evidenced by the orange guy who I still don''t know the name of, allowing the process to occur leaves the victims mind far more intact while leaving them with near attractive features.

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    Gorge''s ferocity combined with the Empire''s misunderstandings created a situation of dire consequences, and the heart of the issue stems from miscommunication and past wrongs. It''s hard to rationalize the situation or pick sides, but helping Gorge settle these misunderstandings presents a cause worth pursuing, so I say, "I''ll try. I''m not the best speaker however."

    She smirks as she says,"Your better than me. I tend to crush first and question the pulp after."

    I chuckle as I say, "I think I share the same disposition. I just hope I can stem it before it becomes a glaring issue."

    She rolls her eyes as she says, "Maybe if you could beat me in a single spar then you could worry about crushing people."

    I frown as I say, "You''ve been fighting for 700 years. It''s hard to beat that experience."

    She turns floating away as she says, "800. Try not to be too jealous of Allure and Teralla''s blossoming love."

    My frown turns into a scowl as I say, "I would be more worried if I were you. Teralla seems to be swapping her affections."

    Gorge''s movements pause for a moment before she continues onward without saying a word. I grin as I snicker at her meager displays of discomfort. Everyone has a little evil in them, and mine comes out whenever someone tries teasing me.

    I pace through several hallways noticing the increased production of yellow light from the phosphorescent sacks lining the walls. They also smoothed with a greater attention for detail than before. The atmospheres of the place...lightened since our coming here. Gorge seems less brooding.

    It''s a pleasant change regardless. After reaching through the bizarre heart room, I pace into the corridor lining the walls as a slight noise pierces the fleshy wall. As I reach right beside the doorway towards the pool room, a moaning hits my ears. My stomach sinks as the worst possible conclusions fly through my mind.

    Is Allure cheating on me? I shake my head as I open the door, and all my questions become clear.

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 The Garden Behind the Wall

    Teralla stands over an outstretched Allure who lays on her chest as Teralla steps on her back. With each step, pops pang across the room while air escapes Allure''s chest mimicking the sounds of moans. The sight almost disappoints me before Teralla looks upwards hissing,

    "I see the proverbial loser came to lick his wounds."

    I smirk as I say, "I''m not the only one here doing so."

    She frowns before Allure says, "This feels sooo good. I wish you could do it Pyrex, but your too heavy."

    I raise an eyebrow as I trot over to her saying as I move a tail in front of me, "I could use these."

    She glances over with her chin leaning on her her upper arm as she says, "I prefer the feel of toes and heels. They push in just the right places. Those things are more like bending steel. Regardless of how gentle you are, they just hurt regardless of where you put them."

    Teralla blushes orange before she stumbles from Allures back. Allure turns herself folding her arms upwards as she says, "Well what are you imagining there Teralla? Hopefully nothing too promiscuous."

    Teralla winces before she says, "I am only imagining what you suggested."

    This is hilarious. I''ll join allure''s teasing as it seems like fun. I chuckle before I lean a tail towards Teralla saying, "You sound jealous. Care to see what she''s talking about?"

    Teralla squints towards me as her now orange face frowns saying, "Oh yea. Of course."

    I jerk the tail towards her causing her to leap back before Allure and I burst into laughter. Teralla stomps as she gaits out of the room pouting with her fists before I lift Allure towards her using my tails. Before Teralla walks out the door, Allure grabs the back of her saying, "Come now. It was all for fun."

    She turns toward Allure leaking her frustration through her words as she says, "You are both laughing at me..."

    Allure leans her cheek against hers as she says, "We could be laughing with you however. Don''t take every little thing so seriously Teralla. Learn to laugh."

    I chime, "You should see Gorge whenever she comes here to bathe. These two giggle with the tenacity of elves."

    Teralla ceases her retreat before she says, "Alright...I suppose you are right about this. It is unusual however. I am not used to speaking without purpose."

    I lean on a tail as I say, "Humor is a means in and of itself. It''s nice to laugh."

    She snaps, "Let us laugh at you next time."

    I lean backwards before Allure pushes off my tails landing in her arms as she says, "Don''t be like that." She brushes Teralla''s cheek and neck as she says, "You don''t look as beautiful when your angry. I prefer you when your smiling."

    I cringe at Allure''s words before Teralla stares downwards saying, "Alright. I''ll do it for you I guess."

    Bordore knocks on the door before he enters. He discovered Allure and I...gaining charges one day, so since then, he''s made it a point to knock, especially considering Allure''s lack of shame. She just kept going like nothing had happened. She gets so into it once she''s started which is amazing in the moment, but it created a sort of awkwardness between us and Bordore. She doesn''t seem to mind however.

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    Allure rolls with whatever happens like a river through rocks. I say, "It''s ok to come on Bordore."

    He saunters in with his strange awkwardness reminding me of a walking penguin. After he clears his throat with a quick cough, he says, "It''s good to see you once more. Harlow wanted to talk to you about a peculiarity in the sample tissue from your tail. He said it''s...dramatic."

    I saunter out while saying to the ladies, "Try not to let Allure get you into too much trouble."

    Allure grins while Teralla rolls her eyes. They make an excellent team. Allure''s airiness contrasts Teralla''s grounded rational allowing both to have fun without destroying the place. It''s a nice thing to see. As Bordore and I pass through the hallways, he trots forwards with an uneeded speed due to the tense atmosphere between us, so I grab his shoulder stopping our walkway as I say,

    "Was it really that bad? I mean it wasn''t that bad was it?"

    Bordore stares at me as though staring at an endless abyss before he says, "It was...enlightening...I was a seven whenever I was transformed four years ago. Since then I''ve educated myself on many topics, but I''ve yet to learn about how humans and sirens mate..."

    I open my eyes as I say, "You were a seven?"

    He nods his head as he stare at one of his burly, manly hands saying, "It was a pain creating this form, but after analyzing the most effective combatants throughout humans history using our database, I found this form effective. It wasn''t easy however."

    I raise an eyebrow as I say, "So your a sort of vanguard for this team?"

    He grimaces with his cheeks wrinkling at the thought as he says, "I am no fighter unfortunately. Get Gorge if you want someone who enjoys soaking in the blood of their enemies. I would rather read my books and focus on ensuring the safety of our members."

    I nod as I tap his shoulder with my fist saying while grinning, "Then stop acting so damn awkward. Allure''s giggling internally each time she sees you enter. Show her your pride as a man er...mutant."

    He nods as a small smile forms off the edges of his lips. Thank Gaia that painful clumsiness is gone.

    We walk into a room lined with glowing test tubes while Harlow stands with his weird mushroom head observing a glowing mound connected with a strip of armor lining my tails. Each appendage operates with a spine and a serires of some mystery element attached to each end of the armor, but they prove useful in almost every circumstance as they can substitute so many different functions.

    Regardless, Harlow deattaches himself from the terminal saying, "Ah, I see your here Pyrex."

    I nod before I jump onto my tails like I was jumping on a couch. I prop my head up as I say, "Lay it on me. What''s up?"

    He looks towards me with eyes changing to an obsidian black as he words, "Many bad things are up Pyrex...Many. bad. things."

 Tessellate and Burn

    A laugh escapes my lips despite my trying to mold to the dark atmosphere. Harlow''s lack of any response towards my laughter silences the outburst however. He says,

    "My usage of English may be flawed, but you understand my tone Pyrex."

    I nod ending my smile as I say, "Yeah. Sorry about that."

    Harlow nods as he says, "It''s a part of who you are. Do try to be tactful however. Regardless, we have a massive problem here. Your cells are evolving into those of the same hive-minded tessellate construct as Gorge."

    I squint as I say, "Care to elaborate?"

    He stares towards monitor as his shine towards the console while he says, "Your cells are lining into self growing patterns that mimic the growth and control of other symbiotic organisms that form together within the colony. You are becoming like Gorge."

    I reel back as I say, "Hmmm. So what does that mean though?" Harlow bears a bad habit in the form of over explanation, but whenever technical aspects involve themselves in his work, he controls them with a masterful precision I lack. This drags in some of his conversations however.

    Harlow says, "Your bodies beginning to become the center of its own hive-mind. Your tails are the best example of this. Haven''t you ever wondered how you gained control of them so quickly?"

    I squint my eyes as I said, "Not really. They just seemed to move on their own..."

    Realization dawns upon me as Harlow says, "They are not you. They are each extensions of your self with their own functionality. If you were unconscious in battle, they would keep fighting to keep you alive."

    I shrug as I say, "This isn''t a bad thing though. It isn''t like their voices in my head or something. That would be crazy, not growing tentacles. I''ve done that since I was eleven at the academy."

    Harlow stares downwards as he says, "It is unfortunate that you are so normalized to this process. We may have been able to reverse it if not for the complications during your initial stay here."

    I wince before he says, "No one here blames you anymore for your reaction at our initial meeting. You and Allure treasure one another, so of course you would lash out if you had to watch her be dragged away in some foreigners arms."

    He lifts his head staring at a different portion of the tube before he says, "This is important however. We no longer find you in a position where several of this facilities key functions will no longer operate as it they will detect you as a hostile hivemind."

    I shrug as I say, "I can use my tails for beds and any furniture I need to sit on. The only problem would be food, though Allure and I could just sustain ourselves of the jellyfish in the pools we found ourselves in earlier."

    Bordore shakes his head as he says, "You both destroyed the entire 500 meter radius around that field whenever you both used your ice powers."

    I frown as I say, "So we will no longer be able to sustain ourselves off of the mystery meat offered here?"

    Harlow leans closer to the console as he says, "Unless you like eating your food as it squirms in your throat."

    Ugh. I never asked for elaboration about what they fed Allure and I because ignorance is bliss more often then not. My mutations prove themselves as annoying for the first time since I''ve gotten them as well, but there''s an easy solution to my problem.

    I raise an eyebrow as I say, "Why not just have me tread outwards as a sort of representative right now?"

    Bordore places a hand on his chin as he says, "I suppose that wouldn''t be a bad way of doing things."

    Harlow''s eyes return to their normal black pitch as he says, "It would fall right into Gorge''s own plan. I am glad both of you observe and utilize reason in this scenario."

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    Harlow words his sentences so strangely at times. I nod as I say, "I''m actually getting rather hungry right now. Damn...I didn''t think I would leave so suddenly."

    Bordore raises a finger as he says, "We''ve actually discussed this with Gorge already. She and Teralla will be going with you towards Berva. This base will be moving from our current location to underneath a mountain near there here soon, so we''ll still be able to keep in touch."

    Harlow lifts his spindly hands and fingers as he says, "I''m worried you''ll die if your surrounded by so many strong personalities."

    I grin as I say, "I doubt it''ll prove much trouble. If anything, I''d prefer it if you guys were to come along as well. It would be like traveling with my military mates again."

    After I say so, a wince travels across my skin as I remind myself of the day I escaped The Fog''s Grasp. It evokes a perilous question that eats at me until I say moments later, "What happened to my friends after The Fog contaminates them?"

    Bordore and Harlow glance at one another before Harlow says, "They have been indoctrinated at the price of their minds. They fought against the infection so viscously that few of them retained any semblance of their previous humanity. They are...well...Gorge''s thralls now."

    I squint my eyes as iron leaks into my voice as I say, "Where are they?"

    Bordore crosses his arms while tapping tapping his side and Harlow glances downwards while he fumbles his feet. After a moment my wrath explodes as I shout, "Where are they?"

    They lean backwards flinching at my stony expression before Harlow says, "Gorge is with them...She''s helping them..."

    I say in my mind towards Gorge with a biting ice spreading from my voice, "Where are you?"

    She accepts my message before she says, "Is it important? I''m in the middle of-"

    I reaffirm the anger in my voice with the same coldness as I spit, "Yes. Very."

    After a moment she says in a subdued voice, "I''m in sector c quadrant 4."

    I push the people beside me away as the memories of The Fog''s agony spread through me. This is strange. I can''t understand how I accepted their claims so easily. I remember rumors of the obelisks containing a genetic modifying agent that creates a sort of acceptance in their victims actions, but I never believed them.

    They were odd fairy tales told by worried mothers who wanted their sons to stay at home, yet they seem all to real now. As I reach past sector B, visions of beetles spawning from my friends blood lashes against me. What have I been doing here. This isn''t right. None of this is right.

    I can''t accept this. I won''t accept this. The hallways newfound symmetry and luster since Allure and my stay here wanes with each step I take closer towards Gorge''s outpost. Even the air transforms from a fresh breeze into a stale and stagnate sponge that dries my lungs as I breath. She understands what is about to occur. She feels my fury.

    I reach sector 6''s doorway as I smash through into an endless hallway lined with thousands of doorways. Beetles crawl across the ground as I scurry through the narrow corridor passing until I reach 4th set of blocky doorways. the door doesn''t snap open as before, instead the obstacle slowly slides across the ground until the true horror of this world berates me.

    Gorge snaps, "This isn''t what it seems."

    An anger hotter than molten metal shoots through my veins as I bellow,

    "I trusted you."

 Premonition

    Gorge holds a shambling monstrosity using a tentacle of her black goop, and as the creature squirms and shifts in her grip, she pumps her ichor into the being through its head. I bellow,

    "What the hell is this?"

    She glances towards me before she averts her gaze saying, "This is a remnant of your troop. This particular member fought fiercely versus the beetles as they tried healing him, so now he lays in the shambles you see before you."

    She looks back up towards me before she rasps, "I''m giving him pieces of my power to stabilize him...I...I''m sorry Pyrex. I never meant for this to happen...."

    My anger evaporates with the force of a collapsing building before lean against the edge of the doorway. Sweat pours down my face before a wave of sadness then profuse anger fills me once more. I no longer control my emotions. I freeze as I attempt controlling the influx of sensations before a gray spreads from my contact with the wall. Fluorescent, crimson veins crawl through the expanse of gray pulsing before I lift myself from the altering wall repulsed.

    Gorge says, "What''s happening Pyrex? What is this?"

    My feet begin spreading the same gray at the pace of a slow crawl while I stumble backwards jutting out my arm in front of me. The limb begins contorting and swelling as I shout, "What the fuck is happening to me?"

    Gorge shouts mentally through her communication system, "Bordore. Harlow. Come quickly. Pyrex is transforming quicker than you both thought. We need to sedate him before he hurts someone or himself."

    She says while brandishing her palms towards me saying, "It is ok Pyrex. Calm down."

    My arm swells until my skin rips revealing a convulsing set of muscles and bones that form into an elongated arm. Two slits creep through my arm before they open revealing a pair of eyes. A mouth opens saying, "Master."

    I heave for breath as panic overwhelms all reason as I shout, "Aghhhhh," while falling down. My tails catch me before another wave of emotions crashes against me, this one of fear and anger as Gorge shouts, "Your a soldier Pyrex, not a little girl. Act like a man."

    The derogatory restores some reason as I fight against the emotions pouring against my mind hissing in anger before I crawl onto my side as my tails whip around me flipping air with sharp cracks as they slam into the mush around me. After the climax of emotional turmoil, the tentacles stare towards Gorge in unison. The sudden shift causes her to step back as I groan. A set of voices pours into my mind,

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    "We must kill her."

    "Yes. She insults our master."

    "No one shall be allowed to do so."

    "We shall kill any who opposes him."

    I shout, "No. Stop."

    My tails turn towards me leaning closer before they voices hiss whispers in my ears, "But she insults you master."

    "Yes, she deserves death."

    "We must kill her."

    "Leave it to us."

    "Yes, you may rest."

    "We will handle everything."

    Iron and might pours from my voice and mind as I slam my fist into the ground roaring, "ENOUGH."

    Gorge winces backwards before the tentacles back off. My now mutated right arm says, "I am here to serve."

    I spit my words with venom and wrath, "Give me back my arm you abomination."

    The mouth frowns as it whimpers, "I just wanted to serve. I did not know where-"

    I bellow, "Give. Me. Back. My. Arm."

    The tentacle tunnels into my body shifting my organs without pain as a sleeve of my arm returns and regenerates. Within seconds, my arm transforms back into its normal self before the tentacle bursts out my back in the middle of the six tentacles. It leans over me saying, "Is this better master?"

    I squint my eyes at the monster as I snarl, "I do not want a talking tentacle out of my back."

    Even Gorge winces at the sight before the creature extends outwards shrinking into an eight foot horn. The horn splits into 4 horns each of six feet in length before they curve into my field of view. They show sharpened edges like swords while they position themselves between the tentacles on my back. I say, "This is what you''ve become?"

    Each horn nods in unison before I say, "I won''t be able to walk anywhere with horns jutting from my back. The tails already produce problems."

    Gorge uses her own tentacles for changing the spreading gray and red around me before the horns curve around my shoulders while growing across my back creating smooth, flowing patterns across my back while the top two horns curve around my shoulders and chest. As I move my arms, they shift with me before Bordore crashes into the edge of the hallway shouting,

    "What happened to Pyrex?"

    Gorge frowns as she says, "He has become...a hivemind."

 Acolyte

    Note: I rewrote the previous chapter after RRl''s new site deleted it and pasted my previous chapter. I couldn''t muster up the effort to fix everything as I had just studied 6 hours of calculus 3 for my final. Sorry about that, and I will be writing this story in Google Docs from now on to prevent such a failure of duty from ever occurring again. Sorry about this mistake.

    I squint my eyes before I rasp, ��What?��

    Harlow shakes his head as he says, ��The process accelerate faster than I expected...I wanted to ease him into the idea of it, but...��

    Bordore nods as he says towards Gorge, ��He��s spreading. We have to quarantine him.��

    I turn towards gorge spouting, ��Is there some way to stop this? I don��t want to make everything gray with gross veins everywhere.��

    She grins before she says, ��I can stop it for now, but you won��t be able to stay here for much longer unless you wished to form a union with me for harmony''s sake. I doubt Allure would be so keen on the idea despite her suggestive nature.

    I shrug before I say, ��I��ll avoid it...How do you know about that anyway?��

    She frowns as she blushes orange saying, ��I tried to do so with the Arbiter of Apocalypse.��

    My eyes soften as I say, ��That makes sense. Hell, if he saved me while holding me in his arms, I might even go gay. Who knows?��

    The tense atmosphere melts before Bordore says, ��I can see that Pyrex has stabilized.�� He stares towards me continuing, ��So what happened? You suddenly became so angry...I didn��t understand what to do anymore.��

    I frown as I say, ��My tails were gaining sentience, and their emotions leaked into my own. I sort of lost myself at that point. I��m sorry about that.��

    Harlow nods before saying, ��Gorge was a rather...tumultuous individual before her changes finally set in. We understand if it will be a bumpy process for you as well.��

    I raise an eyebrow as I say looking between Harlow and Gorge, ��So...Gorge was the same?��

    Harlow bites his lip before Gorge walks towards me with her arms open saying, ��You''re delaying of the infection prevented a normal transformation process. Whenever Allure first stole parts of your life force, she took large parts of your humanity as well.��

    She places a hand on one of my tails speaking while staring at it, ��Your body reacted by evolving to compensate for this loss. After soaking up the solution, the alterations sped to a point where early buddings of your primary focus spawned.��

    She looks towards me as she says, ��I am a hivemind that disperses from my core...Harlow was my first victim hundreds of years ago...He was my best friend at that time.��

    She glances downwards as she rasps, ��It still pains me at what I did.��

    Harlow says, ��I��ve told you thousands of times Sophia. It��s fine. It doesn��t bother me. I��m glad we got to spend so many illustrious years together.��

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    She nods with an unconvincing affirmation before I say, ��That��s incredible...I can��t believe you''re both so...ancient.��

    Gorge��s tentacles whip the back of my head before she stares daggers through me. I say, ��I like the angry and fierce you better than that sad and mopey version.��

    Her stare softens before Bordore says, ��I do as well. Regardless however, we must focus on the task at hand. Where are you going to go Pyrex?��

    I glance towards him as I say, ��Can I even be an ambassador anymore? I don��t really appear...human.��

    Bordore raises his right hand pointing it towards the cieling as he says, ��Ahhh, but you have the particular advantge of retaining your way of speaking.��

    Harlow nods as he says, ��Exactly. You still speak just as you did before your transformation. We have been around the hive mind to such an extent that our method of communication no longer resembles your species normal tongue.��

    I balance my hands as I say, ��I mean, you both speak normal enough. Gorge has a sort of...old timey way of talking, but it isn��t terrible.��

    Harlow retorts, ��I do not believe so. I speak like a sheltered scientist. Gorge is like an angry victorian woman, and Bordore lacks the charisma you have.��

    Bordore nods saying, ��I am dry as a dessert.��

    I frown as I say, ��alright, that makes sense I suppose...where would be the best place for going back to?��

    Gorge frowns as she recovers from her earlier grief saying, ��It has to be somewhere of moderate political importance while giving us an excellent groundwork for spreading our message...I can��t think of any place on Tera that doesn��t despise us however.��

    I nod as inspiration sparks while I say, ��But there is a place that is least likely to hate me.��

    Gorge says loaded with skepticism, ��I doubt their are many that enjoy your company, but we��re open to any suggestions.��

    I spread my arms as I say, ��My home town. We can go to Bigel. It��s moderately sized with a small military presence that won��t jump at retaliating versus me.��

    Borodre purses his lips as he says, ��Wouldn��t it be better if we went to a place where no one knew you before your transformation? They will fully understand the extent of your alterations...They might become hostile because of this.��

    Gorge says, ��But his personality hasn��t altered besides for a few emotional outbursts before from his alterations. As long as he controls himself, he should be able to win them over after the initial shock of seeing him in this state.��

    I grin as I peer between them both saying, ��Then that settles it. We��ll be heading off to Bigel. I can��t wait to see my family.��

    Gorge grimaces as she says pouring her grim outlook into the air as she says, ��Be ready. I can say from experience. This might get...ugly.��

 Journey

    I frown as I say, "If you says so. The feelings between The Fog and the Melotic Empire are hatred at best. I''m not expecting a warm reunion or anything."

    Gorge shakes her head as she says, "I wouldn''t expect a reunion at all. Few races are willing to accept their kind off of mental traits alone. Have you ever seen a deformed man walking through your streets? Do you ever remember the intense aversion you had to stomach before you could even listen to any of his words?"

    My frown transforms into a scowl before I say, "It''s surprising how little faith you have in people."

    She stares at me ebbing her discomfort and experience as she rasps, "My words leak the truth you try to hide. I won''t say anymore."

    Harlow nods before he says to me, "Regardless, we need for you to move and quickly."

    I rinse my concerns from my mind before I say, "Yeah, alright."

    Bordore purses his lips as he says, "It would be best if you and Allure could scout ahead. You could use a charge of your ice form for moving, or we could give you a few units for transport if you want. Citizens of the country side will react poorly to them, so be weary."

    I wave my hand before I shift my footing as I say, "Allure and I will handle the journey. With these augmentations to my physique, there isn''t really anything that can hurt me in nature any longer."

    A small grin forms on Gorge''s lips before she says, "Heh, there''s a few creatures that roam the hills that might cause you trouble...Just be ready."

    ------------------------------------------------------

    Teralla sits waving her feet in the water as I dash through the water. Something funny twinged in my chest a few minutes ago. I didn''t like it. I would prefer being able to see Pyrex since he seemed like he was distressed early. As my thoughts race, Teralla interrupts me as she claps the water twice signaling the need to speak.

    My head darts above the water as I say, "What is it?"

    After several weeks of Pyrex and I fooling around, I found my songs above water to clarify. My tattoos brim with energy while my vitality overflows at all moments. It''s amazing, but the trouble I cause Pyrex creates aches in my heart. I don''t want to watch him suffer. This never prevents my nature from taking over during the heat of the moment however.

    Teralla says snapping me from my stupor with her concern, "Pyrex transitioned into a hivemind Allure."

    I raise an eyebrow as I say, "A hivemind?"

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    She frowns before she snarls, "It means he separated from Gorge fully, and his tails gained full sentience earlier. It will be difficult for us to stay together anymore...You and Pyrex will be probing his hometown of Bigel before we transition the homebase near there."

    I nod as I say, "It''s alright Teralla. We''ll still see each other.This isn''t a lasting goodbye."

    She sighs as her posture slumps. She whimpers, "I don''t want you to leave."

    I grin as I say, "It wouldn''t be to bad to see the world don''t you think? I never left my cave from before, so I''m thrilled at the thought of it."

    I shake my hands in fists as I say, "Ohhhhhh, it''s going to be so exciting. I wonder what other creatures live in the wild. I can''t wait for Pyrex to show me the sights he''s been telling me about since we''ve met."

    Teralla''s chest lifts before she says, "I feel bad now for saying that earlier. I was just thinking of myself."

    I wave my fingers against her feet as I say, "That''s all I ever do, and I have lots of friends. Don''t worry too much."

    She grins as she says, "Try to keep yourself out of trouble Allure. I would hate it if something bad happened to you."

    I grin back as I say, "I would to!"

    The door behind us opens as Pyrex walks in with a dashing set of horns curving around his shoulders, so I say, "I like the new look. Your like one of those evil emperors or something. It looks strong."

    He grins as he says, "Tellara filled you in I''m guessing?"

    I smirk as I say, "Apparently you nearly lost your mind."

    His mood darkens before he says, "I won''t let it happen again. I''m gaining an understanding of what''s going on. I can fight against whatever''s changing me now."

    This is bad. I pout with my lower lip extending as I say, "I was just teasing you...I didn''t think it was so serious."

    He waves his hand as he says with a smile, "It really isn''t. I was just trying to tease you back."

    His left eye twitches as he does, so he lied. I learned about that little tidbit from watching him talk with other people, particularly Teralla. Still, I know he isn''t trying to hurt me. His intentions are good, so I say,

    "Alright then, whatever you say. When are ewe leaving?"

    He scratches the back of his head as his new horns move with him while he says, "It''s a...well. Right now?"

 Path of Thorns/Dramatic Chapter Title

    Authors note before chap: I am experimenting some with this chapter. I am trying to make it funnier while writing some of it in past tense. Might be a little rocky.

    -----------------------------------------

    We leave the main perimeter of Gorge''s base with almost no possessions. My obelisk molded with me after my last transformation which helped create the thorns lining my shoulders and back now. Allure doesn''t seem to mind surprisingly enough. If anything, she''s pleased.

    She makes it out like I''m an evil ruler or something of the sort. It''s a good set up for what is to follow once we reach my hometown. I get the feeling I won''t be welcomed with a triumphant return, but regardless of my families reaction, I have a goal I need to complete.

    This is by no means the first mission I''ve been given. Fighting The Fog assaulted me with far greater qualms and problems than any amount of social whiplash, but the gravity of this mission involves far more than a mine or a handful of lives.

    If I fail here, this world may burn under the fury of Gorge''s flame. I can''t imagine her wasting any opportunity that may present itself for the Melotic Empire''s destruction. The words I say here will likely decide the fate of many more than just myself.

    And I are no good with words...

    Joking aside, Allure enjoys our travels with a profuse and beaming happiness that brings a mile to my face. We end up avoiding the ice form for transport because allure mentioned she hated seeing me pass out last time. A reasonable excuse for sure, but it slowed us down by at least two weeks.

    What a two weeks it was though. We slept under the stars. She saw the sights this world had to offer, and we ugh...yenno. Messed around a lot. Like an amount I didn''t believe possible, but her libido is insatiable. surprisingly, so is mine.

    The days swim by at the blink of an eye before I rhyme in my thoughts. This causes me to pause for a second and remember an old author on the home world named Dr. Suehss. The journey wears at my mind which instigates these lapses in thoughts, but whenever I voice them to Allure, she expresses a profound joy at each word. Either that or she''s mocking me. Hard to tell.

    We reach mount Fera that lies around 15 miles from Bigel before we run into our first bout of trouble. A horde of steelfs attacked us. Their bodies remind me of wolfs, but due to the excessive amount of minerals in their diet from attacking us, a thick, bulky layer of stone grew on the outside of their skin in jagged plates.

    The minerals of silver and iron give them a blue and gray coloring while giving each of their corpses a solid value. Their fangs snap constantly due to their brittle composition, but that same composition gives them the option to handle many dozens of sets of teeth.

    Before they opened their mouths, Allure said, "Wow. Such a noble and bright creature. Can we have one as a pet?"

    I used two tentacles for holding her before I snapped my horns into position for combat by unraveling their smooth patterns into long, sharp daggers. My actions changed her mood so that she said,

    "Are these dangerous?"

    As if to answer her question, the leading alpha of the pack hobbled from between two boulders before he roared revealing the thousands of teeth in his mouth. I rasped my words with the full intention of instilling confidence and honor in my voice. I spoke them with a profound clarity and precision for the situation. They were perfect in a sense.

    "Fuck yeah they are."

    The cold wind chomped into my skin while the dryness sapped the moisture from my lips. The overcast clouds offered no picture of escape. The sound of snarling grated against both our eardrums as the steelfs dripped their acidic saliva they used for predigesting their prey and stone. As I bit my lip, a copper taste leaked into my mouth before the alpha leaped towards me.

    In a rather disappointing anticlimax, my three left tentacles balled together creating a sort of spiral tentacle that whipped the giant creature into the ground splattering its intestines and bones across the entire area. The blaring boom crushed the other creatures assault while fresh blood and the sour smell of ruptured organ fluids filled my nostrils.

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    That scent caused allure to gag as I backed away from the impact on one foot while blocking my face in what I believed was a noble fashion.

    Perhaps it was more akin to a girl....perhaps not. Regardless, the other steelfs tore their claws as they gripped the stone running away from me while howling in terror. I scared myself, so who was I to blame them.

    Allure whimpered after a minute or two of stunned silence, "you said they where dangerous, not big sacks of gross mush."

    I pulled her towards me before I said, "Uhh...this red stuff is kinda like water. You like water right?"

    She whiped her tail across my face singing me with pain before I rubbed where she smacked. I deserved that. I''ll admit it.

    I said after a moments thought, "Let''s get you cleaned up. I''ll give you a special meal tonight."

    She looked up at me as she said, "What kind?"

    I shrugged my shoulders as I said, "Well...it''s going to involve a lot of meat."

    she squinted her eyes before she said, "So to make up for covering me in the goop of a monster, you''re going to feed it to me?"

    I raised my hand flat before I tilted it back and forth as I said, "Meh...I mean you could  look at it like that. That is a possible explanation but I mean...kind of not really?"

    She grinned before she said, "Whatever. I love the taste of meat anyway. We''ll both need to wash up before we get back to your home town regardless."

    I nod as I say, "Yeah, I''m filthy at the moment."

    She grabbed the collar of my shirt before she pulled me closer saying, "Care to get even more filthy later?"

    I pushed her away as I said, "It doesn''t work whenever your covered in all this stuff."

    She frowned before she said expressing her disappointment with a limp tail and hanging arms, "Hmmm...Do you still not want to though?"

    I started jogging across the stone path in front of us in search of a pool of water while using my tentacles for support as I said, "I''ll have to wait till we''re clean. I can''t imagine doing anything like that like this."

    "It was an awkward evening," I say as I sit back from my chair while Gorge purses her lips. She says, "That was intensely awkward Pyrex. Why did you tell me that?"

    I grin before I say, "I was just fuckin with you."

    Allure pops out the water splashing water on the side of Gorge''s face before she says, "Well how do you intend to engage a dialogue with the Empire?"

    I open my hands as I say, "I was hoping I could use my father. He works as a higher up in a trading firm involving all kinds of exotic antiquities. He''s always been open-minded, so I think re-establishing some sort of ground with him would be a good start."

    allure says, "I wonder if he''ll like me?"

    I raise an eyebrow at her as I say, "It''s hard not to."

    Gorge rolls her eyes before she says, "Alright then. Try it out. After your plans fail, we should establish a connection using my more forceful and active method."

    I grimace as I frown while saying, "Ugh. Trying to start a diplomatic relationship with force sounds like it''s destined for failure."

    Gore snaps, "And your parents must have thought the same thing when you where born. It didn''t occur in all respects though did it?"

    I nod saying with a deep respect and admiration, "Alright. That was pretty solid."

    Allure leans against the edge of the stone pool as she says, "Yea, I would give that a solid 8."

    Gorge leans her head against her hand as she says, "Why are you guys so goofy now?"

    I frown as I say, "Because living with your worst enemy, while your body morphs in front of your eyes, and starting your first serious relationship with a siren would make any man go insane if he took all of it seriously."

    Gorge nods for a second before she says, "hmm...Could you tone it down while we speak of serious business?"

    I blink for a moment before I say, "Alright...I seriously meant to speak with my father however. I can''t see anyone else even recognizing me anymore."

    She shakes her head for a moment before she says, "Alright then. I warned you. Be ready for your first crucifixion at the hands of your own family."

 Nostalgia

    The mountain we found ourselves in was an abandoned quarry from decades in the past. I remember exploring near here with several of my friends from the military academy, but after several children died here at the hand of the steelfs, the city council placed the area as off limits.

    After we met up with Gorge at the Bigel River outside of town, I suggested the setup spot since the quarry positions us near the town without forcing Gorge to produce an enormous amount of noise excavating the area. In short, the area presented the perfect place for enacting our plans.

    Gorge had a reservoirr of water built into the base with several branches throughout the expanse. This gave Allure a mobility she''s never known, and she bites into the experience with the tenacity of a starved child tearing into peppered meat.

    I try mitigating my mutations to an extent, but I find that each time I try, the tails on my back screech and whine with the intensity of babies crying. I also neglect any results from the effort as well. Approaching my family with all these mutations will prove difficult, but I will try to handle the issue the best I can.

    That is where I find myself now. I wear a loose robe mimicking the outfit of monks on pilgrimage. In the Magna Alma, the arbiter spoke of finding oneself in the loneliness of abandoning one home to find another. I utilize this factor for my advantage since no one will question a roaming priest of his motives out of respect for his journey.

    Using a religious principle for sneaking around eats at my conscious, but the action is necessary. I hope I will only imagine the whiplash I''d experience if I didn''t hide myself from the public.

    This never dampens my mood however. The cobble stone walkways tap against my feet while nightingales and mocking birds sing  their sharp notes. The edges of balconies harbor tiny gardens with vines crawling across the ancient stone that comprises the buildings.

    The general populace changed little since my last time being here. Children still climb the vines on the wall with mothers chastising them with an assortment of different weaponry from wooden spoons to true swords. Pockets of soldiers march down the centers of the streets as the town borders the edges of The Fog''s advance.

    I should have noticed the lack of continuous advance a long time ago, but until I became a military man, I thought of The Fog as a old wives tale for scaring children. How wrong I was then and after meeting the foe.

    The scent of vine flowers reminds me of my mother''s cooking and the burning of wood for our camping trips in the nearby plains beside the town. Even the extensive canals offer their own ring and hum to the tune of the town. I''m home once more.

    After observing the town for a few moments, I find myself walking familiar walkways towards my home without thinking. Old patterns just fall into place without my thinking before I stop a block from the house I grew up in as a child.

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    The chimney blows smoke from my mother''s bakery as smells of bread and cinnamon sift downwind into my welcome lungs as I breath nostalgia. The elegant garden never changed from its series of daffodils and lilacs creating a series of yellow and blue that melds with the scent of bread baking.

    My mother proved herself a shrewd business women before she opened up this shop so many years ago. Even without a penny to her and my father''s name, they created a thriving business in the era of mass produced food. The garden pleases the eyes and nose while she bought an empty lot that stood between a cluster of buildings.

    Wind constantly blows down this alleyway due to that specific cluster, and this saturates several blocks with the constant scent spreading a hunger for her produce that even the fullest man couldn''t deny.

    She owes much of her success to my father as well however. His ability to balance the numbers and accounting side of the business made him invaluable, and even though he never assisted with the actual cooking of the products, his ability to speak to customers always surprised me.

    He dashed on his feet in a pair of old, worn down roller skates as he delivered goods to nearby houses or whenever he skated across the hickory planks lining the bottom of our store.

    Ten years have passed since I saw them at my graduation ceremony before I was shuttled to the front lines. Ten years I fought against a foe without reason as I wasted the best years of my life, yet now I don''t even know if I will even be able to face my family any longer.

    This is perfect. This is the precise place I wished to return to for so many years, yet I never wanted to return like this. If the police figure out my family harbors a fugitive, then every piece of this place will be decimated. Everything they''ve worked so hard for, for so many years will crumble to ash in a single instance.

    There must be another way. I will find one. I turn away as I take a step away from the bakery before I run into a young boy of around eleven years old. He stares up at me wearing the same roller skates of my father before he says,

    "Hello there mister. Want some bread?"

    An older lady in her later forties comes running out of an alleyway. Her red hair reflects the sun''s rays with the same familiar radiance, though a few gray hairs giver her a mature look that she carries with headstrong grace. She reaches behind the child before she pops his backside with a sharp slap as she says with the mixture of concern and fury unique to mothers,

    "Stop offering our food for free Micheal."

    She looks up at me as she says trying to ease any fires of anger she started, "Not to say I wouldn''t want you eating our food though, we just can''t afford to give it away for free."

    A grin grows on my face before whispers in disbelief, "...Pyrex...Is that you?"

    I open my arms as I say with a warm and crooked grin, "I''m home."

 Finding Peace

    Author''s Note: | My brain was slush after finals week. I needed to take a break for several days. I tried writing, but everything was super bleh, so I just decided a break was needed. |

    She raises her hands with a tender, gentle touch as she reaches upwards to touch my cheeks. Her eyes well with tears before she pulls me towards her as we hug one another while Micheal steps from between us. He glances towards us with a tilted head as he covers his face with his tasty treat.

    My mother says as her voice grows strained, "I can''t believe it. You''re back. They told us you died. They told us that my baby had died..."

    Her heavy sadness strikes me with a mixture of grief and guilty happiness. The fact that I meant so much to her gives me a delight that weighs me down with rightful feelings of sadness at my mother''s grief, yet a prevalent happiness overwhelms any concerns I may have over her sadness.

    That was then, this is now. After several moments, her happy sadness infects me as my own eyes water before pulls away from me for a moment as she stares at my face before she picks at a few spots of my hair before she brushes invisible dirt from my clothes. She purses her lips once more before she pulls me close.

    She always had this way of caring over the small details while dodging the larger picture. Even though I look so different, she notices the tiny mistakes in my hair or tiny smudges on my cheek before she sees me as anything else besides her son having com home. The feeling gives me a strength and comfort that pushes against my back spurring me forward.

    After several minutes, we pull away from one another before tilt my head backwards towards the house behind us saying, "Would you mind sharing some of todays batch? Perhaps even for free?"

    She nods before she pulls me by my hand as she says, "Let''s get some food in you dear. You''ll be needing something else to wear besides that old beaten down robe as well."

    I catch up to her before I grab her other hand holding her hostage with the gesture. I shrug my shoulder towards Micheal before I say, "You can''t forget Micheal here."

    I let go of her hand before I trot over and lean down on one knee as I say, "Hello there Micheal. It''s good to meet you. My name''s Pyrex."

    He hides behind his roll of bread before he says, "Are you my brig brother?"

    I nod before I grin saying, "The bad guys didn''t get me!" I strike a pose with my right arm towards the sky while I lower my gaze. After a second, I lift my gaze as I pull my arm back down saying,

    "I escaped using my super powers."

    He stares as his eyes widen with wonder before he lowers his bread from in front of his face saying, "Woooo. You have super powers?"

    I smile before gesture my hands in a rainbow shape saying, "I performed super special training for them. I''ll show them to you later, but I need fuel before I go inside. You you care to come with us?"

    He nods his head before I offer my hand to him saying, "Then let''s go Micheal. We can''t let mom wait any longer can we?"

    He reaches his hand out with a slow and steady movement before I grab onto his hand with a firm gentleness. He says, "You have big hands."

    I grin before I say, "And you have a big heart. Thank you for keeping mom safe all these years I was gone."

    He reddens for a moment before I stand for a moment saying to mom, "Let''s go!"

    We enter the bakery''s front door before my father walks up saying, "Good to see another customer. Care to try today''s special..."

    The same crooked grin I gave my mom appears before he wobbles on his feet. Before he falls down, he catches himself on the edge of a chair before he blinks several times saying, "Is that..."

    I raise an eyebrow as I say, "The one and only."

    He lowers his gaze while catching his face in his hands for a moment before he lands on his knees. I walk over with Micheal before I lean downwards saying, "I''m here. I''m still here."

    He weeps in his hands as his emotions overwhelm him. My father never hid his feelings. My mother controlled herself as he let himself go, and she would often ask him for advice with handling her squabbles with other townsfolk.

    The same openness that gave him his softness gives him a sincerity when he talks with others. He may make real enemies with his unrelenting honesty, but he makes even more friends.

    In my eyes, he shows true strength by showing himself to others. Whenever you show a person your inner feelings and emotions, you render yourself vulnerable, but this eliminates the distance between you and the people who see you in this state.

    Regardless, Micheal shows his familiarity with dad''s breaking down as he walks up patting his shoulder. Micheal says, "It''s alright daddy. Brother has super powers."

    Dad laughs for a moment before he shakes his head and wipes his tears. We stand up together before we hug one another for a few seconds. He pats my back with his signature hugging technique from before he tucked me in to sleep every night.

    My mom puts her hands on her hips as her cinnamon and dough covered apron shifts. She says, "Who''s ready for a bite to eat?"

    Micheal raises a hand saying, "Ooh, me, me!"

    She nods before she looks at me saying, "You heard the man. Let''s get to work. You still remember how to bake right?"

    I roll my eyes before I say, "I baked for fifteen years. It''s in my blood at this point."

    She raises her head so that she looks down at me before she says, "Oh really? Care to make it a competition then?"

    I connect my hands before I crack my fingers saying, "Are you sure you aren''t already baking something?"

    She squints her eyes in confusion for a second before I snap my words, "Cause you''re about to get burned."

    Micheal laughs while my father shakes his head saying, "Oh Gaia. There back again."

    I motion my hand towards him like I''m throwing pushing him away from me before I say, "Don''t tell me you never missed my puns."

    My mother smiles before she says while grinning mischievously, "Stop stalling there Pyrex."

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    I sprint of towards the kitchen as I say, "You''re the one falling behind. Come on, the clocks ticking."

    She stands with her eyes glaring at me for a moment before she shuffles behind the kitchen hissing, "Trying to cheat me out of beating you. I''ll show you what a life spent in the kitchen will do."

    My tentacles and horns move without disrupting any of my motions while I grab and mold flour with palm seed oil, cinnamon, and sugar. With a pinch of salt, nutmeg and yeast, the rolled flour transforms from dry dust into a thick paste, and by working in a cupful of water, the moisture hits the perfect consistency for the fluffy, warm texture of delicious bread.

    I may be a soldier, but I''m a chef as well, at least in my eyes. I wonder what Allure will think of my talents whenever she finds out. No doubt she will relish any luxuries I can offer her since she loves enjoying herself in any aspect.

    After we place the bread in the stove, my mother says, "You know, it''s wonderful that you''ve managed to grow so much, but...well...How did you survive?"

    I bite my inner lip before I gaze down saying, "I''m different now then before...It''s amazing how war changes a man yet war...war never changes."

    My father leans against the counter of the front of the bakery as he says to us saying his words with a precise slowness as though walking around broken glass, "It''s alright son. We heard you''ve taken more tours than any other soldier in the last decade."

    My mother nods before she grabs my hand saying, "I know you''ve been through a lot, but you can explain it in time. We''re just glad your home."

    My father smiles before he says lifting his chest and beaming with pride, "And a hero. You''re the very epitome of what this nation strives for. ''Serve the state. Serve yourself.''"

    I touch my nose as I say with a measure of unease, "A hero for a state that causes what however?"

    He squints before he words while tilting his head and crossing his arms, "The state that taught you how to fight against The Fog. The state that protects us. The state that serves the Magna Alma. That''s what we were told at least."

    I clench my teeth for a moment before I say, "It''s a question of what they''ve done. I''ve been there dad. They don''t just send us on missions to fight the fog."

    He scratches the back of his neck before glancing sideways. He then stares at me saying, "Would you mind telling us?"

    My mother places a hand under and over my right hand as she says, "It''s ok son. We know it isn''t easy. We know that every day may have been hell. You''re not there anymore. Your here now. You don''t have to relive those memories just to satisfy our curiosity."

    My father nods before he says, "We just want to know if it will help you to tell someone about it. We''ve seen troops comeback...Some have broken minds. Others are crippled without any way to even speak. They just...hiss gibberish about beetles and flying monsters."

    The Empire never informed the public about the severity of The Fog''s invasion. Most people don''t even know what or who the enemies we''re fighting day in and day out. They just accept what they are told. I followed the same mindset as my parents before I met Gorge as well. I have a lot of ground to cover to make up for my past wrongdoings.

    It starts with this first step. I say with a fragile opening statement, "Could you take Micheal somewhere and close the store for the day?"

    They glance at each other for a moment before dad says, "Of course. I''ll be back in a few moments."

    He takes Micheal upstairs while mom locks the front door while closing the blinds. After several moments, I say handling my words with the care of an antiquer carrying his prized vase, "You both must be wondering why I''m wearing these clothes and why I came back without the military as an escort. Right?"

    They glance at one another before my mother says while placing the side of her face on her hand, "It was...well...yes. we were, but we didn''t want you to feel unwelcome."

    My clenches his fists as he says with a quiet resolve, "We don''t care if you look different son. We could see how different you are under that cloak. I wanted you to know, and I think I speak for both of us when I say, we will love you regardless of how you look. You are still our son. To hell with everything else."

    His words tap a gentler side of me as I lower my gaze. I breathe a deep breathe before I shake my head saying, "I don''t really know what I am anymore though...I don''t know if I''m even human."

    My father slams the edge of the counter as he says with eyes of fury and the might of iron, "We found out that our son returned from the dead after ten years of fighting in war. I never expected you to look the same. I don''t care if you''re a demon. I''m just glad we have our son back."

    My shoulders hunch before I sigh saying, "Be prepared."

    They nod before I remove my cloak tossing my loosely tied fabric from my body.

    I grimace as I say feeling the weight in my own words, "I''m a monster aren''t I?"

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 Telling Tall Tales

    My father and mother reel back as my tails fold outwards from wrapping around my body. The horns shift towards their normal pattern before I gaze downwards. The tense moment of silence evaporates as my father cringes for a moment before he rasps out the words,

    ��Hmmm...Well...uh....You certainly look different.��

    The strain and discomfort in my father��s voice cause me to shrink back before he inhales a deep lungful of air before he says,

    ��I expected you to look different after having your obelisk installed...We��ve heard about the rumors involved with using the units, but we just never expected such a dramatic change.��

    My mother purses her lips before she says, ��They never told us that you would look this different. They told us that you would look nearly the same except with slight shifts in the tone of your skin and the sound of your voice...��

    I raise my palms towards them while my tails flow through the air like snakes writhing in slow motion. I say, ��Most of what you see before you is the results of escaping The Fog. This isn��t a problem with my unit or anything of the sort.��

    Both of their expressions freeze as their expressions and gestures stop mid motion. My mother whimpers, ��You escaped The Fog? That��s how your unit was terminated?��

    I lower my hands before I nod my head saying, ��Unfortunately yes.��

    I move three of the tails into a chair that I sit on while I use the other three for creating a spiral pattern over one of my outstretched hands. I allow the tails to shift as I say, ��Their useful at least, and regardless of these-��

    After a moment of deliberation, I hiss the word, ��Deformities, I will never become anyone else but Pyrex. What happened to me there hasn��t made me a different person.��

    My mother shakes her head before she says, ��Oh dear, we never expected you to come back the same 18 year old boy who had just finished high school. We knew you would end up different. We knew you would change.��

    I close my eyes for a moment before I say, ��It��s a funny thing. I always tried to stay the same person after each battle...��

    I lean against the edge of a armrest before I stare at a plank of the hickory floor as I say, ��I would write in a journal while trying to keep track of all the differences between each entry. No matter how hard I tried though, I found the poison of battle eating away at my thoughts.��

    Memories of hellfire and brimstone fill my thoughts as I murmur with the might of a soldier who��s seen the abyss of both man and demon alike,

    ��I found that the only thing that never changed was the chaos and death of each battle cause you see war-��

    After a moment, I glance upwards at them as lean onto my knees with my fingertips pushing against one another like a church steeple. I say with my voice crashing against stone,

    ��War never changes.��

    My mother maintains eye contact while my father lowers his gaze twitching his shoulders. My mother closes her eyes for several seconds before she meets my eyes saying,

    ��You��ve been through hell son. It��s easy to see that. I��m sorry we couldn��t be there for you then, but if you��d let us back into your life, we can be there for you now.��

    My mother took speaking classes whenever she went to college before my father convinced her to start a bakery, but according to my grandparents, she always had a way of saying words that was compelling. The impact of her words now speaks volumes for that innate talent.

    That talent causes her word��s warmth and fire to relieve me, so I say as I grin beaming the depth of my content, ��If you would have this shambling thing as a son, I would be more than happy to oblige.��

    My father clenches his jaw for a moment before he shakes his head saying, ��Would you mind telling us how all this happened? I��m sorry for touching a delicate topic, but knowing how all this happened would help us help you, at least that��s what I would think.��

    I bite my lip as I gaze at the sheen of white on a well polished table. After a recollection of thoughts I say, ��It will be a long story...and crazy as hell to boot.��

    He shows his own crooked grin as he says, ��It can��t be much crazier than finding your son returning from the dead.��

    I shrug my shoulders before I say, ��I might disagree.��

    I tell them the story while omitting the parts involving the graphic contact between Allure and I, and instead of disagreeing or showing disbelief, my mother stays silent while my father asks pointed questions at certain junctures helping me tell the story.

    While my mother has a way with words, my father had the exact opposite skill - the ability to listen. His mind memorizes with an exact, razor sharpness that leaves almost everyone I��ve ever known in the dust. He asks questions relating to not only points he doesn��t understand, but for getting the general concepts of what I��m explaining as well as questions that transition the stream of conversation from one topic to another.

    The effect causes even the longest of stories to finish at a rapid pace, so within 20 minutes, they understand the general idea of what happened with me and my new girlfriend Allure. This also accentuates my mother��s shock.

    She was never the most open minded person, but this degree of explosive fantasy broaches on the limits of her ability to cope. They round each other out you see, and without my father voicing the right thoughts at the right times, my mother may have melted down midway through the story.

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    They manage however. After the tale, I stand up saying with more than a meager measure of relief at their composed response,

    ��We should finish the bread before you guys tell me about what you think about the situation...It would be good to turn the thoughts over in your mind some. It��s a lot to take in, and to be honest, I��m struggling with accepting all of it myself.��

    I raise my eyebrows as I say, ��It��s nice to do something normal for a change anyway.��

    My mother nods her head saying, ��I can understand that...You��re dating a girl? Really?��

    I roll my eyes as I say, ��That��s what bothers you about the whole thing?��

    She tilts her head while giving me a pair of evil eyes honed through years of training as she snaps back, ��She could be your wife after all of this is over with you know. You can��t just ignore something that will stay with you long after you stop fighting.��

    I lean my head against my hand as my elbow rests on the edge of my tail chair. I show a slight smirk as I say, ��Of course of course...��

    I lift myself for a moment before I jump from my chair saying, ��Enough with all these discussions. Are you ready to be beaten at your baking?��

    A look of absolute and utter confidence transforms my mother��s face from a concerned mothers to a fierce gladiator as she hisses, ��If by beaten you mean showing you the infinite distance between us in baking, then sure.��

    I squint my eyes as I lean forward saying, ��If by distance, you mean you being at 0 and me being infinite, then I suppose I could accept that.��

    She smirks as she raises her head till she gazes down at me saying, ��If that were true, we would be measuring perfection starting at zero and higher scores as garbage.��

    I look around for a moment scrambling for a comeback. That was a solid retort, but I only fumble for a second before I say, ��Another man��s trash is another man��s treasure.��

    Her smirk grows before my father walks between us saying, ��Alright, let��s just reopen the store and start selling the bread you both cooked. I think a little work will help cool both your heads.��

    My mother leans to the side saying, ��My food��s always served warm. Your foods cold like revenge.��

    I squint my eyes as I lean closer saying, ��Of course it is. Revenge is best served cold. Unfortunately, just like all your other dishes, you never serve them at their best unlike mine.��

    ��Instead of serving emotions, I serve food that causes emotions. My food isn��t just the best at that time, it literally sets a whole new standard without comparison."

    My father frowns as he says, ��Both of your batches are going to be burned crisps if you don��t get them out soon.��

    Me and my mother gaze at each other with our best stink eyes before a smile cracks onto both of our faces at the same time. We burst into laughter while my father rolls his eyes as he places his hands on our backs.

    He says, ��Come on now. Let��s go instead of practicing our witty banter.��

    I frown for a moment as we walk into the back of the kitchen. I say, ��It��s my favorite part of the whole experience. We get to make good food while flexing your mental muscles.��

    My mother giggles for a moment before she punches the side of my father saying, ��You just need to lighten up some. It��s all in good fun.��

    He grimaces as he says, ��That��s easy to say whenever you''re the participant, but you��ve both fist fought each other over your verbal battles before.��

    I roll my eyes as I say, ��That was when I was twelve.��

    My mother grins with a malicious glint shining from her eye as she says, ��And I beat you then.��

    I lift my gaze staring down at her as I point a tail towards her saying, ��I��ve gotten a little better at fighting since then.��

    She grins as she says, ��And you still wouldn��t hit your mother would you?��

    I frown as I lower the limb saying, ��Bah...you got me there.��

    We gather the bread before we reopen the store with me meeting customers throughout the day. With each new reunion, I reconnect with myself creating the life I left so long ago, and we let Micheal back out as I promise to tell him about the secret I told our mother and father.

    He was angry at his exclusion from the discussion until I offered to play in the forest south of town using my powers. Everything proceeds at a perfect pace as the grim air of earlier clears as the joy of reunion overcomes the grim reality of before until a woman with red hair walks into the store.

    She wears a stunning red dress with a pale, spotless complexion causing the vibrant red of her lips and the fire of her hair to pop. Her powerful, commanding movements draw the eyes of all those around her while the sway of her hips raises the attention of even the females present.

    If I was to describe her in one word, it would be fire. She radiated ferocity and passion. A pool of experience betraying her appeared age of lower twenties created a contrast in the steely glare of her eyes and the tempting figure of her body.

    Despite all of her near innate attraction, I cringe as she walks up to the counter saying,

    ��Did everything workout Pyrex?��

    I hiss my words without moving my jaw, ��Why are you here?�� I whisper the last word, "Gorge."

 Complications

    My mother leans over as she says, "Well who do we have here? Are you a friend of Pyrex''s?"

    Gorge meets her eye before she says, "I suppose you could say that."

    My mother covers her mouth as she says, "Ho, ho ho, so is this the Allure? The name would suit her well."

    I cringe for a moment before Gorge grins with a straight, pearly set of white teeth as she says in her strong voice, "I''m glad you agree. It''s good to meet you."

    I move my hand over my throat before my mother elbows my side as she says, "You really found yourself a beauty while you were away fighting The Fog."

    If only they knew. I grate my words like swallowing broken glass down my throat, "So what are you doing here dear?"

    Gorge gives me a malicious grin before she says, "I figured it would be difficult for you to expose your love interest to your parents considering the circumstances, so I figured I would intervene before the issue became complicated."

    The words ease my panic as my mother bombards Gorge with a series of questions. In my story, I watered down much of what happened, including glossing over the fact that Allure was a siren. This makes Gorge''s sudden appearance fit in with my story seamlessly.

    Still, keeping complex plans together will prove difficult. I can''t imagine Gorge acting out her role well considering she''s been surrounded by death and chaos for so many centuries. Her answers prove my assumptions incorrect however.

    My mother asks, "So how did you to meet?"

    Gorge taps the side of her chin as she says, "Whenever he saved one of our villages from a horde of The Fog''s troops, he walked up to my family''s house covered in wounds. We nursed him to health, and that was where we fell in love. It''s a near fairy tale meeting of love, but what tales of love aren''t?"

    My mother blushes at the sound of the tale before my father walks beside me. He throws his right arm around my shoulder before he says, "You''ve really outdid yourself while you were gone. You escaped The Fog, you found a beautiful woman, and now you crawled back to your family with super powers and all that you found intact. It''s incredible really."

    I roll my eyes before  feign an honest smile as I say, "Well thank you for easing any complications. I''m sure you showing up will only make things less complex."

    Gorge offers a charming grin as she props onto one hip while saying, "I can handle a few issues cropping up. I actually have a brain I can use."

    I frown as I say, "You should probably try using it less if these are th plans you come up with."

    My mother glares at me as she hisses, "What has you so wound up? Your girlfriend came to see your family. You told us that you were serious about dating her. What''s the problems with introducing her to us?"

    I bite the inside of my lip before I say, "It was the sheer spontaneity of her showing up that got under my skin."

    Gorge squints her eyes as she says with her mischievous side spewing from the tone of her words, "Isn''t that why you started dating me? Didn''t you love the surprises?"

    My frown deepens into a scowl as I squint my own eyes saying, "Some are worse than others. I''ll leave it at that." I alternate my mood as I put on a shell of an act. I sigh with a deep breath before I grin towards her saying, "Regardless, it''s good to see you. Would you like to try some of our famous baking? In fact, we need a judge for who''s cooking is better, and you would be a the perfect candidate if you wouldn''t mind."

    Gorge leans against the edge of the counter with her red hair falling over her shoulder and onto the polished counter top before says her words with heavy skepticism, "I doubt you could cook very well."

    I raise my eyebrows as a genuine grin grows on my face as I say, "Oh, you''d be surprised."

    My mother rolls her eyes as she says while crossing her arms, "You haven''t cooked in a decade. I saw your bread before you placed it in the oven. IT looked terrible."

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    I frown as I say, "I had to bake in way harsher circumstances than this, so I alternated the family formula to suit the times. I can''t even remember what it was originally, but I made due with what I had at the time. I eventually was able to craft something a few steps above edible, and my mates always made sure to donate portions of their food for me to cook every single time rations came in."

    Gorge raises an eyebrow before she rests her chin on her hand. She says loading her question with an inquisitive tone, "So you expect a recipe born from times of war to beat out the recipe of a master chef who served picky customers during times of peace?"

    I tilt my hand back and forth as I say, "Not particularly, but I do anticipate something resembling a competition. It would also be fun to see how my own recipes measure up to moms."

    A pfff escapes my father''s lips before he says with a mincing admiration, "I gotta admit. Even though you know you''re gonna get crushed, you still have the balls to talk big. It''s a talent son."

    I squint my eyes at him as I meet his eye saying, "Oh just you wait. You''ll find the wartime special as delicious as any dessert. I poured literal blood and sweat into this one time...It failed miserably, but this is the refined craft. The coup de gra. The absolute pinnacle of my culinary talents forged in the fires of hell," I raise my arm at the last words before Gorge busts into laughter with my parents.

    I point my arm at each of them while hunching like a goblin. I hiss, "You''ll see. You''ll ALL see."

    The display ignites their laughter into a raging inferno before I walk to the back of the building bringing out the two incomparable dishes. My mother''s pastries formed elegant spirals with intricate patters while my mounds of mushed together ingredients pale in contrast. They appear near inedible when laid beside such succulent treats, but I maintain my confidence as I say,

    "The taste is what matters. Try each out and tell me what you think?"

    Gorge snatches one of my mother spiral figures before she chomps into the food with a ravenous hunger. She mustn''t have tasted human food in a long time, so seeing such a well crafted piece in front of her was like having a peppered steak in front of a starving dog.

    She moans at the taste of the food before she lays her head into her hand. After a moment, my mother leans over saying with worry, "What''s wrong?" She turns towards me before she says, "Is there something wrong with the ingredients this time?"

    I shrug my shoulders as I say, " I doubt I would have caught it either way. I thought we had a rather fresh batch of herbs. It is summer after all. You probably just got them from the garden this morning."

    She nods her head before Gorge inhales the food at such a mind numbing pace that hungry vultures would scatter from just seeing her tear into the carcass of bread. After she decimates three in rapid successions, she says, "I''ve eaten a lot of baked goods, and this is by far the best I''ve ever had."

    She shoves another chunk into her mouth as she words with the food muffling the sound of her voice, "I mean, I haven''t had this type of food in a LONG time, but wow. This is amazing."

    My mother''s chest lifts before she punches my shoulder as she says, "See that my boy? That is what we call a satisfied customer."

    She turns towards Gorge before she says, "All I''m saying is, if you marry Pyrex, you can have as many treats as your heart desires for free."

    She turns towards me as she says, "Alright hubby. When do you wanna get married?"

    I lay my face into my hands before I let out a deep sigh. Gorge enjoys messing with me a little too much for comfort.

 Jumping through hoops

    After a moment, I raise my hands before I raise my eyebrows saying, "Let''s just keep it simple for now. I don''t think marrying so soon would be a good idea regardless."

    My mother crosses her arms as she says, "I like the idea of you settling down. You''ve been at war for 10 years. Surely you''re sick of fighting by now?"

    I purse my lips as thoughts scatter from my mind. The idea of fighting for my life affects me very little at this point. While we didn''t fight every day during my campaigns, we fought enough and in harsh enough positions that I no longer fear battle or sleeping without a roof.

    In fact, this respite with Gorge has been the longest rest I''ve had from combat for at least five years. The shift in my internal thoughts frightens me to a lesser extent. I''ve killed so many things and people for the name of the Empire that I feel numb to the idea of killing or fighting. It feels less like a way to survive and more like a way of life.

    My pause drags for a moment too long, so my mother hugs my side as she says, "I didn''t mean anything by it. It''s fine that we get to see you and know you''re safe. Just know you have a home here."

    Her words snap me from my trance before I say, "It''s ok mom. You don''t have to worry about it. I just lost myself in thought is all."

    My father says his words sniping a sharp, piercing statement as usual, ''It'' the thoughts you could be thinking that worry us son."

    Gorge lifts one of my baked goods before she bites into the mound of different ingredients. A look of utter shock spawns on her face before she murmurs over a full mouth, "I can''t believe it. How is this decent?"

    The loaded statement readjusts the atmosphere so that my parents no longer worry about my each word. The small gesture allows me to say, "Because I learned from the best."

    My mother smiles for a moment before my father''s stern look lessens as well. Gorge gobbles the treat with the same snapping hunger as the earlier treats before she says, "This tastes so different though. Her''s is a soft, elegant mixture of flavors kept in check by the texture. Your''s is like biting into a bunch of different pieces. It makes each bite different with a different texture."

    My father bites into my treat before he nods his head in approval. He says with the treat fogging his words before he swallows mid sentence, "It''s surprisingly good...I didn''t expect you to have become so much better at cooking, though I still prefer your mothers."

    The topic of the discussion bites into the food before she chews with an intense look of concentration on her face. She says after a moment of hesitation, "Mine is better, but what you have here is menu worthy once we adjust the appearance some."

    I grin as I say, "I managed to compete at least, right?"

    Gorge nods her head in amazement before she gulps down four of my own pastries as I say, "We can add almost anything to the top of the goods if you want some more variety. I designed the bread so that it works with just about anything sweet or salty. Spicy stuff doesn''t really work with it, but I actually prefered salty seasonings on mine."

    Gorge nods her head, so I pace back to the pantry before my mother whispers in a voice I can barely make out from the enhanced senses of my mutations, "Do you know about his...changes."

    Gorge whispers low enough that I miss her words, but my mother replies, "Thank goodness. I thought he may have hid them from you...He seemed shy about them."

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    I jerk the seasonings from the closet before they have more time to discuss me. Setting two bowls on the table, I pop the tops on several seasonings from cumin to pepper as I mix them together with a variety of oils. I create two different pastes before I grab a piece of my own bread.

    After dipping the treat into my paste, I gulp down a bite before I say, "This is how I enjoyed mine the most. The taste reminds me of the times between battles."

    Gorge dips her own half eaten piece into the paste before she shrugs saying, "I think I would prefer a sweeter piece, but this was better than the normal stuff."

    I squint my eyes before I say, "Would you mind telling me why?"

    She raises an eyebrow at me for a moment before she tilts her head saying, "It suits the bread better. I''m no food critic unfortunately."

    I frown for a moment before I say while lifting my arms, "I think it''s because the tangy-ness from the lemon slices causes a sort of enhancing effect on the other herbs that involve salt. It really draws out the flavor."

    Gorge leans towards me  as she says, "So why are their lemons in the bread?"

    I face my palms towards her as I say, "I know what you''re thinking, "soldiers wouldn''t be sent lemons!""  I turn my gaze as I raise a single finger, "but lemon slices provide two specific benefits. Namely, they provide plenty of vitamin c which is a very difficult to produce vitamin from biomancing while each slice itself can be used for seasoning purposes. They really boost the soldier''s moral when you''ve been eating plain rice for the last week."

    My mother chimes, "I can see why you''re both dating. You really complement each other."

    I roll my eyes before Gorge  lays her hand on her chin saying, "He does have a habit of explaining stuff I haven''t seen from my village. It''s always an adventure as well."

    I frown before I say, "Speaking of adventures, how about you go play with Micheal Allure. I''m sure he''d be thrilled for company."

    She grins with a teasing glance as she says, "Oh, I don''t know if he would want to play with a stranger."

    I retort with my own snarky grin while saying, "I''m sure if you don''t talk much it''ll be fine."

    My father suppresses his laughter for a moment before a far more genuine smile grows on Gorge''s lips as she says, "I suppose I could offer him some company. I won''t be gone to long however."

    She winks at me during the last statement, so I frown as I say, "I''ll try to make the most of it."

    She saunters off before she enters the side room where she puts on a hyper happy face as she says, "Hey there Micheal. My name''s Allure. Would you like to play?"

    The door closes at her last statement, so I turn towards my mother and father saying, "I need to talk about something important before she comes back."

    My father shakes his head as he says, "I can''t believe it. I guess girls really do melt for a man in a uniform."

    My mother elbows his side before she scrambles from his trance as I snap, "It took a little more than just a uniform to woo someone like her."

    My mother glances upwards as she says, "So what''s the matter? I thought we were done with serious talk for now."

    I bite my lip for a moment before I look around saying, "I should go ahead and handle this early. What would you do if I told you I could find a way to not just stop The Fog, but make it our allies?"

 Allies

    I tap the edges of my jeans before My father raises an eyebrow saying, "You would know better then us. We''ve only heard rumors of The Fog''s existence. We haven''t actually seen what it is or who its lead by. We think of it as more of a fairytale than an actual problem."

    I smile as I say, "That''s perfect. It will be much easier to work with a blank slate then a mind full of misconceptions."

    I raise a hand pointing a finger up as I say, "The Fog is a heavily territorial existence that guards key areas of this planets resources. We actually fight The Fog primarily in pursuit of these different areas rather then its expansion as The Fog carved out very rigid spaces that it inhabits."

    I raise my other hand with a finger pointing to the ceiling as I say, "In fact, you could even say the Empire attacks The Fog purely for the resources it guards."

    I lower both my hands as I say, "Therefore, our best alternative would be to simply cede the territory The Fog wants to keep while maintaining our existence here."

    My mother squints her eyes before she crosses her arms saying, "The thing is, if we keep such a devastating force so close to our homes, don''t you think that would leave everyone in danger?"

    I raise a palm as I point out, "Think of it this way. If you take a bucket of water, it''s enough liquid for a person to drown, but that doesn''t make it dangerous."

    I shake my head, "It makes whoever wields it with the intent for harm dangerous. The Fog is much the same way. We just have to respect it''s boundaries, which haven''t shifted for many years as evidenced by the fact a border town like ours has been prospering for so long."

    My father leans on the counter as he says holding his hand to his side, "So we have to work around it rather then trying to overwhelm it?"

    I snap my finger as I say, "Exactly."

    My mother grimaces with her head tilting upwards as she props on a single hip. She says, "I doubt the Melotic Empire would take kindly to such a suggestion."

    I frown as I nod saying, "I agree, but what is an Empire?" I wait a moment for dramatic effect, "It''s the people that make it up. If we can change what your everyday person thinks about the issue, then we can change the entire empire."

    My mother says, "Fighting hundreds of years of entrenched hatred will be difficult. Surely you thought of that."

    My eyes harden to stone as I say, "And I''ve seen the hellish alternative, mom. It isn''t something we should continue. If we can stop trying to conquer everything we see, I believe the Melotic Empire can become something different. We''ve been expanding ever since our inception."

    I open my arms as I say, "First we dominated our world before we expanded outwards chasing the Arbiter of Apocalypse. We''ve chased him for thousands of years to the point were people no longer believe he''s even real. I don''t think we''re trying to find him anymore. We are just trying to dominate for the sake of domination."

    My mother uncrosses her arms before she peers at a glass on the edge of the counter covered in knick knacks. The light from the windows crosses through the glass menagerie casting a dramatic flair on me before my words catch up to me, so I scratch the back of my head as I say with far more reservation, "At least, that''s what I think from what I''ve seen."

    My mother nods as clouds blocking the full extent of the sun uncover revealing light on her face as she smiles saying, "I can tell you''ve put a lot of thought into this. I expected you to never return, and low and behold you returned so...different. You carry so much power, yet you''re fighting for peace rather then trying to just hurt people."

    Her voice cracks as she murmurs, "I thought you would be a blood thirsty warrior whenever I saw you hulking into our shop...I never expected someone fighting for peace...It''s moving."

    I grin as I say, "I think I''m just trying to fight a different kind of battle is all."

    Micheal opens the door running into the room laughing as Gorge chases him saying, "You''d better run before I getcha."

    Micheal laughs as giggles running around the tables while holds her arms out with her fingers bared like claws running towards him before she shouts, "And I got yah!"

    She scoops him up before she starts tickling his sides before Micheal squeals with laughter. The entire scene radiates a newfound warmth from Gorge. No longer does she hold a cold steel in her voice or motions as she talks with Micheal. She goofs off with a maniacal abandon as she smiles without weight on her shoulders.

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    The heart warming scene melts the grim atmosphere before I say, "I never knew you could smile like that."

    She glances upwards as if realizing where she was before her stony exterior returns in an instant as she sets Micheal down. She says pursing her lips, "Children have a way of bringing me back to a different time, so I end up losing myself whenever I''m around them is all. Don''t dig into the issue to deeply."

    My mother walks over as she says, "The mark of a fine women is if she can make a child laugh. I can see you''ve seen more than just hardship, but what I just saw really brightened my spirits."

    My father''s eyes well with tears before he says with his voice cracking, "I can''t believe it...my son wants to end a war that''s lasted centuries and he returned with such a kind and beautiful lover...I couldn''t have hoped for a better day."

    I walk over hugging him as I pat his back. He razes the air with tender sobs before Micheal walks up patting the side of his leg as he says, "There, there, daddy. It''s gonna be fine."

    The scene starts cracking my own composure, so I breathe a deep lungful of air before I turn towards my mother saying, "I need to handle a few errands before I move in, but it was wonderful seeing you both. I really didn''t expect this to be so...nice."

    She smiles with the edges of her eyes creasing with age as she says, "I never expected my day to be this wonderful either. Thank you for coming back, and you''re always welcome here." She turns towards Gorge saying, "So are you Allure."

    For the tiniest moment, a look of intense yearning passes over Gorge''s face as she blinks two, three times. She begins reaching out one of her hands before she clenches it as she says, "Thank you for the kind words. May I ask what both of you''re names are?"

    My mother says, "My names Lucy. My husband''s is Mark. It''s good to meet you."

    Gorge returns the smile as she says, "Likewise."

    I walk over To Micheal as I say, "You aren''t scared of me, Micheal?"

    He jumps onto one of my tails as he says, "You said you had super powers. I didn''t expect them to be so awesome."

    I roll my eyes as the tails play with him making sure to handle him with a gentle care. I walk over to Gorge as I lay a hand at her waist as I say, "We''ll see you tomorrow. I''ll keep in touch."

    One of my tails lifts my robe from earlier while two others cover me while the other three slither away from Micheal. Within moments, I appear the same as a bulky man with a beautiful women at my side. My father wipes his eyes before he says, "We''ll make sure to make you something before you swing by...Thank you both for coming to see us. It means the world to me...to us."

    I shrug my shoulders before I slick my hair back saying with a heavy sarcasm, "It would mean the world to just about anyone."

    Gorge elbows my side before she pulls me out the door saying, "Until tomorrow then."

    She closes the door before I rub my side saying, "What was that for?"

    She frowns as she says, "You had this dumb look on your face. I had to stop it at all costs."

    I say as I rest my arms at my side saying, "Thank you for coning with me today Gorge."

    She grins for a moment as she says, "I know what it''s like to come back to a family looking different then what they expect. I figured you could use someone there as support for whatever lies you spun or to add some substance to your words. That and admitting that you''re dating a siren would be difficult regardless of how open minded your parents are."

    We walk side by side across the rustic streets as I say, "I''d have to agree...It meant a lot."

    She rolls her eyes before she says staring forward, "I knew I would get free food, so it''s a win win. Don''t mention it."

    I stare forward as I say, "It''s going to be difficult explaining this to Allure though."

    A malicious grin grows on Gorge''s face as she curves her eyes towards me without changing the angle of her head before she says, "Oh, I can''t wait to see it."

 Envy

    ---------------------------------

    Pyrex walked into today saying that Gorge pretended to be me so that he wouldn''t have to admit that I was his mate. I was furious! Is he ashamed of me? Am I not good enough to even show his relatives?

    He told me that couldn''t be further from the truth before he tried covering up his actions with excuses like, "It''s considered taboo for a siren and a human to date," or, "I love you, I really do, but I didn''t want to risk losing my family just so that they could know who you are."

    The last reason softened my wrath quite a bit, but I was still so angry. He made up for it that night however. It was probably the funnest night we''ve had yet. He had this apologetic look on his face that just drove me wild. Him losing his sadness in our lust was...amazing.

    I still didn''t forgive him completely since I wanted a favor so that he could show me around the town. Gorge offered to show me around, but I didn''t want her too. I wanted to spend an evening with Pyrex like that. It sounds so romantic.

    He also brought some of his and his mother''s tasty snacks. Harlow used a machine to reheat the bread, and I couldn''t believe how good it was. I never knew Pyrex could cook. It''s a refreshing discovery.

    He isn''t the only one learning new things though. I found that the ice powers we wield when we fuse are starting to ebb into me some. I learned about it when I moved a small orb water that I had been staring at for a few minutes. I was trying to make out the reflection of the water, but I figured out a talent of my own instead.

    Since then, I''ve practiced every day as I try to hone it into something usable. I''m still a ways off, but with a little effort each day, I''m taking tiny steps towards being more then just a lover. I''ll be a fighter too.

    If I get good enough with the icy and water powers, I should be able to move around with a pool of water underneath me. Pyrex won''t have to carry me every where, and I''ll be able to do my own tasks. The world will open up to me.

    It''s hard though. Trying to learn about something that you don''t understand feels so bad sometimes. It''s like I''m straining to lift an object with my mind. Sure, I may have the potential to do it, but it isn''t intuitive like lifting a rock or whipping a jellyfish with your tail.

    I eventually told Tellara though. She always listens to my rantings, so it sort of just slipped out one day whenever I was talking about how I felt trapped sometimes. It isn''t the worst thing though. She, Gorge, and Pyrex give me a lot of company, but I want more. What can I say? I''m greedy.

    Pyrex likes that side of me though. He says that because I enjoy things so freely, it lets him do the same. He told me that my rants and carefree attitude lets him forget. He''s talked about how he was soldier, but only tiny bits and pieces here or there.

    He''s never told an entire story of battle or having to kill someone or something. I can''t blame him. Whenever we used our ice powers on The Fog, I almost felt bad for weird guys who got killed by us. Almost.

    That didn''t stop Pyrex from feeling bad though. He had this way of falling into these long stares at nothing every now and again. I don''t think he''s aware of it either. He just returns to some hellish nightmare...If I ever see him liek that, I jump onto his back as I kiss his cheek.

    It hurts to see him like that, but him seeing me acting all mopey over his mopey-ness would probably just make him even more mopey. That''s what I think at least. It makes sense in my head ok?

    I started writing in a journal after I a few days of being in the pools. I was always super good at killing time since I spend so much time alone in that pool, but that was because I forgot about how it felt to be with people.

    It''s a situation where after I had a taste of it, I could never go back. Kinda like Pyrex. One taste and I was hooked. I can say the same for me though. Each time he sees me after he comes back from trying to get a good position for his diplomacy thing, he shows me a full smile that creases the corner of his eyes.

    That''s how you tell if someone''s smile is fake. A real smile shows both halfs of someones teeth while causing a whole bunch of wrinkles. That and the eyes close a little. It reminds me of fake laughs, though people are better at those. A real laugh starts in the chest rather than at the lips, and it starts with an explosion or a surprise. IT happens before the person can suppress it.

    Harlow has a way of only giving out fake smiles and fake laughs. It makes me nervous around him. I can''t read his eyes since their just small beads too, but Pyrex trusts him. They both talk a good bit about how poisons and the like work. They remind me of Tellara and me.

    We talk about anything under the sun that comes across our minds. She usually just sits and listens, but she always comes back to hear more, so I''m not very worried that she isn''t enjoying herself. She''s probably just shy. She''s the opposite of me in that regard.

    That doesn''t change the way I worry about her sometimes. She always has this way of holding things in like shes holding back. IT''s different then Harlow''s holding back though. She holds herself back because she''s scared of what others will think. Harlow does it because he wants something from the people around him. I just haven''t figured out what yet.

    I don''t think it''s that important though. You know what is? Pyrex is taking me out today! I''m so excited! I made sure to clean my scales and brush my hair so that I would sparkle in the sun. He won''t have any need to hide me after he sees how good I look. I hope at least.

    But still, I am super pumped. He''ll probably show me his favorite sites around town before he takes me to a sunset where he''ll take me into his arms and we''ll kiss.

    I doubt that fantasy will become a reality, but he''ll be trying I''m sure. Even without making the perfect date, the thought will count. I think so at least.

    I''m over preparing though because it''s all I can think about. I''ve brushed my hair a dozen times and I''ve re-glossed my nails, but I''m just so excited.

    Interrupting my happy jittering, a knock on the door causes me to drop all of my beauty products before I lay across the surface as though I''ve been laying there the whole time. I can''t have him thinking I actually tried to look bueatiful. It''s better if he thinks it''s effortless.

    The man of the hour walks in before I turn my head saying, "Oh Pyrex you''re here-"

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    He takes my breath away. He walks in a pair of sleek leather shoes with a pair fitted jeans. His shirt moves as his arms slide back and forth because his muscles flex. Because of how broad his shoulders are, the shirt hangs from his chest and shoulders while his arms fill out the sleeves just enough. The maroon shade of the shirt complements his now gray skin.

    He cut his hair and since he shaves two days ago, the inklings of a beard have started to form. I don''t understand where he put the tails or the horns on his back, but wow. His short haircut shows of just how sharp his jaw is. I''m melting looking at him, and he''s all mine.

    The thought generates a huge grin on my face before he stops walking and blinks a few times. He says in his deep voice,

    "You look enchanting Allure."

    I bite my lip for a moment before I suppress the urge to jump on top of him. Ravaging him sounds so good, but I want to savor this feeling some more. I say in return, "You''re looking pretty good too, though I think you could have made yourself a little cleaner."

    He grins back before he says, "I went for a rougher look.  I wanted you to take the limelight."

    I splash my tail as I say, "I don''t think I''d need you to let me. It tends to happen."

    He grabs his chin as he stares to the side saying, "I don''t know. I look pretty dashing if I say so myself."

    I roll my eyes before I swim underwater with the crisp cold waking me up. I jump out of the water, and I land on his outstretched arms before he says, "Alright. Are you ready to see your disguise?"

    I''ve been wondering how he would transport me around the town during out excursion, but he carries me outside of the pool room where we pass the squishy sounding door. A chair with wheels on the side of it appears before he lays me on it. He lifts a veil along with a turquoise dress that flows down towards a persons angles, but in my case, it runs to the bottom of my tail.

    It fits around my sides and my waist with a soft fabric without restraining me or preventing any movement. I say, "How did you manage to get it to fit so...perfectly?"

    He places a blue veil across my face before a wry grin grows across his face. He says, "I''ll leave it to you to figure out."

    He must have asked Tellara. She and I tried on dresses the other day since I asked too. Gorge owned quite a few before she transformed into a hivemind, so I found two or three that I liked. Gorge even offered them to me, but this was an entirely different dress.

    He had to have hired a tailor to make this. The gesture was so sweet. It makes me crumble a little bit before pulls out two pieces of jewelry. He places a band around my wrist before he walks behind me. After putting the necklace around my neck, he kisses the side of my neck before he wraps his head around mine.

    We lock lips before he leans back and smiles a warm, charming grin as he says, "Now you look perfect. Are you ready to go m''lady?"

    I blush for a moment at him before I say, "Of course...take me away."

    He covers the bottom of my fin with the bottom of my dress before he rolls me out with my arms exposed. I say, "Won''t my arms give me away?"

    He shakes his head before saying, "Your skin tone reminds me of the aquarell. You don''t have to worry about that. You''re hair and your fin are what allow others to see you as a siren."

    "So I don''t have to worry about using my arms?"

    He grins saying, "Nope. You can go buckwild...in fact, please do. I want you to enjoy yourself. I know it must be cramped being in their all the time, but I''ll be taking you out more often from now on. It just took a while to get the right dresses and custom wheelchair and all that. I didn''t mean to leave you waiting for so long, and I didn''t tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise."

    My voice cracks for a moment as a single tear crosses down my cheek. I murmur, "It''s been wonderful....Thank you."

    "It''s worth seeing you smile."

    He pushes me down the hallway for several minutes before he says, "I hope you enjoy Dellurian."

    "What''s that?"

    "It''s a region to the south of here known for it''s unique kind of cooking. I figured you''d be tired of bread by now, so I wanted to show you one of my favorite spots to go out."

    I squint my eyes as I say, "Do you take all the ladies here?"

    He scratches the side of his face before he says, "I haven''t been in a stable relationship in over ten years, so I haven''t been on a date here in what feels like a lifetime, but yeah. I''ve taken a girl here when I was 15."

    I lean my head back before I smile at him saying, "I guess that''s good enough." I lean my arm back as I press my fingertips against his waist as I reach downwards saying, "You might have to make up for it later."

    He grabs the edge of my hand before he interlocks his fingers with mine saying, "I''d be happy to oblige."

    I like that spicy attitude e picked up after we''d been dating for several weeks. Instead of reeling back from my little teases, he returns his own. It keeps me on my toes.

    We roll past the exit of quarry with slabs of unharvested marble lining the edges of the pit we dug a tunnel through for giving us entry into the new base. Several new cuts into the marble reveal themselves in the orange light of the sun while the smell of freshly ground rock enters my nose. Even though I lack a real understanding of human economics and all that, I can put two and two together.

    Pyrex harvested the marble near here and sold it in town for the money he needed for this whole date. He really wanted to make this work. I''ll make sure to pay him back in full later.

    We pass through the bumpy terrain before we reach a small, stone road There creatures known as birds chirp high pitched sounds that cut through the air, but their songs please me. The warm air carries a pleasing level of water in it, so my skin never drys. It feels perfect.

    Pyrex hums with the birds carrying a tune, so I join him with my own melody as we pass across several miles of terrain over an hour. I enjoy the trip far more then I believed I would, and as we cross a hill, I chatter with a giddy delight before we pass over a hill.

    The city appears in front of me, so I say, "Wow..."

    He beams, "It''s wonderful isn''t it?"

 A city of stars

    The town''s lights bulb outwards due to their distance, and as Pyrex rolls me down the hill, the orbs shrink until they become dense sparks then lamps made of yellow and orange. According to Pyrex, they''re sodium vapor lights made to look like torches through holographic molds.

    That doesn''t change how enchanting they look, and the vine covered buildings add to that rustic feel as Pyrex puts it. I enjoy it. The fleshy fortress that Gorge made scared me whenever we first began living there, but there''s no initial shock after seeing this place. It''s cozy, like every place here is a home to somebody.

    This effect intensifies as we near the expanse. The town never dies. In fact, it comes to life at night as the small alleyways no longer crowd with people. Only groups of friends, families, and couples pace by us as we walk through the entrance towards the restaurant of Pyrex''s choice.

    Flowers grow on the edges of buildings, and I spot bees, hummingbirds, and even far larger animals. Cat''s with six legs walk up and down the edges of balconies, so I ask Pyrex,

    "What animal is that?"

    He raises his eyebrows before he says, "Ahhh, those are fassars. We domesticated those over a thousand years ago. They used to be the alpha predators in a northern region of our home planet, but they were domesticated by nobles after the arbiter stabilized our home world."

    Wow. There ''s a lot more behind this then I expected. I say, "Could I have one? I''d like to be able to play with one."

    He shakes his head before he shrugs saying, "They hate water. You''d be better off with a mana-fin. They''re gentler beasts as well who love the water."

    I purse my lips for a moment before I say, "What if your parent see us eating out? Won''t you be in trouble then?"

    He tilts his head sideways for a moment before he leans towards me saying, "This place is on the other side of town from them, but I did worry some about that. I figure them figuring out through some rumor would be far easier then trying to admit in person...It''s kind of like me admitting to them in an indirect way."

    I reach my hand backwards onto his as I say, "You sound so shy. What about the big, strong soldier persona you wear all the time?"

    He kisses my hand before he says, "Thats the side I show other people. I trust you Allure, so I try to be more open with you, even though I may stumble here or there."

    I grin before I say, "You''d be surprised at how those hiccups can be just as pleasing as the times you succeed."

    He raises his head chuckling before he says, "I try to make it so that others can laugh with me rather then at me most of the time...That''s something I''ve admired about you since we first met though."

    He traces letters on my shoulder with his left hand as he says, "You know what you like and what you want. I went to the military for something like that. I wanted to avoid having to figure it out or maybe I just wanted to avoid making the decision myself."

    He moves his hand back from under my veil as he says, "I sort of had it put in my hands after trying to run away from finding that something I wanted though. It''s kind of ironic if I think about it."

    I turn in my chair before I press a finger into his chest as I say, "I wouldn''t think about it so hard  there mr. philosopher. I just go with what I feel most  of the time. I think you''d find it easier if you did the same."

    He smiles with his white teeth sticking out from the darkness as he says, "That sort of just happened whenever I met you. I wanted you to know that you really helped get me out of a dark place Allure...Thank you."

    I bite my lip before I pull his shirt down as I say, "You did the same for me darling."

    Our lips tap before  we roll down a curved slope or old stone. We cross an intersection of roads before we reach the edge stairway leading to the end of an underground entrance. Without grunting, he lifts me and the chair with ease before he paces down the steps without wobbling on his feet or adjusting his balance.

    The feat impresses me, so I say, "Trying to show off your manliness?"

    He turns towards me before he runs his fingers  through his hair saying, "It just sort of happens. It''s hard to contain this much masculinity at all times."

    His hair looks soft, so I reach out my hand and adjust his hair with my own hands. The soft fur brushes against my skin with a soft resistance before I say, "I can tell. You look handsome."

    He blushes ever so slightly giving away some shyness, but he hides it underneath a grin brimming with confidence as he says, "Come on, let''s go sit down. I had reservations made out earlier."

    The cover up causes me to giggle for a moment before I glance around soaking the atmosphere of the place in. The low hanging lights cross with red of paper with sheets of plastic etching the corners with a modern, smooth look. Instead of matching the atmosphere of the town, this establishment goes for the opposite with sleek benches of some shiny material reminiscent of plastic with a twinge of gloss.

    The material somehow shines even after Pyrex lifts me onto a chair. Instead of feeling hard, the material bends like a cushion molding to my shape while maintaining its luster. I say, "What is this made of?"

    He grins before he says, "I have no idea. It still surprises me years after I first came here."

    I lean on the table in front of us as it resists me with a see through material before Pyrex activates his obelisk creating a low grumble before he places his hand on the table, and the invisible material materializes a into the inside of an aquarium. Fish I''ve never seen tread through its waters with eye catching colors while large, deadly looking creatures swim through the water baring more teeth and mouth then body.

    My expression evokes a grin from Pyrex as he settles beside me as he says, "It''s amazing isn''t it. They have drones floating through the waters of our homeworld''s ocean. There, they send  live footage around the world, and this table syncs with that data allowing us to see these sights as we eat. It''s a marvel isn''t it?"

    I murmur back a reply as I lean my face closer to the scene saying, "I can''t believe it...They gave us a portal to another place as a table..."

    Pyrex chuckles before he says, "We would have to be able to travel there using this if we wanted to call it a portal. It''s more like a viewing glass."

    I mumble some gibberish before a waiter walks up with a tidy red bow as he says, "Hello there my fine patrons. Would you care for something to drink at this establishment as you decide your order?"

    Pyrex raises out a hand as he says, "I''ll take a glass of the local feral fire brew if you have it."

    I gaze at him for a moment panicking as I scramble for a drink before he places a hand on my shoulder saying, "I''ll handle it if you don''t mind."

    I sigh in relief before he says, "And may we have some salty water for the lady here?"

    I punch his shoulder before he laughs. He says, "I meant a michelada with the alcohol placed in a separate glass."

    The waiter grins with his mustache curving before he says, "Of course. I''ll be back momentarily. Please enjoy your stay."

    raise an eyebrow towards him as I say, "Whats a michelada?"

    "It''s a drink that taste''s like salsa. Sirens are normally seawater creatures, so I figured you''d enjoy something salty instead of sweet, and I ordered the alcohol separate since I didn''t know how you''d respond to it."

    I snuggle up to him before I lean my face on one hand as say, "You never told me you could be this thoughtful. Where was this when we first met?"

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    "I was scared you''d be trying to kill me rather then expect me to be thoughtful. You also skipped all this and went straight for the good part..."

    I bite my lip as I say, "I''d like to think I have a more subtle approach."

    He smirks as he says, "I like the aggression. It''s sexy.

    I lean my head on his shoulder as I say, "It''s not something I try at though. It sort of happens."

    "That same spontaneousness is what makes it so appealing. I never know what I''m going to get next."

    I walk two fingers up his thigh as I say, "Though somethings I want never change."

    He places his own two fingers at the top of his thigh blocking my own as he says, "You''ll have to pass my guard first if you wish to get what your heart desires."

    He lifts his finger before he pretends to kick my finger with his own before we enter a slow-mo battle of furious strikes. We curve and dodge and leap as each of us try more elaborate tricks until I dodge one of his under swipes with a jump kick to his hand''s ''chest.''

    His arm falls down with a limp fall as he murmurs, "Noooooo. You have defeated my defenses."

    I lean towards him as I say, "So what spoils will you give the winner?"

    He wraps his toned arm around my waist as he says, "Whatever her heart wants."

    I lean into his chest as I say, "It''s all right here."

    Our fighting hands lock fingers as he says, "I couldn''t agree more."

    We sit in silence for what feels like only a second before the waiter sets down the drinks without mentioning a word while making sure to keep his steps silent while. He even sets the drinks down slowly so that he doesn''t interrupt us before I say, "Thank you for freeing me from that hole I had to call a home...Thank you for giving me a name, and...thank you for bringing me here."

    He hugs me close for a moment before he says, "I just wanted you to feel as special as you are to me..."

    After several minutes, the waiter passes by once more right as our trance dies down. He says, "I see you both are enjoying the evening. Would you care to order, or am I making myself unwelcome?"

    Pyrex grins before he shakes his head saying, "No, in fact, your timing is impeccable." Pyrex lifts his head and puffs his chest before he says, "Would you give her the seafood special, and I''d like the herbal spaghetti with the dipping bread and chilled sauce."

    He nods with a grin as he says, "Excellent choices. Few have been here enough to know how excellent the combo of chilled sauce is with the special. Apt of you to notice."

    I elbow Pyrex''s side after the waiter walks off as I say, "How did you become so smooth all of the sudden?"

    He tilts his eyes upwards before he hums a note. After the gesture, he says, "It''s a combination of preparation and effort. I actually read quite a few passages from the Magna Alma to make sure my wording would be on point during this event, I went over a series of imaginary conversations, I practiced with Gorge-"

    I snap my words like a whip, "So you had a pretend date with Gorge?"

    He shakes his head before he says, "I had an overview of what the date would be like with her to make sure everything was pleasant. She did sound jealous after I explained all I had planned."

    I grin as I say, "Good. She should be."

    He scratches the edge of his chin as he stares down saying, "It''s amazing how well it''s worked out."

    I lean close before I say, "Don''t sell yourself short there."

    I lock lips with him for a moment before I nibble on his bottom lip. He leans his head back saying, "Let''s save that for later. I''d rather not be sitting here for the next hour wanting something I can''t have."

    I giggle before I say, "Doesn''t that make it even better?"

    He pulls into his chest as he says, "It might, but I''d rather enjoy a different part of our relationship right now."

    His words fill my chest with warmth before my cheeks blush lavender...So sweet...I say, "Alright..."

    He tells me about the different fish floating across the table before he explains the way the roads work and how aquarell sometimes would date sirens as well, though the practice was looked down upon as equivalent to bestiality. This made it illegal and a social death sentence as well.

    Even with the increase in social acceptance, certain planets never moved towards that progressive viewpoint as Pyrex calls it. He tells me that some people hate out of ignorance, and other people join them just to feel like they belong. It''s sad. The way he says it makes it sound like humanities strongest bond is their mutual hatreds.

    The church of Gaia fixes a lot of these problems though. The arbiter enacted a strict reform of the church thousands of years ago, and since then, they act as a sort of cultural police making sure that the people under the Melotic Flag remain noble and peaceful.

    This sentiment slid out of favor several hundred years after the arbiter suddenly disappeared, but even after such a long span of time, the roots of his philosophy still ground themselves in the heart of the Empire''s people. At least that''s what Pyrex believes.

    He''s actually really religious, but in an informative way rather then a pushy one. Any time I ask him about the subject, he''ll explain it in detail while elaborating on several passages of the Magna Alma and its meaning. He often interprets the wording literally as Pyrex believes himself a purist, but that never stops him from knowing how to be tactful with his wording.

    Instead of filling me with dread at hearing him speak about his faith, he creates an interest in me. He never views the ideology from a right or wrong perspective. He glances wit ha pragmatic eye instead, which allows him to live by the codes said in the book rather then using it as some way to preach or lord over others.

    It''s impressive too. Hearing someone recite such elaborate passages with such accuracy leaves a lasting impression. I mean, if the book can have such a positive and emotional impact on him, then why wouldn''t I want to have something like that in my life?

    It''s a fair question, and after I taste the alcohol, we figure out my weak tolerance for it. He says I''m tipsy after only a couple of sips of the burning liquid, but I disagree. I don''t feel tipsy. I feel wonderful. The drink also tastes with a deep essence of garlic and cilantro giving a hearty flavor to the drink that compliments the savory flavor of the buttered seafood meal he ordered me.

    We lose track of time before Pyrex glances around noticing no other customers in the restaurant before he grabs our waiter''s attention as he says, "We''d like our tab now. Sorry for the wait."

    The waiter waves his hand as he says, "Don''t worry yourself. It made me feel young again to see such a heartfelt relationship."

    Pyrex leaves a tip larger then the price of the meal whenever  we leave, and the waiter rejects the price before Pyrex says, "You helped make this night special. You''re good at what you do, so keep it. Please."

    The waiter accepts with a mild reluctance but a full grin as he says, "I believe I''ll take my own wife out to dinner using this. We need more nights such as these."

    Pyrex nods his head before he places me back into my chair. After we roll outside, he says, "Would you care to see some spots around town?"

    I play with my hair as I say ,"It sounds like you have a few places in mind."

    He grins before he says, "A few."

    My eyes snap open as my tattoos glow through the veil as I say, "I can''t wait."

 Evening in fire

    -----------------------------------

    I roll Allure down a series of alleyways as we make twists and turns at different corners. She gawks and oohs and awes at every fountain, statue, or lighted spectacle we pace across. The town bleeds with both old and new, and even though I''ve walked these same roads a thousand times before, I can''t deny the compelling differences from my last time walking here.

    I made sure each of the spots I''m going to show her still exist, but I just dashed between each spot without soaking the scenes in. They surprise me. Our hometown was always known for the artistic values of the place, so we maintained a classical impression for many years with the people of the town wanting to maintain the old timey look of the place.

    Despite that movement, the beginnings of our modern empire leaked in while I was gone. We pass across a statue embroidered with a new graphiti that incorporates neon colors that glow using photosensitive light cells during the day enabling the glow to remain vibrant for years after the artist finishes painting. New artists often repaint the older works using newer varieties of paint.

    This particular statue shined with a particular brilliance as the artist embraced the artistic background of the classical approach of the statue. "A living mosaic of color," as my mother put it he first time she glanced at one of these colored statues. The glow and detail makes the once white, marble lady reaching for a bird turn into the real thing, except the sun shines below instead of from above.

    The sight easily rivals the brilliance of the sights I meant to show allure, so she says, "This is amazing. I can''t wait to see whats next."

    I grin with feigned confidence as I say, "In due time fair lady." She doesn''t need to know that this wasn''t planned. Besides, having a little luck on my side is only fair after all I went through to make this date work. The waiter was the second event that really assisted me during the whole process.

    He must have known who the owner was, so he spoke with him about closing the shop down himself just to maintain the atmosphere of our date. I couldn''t believe it. I gave him a 400$ tip though. I''m sure that more then compensated his efforts.

    I know how hard it is to walk that extra mile for someone, let alone doing it for someone you don''t even know. It''s amazing really. Still, that never changed the aspects of the night I wanted to maintain. The tables lighting was there before I left, and the food maintained its same excellence if not improved upon it. I rather enjoyed the different palet.

    They used a mixture of mint and dill along with a crazy pepper that gave the spaghetti a minty sting that left a pleasant aftertaste in my mouth after I finished eating. The dish even left my breath smelling fresh.

    That''s perfect for what I have planned later, but even with these moments were things just line up, Allure pulls everything together. She never missed a beat the whole night. She expresses her amazement at even the tiniest joys, and she savors the tantalizing treats before her with her near childish wonder.

    It brings a warm smile to my face as I see her bubbling over every little thing. She was serious whenever she said she wanted to see the world, and watching a piece of that desire be fulfilled tonight has been amazing.

    It''s not over yet though. We pass across the part of town inhabited by aquarell. They''re a race of underwater dwellers who enjoy breathing water more then air, and they incorporates a large portion of the population of our homeworld. We roll down a slope before we see the underwater aspect of the town where we across the underground hallways underneath the town.

    The water remains lit after dark through the usage of different ambient spheres of plasma that sit sifting through the water. They encase them in translucent spheres of a heat dispersing crystal that warms the water around the pools while the water''s circulated by the shifting heat in the water. This ensures a stable temperature of around 70 degrees(21 Celsius) in the water making it difficult to feel from a temperature perspective.

    They monitor the coming and goings of entrants into the water capsules to make sure no one poisons the water or drowns if they close the door behind them. Securities lax however, so it''s easy to sneak past the guards. In our case, we just roll past them as I place finger over Allure''s lips. Their sleeping in their chairs as I anticipated.

    She nibbles on my finger for a moment before she licks it showing her true intentions, but I hug her from behind before we roll to the edge a porthole with the entrance to a lower lit public area of the watered area. Here, few people will pass through, so it enables us to do what we want without having to worry about people coming by. Especially at the night of the first day of work of the week.

    People won''t want to be groggy with so many more days of work ahead of them. I take of my suit before my tails unravel from my arms and body while my horns curve behind me as I creak my neck. I turn towards Allure as my tails turn the portholes entrance. I say,

    "Would you mind singing for me here? Ever since I met you, I always loved the way your voice sounded, and I wanted to hear you in this place because I had always dreamed of swimming through these waters as a child."

    She taps her cheek before she says, "Hmmmm. I suppose I could hum a melody or two, though this was supposed to be a date for me tonight."

    I stroke her hair behind her ear as I say, "I never knew how good it felt to just give to someone else...I wanted to give you an opportunity to experience it yourself. That''s what I hoped at least."

    She grins she lifts her hands into the air. I follow her signal, so I lift her with my tails into my arms before she hugs around pressing her body against mine. Somehow, she seems sexier with her clothes on since my mind fills in the details subconsciously.

    It''s like I can''t help but think about her, but after she presses her head into the side of my neck, where she fits like a flawless piece of a puzzle, she says, "I like it when your heart races when you look at me. It makes me feel sexy."

    I squeeze her against me for a moment before I say, "You are sexy Allure. It''s one of your innate traits."

    She runs her hands down the muscles of my back as she says, "I''d argue it''s one of yours as well."

    I grin saying, "I can have that effect on people I''ve been told."

    She grins back breathes on my neck saying, "Your not the only one. Come on, let''s get in the water."

    I walk over to the edge of porthole before my tails lift me an her before they set us into the water bending us with a slow drop. Neither of us cringe at the water as the pleasant heat matches the temperature of the air outside. We immerse ourselves before Allure scrambles out of her dress without even an ounce of embarrassment.

    I was hoping to avoid public nudity, but whatever. She doesn''t have any shame of her body. She shows herself with a pride and lack of guilt to an extent where the onlookers never see her as racy. She holds herself in such a way that she seems natural to the eyes. She seems at home here, and I couldn''t prefer her liveliness anywhere else.

    She shoots through the water with a furious speed after removing her dress, and her giggling enters my ears as she echoes her voice through the water. I kick my feet with my tails spiraling with each tail interchanging with the other allowing me to almost match her pace. Almost.

    I can''t beat her in her agility however. Her dashing through the water leaves me reeling as I glance around while she swims circles around me until she taps the edge of the glass that holds the water contained in this area. She dashes near the ground where she lets her hand rub against the sand of the ground before she lays down onto the expanse of sand beneath a plasma light.

    The She lifts her hands overhead giving her luscious breasts an excellent showcase, and I can''t help but marvel at her for a moment, so I sink towards her from above while my tails slow my descent from above the lamp. It casts a strange shadow over her before she outstretches her arms towards me with the edges of her cheeks creasing at my appearance.

    I land beside her with a slight thud against the sand before lay down with my head on her belly. She strokes the edge of my hair before she says, "Gorge told me stories of angels falling from the sky in the Magna Alta, and she said the first and only angel she had ever seen was the arbiter from the meteor that crashed from above her."

    She leans me onto her chest as she stares at me saying, "You just looked like one."

    I grin before I squint my eyes as I tickle her sides. She squirms giggling for a moment before my tails dig into the sand on the other side of Allure. They pull me over her flipping me over her before I land on the sand puffing it in several directions as I land. Allure turns with her chest facing against the sand before she leans on her arms. I point towards my mouth before she smiles a wry grin.

    She says, "What are you trying to say love?"

    I point towards my throat before I move my lips as though singing underwater. She lifts herself with her back bending before she says, "Is this a game of charades?"

    I lean my hand on my head for a moment before I ponder her inquiry. After a moment of thought, my tails trace onto the sand above Allure''s head before they draw out the message, "Our master wishes for you to sing. Please do so."

    They even rendered a crude drawing of her singing and me dancing as stick people. Allure giggles before she says, "Alright, alright. I don''t want to see my audience sitting and waiting for too long."

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    And so she begins her song. She floats through the water as she turns her head and reaches out her hands giving her floating, dreamy voice an even wispier sound. Her notes float through the water before she builds her melody into the scene of our night from before. She paints the scenes of town with her melody.

    I close my eyes as I let the song sink in. I missed this sound since she gained her voice above water. She always seemed to get her message across regardless of her limitations, but that never detracted from the cool sound she had a way of making. Her tattoos glow their blue as she sings adding an even greater strangeness to the performance.

    Time slows to a crawl as we float in the shifting colors of the light overhead, and I can''t help but smile.

    It reminds me of after I got into the military. One of the strangest aspects of the whole process was how limiting other people expected me to act. It was like anytime I used a word with more then two syllables they would freak saying, "But you''re a soldier!"

    I am, it''s true, but I''m a also a hivemind, a devoted worshiper of the Magna Alma, and I like to think of myself as charming. It always annoyed me how others would put me in such a small box. They acted like I couldn''t be a certain way just because I had been to battle.

    It''s a ridiculous notion in my mind. Some people fight because they like too. Some fight for the sake of their family. I fought to support the Empire that once represented my religion and so that I could find something to do with my life. I don''t have to be simpleton to join the military. I don''t have to be anything.

    But people will assume regardless, and besides, after all the fighting and chaos I burned through, I get to enjoy moments like this.

    After an hour of her singing, Allure says, "It feels good to sing again. I didn''t realize how much I missed it."

    I nod my head before I point outside with my right hand while I purse my lips in a questioning look. She says, "I wouldn''t mind giving my voice a break, though we should do this again."

    I nod again before we swim towards the porthole entrance. My tails lift us outside while they collect Allures dress before they squeeze the water out of it, but Allure interrupts them saying, "Please don''t. I enjoy the way the water feels."

    They lean over her before they lift her with a genial care and place the dress over her while avoiding any sort of contact with her skin if at all possible before they set her in the chair. She giggles at their shyness before Allure says, "I''m surprised your so bold while their so evasive. It''s funny."

    I scratch my cheek before I say, "They aren''t really me anymore if that makes any sense, even though I can feel what they touch. They each have their own minds, and the''re trying to not offend me whenever they touch you."

    She giggles before she pets a tail saying, "Don''t be so worried little guys. I don''t think Pyrex is that jealous."

    I set the dress over her tail saying, "You''d be surprised. I thought you were cheating on me with Gorge and Tellara whenever we first entered their base a while back."

    She plays with her hair as she says, "The''re fun to be around and tease, but I want a man as partner. Someone who can take control."

    I shrug saying, "Maybe my hivemind instincts will kick in one day and make that happen."

    "You already have penchant for doing it in the bedroom already."

    "It''s hard not to when I have to look at someone like you all the time."

    She lifts her wet hair off her face as she says, "Really now?"

    I leer down at her as I say, "You''re not the only one with romantic intentions."

    She bites her lip before she says leaning towards me, "Would you care to explain somewhere more secluded?"

    I lean closer to her before I place my hand on the edge of her cheek saying, "If you''d care to listen."

    I kiss her for a moment as our lips press against one anothers. The intentions of this kiss become clear as I find my hands running down the sides of her body while she caresses my own with her fingertips dancing across my chest. After several moments, she tears herself from my embrace before she says, "I want it now. Enough foreplay."

    I grin before I roll her out of the underground living quarters before we roll with her out into the open. She says, "Carry me, please."

    I lift her with my arms before she presses her chest against mine as she says, "I know you like these. You can have fun with them later."

    She''s so damn sexy. My suit hides my tails once more while my pants still dry in the air, but she doesn''t mind as her hands crawl across my skin with her fingers rubbing against me. She slides her hand an inch down my pants as we walk. Then another. And another. As we approach the hotel, she glances her hands across it saying, "I can see you''re excited already."

    I grin before a glass smashes in an alleyway a block away from the hotel I planned for us to stay at. This one has aquatic furnishings for the aquarell clients near here which costs far more money, but the experience would be well worth almost any price.

    I roll my eyes before I turn towards the alleyway. Allure had placed her tail into the wheelchair to keep it rolling with us, so I set her in their before I say, "Just a momentary look. I just want to make sure everything''s alright."

    She pouts for a moment before she says, "Don''t keep me waiting too long."

    My eyes narrow as I say, "I wouldn''t dream of it."

    I walk down the alley way before a man appears from behind a dumpster. A coppery smell like iron enters my nose along with the familiar and caustic scent of fresh corpse. I clasp my fists before I walk around the edge of the dumpster where a man...eats another person.

    He turns towards me with bloodshot eyes and bloody intestines hanging from his mouth. He crouches over a women who looks around unable to speak as her hand has been shoved into her mouth while this abomination broke her legs and arms preventing her from moving.

    He tore the skin covering her guts before he began feasting on her while she was alive. The girl finds me as she stares at me with her cheeks split from her hand being shoved in her mouth. She blinks for a moment as the man over her glares at me with crazed eyes.

    A tail rips through my suit slamming the creature from the girl before I shout, "Allure, come here. I need you to sing your healing songs immediately."

    She scrambles down the alleyway before my other tails rip through my suit and tear into the walls around us. They shuttle me towards the man before he tears his hands into the brick wall where he climbs upwards from the ground. A tail reaches out before it whips into him with it''s flattened end.

    The blow splatters the monster across the edges of the building with enough force that the brick concaves, and a splattering of blood falls onto me along with other acrid smelling fluids. Two of my tails gather a pile of trash before another two rub against one another with a vicious, violent friction.

    After several seconds, sparks fall from the tails igniting the garbage below before Allure screams at the girl. I turn towards her saying as tears fall from her eyes, "I know this is hard to see, but you have to sing for her. It doesn''t matter what she may look like now. She''s a person just like me and you. We need to help her."

    Allure blinks several times before she gulps. She begins singing a soothing lullaby to the poor girl. I move my arm around allure''s waist before I meet her eyes saying, "You''re doing great. Remember how we first met?"

    She blinks before she nods as she sings. I say, "I dreamed with your voice. It saved me then. It can save her now. You can save her Allure. You can heal her."

    Her eyes gain focus while her song steadies into a more powerful and elegant harmony before I turn around where a small fire rages. Someone needs to put her insides back into her before she dies of shock. I turn towards the lady as I say meeting her eye, "You''re gonna be fine. Do you hear that?"

    She nods after a moment, so I say, "That''s an angel of the arbiter come to save you. She sings songs of healing for you, and through her grave, you shall be saved."

    She nods before I say, "But we need you to hold on. Draw upon the strength around you, find your faith, and resolve yourself to survive. ''They who find purpose find resolve, and with that relentless might, all obstacles collapse and crumble.'' Use these words for strength. Think of who will miss you. Think of the family you''ll never see again. Think about the grandchildren you''ll never see or perhaps the smile on your daughter''s wedding day. Don''t give in to darkness. Don''t walk into the light."

    Her breathing stabilizes as I say, "I''m going to heal you, but it will be gruesome. I want you to look up. Don''t close your eyes."

    She nods before she lifts her head upwards as she glances at the stars above us. I turn towards the now large fire before I jab my hands into it searing the skin off my hands. I have no latex gloves around, so without sterilizing my skin this way, I''ll kill her from the pathogens on my hands.

    My skin and flesh burns as I grit my teeth through the fiery hell. Agony swarms up my limbs. My teeth clamp down until they chip. My fists clamp until I force them open burning all of my skin away. After several moments, I lean my hands away before I shake my fingers of fire.

    My skin regrows as my metabolism kicks in. The new skin will be sterile allowing me to handle her insides. I grab her organs before my laying her intestines in place with a careful and slow motion as Allure drowns the squelching with her songs. After re-raveling her intestines, I set her liver back into place over her intestines before I adjust a few different organs with a careful management of my placement.

    She breaths as I move her skin over her organs before she spits a fountain of blood over me. Her wounds regenerate before she convulses for a moment. I wipe her blood from over my eyes before she grabs the sides of my neck by tossing her broken limbs towards my throat. She pulls towards me before her teeth clamp into my neck.

 Uphill

    A tail stabs through her body while two of them smash her skull in front of me.  The other three block the blood from hitting Allure while I wince backwards. The horns on my back blocked my eyes, but the mush splattered across me otherwise. I don''t understand...

    After a moment of tense silence, Allure says, "I don''t understand..."

    I bite the inside of my lip as I say, "I don''t..." A realization pops in my mind after a moment, "It''s has to be an infection of some sort. I can''t believe this shit. It''s zombies."

    Allure rolls back from the disgusting scene for a moment before she says, "Zombies?"

    I wipe blood from my face as I say, "It was a cultural phenomenon on our homeplanet centuries ago. Scientists eventually decided it was a reaction to how materialistic and linear life had become for a large part of the developed world. Like people wanted to go back to a simpler life and time without all the complications of a modern life."

    My tails writhe behind me scraping blood from me as best they can as I turn towards her saying, "It turn whoever''s infected into a lunatic that eats people...This is bad."

    Allure stretches her hands outward as she says, "Of course it is! Everything was so perfect too....Are you going to be alright?"

    I shrug as I say, "I don''t know." My tails sear the blood off their scaly expanses as I say, "It''s making me nervous though. She contracted the disease rapidly, and based on the other zombies actions, I can''t expect me to be sane after the infection''s run its course."

    The tails wrap around her wheelchair before they stab into the edges of the walls. They lift me before we reach the top of the roof. They pull us across the rooftops smashing stone before I say, "I feel weird...I have to get you to safety before I feel even weirder."

    Allure reaches her arms out as she says, "It''s fine. I trust you. We just have to get you cleaned up is all."

    I shake my head as I turn away from her. My pulse pounds in my ears while my a growing hunger builds from my stomach. Oh shit...

    I rasp as I amp up the pace of our travel, "I don''t trust myself Allure."

    I zone out her voice as I focus all my efforts on escape. I must leave the town before I lose it. My breaths grow ragged. The hunger gnaws at my insides. I just want to eat something soft. Something wet. Something-

    I shake my head snapping myself from my trance before I punch myself in the face. The dull pain restores some normalcy before we reach the trees at the edge of the city. We land on the edge of ground before I sprint with my tails assisting me. They reach ahead and pull me forward with apt focus.

    We reach the edge of the quarry before a pulse in my bones sends me to my knees while my tails drop Allure. She falls out of the chair before they grab her and I lunge forward. I walk until I reach the center of the whole only fifty feet from the tunnel to Gorge''s base.

    The urge to eat overwhelms me as I pull Allure towards me. As I see her eyes however, my humanity mends. She doesn''t glance at me without trust. Her dirty dress and me dropping her hasn''t made her trust me any less. My ragged breathing, bloodshot eyes, and the strange black veins appearing on the surface of my hands never stop her from opening her arms as she says,

    "It''s ok Pyrex. It''s alright."

    I toss her across the quarry before I fall to the ground. I writhe back and forth as fire pumps in my veins. My vision reddens. My mind dulls. Oddly enough, my tails reach for me helping me control my outbursts. They whisper,

    "Stop master."

    "We''ve felt your love for her. You would hate yourself if you killed her."

    "Yes, we won''t let you do this to yourself. We won''t let you."

    I roar, "I just want to eat...Let me eat!"

    I rip my hands into the ground before I crawl towards Allure before my tails stab into ground. I jerk against them, but they hold with their unreasonable strength before claws grow from my fingers. A torrent of blood shoots from my throat before I bang my head against the ground.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Tears fall from my eyes as I slam my fists into the ground cracking the earth. Is this how I go? Is this how it all ends? I''ve fought against monstrous abominations since I was 18, and now I lose myself becoming one. The irony. I refuse. I deny. I abstain.

    I won''t become a mindless monster. I have so much I need to do. I have so much I have to do. I have so much left to eat-

    I thunder my voice across the cavern as Allure stares at me. Her own eyes wet from staring at me as I suffer, and she says, "Pyrex, what''s happening?"

    I breathe a deep breathe before I grate my voice, "Run. Now."

    She stares at me as she says, "I''m not leaving you."

    I clasp both my fists until my skin tears as I say, "I''ve heard...so many say that...before they stay and die." My voice transforms into a weak, helpless murmur as I say, "...Don''t die...Please...Please...I don''t to kill you..."

    She drags herself across the ground before she reaches within five feet of me. The smell of her intoxicates me a hunger stronger than any lust. Even as I hold myself back, the growing mania in my mind snaps for her flesh. I''m dieing.

    My tails strain against me as I leap towards her. Their holds shakes for a moment as I reach within inches of her. She''s too close. I an''t fight it anymore. It''s destroying me...It''s going to destroy us.

    A tail breaks as Allure cries out, "I don''t understand Pyrex. Why are you mumbling to yourself."

    The sadness in her voice allows me to grab my throat stopping me from pulling anymore before my tail replants itself into the earth. I say choking myself, "I want to eat you...Leave me."

    She shakes her head before her tattoos glow brighter. She reaches up to me before she slaps me with a heavy palm. No pain shoots through my cheek as all my efforts are put to stopping myself from biting her hand. She says,

    "You can fight this. You stopped the fog. Didn''t you?"

    I shake my head as I say, "I can''t stop this Allure. This is different. I don''t have the strength."

    "You don''t need strength. Just fight it. You''ve been a warrior for 10 years. You can fight a petty disease."

    All goes red as my conscious falls outside of my body. I no longer control  myself, so my body lunges towards her. My saliva and blood pours from my mouth while my tails tear blocks of earth from the ground holding me back. I reach my neck out clapping my teeth as I shut my jaw with enough force to chip them.

    I lose all hope for her survival before the tattoos on Allure''s face and body glow from sky blue to a deeper, navy blue.

    What the hell?

    Author''s note:

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 Falling Down

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    Pyrex lunges towards me with dark red foam dripping from his mouth. Chunks of earth grip to his tails as I focus my thoughts towards my palm. The liquid energy brims my hand with cool as I lift my arm.

    A path of blue magma appears as I raise my hand. The force covers Pyrex before it freezes the air around him. My ears pop as the air around him condenses over him freezing him in a deep blue that masks his growing madness. I don''t know what''s causing him to act so crazy, but restraining him seemed liked the only option.

    A fog of white expels of the jagged and frozen air covering him as I catch my breath. I need Gorge and Harlow''s help with this. They know all about that biological stuff, so they should be able to help cure Pyrex of whatever''s causing him to be this way.

    I can''t channel the glowing liquid for travel yet however. I have no way to move or get around, and even though I managed to handle Pyrex right now, I don''t think I''ll be able to do much more than stop him from hurting me or himself.

    AS these thoughts swirl in my head, a burning sensation builds in my chest along with a crawling sensation not quite like fear. No, it''s more desperate. More like the feeling after I was separated from my sister sirens.

    It''s loneliness. I''m scared Pyrex will never return to normal. Tears of purple splash against the ground as I frown. I had to use the powers I''d been hiding to surprise Pyrex on him to stop him from eating me...

    Right before I weep, the entrance opens revealing Bordore who stares at the scene with a sort of shocked expression that eases my own pain. His eyes open in surprise while his jaw opens releasing a murmur,

    "Incredible."

    His shoulders relax before he shakes his head for a moment. He turns his head towards me before he rushes over saying, "What happened? Why is Pyrex in this block of ice?"

    His fear calms my mind as I say like a mother to her son, "Pyrex caught something from this crazy person in an alleyway..."

    I wipe the tears from my eyes before I continue, "He said something about zombies or something."

    Bordore nods before saying, "Sounds like something Harlow would understand. Here-"

    He lifts me as he says, "I''ll take you to Tellara and Gorge. You can tell them the details while I get Harlow and I to carry Pyrex inside where we can see what''s wrong."

    He jogs inside passing through a series of hallways as my thoughts race. Bordore''s once grossly large arms feel strong now, and his pair of circular glasses edged on his nose give him a more...human look rather than making him look dumb. I never liked him after Gorge ordered him to carry me away from Pyrex when we first met, but he handles the situation so quickly. It''s incredible.

    His speed increases as the momentum of our travel clears my mind. The momentum and shifting gravity overcomes my worries before I find myself enjoying it like a ride at one of Pyrex''s stories about parks. He talked about different pieces of his childhood he wanted to show me. He won''t be able to kn-

    I slap the edges of my cheeks. It''ll be fine. Theres nothing that''s stopped him so far. I doubt something like this will stop him either. He''s laughed at death before. Seriously.

    He wouldn''t want me worrying about him. He''d want me to be as spirited as always.

    The thought gives me some peace of mind as we reach into the room holding my pool where Gorge bathes without any clothes on. She turns towards Bordore as she holds her wet and fiery red hair before she shouts,

    "What the hell are you doing here?"

    He paces up to the pool as he says, "I''m sorry Gorge. There''s no time. Allure will tell you what''s wrong."

    He sets me into the pool before he turns running out of the room with his face blushing a deep black. His embarrassment caused him to redden enough that veins started appearing on his face. Even his hands trembled at the sight of Gorge. It was adorable, though I wouldn''t tell him that. It''d be mean.

    That doesn''t change how the cool water gives me a refreshing comfort from the dry air. I circle the edge of the pool a few times stretching my muscles before I lift myself above the water. Gorge looks at me in shock as she cups her breast in one arm while covering her other hand over her lower hips.

    I grin before I say, "You know you only look more erotic like that right?"

    She rolls her eyes before she exposes herself saying, "So why did you have Bordore come in the middle of one of my baths?"

    I blink before I pause for a moment. Whatever expression I had on my face must have told her a lot about what was happening because her eyes softened before she leaned closer to me saying, "Did something happen to you and Pyrex? Why isn''t he here?"

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    I bite my lip as my throat grows a fire. My shoulders shake before she hugs herself against me. She says, "It''s alright Allure. It''s ok."

    I let out a wail before I start crying. The somewhat repressed tears devolve until I openly weep at what happened earlier. I mumble between sobs, "Pyrex...he changed...I can''t get him back to normal...he was covered in blood....it was so gross...and he killed people...I don''t"

    Her breathing grows ragged as she says in a voice cold as blast of icy water, "What did Pyrex do to you?"

    She leans back from me before she stares at me. I breath a few times before I say with my voice stifling from crying, "We...we met some guy eating a girl. He killed that guy before the girl bit into his neck...He was covered in blood. He carried me here before he attacked me."

    I lean downwards before I say, "I froze him. I didn''t know what else to do."

    Gorge bites her lips before she leans her head against her hand while resting her elbow against her hip. She thinks for a moment before she says, "How does he attract so much trouble?"

    A small laugh escapes my lips before I say, "I think it''s cause he''s so attractive."

    The beginnings of a grin form before her expression becomes grim. She says, "What did Bordore do?"

    As Gorge''s power supports me upright, I say, "He went to get Harlow. He said he would be best at figuring out whatever went wrong with him."

    She nods before she says, "It sounds like he handled it well. I may promote him for this."

    She uses her rose colored flow to set me into the water before she turns around. The first thing my eyes see are the black pits where the liquid juts from. They weave outwards changing from jet black to the rosy color at the edge of her control. I always thought she controlled a bunch of watery stuff, but she seems to use some other power from her back.

    I noticed that and the rounded curves of her figure. I can''t blame Bordore from blushing so much at seeing her once I observe her more closely. She''s less curvy then me, but the muscle on her frame gives her a powerful, controlled appearance in comparison. Even without her edgy outfit, she still emanates security.

    That security draws from her calm in situations like this. She lifts herself out of the water before she slips into her spiky red armor that dulls the appearance of her form some, but you an still see her gender underneath the plates of condensed material.

    She uses her power to create a bridge from the water that I use to swim on. The tatters of my dress flip as we travel towards Harlow''s new lab where I find a familiar sight. Pyrex floats at the center of a tube of yellow liquid while his  tails twitch and squirm about. They cover every inch of his skin.

    As we pace up, Harlow speaks in his spindly voice, "Stay calm. We are keeping Pyrex suspended until we can figure out how to cure him of whatever infection this is."

    Gorge paces up before she places her hand on Harlow''s shoulder. He glances up before he sighs with a smile. He says with his beady eyes glancing between us, "It''s good to see you''re both alright. I had feared the worst."

    Gorge grins back before she says, "Can you calm the tails down, Allure?"

    I nod before she places me in front of the mic. I say with a soft voice, "Hello. It''s ok guys. I know you''re worried about Pyrex, but these people are here to help."

    As I speak, they unravel from Pyrex revealing the blackened mush of his skin. I cover my mouth before Harlow sighs then says, "It''s a sad fate unfortunately. If he weren''t so...well....mutated, then he would have died instantly."

    I look at him saying, "But he was able to handle this much cold so easily before. What changed?"

    Harlow shakes his head saying, "When you both fused, whatever seal it is that''s keeping your powers contained detonated allowing him to sustain through such ridiculous cold. Even with his super human physique, there are few things that can survive a containment with liquid nitrogen."

    He raises a finger as he says, "But, you see, he''s a fighter. He doesn''t want to die. His cells are absorbing the rejuvenation fluid rapidly allowing him to recover, though he''ll likely be changed at least physically when he recovers."

    I blink in utter disbelief as I say, "What do you mean?"

    Harlow taps his fingers before he says, "Well...there are a few...complications."

 Omens without cause

    While scowling, I say to Harlow, "What do you mean complications?"

    Harlow continues tapping the edge of the monitor as he says, "The tails spawned due to the rejuvenation fluid last time, and now they are using it to speed up Pyrex''s healing. This would normally be a good thing, but..."

    He looks towards Pyrex before he says, "They''re changing now."

    As he says so, the tails shift and writhe in the glowing, yellow fluid of the glass tank. The plates covering them pull backwards as they uncover the pulsing muscle underneath. Spikes of white jut out from the uncovered edges of each tail for a moment before they straighten into two rows that form teeth.

    After they form on every tail, they split open creating mouths without throats. They don''t look like they were to eat something. They look like they were made for ripping stuff apart. They orient themselves for a moment as each tail turns in their own unique direction before they snap outwards, as if testing their new powers.

    The teeth on each tail''s end isn''t sharp, though they end in curved, spiky points. They remind me of the teeth of the angler fish that Pyrex showed me in a book one day. He said that an anglerfish''s teeth are designed for gripping and holding prey down. I could imagine the tails doing the same before they split what they were holding apart.

    Pyrex shakes as well, and even though he seems mad, a sort of rhythm forms in his movements over time until he no longer squirms around. His arms and legs shake with a monotone pulse. His tails glance towards him for a moment before turn towards us.

    Pyrex''s eyes open before he glances around. The insane bloodshot of before left him, and he even breaths the muck he''s in with a sort of relieved relaxing of his shoulders. After a series of worried glares by Harlow and Gorge, Bordore says, "He seems like he''s returned to himself. We need to get him out of there before he takes in any more of the fluid."

    Gorge snaps, "We don''t know if he''s unstable or not. I doubt he would heal so quickly either."

    Pyrex smiles at us after a moment before he flexes his bicep. He stares at it for a moment before he glances at us with his eyebrow raised. His expression seems to say, "Yeah, it''s pretty sweet. I know."

    Gorge purses her lisp before she says, "Alright, release him."

    The tube empties before Pyrex''s tails recover themselves with their previous plates. They slide over their new mouths without any confusion or problems, so they catch him with the same fluid grace as before...Perhaps even better. After the tube lifts, Pyrex walks towards us before he grabs the side of his face ruffling his hair. The light catches him just right as he grins while saying,

    "Sorry about that, allure."

    Damn he''s cute. I was so angry, but with just a few words, I can''t even be mad anymore. It''s so unfair. I frown before I say,

    "You almost ate me! I was scared. It was terrifying."

    He lowers his glance as he let''s his arm down. His entire demeanor changes for a moment as he says with a steady and piercing tone,

    "I''m sorry."

    The crisp sincerity of his declaration causes me to change my approach as I say, "At least I got to show you my new powers right? Don''t feel too down about it. I just wanted to give you a hard time is all."

    His tails point towards him before Pyrex jerks backwards. They support him before he begins breathing with heavy, heaving breaths. A sheen of sweat appears over his face in an instant, and Gorge''s own liquid alters from a rosy sheen towards a deep crimson. Harlow positions himself behind Bordore and Gorge while Bordore stretches his arms outwards with his hands balled into fists.

    After another tense moment, Pyrex shakes his head before he says, "I''m...seeing...something."

    I lift myself over Bordore''s height using my tail to lift me through the thick gunk Gorge left me in. Gorge shouts, "Would you mind sharing a few details?"

    He blinks for a moment before he says, "I was in a dark forest, alone. I walked on a sort of predetermined path before I saw thunder strike in front of me. It was...loud enough to make my ears ring. After that, I saw corpses...I don''t understand it."

    Bordore and Gorge maintain their guard before Harlow slides between them saying, "Perhaps the tails have something to do with that. They seem more...intelligent now."

    Pyrex nods before he says, "I had to shush them. They used to all be one voice. Now they just speak on their own. I''d like to do without their conversation if at all possible, at least for now."

    As he says so, the tails turn their points away from Pyrex and towards other parts of the room. They still move like snakes behind him, but they observe the flickering of a glowing light or the movement of one of us. The set of curved horns tracing his shoulders even changed texture. They no longer cover themselves with a single, unchanging plate of white. If I look closer, they are made out of thousands and thousands of needle thin strands.

    His skin even seems harder, and the veins tracing his arms became more pronounced. His smile hasn''t changed though. He sits on his tails before he says, "I think I''m alright now. I don''t feel weird anymore."

    Bordore and Gorge relax their arms, but they looks in their eyes remind me of magnifying glasses since they probe over Pyrex so closely. I can''t swim over since Gorge''s liquid changed consistency, but Bordore approaches him as he says, "Would you mind going through a test or two, just to prove your not, well, you know."

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    Pyrex shrugs before he says, "Alright. I deserve at least that much."

    Bordore gets within three feet of him before he just his arm out in a rapid punch. Pyrex doesn''t even react however. Two tails block the blow while two others absorb the impact of the blow preventing him from losing any balance.

    The tails never showed that much finesse before. Seeing so many limbs move in perfect harmony almost looks...beautiful in a sense. Like watching a bird fly or a seal dart through the water. It''s sort of mesmerizing.

    Bordore''s own surprise shows through his normally calm demeanor as his eyebrows rise, though only by a little. Pyrex says without any shock of his own, "Wow. You guys are better than I thought."

    The two unused tails clap one another over his head. They look happy as two children giggling with each other. After Bordore composes himself once more, he says, "I see you''re still calm at least. I wanted to know if you''d relapse at the violence. I''m glad to see you didn''t."

    Pyrex smirks before he says, "Why''d you have to go for the face though? It''s my bread and butter."

    Gorge and I crack smiles at the remark before Bordore says, "That''s enough for me."

    He and Pyrex walk over before I crawl my way out of Gorge''s power. I fall over into Pyrex''s arms before I nuzzle myself against his chest. He stumbles backwards at first since his tails never help him, but he hugs me closer before he says, "I didn''t mean to scare you-"

    I place a finger over his lips as I say, "I can handle myself thank you very much." I remove the finger before I place my palm against his muscled chest as I say, "But I wouldn''t mind being handled once in a while either."

    Gorge cleaned me while the tube''s stuff already disappeared without a trace, so Pyrex no longer looks dirty. He leans closer before he says, "I hope you''re taking volunteers."

    Gorge rolls her eyes before she says, "I see you''re both fine now. Alright, I''m going back to bathe."

    I raise a hand before I say, "Me too!"

    Pyrex nudges his elbow against Bordore''s side as he says, "I''m sure you wouldn''t mind joining them?"

    He blushes for a moment before he says, "I believe I''d die of embarrassment before I even entered the bath."

    I brush his chin with the edge of the fin at the end of my tail as I say, "You''re cute when your honest."

    Pyrex suppresses a laugh before Harlow says, "Come now, stop teasing him."

    Gorge turns around before she says, "It''s good that they ease up some of his stiffness. I''d rather him face a little hardship here rather than have an actual enemy abuse his shyness."

    Harlow purses his lips before he says, "Then that should be enough for now."

    I turn towards him as I say, "I wasn''t teasing. I meant it. That shy honesty is cute."

    Bordore coughs as his red skin purples further. He says, "I think I''ll take my leave."

    I frown before Pyrex jogs after him as he says, "You girls have fun. I''ll try rebuilding the bridge you burned."

    I turn towards Gorge as I say, "I was just saying what I thought. What''s wrong with that?"

    Gorge says as we pace down the hallway, "Voicing your thoughts at all times isn''t the best strategy for keeping friends."

    I place a finger on my chin as I say, "I suppose so." After a short pause, I continue, "The friends I make will like me for me at least."

    Gorge stops walking for a moment before she continues at her previous pace. She says, "Hmmm...You might just be right."

    I hug myself around her shoulders as I say, "Who cares. Let''s race when we get to the pool."

    Gorge grins before she says, "Sounds fun."

    I raise my eyebrows as I say, "I didn''t know you liked losing."

    She rolls her eyes before she says, "I can literally see Pyrex whispering nonsense into your ear."

    I press my cheek against hers as I say, "I know you like Pyrex too."

    She turns her eyes towards me as she frowns and says, "Yeah, and I like the empire too."

    We reach into the bathing room before I say, "Come on." I jump into the pool where I submerge into the pleasant warmth of water. I lift above it while whipping my hair backwards, and as I keep myself afloat, I say, "I''ll help you bathe."

    The beginnings of a grin form on Gorge''s lips as she says, "And here I thought I''d be able to relax for once."

    I wave my hand at her as I say, "Let me tell you about our date before it got all crazy."

    She removes her armor as she says, "So was he awkward and fumbling as usual?"

    I lean on the edge of the bath as I say, "No, he was wonderful."

    Author''s note: Went to the doctor for a rather intense type of shoulder pain I''ve been having for the last two months. It turns out that I tore my rotator cuff. That is why my uploads slowed. I am now wearing a sling and have my place setup which allows me to write, so hopefully I''ll be able to regain my former ferocious pace. Regardless, I hope you liked the chapter.