《Annihilation》 Prologue The man in white rushed down the pristine hallway a determined look upon his face. He was a odd looking man, every time that someone would gaze upon this figure he seemed to change the color of his skin and even gender. It appeared as if he was all races at any given time, but here in these hallowed halls he was just a man in plain white robes with sandals upon his feet an determined look upon his face. Upon reaching a magnificent set of doors he didn¡¯t even raise his hands, but they instead flew open cracking the walls behind them as they swung inward, making several individuals jump a few feet into the air propelled by their large wings that span nearly fourteen feet. Though once they set eyes upon the individual that had done it, they all instead bowed in reverence for this being. ¡°REPORT!¡± barked the man in white. His voice seemed to shake the very building that they were in. He didn¡¯t say this to anyone, but someone needed to do so before his wrath was unleashed on some poor angelic like being. A timed thin man approached fast with a glass looking device was in his hand. ¡°My Lord, here is the requested report.¡± He said in a meek voice as he rushed back towards the crowd of individuals that were huddled around various desks and other glass like viewing devices that splayed updated data of unknown origin. The Lord took the device and moved to another set of doors as they were opened quickly as to not destroy any other walls and quickly shut behind him. He moved behind a marbled desk with ornate lines of gold and into a rather plush seat with a high back. He placed the device on the desk where it then melded into the desk and then started to display all the contained information. With motions of his hand he quickly digested all the information and then sat back into the chair. Slightly slumping before waving the information away. With eyes closed he mumbled to no one in particular. ¡°Damn¡­ how could this have happened? Why now? With no prior warnings to boot¡­¡± he trailed off as he placed his hand on the desk and a unseeming old phone with receiver popped up. There were only a few symbols on the rotary, and he hesitated before pushing one that any normal person would assume to be a rather distinct set of twelve stars. It rang once. Twice¡­ ¡°Yes?¡± a garbled voice asked on the other side of the phone. ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Why yes you can¡­ why is IT here?¡± The lord asked as he leaned forward his fingers drumming across the desk leaving small cracks. ¡°Oh¡­ Are you referring to the Waves?¡± the garbled voice asked acting as if it knew nothing of what was happening. ¡°YES!¡± the lord demanded as his hand slammed on the desk cracking it nearly in half. The angelic-like creatures in the other room once again jumped as the reverberations of the hit and his voice could be heard as if it were right next to them, shattering some of the tile above them as dust seemed to move from the wave of energy that was released. ¡°You know damn well this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen till my creations reached Kul¡¯Tekca!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± the voice paused. ¡°Well, there has been a change. It appears that the other gods have deemed your creations no longer necessary for the evolution of your galaxy and will be purged to prevent the spread of the virus that you have created.¡± It said matter in a matter as if this was everyday business. ¡°Your creations have no place in this reality and only caused harm and destruction to everything that they have set their eyes upon.¡± There was a long pause¡­ the lord of this galaxy¡­ the one known by many in many ways was God. The one that created all things. The one that was portrayed by every race upon his blue jewel. He had gone and made sure it wasn¡¯t a singular religion but instead split himself into many different guises to help the people build and become stronger through adversity to prepare them for Kul¡¯Tecka¡­ which now¡­ would never come to pass. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Is there any way that I could refuse? I have worked on them since the beginning of this galaxy, and they are by far better than what you and the other gods could ever dream of. There is much potential in them, they can over come anything.¡± He said in an almost pleading manner. There was a long pause¡­ ¡°No.¡± it said, with no remorse in its voice. Then the line went dead. The symbol on the phone disappeared and dead silence fell upon the room. The god of Earth stood up after a moment as he walked into the busy room beyond. He peered at the large screen beyond all the angles and looked at his best work. Instead of building many civilizations across his vast galaxy he only made this one¡­ even stepping in from time to time to lead them on the best paths. It was unheard of for a god to only have one planet. Usually, they would have at least a few hundred spreading their power over a large area¡­ he instead just poured all his into this one world¡­ even keeping the waves of energy away from it so they would progress with the mind and not the energy that filled the other galaxies to the brim. He sighed as he approached an empty chair and desk. Anger filling his eyes as he looked upon the gem of a planet. ¡°Marious.¡± He said with seething anger. The one known as Marious quickly approached. He was one of the first angles that he had made. He even boasted with three pairs of wings and two halos that seemed to move in opposite directions upon his head like a crown of gold. He was the one that the god had poured all the energy into the keep the world from touching what most humans would call magic. He was by far the second strongest being in this whole galaxy and if he had wished he could cause the super massive black hole in the center to erupt with a thought if he so desired. ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± He said in a soothing voice as he bowed deeply. ¡°They have sent a Wave. Can you stop it?¡± He asked as he turned to look at all the creatures upon the planet. ¡°I can delay it¡­ but the power of this magnitude will come regardless of the gifts which you bestowed upon me.¡± He said as tears started to brim. To fail a request was heart breaking for this being. He was always able to accomplish anything that his Lord asked of him, but this one time he wouldn¡¯t be able to do so. God paused for a moment. As he controlled the screen and pulled away from the world and looked beyond the solar system. Trillions of miles away he could see the wave rushing towards the planet. It wouldn¡¯t take too much time to reach the planet. A timer showed up on the top of the screen. Thirty-Two days¡­ Seven hundred and seven hours and thirty-two minutes. The planet wouldn¡¯t even know it was coming¡­ until it was too late. He watched Alpha Centauri solar system, a place that he hoped his precious creations would reach one day violently ripped apart as if a giant knife sliced right through them and caused them to erupt. The humans wouldn¡¯t even know it disappeared until a few precious moments before the Wave hit them, and that would only be because the first major body in the Sol system would be Saturn. It would be torn apart and then any armature star gazer would know immediately¡­ and then only a hour and twenty minutes before it would hit the planet. He hated this¡­ they didn¡¯t even bother calling or sending anything or anyone to come and correct this. Instead, they would rather burn the galaxy. This lit a fire inside the god of earth. as the earthlings say¡­ Fuck around and find out, he would make sure that this action would be their undoing. Chapter 1: A (not so) normal day Chapter 1: A (not so) normal day !!!Warning: Graphic and suicidal actions!!! *beep beep beep beep* That annoying sound again¡­the one song I hate to every morning. She thought as she threw her hand towards the annoying noise making machine of dread. After a few attempts she was able to beat the snooze button into submission as she threw one of the many pillows back over her head. Just a few more minutes¡­ *beep bee-* She grabbed the cord and ripped it out of the wall. The snooze button seemed to not be the right choice at the time. It was a Monday after all. She begrudgingly threw the pillow away and swung her legs over the bed still wrapped up in the blankets that held the warmth of the night before. With a big yawn and a stretch, she abandoned the hard-fought warmth and moved to start her morning routines. After freshening up and looking somewhat presentable to the outside world, which consisted of a pair of sneakers, sweatpants, and a hoodie with a logo of the college that she was currently attending. Michigan State. She couldn¡¯t get into some of the top schools for zoology, but this was good enough, it wasn¡¯t Cornell but hey, what was a poor girl supposed to do? Fifth in the US and thirty fourth in the world. So, considering where it was at, she couldn¡¯t complain. After all she only had to work the rest of her life to pay off these student depts. She waved to her non-existent room mate that was never in her dorm room that she shared. She was usually never here, mostly because¡­ well she had many extra physical activities that she enjoyed a bit too much. She thought that maybe her room mate just thought this as a storage place for her extra clothing and accessories. With no response she unlocked the door and entered the busy hallway of the dorm. ¡°Lets go learn something I guess.¡± She muttered to herself as she joined the mass of bodies that moved through the hallway nearly in one direction. She thought it was kinda funny that she could think of this as a pulmonary artery as all the other students went to go get their knowledge. Like blood did to get oxygen from the capillaries in the lungs. She gave a small giggle at the thought and continued to go get her oxygen. ------------ Just kill me already¡­ she thought as she dragged herself to lunch. It was hard enough as she had already went to two mandatory classes regarding whatever politically correct thing that needed to be taught now-a-days. She didn¡¯t care too much for these classes as they just ate at her tuition and grants that she struggled to get in the first place. All she wanted to do was just go to college and attend the classes that she wanted to go to. Learn what she wanted to learn and leave it at that. ¡°All I want to learn is zoology¡­¡± She mumbled as she went up to Holden Dinning Hall and ordered ¨¤ la carte, and just ordered a simple meal that would supply her body with the bear minimum requirements for her body to sustain itself on her small funds. The guy behind the counter smiled brightly as she approached. ¡°Hey Elaine!¡± he beamed as his eyes seemed to light up form seeing her once again. ¡°You doing ok today?¡± he asked hoping to get more of a response out of her today. He was a decent looking young male, standing roughly six foot and a little over average weight. His brown eyes and dark hair was about as plain as it could be. ¡°I guess, just classes I don¡¯t like to take.¡± She responded in the same manner as she always had. Elaine really didn¡¯t care too much for small talk and usually required people to be more aggressive, but in this environment she wouldn¡¯t give anyone a shot. Too much on the line as her grades meant everything to her more than a fling in college as most girls her age did. The unassuming male just nodded and gave the food that she had requested making sure to add just a bit extra as he normally did. The funny thing was that she didn¡¯t even realize that he had been doing this the whole time and just thought the meals were always the same. She never knew he had ever done this. To her he was just another background character to her life, along with herself. He gave a inward sigh and thought to himself that this day had to be the day. Something inside told him it was now or ever. ¡°Umm.¡± He coughed ¡°Can I uh¡­ get your number?¡± he asked as he reached for his phone ready to put in his crushes number in. She visibly paused as if stuck in the motion of walking away and slowly turned back to the man that she didn¡¯t even know the name of. Then she noticed that he did indeed have a name badge on. Brent¡­ shit¡­ Now she felt like a dick for not even catching that. Thought that wasn¡¯t even half the problem. ¡°Umm. Brent right?¡± she asked clearly looking at his name tag, but Brent didn¡¯t even notice that instead just smiled brightly as she knew his name. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I uh¡­ umm¡­ I have a bf?¡± she kinda stated and asked at the same time clearly trying to dodge this whole situation. Mostly because she didn¡¯t even have the budget to buy and pay for a phone. Yeah¡­ she was one of those rare individuals that didn¡¯t have social media and a phone. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± She apologized quickly and rushed away and out of sight leaving the man named Brent broken hearted and hurt crossing his eyes. Once out of sight she vowed to find another place to eat¡­ but this was one of the few places that provided food at a good cost that gave good portions. Sighing she sat outside and started to eat her food, she thought of what her next class was. It was the one that she wanted to be at the most. Animal biology and Zoology, she wanted to study how things where and why they were, how things ticked and worked in the world. The human body was pretty much figured out, but with some new species and animals being brought back with modern science and the such her field would be highly sought after. Then she can start making bank¡­ Then she can start paying student depts and being broke! Now she slumped¡­ she hatted being broke. Some of her old friends from high school had told her she should work on the web a little to make money, but that to her it seemed too weird. What if one of those weridos came and tried to find her like you hear on the web happening sometimes. She knew she could make the money that way but that was just too much. She would rather be broke with no phone. With a thought she stood up and tossed the appropriate items in their respective trash bins. She hated to waste and cause waste. She wasn¡¯t to the point where she would dig through the bins and separate them herself, but she liked to think that what she did alone seemed to help some. With a nod to no one in particular she started her way to her next class. She couldn¡¯t help herself as she smiled and walked to her next class. She didn¡¯t even pay too much mind to the sound that phones make when their was a state emergency alert. She knew what the sound was but chocked it up to some test or amber alert or something of the sort. She didn¡¯t even realize that everyone had stopped moving pretty much as they stared blankly at their phones and other devices. She had been in her own world looking forward to the lecture on muscle structure of a mantis shrimp. The thought of learning about their biophysics of the specialized muscle structure that allowed them to explode in both speed and power. She was in her own world as people started talking loud and some quickly getting on their phones and calling relatives and family and friends. Some laughing thinking it was a hoax, but most rushed in random directions as a chime sounded across the area signaling the start of the next class. So obviously the nearly oblivious female known as Elaine didn¡¯t even know that people were rushing for another reason other than going to class. She made it to her next class and looked around seeing absolutely no one. Not even the professor. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Well¡­ the chime did happen so she sat down waiting. Waiting for something to happen as she pulled out some paper from under the lecture desks and got ready to take notes and the such. *ding ding* ¡°This message is to inform everyone that classes has been suspended for the remainder of th---- Umm¡­ is this thing on?¡± a voice came over the automated notice. ¡°Test¡­ test¡­ ok I can hear it elsewhere.¡± It was a smooth males voice she never heard coming across the speakers. ¡°Hello Elaine Willow.¡± The voice said as her mind started to race. She started to look around and then realized that outside the window people where starting to act crazy. People where running around, some started violent acts against others and even a few where doing things that she couldn¡¯t even comprehend doing even at the worst thoughts. Did that guy just kill that other one and slammed that woman! She thought as her eyes went wide and stood up from her seat quickly stepping away from the desks and moving back to a corner hoping not to be seen by the football player looking man with blond hair as his hand pulled back again blood splattering the window with it. Briefly her mind thought about the mantis shrimp¡­ if he had that strength he wouldn¡¯t have to hit so many times. She snapped out of that thought as she turned and released the contents of her stomach into the trash bin near the back of the room. ¡°Elaine. You don¡¯t have much time and I would like to you to make your way up to the roof of the building that you are in if you want to escape.¡± The voice over the speaker commented with slight emotion in his voice as if he had seen the same thing. ¡°hurry you don¡¯t have much time.¡± She didn¡¯t even think. She knew something inside that if she stayed at the base floor of this building what was happening outside would soon spill into the inside. That¡¯s when the football player looking man looked up and towards the inside¡­ her fears where awakened and she ran, the sound of breaking glass chasing her through the room as she rushed outwards and into the chaotic hall. She shoved and pushed and moved towards the stairs and upwards. The sound of wet sounding thuds behind her and everywhere as she witnessed something falling¡­ someone falling¡­ that was a person! Someone literally just jumped down between the stair case! She didn¡¯t even bother looking as she moved quickly up passing others that saw the same thing and thinking that what the other had done seemed to be the right choice. She made it to the top as the door was already knocked down at some point. She paused quickly in mid step, her dark brown hair swishing in the wind as her emerald green eyes looked across the landscape that she could only believe was hell. She took a few unsteady steps as she looked out at the large plumbs of smoke and fire could be seen in any direction. She was thankful that she wasn¡¯t near the edge as some were giving others a helping hand over the railings. Grim looks on everyone¡¯s faces. She didn¡¯t know why but she looked up as she could see a multicolored line across the sky. Even though it was passed mid-day, it was clearly the brightest thing in the sky. She took a step back and wondered why there was a rainbow from horizon to horizon stretching across the sky. ¡°That is a powerful Mana Wave.¡± A smooth voice said beside her. ¡°It is about to hit this world and destroy everything down to the molecular atom erasing everything that I created.¡± The figure stated calmly and with certainty. ¡°Mana¡­ as in magic?¡± She asked not taking her eyes of the mesmerizing sight, not even bothering to look away. Why look towards the ground where hell was when you can look at something so beautiful, and now knowing destructive. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s a bad way to go I guess.¡± She said to no one in particular. Why not have the most beautiful thing she had ever seen be the last? It seemed appropriate. The figure paused for a moment looking up as well. ¡°Indeed, it is beautiful, but what if I told you that this didn¡¯t have to be Your end?¡± he asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She tilted her head towards the figure in white. Damn¡­ who wears white robes and how does he keep them so white!? She thought as she gazed upon what she thought may have been the most beautiful person she had ever laid eyes on. He stood at exactly six foot, not a micrometer taller. His hair was the color of the sun brilliant and seemed not to be touched by the light breeze, eyes the color¡­ what the fuck! It was as if she staired into the depths of the universe itself. The more she looked the deeper she feel into them, stars and nebulas, colors that didn¡¯t even have names. The god knew what had happened and shifted his eyes to a plain brown. She snapped out of it quickly enough. Good He thought as he let go of her shoulder. ¡°Eleine Willow. I have selected you out of the eight billion, two hundred thousand, one hundred and sixty, three hundred and seven and dwindling human beings on this world I have selected you.¡± He stated as he looked her in the eyes. He hadn¡¯t wanted to tell her that she was latterly randomly selected from everyone. Marious had only the ability to send seven individuals with the powers that he had at his disposal, for god had placed all the magic that was supposed to be in this galaxy into that one being. Seven was a good number¡­ he thought with a chuckle thinking about how long it took him to create this world itself. Seven was also a good number to send into the universe. He didn¡¯t show it on the outside as he perused the life of this individual. Elaine Willow was someone that had a drive, a drive to succeed and make better the life she had at any cost. It was almost mantic. She would make a good fuck you to those above. ¡°Umm¡­ sir?¡± Elaine asked as she looked at the man. She had turned away fully from the doom that was fast approaching and looked at him instead. After all it was another thing of beauty to look at. ¡°Why me?¡± she asked her hand resting on her hip. ¡°Oh because your special.¡± God lied, but not really. She was after all a bit better than some of the people that was selected. He would have to make sure Marious took care of her and gave her a advantageous start. ¡°I chose you because you have a drive to survive at any cost. You who bared the poverty of this world and pushed beyond your expected limits and made yourself above others at your level.¡± He stated. ¡°we don¡¯t have much time. As he looked up at the sky.¡± Elaines head looked back up to where the brilliant man looked. Her mouth dropped open very un-lady like. Was that the moon? The rainbow mana wave was much larger and almost took up the whole sky. It smashed into the backside of the moon and for a instant it seemed as if the earth quivered as the waves of gravity from the celestial moon cracked and shattered like a Christmas ornament dropping to the floor. Hot magma quickly erupted from the friction of the mana wave pushing it against the upper atmosphere of earth as hot streaks of molten chunks of rock rocketed downwards. Everything that touched the mana wave though just seemed to stop existing. It was truly devastating. ¡°Elaine!¡± God commanded the attention of the woman. She turned from certain doom back to the man. ¡°I gave humans the choice of a free will. You must now decide if you want to be saved or not.¡± He grabbed her again by the shoulders and faced her towards himself. ¡°I made you, from dust of the universe, and everything you see. Know that this was not caused by me, but by others who deemed your race viral to the universe. You are my only greatest accomplishment. I was born into this galaxy when the first star awoke, and my first thought was to make your species into the greatest thing. And what not best than my own image.¡± He paused as he mentally shifted all the debris from the crashing moon away from this spot. He couldn¡¯t stop the mana wave but he would give her the most time she could to process a response. ¡°Will you chose to wreak vengeance for the human race, and all that was created here, against those that deemed your destruction?¡± he said quietly as the mana wave was destroying the upper atmosphere exposing the world to the forces of the universe. ¡°Yes¡± she stated as the last thing she saw was a rainbow colored horizon and then another man with¡­ six wings? Chapter 2: Ends and Beginnings Chapter 2: Ends and Beginnings The last thing Elaine could remember was darkness as what she could only consider a angel reached its hand out and placed it upon her forehead. All things seemed to stop and disappear as if the void itself just up and swallowed her into the oblivion of darkness itself. She was instantly removed from the worlds surface as only god and the angel know as Marious. ¡°My Lord. It has been done.¡± He said with a bow of his upper torso towards his master and creator. ¡°All preparations have been made and will be able to transport as soon as the wave hits the core.¡± God stood there looking out at the world he had created remember where every speck of dust and liquid had come from in the galaxy he had made. He had made this whole galaxy with only one purpose. To use the human template that many other gods were fond of with a few variations, and place them as the only sentient being in all of this massive galaxy. It was to promote spread and knowledge and once they reached certain areas in the galaxy he would slowly start to spread the mana that was held inside of Marious. It was to ensure that his creations would seek to meld their knowledge of both science and magic together to prepare for what was coming their way. He gave a sigh as he and Marious vanished from the surface back to his observation point above the earth. He had the sense to move it further from the surface of the world to give more time before the wave itself had made it to this point. Humans were always looking up towards the sky when they prayed, it was a weird phenomenon that they had instinctively known that he was truly up there. Though without magic they would never be able to perceive the space that it occupied. Typically from what he gleaned from other gods, they didn¡¯t mind that their creations knew that there was something stronger and even attempt to reach their gods that had created them. ¡°To think. Just because they saw that my creations had made insights into other galaxies they would be this paranoid¡­ Kul¡¯tecka and his ilk created this¡­¡± he said as he watched the wave slow to a crawl as soon as it touched the surface of the planet slowly devouring it inch by inch. No amount of science or knowledge to the humans would prepare them for this. For how could something that was moving at the speed of light literally slow to a crawl of a few hundred miles per hour over a matter of seconds. ¡°I hadn¡¯t even had enough time to call for aid from some of the other gods that could have helped.¡± The being in white moved to one of the walls that would lead outside. With a wave of his hand he opened the wall and stepped on to literal space as if it was solid. He moved a few paces outside the walls to view the five orbs of light floating in a subspace of Marious creation. It was truly wondrous what that arch angel was able to accomplish, for god himself had no mana to speak of except was his own divine right. He called out for his newest creations¡­ something that had drained him to the point of almost being a mortal being. He used the souls of those that were dying by the millions and finished pushing their energies into seven multi-colored orbs. My last act as god¡­ to enact the very essence of my creations to help but five I had managed to save. He sighed with a thought as he remembered the two other humans that chose to stay on the world. Their reasons were virtuous, and he would not persuade them in any way. For free will was the key to his creations. He pulled on his Divine Right and directed the souls from the world at their moments of death and pull them here. Marious used various magics to hide this fact from what they knew of other beings from being able to witness this last ditch effort. Each soul went to different multi-colored orbs, slowly taking on humanoid like shapes. He knew that as soon as this would be completed that the whole world would be destroyed and turned back into the dust it was made from. Then the wave would come here back at the speed of light, to finish off the last remaining threat to the Kul¡¯tecka. Slowly but surely the shapes took from, some male some female in appearance as he made his last creations. He mused slightly that he liked to use some of his Divine Right to make random little species for the humans to find in the depths of the ocean, or some remote part of the world. He had even made some rather cruel creatures that would have thawed in the tundra¡¯s of Russia that would have thrown the world into chaos. All of this was to further his precious humans to become stronger and better. Yet those too were being drawn into the beings for they also had purpose now. With the last bit of the world being swallowed by the mana wave, the forms before him took shape. ¡°Come Fourth Altariel!¡± God commanded as the first of the multi-colored shapes came into being. ¡°I have charged you with humanities Pride and Humility, guide this soul in your pursuit of conquering the universe through what it means to be a Human!¡± he said as he tasked the Arch Angel to the first soul waiting. Its regal masculine self with its body that looked to be both prideful and respectful with its robed self that barely contained the avarices. They merged and Marious enacted the first steps of sending the soul into the great beyond.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Come Fourth Orimiel!¡± He commanded once again. ¡°You have been charged with humanities Gluttony and Temperance, may you guide this soul to devour all that lays before you and bequeath your gains to those worthy of standing by your side!¡± The multi-colored orb turned into that of a sludge that seemed to have no definite shape to it and yet if looked at too long one could see small flecks of gold inside. It consumed the soul and vanished with the first one. I hope that was ok? God wondered momentarily. He moved on for his time was running thin. The observation point was moving rapidly trying to stay ahead of the mana wave, but it only seemed that the wave picked up speed tearing at the very fabric of space and time. ¡°Come Fourth Thalorien!¡± the brilliant and yet beautiful orb approached taking on female shape. It was only second best to what god himself was. It was truly something to behold as the Arch Angel stood before him its body almost ivory with veins of gold and perfectly sculptured body nude for the universe to see. ¡°May you take into the universe humanities Envy and Kindness, may you transmute envy into boundless compassion and elevate those around you into revolting against the Kul¡¯tecka!¡± he commanded as he was about to push her towards a random soul, yet the Arch Angel chose instead. With that the third soul was sent into the beyond. That was different¡­ I guess even though I am god, the souls of humanity still chose their own paths. I couldn¡¯t be prouder of the virtues and sins of humanity. God thought emotionally as he peered at the next to be Arch Angel to be. ¡°Come Fourth Kenediel! For I have a task for you humanities Greed and Generosity!¡± he commanded a orb to come forth, but didn¡¯t expect it to drag one of the three remaining orbs with it too. Leave it to humanities greed to do this. He mused. ¡°Come fourth as well Erythea Arch Angel of Lust and Chastity.¡± he stated as both orbs came forth. ¡°You two shall inhabit one soul and bring forth the likes that has never been seen before in this universe. I task the two of you with taking everything this universe has to offer by any means necessary and show them humanities true selfless giving and restraint,¡± he paused as he added, ¡°know though. This universe was yours to begin with.¡± He smiled as he let the Arch Angels choose their soul before blinking out of view with their soul bounding towards the endless expanse. ¡°That leaves the two of you.¡± He paused then looking at the last soul. ¡°Yours will be a path of destruction bringing fourth humanities Wrath, Sloth, Diligence, and Patiance.¡± He stated as two more of the Arch Angels came forth taking on forms. He was in a bit of a hurry and didn¡¯t realize that Kenediel and Erythea hadn¡¯t taken on form but seemed to hurry from this galaxy. Yet these last two Arch Angels manifested fully. ¡°Seraphion I task you to guide this soul in what it means to know the true Wrath and Patience of humanity.¡± He commanded as the figure of Arch Angel came into full view of a female wearing blackened armor, fire rolling off it in waves as if it wanted to destroy everything around it. ¡°Show them what it means to Fuck around and Find Out.¡± He commanded as the angel grabbed the other last Arch Angel. ¡°Zeraphine, Arch Angel of Sloth and Diligence, may you show this universe of stagnation and the norm and turn it into steadfast action with the help of Seraphion. Show this universe what humanity can do with enough time.¡± He commanded as the two attached themselves to the last soul and then disappeared into the void beyond. With that¡­ god slumped. His power gone. He had never once felt what it meant to be mortal but in the very instance he knew, and laughed. Marious quickly came to his side. His feathers falling out as his magic was depleted and he was using his very Divine Gift to fulfil his lords last request. His body slowly turning into cosmic dust as he used every ounce of his being to move the souls to their destinations. ¡°My¡­. My lord.¡± He gasped in ragged breaths. ¡°They¡­ they made it.¡± He said as he slumped down to his lords level. ¡°thank you Marious.¡± God said putting his hand on his first creation. His small touch made the shoulder vanish faster for Marious was slowly becoming the very dust of the cosmos. ¡°You were my first, you done good Marious.¡± He said as the arch angel faded away drifting through the cosmos as motes of dust and light. For the first time in the creation of the galaxy, god wept. The prismatic mana wave crashing towards him faster and faster. He stood up on shaking legs commanding the very space to become solid beneath him as he stood to face the coming mana wave. ¡°You of the Kul¡¯tecka! Fear that which you have destroyed!¡± he yelled at his upcoming doom. ¡°FEAR HUMANIT-----!¡± He screamed as he was cut short as his very being was torn atom to atom. His very soul being destroyed slowly as the whole mana wave converged upon him. The only thing that could be heard was not screams of the god. But laughter. He had won. Humanity will not be the same as before, but the universe will know what a human was till the end of time. Chapter 3: Circle of life Chapter 3: Circle of Life Oh shit oh shit oh shit! She thought mentally as she rushed quickly through the thick forest trying to calm her heart as her heart and mind raced. She reached up and placed her hand on a tree, trying to catch her breath hoping that what she had saw didn¡¯t decide to chase her. Feeling bits of her palm be torn by the very bark. This had happened before when she realized that everything around her seemed ready to kill her in some sort of fashion. The tree¡¯s bark felt like razer blades and even some of the nearby vines seemed to reach towards her in slow movements ready to grasp her, most likely to provide sustenance for some sort of botanical plant. She yanked her hand away from the tree and started to move again. She started to move forward at a quick pace trying to stay down wind from the thing she saw, though the creature behind her, nay the monstrosity of this part of the forest, let loose a mighty roar setting fear and anxiety through Elaines very being. She glanced back towards the sound as her hand instinctively clasped over her ears, that¡¯s when she saw the creature in its full horror. It stood roughly four foot at the shoulders, its six legs with large padded paws tipped with red claws from a previous kill. If she were to describe it known to anything in the mammalian kingdom she would have said that it was akin to a feline closely resembling a mountain lion, and yet it had no fur. Instead it was covered in dusty brown scales that matched the trees that surrounded her. Not to mention that it had four eyes as well, which unnerved her to the core. Something like this shouldn¡¯t exist, didn¡¯t exist¡­ well shit it actually does though now. She thought as she turned to run again knowing full well that she was nothing but prey to this alpha predator. A day earlier, or something close to it, for the hours here were not the same as what she was used to. She had awoken with a migraine and a low grumble of displeasure. The last thing she could remember was that a man in white had talked to her and asked her if she wanted to live pretty much and then another¡­ male? With six wings had shown up not even a second later and touched her forehead. After which her mind went dark and now she had a migraine and for some reason her body ached as if she had been beaten thoroughly by a silver back gorilla. Elaine groaned as she sat up something falling from her chest into her lap as she raised her left hand to her head trying to massaged her temple to ease the pain. She opened her eyes and momentarily forgotten about the object¡­ around her was a vista she had never seen before. An endless expanse of forests laid bare before her. Trees easily three hundred feet tall taking the nearest tree on the cliff with her as she sized herself to it. She was five foot six inches tall, so she was able to gauge it roughly. And yet what drew her attention the most was that there was one even larger and with a judge of the horizon had to be nearly three times as large as any of the ones that were around her now. Its branches seemed to cover miles alone. Taking her eyes and tracing the horizon she realized that she was on a cliff overlooking the forest beyond. She peered behind her and saw more thick trees, but they were sparce with mountains glooming in the background. Well shit¡­ she thought as she went to stand as she felt a small weight fall to the ground off her lap. She looked down realizing that her head had started to ease off. What laid before her was something that looked like a chunk of glass shaped like a rectangle with rough edges as if someone had used another rock to shape it. What really drew her eyes was that their was an icon blinking on it. It looked like a old school e-mail icon. Leaning down she grasped the rough glass and turned it over in her hand. When she did she noted that the back was solid black. Turning back over she could actually see straight through it. She did this a few more times before stopping realizing that there was probably no way that she could figure that out and instead looked at the blinking icon. ¡°I wonder if your going to say ¡®you got mail¡¯.¡± she mused as she touched the e-mail icon remembering being told about one of the oldest e-mail services. Instead it did nothing but started to display a message. It didn¡¯t seem like she needed to read it at all as it directly injected the information briefly into her mind. It felt intrusive and unnatural. ~Sorry for the uncomfortable feeling you must have felt from the transportation and the reading of this message. What you had just experienced was magic. This would be the fastest way to give you all the information as quickly as possible for your location that was chosen has the most ideal growth for you based off our knowledge of your past and our knowledge of other galaxies, and yet remember that this is not Earth as you probably have realized by now Elaine Willow.~ She paused for a second time her hands holding the glass visibly shaking as she let that sink in. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not in the same galaxy?¡± she questioned out loud. ¡°where the hell am I?¡± she asked to the wind expecting some answer, instead though she got no responses. Her mind returned back to the information in her head instead. ~The planet your on is full of life and unknown species allowed to grow rampant and in ways that will amaze you. Use your knowledge and the Divine Gift that the god of your galaxy placed within you. Based on your background My Lord had deemed it fit that you will have the ability to change things around and inside of yourself. Dig deep within your very Soul and find which has been given.~ ~Marious~ The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. For some reason she felt sad at reading the name as if she had lost a loved one for some reason. She whipped a tear and then felt the glass in her hand crack. With a yelp she dropped it as it turned to motes of dust and light and floated away. Seeing that the sadness welled up inside as she slumped to the ground once more. The realization that she was the soul survivor of Earth struck her then and there. She cried as she curled up into a tight ball bringing her knees to her chest burring her face into her knees. She didn¡¯t know how long she was there crying but she cried until she had no more tears left to cry. Something within her urged her to stand and move like a gut feeling as the words came back to mind, ~unknown species that would amaze you~. She stood up, remembering what she had spent the last two years of her life learning. Biology, chemistry, ecology, physiology, anatomy, and cellular biology. She had taken all her biology classes in her first year, anything that required knowing what made a animal an animal. Her second year was dedicated to all the mannerisms of animals with a splash of natural sciences and her actual zoologist course. Every waking moment of her college life had been full of courses, where some would just take a one or two classes a day, she would make sure that every hour of each day was full of learning something dedicated to the pursuit of knowing and learning the unknown. A smile crossed her face at that thought. There was a whole world before her that had soo many new species that no human had ever seen before. This was every wildlife management and zoologist¡¯s dream. She looked about and marked the large tree in the distance as her location to go. From her introduction class of zoology she realized that one must be weary of the dangers of nature, and a tree that large must of a water source of some sort. What she hadn¡¯t thought of though was that usually things in the horizon that where that big usually were way further away than what you would think. Her vantage point and the fact that she could see the tree on the horizon hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind at all. Instead she looked around and saw that the cliff seemed to curve and tapered off into the thick forest beyond. ¡°Well lets go learn something.¡± She stated and started to walk. Bringing her back to this very moment in time, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She had stumbled across a body of a animal that had been severely wounded by something a few minutes ago. She had heard the mewling of something in pain and went to investigate the sound. It didn¡¯t sound like a growl or a hiss or something that predators used but instead sounded like that of a bovine would make. So she thought it was to be safe. When she came into the clearing she had paused and saw a furred creature on its side, its ribs exposed and rear leg completely crushed. Something had brutally maimed it. There was no way that this creature dragged itself here. Her eyes widened as she realized that whatever had done this must still be around, and the claw marks around the edges of the wound on its ribcage was large, large enough that if she put her two hands side by side it wouldn¡¯t even cover the size of the claw marks. Whatever did this¡­ left this creature to suffer. What animal would do something like this? She racked her mind trying to remember if there were any animals on earth that did things like this and couldn¡¯t think of any off the top of her head. Well varanus komodoensis, the Komodo dragon would wound a animal and wait for it to die. She thought as her curiosity was starting to get the better of her. That when she heard it. A slight creak of a tree branch above her head. She looked up slowly¡­ her eyes widening as it looked like the bark itself was moving. Ambush predator¡­ animal mimicry¡­ no¡­ fuck run you dumb bitch! she yelled mentally, her mind raced as she tore off across the clearing and back into the wooded forest. Her shoulder bumping into a trees, and the feeling of being cut hadn¡¯t crossed her mind. She never stop running her legs burned her chest hurt her head pounded as she kept moving, yet slowing down slower and slower. Her body didn¡¯t have the stamina it should have, she only ever ate what she could afford and her body just wasn¡¯t trained. She huffed and huffed and then slumped down to the ground once more. Falling to her knees and palms. Trying to catch her breath as she shook all over, her muscles screaming their protest to keep moving. *grrrrrr* Fuck¡­ She looked back at the creature that seemed to just stroll past the tree, obviously not out of breath as she was. Its eyes filled with malice and hunger. She looked at it and it didn¡¯t seem to want for food¡­ was this creature a glutton? Did it hunt just to harm? She thought as she saw it slowly approaching her. The creature in question knew that its prey was out of breath and couldn¡¯t go any further, yet it had never seen something like this before. It was curious as it started to sniff the air to get its scent so it could track others of its kind. That¡¯s when it stopped moving, its eyes darting around quickly. Elaine saw this behavior and didn¡¯t even have time to register the next moment. Something smaller burst through the underbrush and attacked its side, then another and another came in. It was a pack of something small and dark furred. She knew that whatever it was, was a pack species and it hadn¡¯t came here for her, but that cat like lizard creature. She flipped herself over slowly pushing herself backwards as to not remove her eyes from the grizzly scene before her. These small furred animals where roughly two foot tall and had large powerful hind legs that propelled them forward their front claws where curved. It looked like a mix between some sort of dog like creature and a rabbit with¡­ is that a fucking horn? She thought as she felt a bush behind her and glanced back. It wasn¡¯t a bush¡­ It seemed that it was a mossy small hole in the side of one of the larger trees. She quickly looked around, as the fighting of the creature and the rabbit dogs continued, trying to make sure there were no vines or anything else that wanted to eat her. She saw no tracks nor any signs of something that passed through it. It seemed big enough to fit into. And with that thought¡­ she slipped inside hiding as she peered out at the grizzly sight of these rabbit dogs eating the now dead corpse of the scaled ambush kitty. They worked quickly going for the softer spots around joints and the under belly, even some other softer spots near its hind quarters. They ate the best bits that they could and quickly disappeared back into the woods leaving much of the harder meats behind. Damn¡­ get what you can quick here before something else takes it away. She mused as she watched various other critters come out. The smell of blood fresh in the air. What is this some kind of death world? ~Species here have been allowed to grow rampant¡­. ~ She sighed as her eyes slowly fell shut from exhaustion and the adrenaline running out. Back to darkness¡­ hopefully I get to wake up in my bed. Where her last thoughts hoping this was some sort of drugged dream. Chapter 4: Divine Gift Chapter 4: Divine Gift ¡°Oh my god!¡± she exclaimed as she lifted the sweater that she spotted in the thrift store. It was even on brand! Who would give up something this cute! She thought to herself as she instantly placed it up to her front to see how it would look on her in the mirror. She was happy and quickly rushed over to her mom who was waiting for her to select two outfits. Her mother was around five and a half feet and a little overweight. She wasn¡¯t fat, but did have most of the weight around her mid-section. Her hair was a dusty blond and she usually wore a bit too much makeup. All it did was ruin her complexion though, that¡¯s what fourteen year old Elain thought at least. ¡°Did you get what you wanted? Its not over three dollars, is it?¡± her mom asked looking at the pink and violate sweater that she had wanted. ¡°I said shirt and pants¡­ not sweaters. Put it back.¡± She huffed as she turned her attention back to a rando guy she was flirting with. From Elaines perspective though¡­ he didn¡¯t want any of that¡­ ¡°Yes momma¡­¡± Elain said as she went back to the isle that she had found it on and went to put it back up on the rail. ¡°Do you want that dear?¡± a older lady asked as she witnessed the exchange between her mother and her. She had to have been ancient. ¡°I can give you the two fifty for it if you want it?¡± she said reaching into her purse. Elaine stood a little shocked, but the thought of the pants and shoes she had with that sweater was going to be on point. She smiled brightly but remembered her manors. ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much trouble, but you don¡¯t have to.¡± She said, a bit too excited. The old lady with expert makeup and not even a hair out of place just smiled and put a twenty in Elaines hand. ¡°You have a blessed day, God bless.¡± She said as she walked to the counter with a few old lady hats. You know the ones with the flowers on them and didn¡¯t look like they could be used for anything other than a Sunday brunch. Elaine with the twenty in her hand and the sweater in the other rushed back to her mother. ¡°Mom!¡± she exclaimed excited to tell her about the kind lady that had given her the twenty. ¡°Look wh---.¡± She was cut of quickly enough, ¡°Don¡¯t you see me talking to someone! Shut your trap and just stand there until Someone says something to you.¡± She blurted loudly waving her finger in Elaines face inches away. Elaine had actually shrank back a bit from that, expecting something else instead of a finger¡­ more like five with a palm. Luckly for her though she was in public. ¡°Now where was I¡­ Oh yes, you got to look at my cute kitty.¡± She exclaimed as she pulled out her phone which was obviously the newest on the market. ¡°Umm¡­ ma¡¯am. Wasn¡¯t that a bit uncalled for?¡± the obviously younger man asked¡­ he probably couldn¡¯t even have bought beer yet. He took a step back when pure rage crossed the short woman¡¯s features. ¡°HOW DARE YOU!¡± she exclaimed shoving her phone back into her prada purse. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to my child how I want and say what I want!¡± She exclaimed. The whole store could hear her now. ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to question how I raise MY child.¡± She said as she reached over with her fat fingers and pulled the thin fourteen year old girl closer to her. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right baby?¡± she asked as she stared down her flesh and blood. Elaine knew what to say¡­ ¡°Yes ma¡¯am¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she said knowing what was to come when they got home. It was always like this¡­ she missed her dad. She reached behind her mothers back and placed the sweater on a rail it was in the pants section, but she believed that it wouldn¡¯t matter¡­ she even placed the twenty in a pants pocket. Someone will find that and be really happy¡­ she thought as she knew if her mother found that twenty it was going to even worse. Elaine woke with a start. WHY THE HELL AM I REMEMBERING THAT SHIT! She screamed in her head and she had to bury the trauma that she had. No¡­ this is why I left I need to be better, I need to get away¡­ she thought as she hugged herself in the cramped cave under the massive tree roots. Its why I chose to become a zoologist¡­ to get away and never turn back. She once again thought as she slowly started to feel the feelings of pain came back to her hand. ¡°Fuck that hur---¡± she exclaimed then quickly put her uninjured hand over her mouth remember what was just outside of the cave entrance. Damnit, stupid Elaine! ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ its dead n-*yawn*ow¡­¡± a sleepy voice said. It sounded nice, but obviously tired. ¡°Yes It is Dead! To bad it wasn¡¯t us that killed it.¡± Another voice exclaimed in her head powerfully. ¡°Da Fuck?¡± Elaine said as her mind was once again besieged by something that wasn¡¯t her own thoughts. She looked around though trying to see if anyone was around. ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°Good question¡­ no idea¡± said the sleepy voice, ¡°Ask Seraphion.¡± It felt as if the sleepy voice in her head just rolled over and went back to sleep. That was a really weird sensation. There wasn¡¯t anything physical to it but it still felt weird to know something inside moved. ¡°Seraphion? What The Hell are you two!¡± Elain said out loud exasperation clearly in her tone. Am I schizophrenic? ¡°No your not damaged in the head¡­ well not to that extent.¡± The inner powerful voice declared. ¡°Wait you can hear what I¡¯m thinking?¡± She thought. ¡°Duh¡± ¡°well shit! Why didn¡¯t you say that! I don¡¯t want those Rabbit Dogs to come looking for me!¡± She screamed in her head. Well it felt like she was screaming in her head. She didn¡¯t know if screaming or whispering in her mind was any different. ¡°Well you didn¡¯t ask human.¡± Seraphion stated, feeling smug. ¡°Though I think you could kill one if you had to.¡± Elaine paused¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve never killed anything before though.¡± She stated knowing what Seraphion stated seemed like it would have to happen eventually. ¡°Wait! How do you know they are not out there?!¡± Seraphion seemed to pause as it felt like she was thinking of a way to answer that question. ¡°Well. Lets see¡­ I just moved outside of your body and took a look around¡­ couldn¡¯t go far though.¡± The voice stated with a mental shrug.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Elaine once again felt that odd movement in her mind as she could feel It moving. It was unnerving to say the least. ¡°Umm¡­ could you stop moving around so much? Please? It feels weird to have something in my own brain moving around inside.¡± She stated rubbing her good hand on her shoulder trying to comfort herself. Didn¡¯t people that suffered from brain damage actually think things where talking to them? Wasn¡¯t this the same? Wouldn¡¯t the voices say that they are real? She thought to herself. ¡°ugh¡­¡± the powerful voice groaned. That¡¯s when Elaine felt really weird. It felt like something was pulling at her insides, not physically but something else. It was as if a part of her was ripping away and it was quite painful. She didn¡¯t know how to even explain this sensation as she groaned and gasped as she could feel a popping sensation as she felt the presence inside leave. ¡°trust me it hurts me too, toughen up human. There are worse pains I¡¯m sure.¡± Seraphion stated as a haze floated just outside of the cave. It was odd looking as if there should be something there, but not. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t in your brain or mind. I reside in your soul with Zeraphine.¡± She stated and moved around a bit. All Elaine could do was stare at the haze before her marveling at how it slightly distorted the light giving itself a reddish hue. ¡°I can¡¯t feel you moving around any more, but I still hear you in my head.¡± She said out loud. ¡°Is it safe out there?¡± she questioned hesitantly thinking that this cave could be her home forever. ¡°yes¡± Elaine sighed and pulled herself out of the small cave under the roots of the large tree. If she had to name the tree she would think it was a mix between a redwood in California and some sort of sycamore tree. She tried to not use her bad hand and managed to get herself back into the day light. She looked up and spotted the sun high overhead. Did she sleep for a whole day? ¡°No. Its only been about twelve hours.¡± Seraphion stated looking about and at the sun too. ¡°I think the day cycle is around forty eight hours long.¡± ¡°Wait what? You mean¡­ wow.¡± Elaine said her eyes a bit wide as she let that sink in¡­ wait a minute¡­ ¡°What do you mean my soul?!¡± she asked looking at the haze. ¡°And is that tired one Zeraphine?¡± she asked. It was odd she was getting used to this¡­ I mean after all a six legged scaled kitty did try to eat her after all¡­ what else was there to throw a curve ball at her? She sighed¡­ ¡°So I have a soul, well there goes my agnostic thoughts.¡± She paused for a moment¡­ then it hit her like the moon crashing to earth. ¡°WAIT was that God?! Like the God!¡± She exclaimed a bit to loudly. ¡°Might want to keep it down¡­ but I think so. I was literally born not even twenty four hours ago.¡± the haze spoke and even Elaine could see that it shrugged. ¡°So maybe? All he said was that I @#)%&@!)#.¡± There was a pause¡­ ¡°Umm¡­ seems like¡­ I can¡¯t say what he told me?¡± Why would he do that? Seraphion thought to itself. ¡°Maybe¡­ *yawn* something with that free will crap they have¡­ you know making choices based on their own beliefs¡­¡± Zeraphine stated¡­. ¡°Oh I don¡¯t think she can hear us by the way¡­ I¡¯m going back to sleep wake me if she ends up doing someti¡­ *snore*¡± Why¡­ did he leave me with this one¡­ Seraphion thought. Oh well lets get this girl up to snuff. ¡°Come on girl lets get you out of here. Might want to take care of that hand thought.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ it still hurts¡­ those trees have a bite.¡± Then she remembered as she looked across the field at the half eaten corpse of the scaled kitty. Curiosity urging her forward. ¡°I really want to look at that animal.¡± She paused and looked back at the haze. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind keeping a eye out would you?¡± she asked moving towards the dead animal not even waiting for a response, her inner knowledge craving the data. The haze just followed. She made her way up to it making sure that it was indeed not moving looking for any kind of breathing or anything that would show signs of life. When she couldn¡¯t precive any she knelt down towards its face and gave it a nudge with her sneaker. Yup its dead. She thought to herself. ¡±I told it was¡­¡± the haze spoke with a sigh. Elaine ignored it and lifted the head opening its mouth and counting teeth and looking over the scales. It was missing some of its scales and teeth from the rapid attacks it had suffered. That¡¯s when something strange started to happen. The more she was looking at the body of the creature the more she started to see how it was formed. The scales upon further examination where closer akin to a snakes. Scales that would reduce the friction and dampen sounds. There was even small patches of fibrous hairs around the edges. This animal was indeed a apex predator. It seemed the more she looked at it the more she wondered how she was even still alive. Maybe its curiosity at something new in its domain? She wouldn¡¯t know until she had the chance to observe some in the wild though. Yet she felt that this creature wasn¡¯t a pack creature but more akin to a bobcat that was a solo animal until mating season. She looked around for a stick to poke at its exposed insides . ¡°Wait!¡± Too late¡­ with her good hand she reached out and grabbed a thumb sized stick and ended up slicing up her hand and fingers. ¡°FUCK!¡± that hurt! Why didn¡¯t she remember that these trees hated her! YOU Know you stupid trees I would love for this whole forest to burn to the ground! She stopped her thoughts¡­ she didn¡¯t think like that normally. What was going on with her¡­ The haze smiled to itself. ¡°Oh beautiful man god. Why did you put me here¡­¡± she sighed as she started to rip her hem at her sweater with grunts of pain to wrap her hands¡­ wait wasn¡¯t that cat in the tree? She thought as she stopped ripping her sweater leaving a small tail on her left side ripped. She leaned down and used her left hand with its hurt palm and started to look at the paw of the cat like creature. Interesting. This cat had a prehensile on its paw. Like a extra thumb¡­ maybe that¡¯s how it gripped so easily to the side of that tree. She looked closer at the paw and even realized that it was closer to that of a polar bear¡­ it was rough and had extra bumps that kept most of the razer like bladed tree bark away from the sensitive parts of the pad. Wow¡­ with pads like that I wouldn¡¯t be having to worry about what I touched. She thought to herself, and she poked at the paw some more. A bolt of what felt like electricity shot through her body with that thought and direct contact. Her hands itched and then started to throb even more. More than what it had before. Her eyes opened wide as pain started to pulse through her being. The pain was starting to get worse and worse as she stared wide eyed at her palms. It was moving¡­ her flesh! It was moving and the pain only got worse as the skin seemed to bleed profusely. Her skin on her palms seeming to discolor and blacken as thick callouses started to develop across her palms and bottom sides of her fingers. It hurt so bad that she even started to cry out in pain as her skin split and bled down her arms. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience to say the least. It felt like hours of torment before she stopped weeping. She discovered at some point she had curled up in a ball next to the dead animal, before realizing that her hands no longer hurt¡­ instead her slightly tanned backs of her hand seemed to fade to a dark black as she stared at her palms. They looked just like the cat like animals. Except she had all her digits instead of true paws like it did. ~Use your knowledge and the Divine Gift that the god of your galaxy placed within you. ~ ¡°Divine Gift¡­ what the actual fuck is going on.¡± She called out looking at the palms of her hands in utter disbelief. I can work with this¡­ Seraphion thought a large smile across its inner mind. The arch angle of Wrath and Patiance knew what god had tasked her with. Maybe this human might be worthy of humanity¡¯s sin after all. Chapter 5: Into the Redwoods we go Chapter 5: Into the Redwoods we go She couldn¡¯t help but look at her hands, flipping them that way and this and even trying to make sense of it all. Seriously though¡­ these things literally just seemed to come out of nowhere. Was it her thoughts that had caused this to happen or was it something else entirely. She really didn¡¯t know, but she knew that the pain that she had to endure just to go through this transformation didn¡¯t seem to be worth it. Reaching over tentatively she touched the stick she had tried to pick up before and to her surprise it didn¡¯t hurt. So, she grabbed it with her hand expecting it to hurt once again, thinking that this whole thing might still be in her head, and yet¡­ she grabbed it. She even let it go dropping it to the ground to look at her palm again and noted the small serrations but nothing that penetrated the thick pads. She smiled brightly. ¡°Human evolution in minutes and not thousands of years. Truly wonderful.¡± She said aloud as she gripped the stick once again, just being amazed that she could. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know how it happened in the truer sense, but thankfully it did happen.¡± She moved back over to the scaled feline. She noted that it looked more like a jaguar than a bob cat. She mentally jolted that down as she started to use the stick to poke around on its insides. Noting some reproductive organs and other things that she knew should be in there. She had no trouble looking at dead things, or living things. It was really just another part of her job. ¡°Well it looked like you adapted something that was alien to your species to yourself. That is a wonderful gift indeed.¡± The haze spoke. ¡°Do you mind if I shorten your names? You two sound too angelic to me, and yet you don¡¯t look like any of the pictures.¡± Elaine spoke as she pulled at some loose intestine to see what was in the digestive track. It would help to know if the creature took its time to eat or if it swallowed chunks whole like some wild canines did. ¡°And what would you call me then?¡± Seraphion asked. ¡°How about Sera?¡± Elaine shrugged as she noted the paste like meat¡­ definitely took its time to eat its pray. That went to show that this creature didn¡¯t want for food which meant that there was a abundance of pray in this forest. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Sera stated. ¡°what about me?¡± asked the lazy voice rolling back over as if to face her¡­ Soul? ¡°I would really wish you to come out too¡­ that feels to weird.¡± Elaine stated. Shuddering at the movement. ¡°Nah¡­ just call me Zee¡± Zeraphine stated and rolled back over¡­ ¡°You really need to get a grip on your gift though¡­ that hurt.¡± Elaine paused, well one for Zee moving¡­ and they felt what she felt? She had only thought that they felt things mattering the soul¡­ did that mean that this change to her hands was something that changed her completely? ¡°My soul? And I don¡¯t even know how to do that gift thing though¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°Well¡­ it seemed to happen when you touched the animal, thought about what you wanted and knew what you were looking at.¡± Sera stated. ¡°After all you thought about it and we heard it.¡± That would make sense¡­ but that still didn¡¯t seem right. How could one person grow something that was made of different elements and biological materials? Didn¡¯t that have to come from somewhere? She had thought this effect to an evolutionary progression, so did that mean that it came from somewhere right? It would only make sense. She gave her body a one over and noticed that she seemed a bit paler¡­ or was that from the blood loss? Oh fuck¡­ she did bleed a lot. Maybe I should move away from this place before something else comes to check around. She thought standing up, she had already done a quick autopsy of what was left and looked out towards the forest.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Which way should I go? She thought to herself and then noted that the other rabbit-like creatures had come from her¡­ left? Yeah, definitely not going that way¡­ She looked forward or to her right. She didn¡¯t remember how she got here, else she would have tried to make it back to that bovine thing. Wait! Which way is the big tree on that horizon that I saw do you know? She thought to Zee and Sera. ¡°Maybe¡­ that way?¡± Zee said pointing¡­ ¡°Oh you can¡¯t see where I¡¯m pointing¡­ umm Seraphion mind showing her?¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­ I wasn¡¯t paying attention either. I was watching that cat. It looked really cool.¡± Seraphion stated. ¡°Maybe climb a tree?¡± Elaine looked blankly at Seraphion. ¡°You really think that I¡¯ll be able to climb a tree? I can¡¯t even run very well, what makes you think I¡¯ll be able to climb a three hundred foot tree?¡± She said putting her hands on her hips. ¡°And that cat wasn¡¯t cool at all. It wanted to eat me after all¡­ well maybe it was kinda cool.¡± She said with a shrug. Ok¡­ time to make a educated guess. She looked up and noted the sun was to her right. When she had started this it was to her back, and the giant tree was towards her front¡­ ¡°Umm¡­. Sera¡­ didn¡¯t you say you thought the day cycle was 48 hours?¡± she looked at the haze as she started moving forward. ¡°You mean day and night right?¡± she asked worry starting to cross her features. ¡°Yes I did. I was county to see how long you were going to be out.¡± Seraphion stated satisfied with her own answer. She felt pretty good about knowing something that her soul buddy didn¡¯t. ¡°I thought it would be something important to know.¡± ¡°That means each day and night is¡­ ninety six hours long¡­. Holy fuck.¡± It hit her like a stack of bricks then. What kind of animals came out during that long night? And how the hell was I supposed to sleep that long!? She thought feeling the horror and dread come to her. Fuck¡­ I need to find somewhere to shelter in. God what that professor had stuff to say about that¡­ umm¡­. Shelter near water. Right? Yeah¡­ and a food source¡­ fuck¡­ I have to hunt! ¡°Ha¡­ told you you¡¯d have to kill something¡­ go get that stick you had. Better than nothing.¡± Seraphion stated smugly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry girl. I¡¯ll help¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Ill watch your back.¡± ¡°And that helps me bash its head in how?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ well¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m new to this too.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Just watch around me and tell me if anything moves.¡± ¡°Something moved¡­ *yawn*¡± Zee stated pointing again. Elaine froze where she stood. Her heart started to race as her eyes darted around. She held still hoping whatever it was¡­. ¡°Yeah don¡¯t you see that leaf moving?¡± Zee said with a laugh. ¡°Fuck you. You nearly gave me a heart attack, and stop moving around or you can come out here too.¡± Elaine stated as she kept walking back to her stick. Sera was right. She needed something to defend herself with. ¡°Nah I¡¯m good¡­ too much effort.¡± Zee stated with a snicker as she made sure to roll over in a very extra way. Knowing full well that it was going to make Elaine feel a way. Elaine just ignored it the best that she could and retrieved her stick and started down the path once again that would hopefully lead her towards her goal. The large tree that she had seen. She had roughly twenty four more hours of sunlight to find somewhere to settle down for the night she knew was to come. She had a nagging feeling that this was most likely not going to be a easy night. "When the shadows dance and the creatures of the night prowl, only the will to survive can see you through to the light..." She muttered. She didn¡¯t know where she remembered that or where it had come from, but it made her a bit more motivated to continue down the path that she had chosen. Though oddly enough she had forgotten about her hands. It felt natural after all. If this continues what am I going to be when I get to that tree? Will I look diffrentf or how much will I change from what I was? She thought to herself¡­ Oh and I don¡¯t need a response you two. She also added in¡­ she missed her uninterrupted internal dialog. She sighed as she gave the stick a few practice swings as she put one foot in front of the other. That¡¯s when she heard a small rumble¡­ her stomach was uneasy¡­ tightening in knots. She even felt it. ¡°Fuck me¡­¡± she exclaimed silently looking around. Chapter 6: Hunger Chapter 6: Hunger ¡°Damn¡­ I¡¯m hungry.¡± She stated placing her hand on her stomach. Why do you got to be so loud. She thought as she looked around. She was a bit sad that this was a redwood type forest with large trees that blotted out the sunlight. Most underbrush and other vegetation that would produce fruits wouldn¡¯t be located here. Though there was in fact underbrush to be had but they were mostly of the fern and vine verity. Yeah I¡¯m looking at you creeping vine. She thought as she noted one of the vines had started moving towards her foot. She reached down with the edge of her stick and poked the vine. To her surprise it recoiled back from the stick. The bark actually cutting it slightly. That was actually quite interesting. She mused as she chased the vine back into the bush it came from. There she spotted something else. The vine had retracted all the way back to another few bundles. It looked like a large cluster of vines. To her astonishment when she went to poke the cluster it actually moved away as well. ¡°Seems like you can at least fight off the oh so dangerous vines human.¡± Sera stated with a chuckle. She couldn¡¯t do much yet with expressions, that would come later when she started to become more full. For now she was just a haze. ¡°Its good to know though.¡± Elaine shrugged and then continued to move on. The floor of the forest was hard packed and she was thankful that the world ended on a Monday and not some other day that she would have dressed up on. Heels where not for this. Thank the people that made sneakers! She thought again as her stomach still protested. Why am I so hungry? She thought with some worry. She knew it had been a day, but still she had ate the day before. Well¡­ now half a day ago. That¡¯s still going to take some getting used to¡­ She walked for what seemed like forever. Keeping her eyes out and hoping that Seraphion would keep her promise to watch out as well. Surely not everything was out here to kill her right? Something had to be a herbivore right? Something had to be on the bottom of the food chain, and she prayed that it wasn¡¯t her. Though when she thought about how long she had been walking the voice in her head chimed in again. ¡°One hour and fifteen minutes.¡± Zee stated¡­ smugly. ¡°I can count too you know.¡± ¡°Oh hush, your off by a few minutes anyways.¡± Sera stated back. ¡°its been one hour and seven minutes.¡± ¡°No you count too fast.¡± She retorted slightly irritated to be called out like that. ¡°No you just count too slow.¡± ¡°Can you both just shut it¡­ lets just meet in the middle ok? Can we do that?¡± Elaine huffed as she paused and sat on the ground for a moment. Eyeing the log that was topped over thinking how that would be better, but her but may not like the feeling of being cut up. ¡°Seriously¡­ why do you two bicker so much?¡± Elaine asked pulling off her shoes to rub her feet for a moment. There was silence for a moment. Elaine wondered why that was and when she looked at the haze she noted that it moved slightly and even seemed to talking¡­. ¡°Wait. Can you two talk to each other and I not know?¡± She asked a little upset. How can they have privet thoughts and she couldn¡¯t¡­ that just doesn¡¯t seem fair. ¡°Well¡­ yes. We were not hiding it from you. You just didn¡¯t ask.¡± Zee stated ¡°and to answer your question about us bickering, well that¡¯s simple. I¡¯m ----- and she¡¯s ----- of --------.¡± Zee stopped for a second. ¡°Seems like I can¡¯t say anything either.¡± ¡°Well if I could not, what made you think you could?¡± Sera pointedly stated. ¡°I wonder though¡­ I am -----¡­. I am --------¡­. Anger¡­. I am extremely angry...¡± Sera started to go down a rabbit hole of some sort as she started to state random words trying to circumvent what ever was placed upon the two of them. That¡¯s when it even got worse¡­. ¡°Hmm¡­ Tired¡­ -----¡­ lazy¡­ efficient¡­ don¡¯t like to dawdle¡­ hmm¡­¡± Zee started too. Elaines head hurt and was starting to develop a headache. The voices in her head where trying to do something or get around some sort of cosmic rule. Their constant talking started to mingle in her head just making white noise at this point. It seemed that they couldn¡¯t really talk over one another very well so they just started to spout out words faster and faster trying to say whatever word that they couldn¡¯t. ¡°QUITE!¡± She yelled as the pain in her head just was compounding too much. Her hands clamped to the sides of her head as if she was having a mental break down. She shut her eyes tightly and waited for the voices to become quite¡­ Which they did, after they realized that they had started to hurt her in some way. They didn¡¯t have material bodies so they didn¡¯t realize that their human could feel these things. ¡°Just¡­ please¡­ be quite¡­¡± she huffed as her head slowly started to ease off. ¡°Human ther---¡± Zee started but was interrupted. ¡°I said quiet!¡± she said loudly once again. ¡°ELAINE!¡± Seraphion Screamed in her head as she rushed back towards her human trying to stop what was to come. She didn¡¯t even have the time to realize what had happened¡­ before she was shoved forward face first into the dirt. It took her a second to realize what had happened. There was a short pause as she opened her eyes and looked around. Something was on her back and the pain¡­.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She screamed in pain as she noted the large horn sticking through her shoulder from her backside to her front. Her right arm almost immobile falling away from her ear. Her eyes widened as she looked at the red horn. What had a horn? Was it those Rabbit dog like creatures? She did not even realize that they were here and that Seraphion hadn¡¯t noticed them¡­ did that mean¡­ fuck¡­ was I about to die? I don¡¯t want to die. ¡°someone help me please¡­.¡± She cried as the large creature placed its front paws on her shoulders in attempt to rip its horn back out. Probably to shove it back in or start to maul her¡­ where they not a pack animal though? ¡°Grab its Horn!¡± Sera said like a drill sargent. ¡°If you let it come out it will stab you again!¡± Sera rushed forward its hazy like hands trying to grab at the animal frustrated that it couldn¡¯t even touch anything. Elaine did not even think. She lifted up with her good arm getting her feet under her as she gribbed the horn with her good hand. Her other hand she struggled to get up towards the horn as well. It didn¡¯t have much grip as it was covered in the slickness of blood, but since it was closing the wound it would become sticky, but for now it was just slick. She gripped it tighly with both hands as best as she could standing back up. ¡°That¡¯s right girl!¡± Zee stated as her human stood up. ¡±Now all you have to do is fall backwards.¡± She mentally clapped her hands together repeatedly in excitement. Elaine did just that. She gripped it as hard as she could, her legs shaky as the forty something pound creature on her back realized that this was not going to plan. Instead it did what any other creature would do¡­ it started to claw at its preys back in hopes to hurt it enough to fall back down. Its horn was stuck for some reason and that surprised it for a moment. Rivulets of blood started to stream down Elaines back as it cut shallow trenches down her back. She cried out in pain as she thrust herself backwards towards the log that was laying a few feet away. With a sickening crunch the creature had stopped moving. Elaine rolled over to her side as the animal started to twitch its spine broken, but still alive. She pulled at her shoulder and using her hands she pushed at the horn in her shoulder. It wasn¡¯t easy as she could tell that the horn had pierced right through her scapula. The large bone that was on the back side that helped with shoulder movement. She groaned and cursed as she pushed hard, the pain of the spiral like horn not wanting to let go, just got worse as the animal started to die¡­ spasming along her backside causing the horn to move even more. ¡°Damn you get out of me!¡± she yelled as she rolled hard and pushed at the horn until a wet popping sound could be heard as the horn finally came free¡­ blood started to run down her back and chest. She quickly ripped at her sweater to wrap her wound, knowing full well that she needed a doctor¡­ Fuck¡­. Not earth¡­ I¡¯m going to freaking die out here! She exclaimed as she lay their panting on the forest floor next to the dead rabbit looking dog¡­ or dog looking rabbit. ¡°You will be ok.¡± Seraphion stated coming closer to her. ¡°I noted that you knew what you were doing when you were playing with that dead cat¡­ should you not know your body better than that of a unknown animal?¡± Seraphion was right. She had taken all the classes and knew human biology pretty well, not as well as some of her animal biology classes and knowledge but enough to get by on it. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ lost a lot of blood.¡± She panted¡­ She rolled back over to the creature looking at it. ¡°I¡­ I have to close the wound.¡± She thought out loud as she reached over for her stick. It was rough and had portions of its bark uneven¡­ but it was sharp. With a grunt she grabbed at the animal and used the stick like a hacksaw on its back side going after the longissimus dorsi, the muscle along the backside of the rabbit. She hoped it had the same body structure as a normal rabbit. Those she had done autopsies on before. Along the backstrap their would be silverish looking fibers that ran along side of the muscle groups. She hacked at the animal til she had a small hole and then shoved the stick inside causing it to get larger and larger til she could se the meat underneath. It wasn¡¯t pretty looking and she really wished that she had a scalpel, that would make this process much easier, she remembered her backside that she could feel hot and it stung a lot. She glanced down at the paws of the rabbit like dog and noted the curved blade like claws covered in her blood. ¡°Elaine, I wouldn¡¯t do that if¡­ too late¡­¡± Zee stated¡­ sighing. ¡°She did it anyways¡­¡± Seraphion sighed as well and spoke to Zeraphine privately. She didn¡¯t want to interrupt the effects or hindrance of her human. ¡°I think I know how it works¡­¡± ¡°Oh do you now?¡± ¡°Yes I do.¡± Sera stated crossing her hazy arms. ¡°Oh do tell the whole class wont you?¡± Zee said exasperatedly. Seraphion waited a moment as she noted that her human had passed out from the pain. She shuddered as she took the time to re-enter her human¡¯s soul. This seemed to be more comfortable at the moment. She had watched the whole transformation, and it didn¡¯t even hurt her this time. Well didn¡¯t hurt Sera¡­ she wasn¡¯t attached to her at that moment. But she didn¡¯t want her to do this alone either, when she realized that Zeraphine had experienced it. She wanted to feel what her human felt. To say the least it wasn¡¯t comfortable at all. Mostly because Sera and Zee didn¡¯t know what it felt like to have a mortal body. Zee was happy that her human had passed out though as she watched the skin on her fingertips rupture as small black nails sharp as a scapple started to push themselves through. She could feel the bones shift in her fingers to make room for the addition. She watched Elaines bone density decreased using up key nutrients in her body. She worried over her overall health as the fingers bled and the nails slowly pushed outwards destroying the nail bed and draining the body of its Zink and calcium were coming from throughout the body. She would need to supplement these metabolic changes in her future. ¡°She has to see the animal¡­ touch the animal¡­ recognize her need for evolutionary changes¡­ and understand the ¡°how¡± the portions of the animal¡¯s biology functions and is made.¡± Seraphion stated mostly like a question as she stood before Zeraphine. She looked at Zeraphine in her glory. She had hair the color of snow, hell her whole image was just snow white. Only her skin and eyes were a different color as she sat there on a large fluff of immaterial fluffiness. She didn¡¯t look to be over the age of sixteen. She had brown dow like eyes and her skin was a healthy pale flush. Sera didn¡¯t know why she couldn¡¯t seem the for what they were. ¡°Do you think she will be ok?¡± Sera asked looking at their human. ¡°I hope so¡­ I don¡¯t want to die. We won¡¯t be able to guide her if she¡¯s dead after all.¡± Zee stated as she rolled over and sat up on the fluff. She gave a stretch as if she had been asleep. ¡°Hopefully she won¡¯t be out for too long.¡± ¡°But she lost so much blood and her metabolic state is not good either.¡± Sera stated as she looked back out into the forest. ¡°She¡¯s going to have to eat that thing.¡± She mused. ¡°Hope she¡¯s hungry.¡± Chapter 7: Old Wounds Chapter 7: Old Wounds She peaked around the corner, quickly darting her head around the edge before jumping all ninja like into the kitchen to surprise her victim. The bright smile on her small face seemed to light up the whole room as her dad made a surprised sound as he dropped the ladle back into the pot laughing slightly. ¡°Oh you little devil!¡± he stated as he whipped his hand on the cooking towel on his shoulder before placing it on marble table top. ¡°I¡¯m Going to get you!¡± he exclaimed as he rushed around the cooking island with a big grin on his face arms stretched wide like a big ol¡¯ fluffy bear. Elaine squealed in delight as she matched his pace arriving before the cooking pot her father was making. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of no bears!¡± she cried out snatching a piece of garlic bread plopping it in her mouth as she ran towards the living room, yet her small legs just wasn¡¯t fast enough. Her father scooped her up in a big hug and gave her a raspberry on her neck. He pulled away swinging her slightly before setting her down into a bar chair opposite of the stove where she normally was served like the princess she was. ¡°Now you know its not nice to steal bears food.¡± He stated as she plucked the garlic bread from her mouth and tried to hand it back to her father. ¡°Remember never feed the bears food. Toss something else to make it pause.¡± he motioned with a plate to set it on as he dished out some flat noodles on her plate before pouring the fresh spaghetti sauce over the top. ¡°Because of peoples waste, the north American bear has been known to enter suburbs and even go after campers¡¯ food.¡± He stated as she gave him a humph sound arms crossed. ¡°But daddy loves garlic bread¡­ I wasn¡¯t offering it to bear dad.¡± She huffed, her little seven-year-old brain working at full capacity. ¡°Bears eat honey anyways; they don¡¯t like no bread.¡± She stated. Her dad gave a laugh as he walked into the living room and grabbed one of the many books he had there. When he came back into the kitchen, he saw that she had started to dig in without him or her mom. He gave a sigh as he slid a bar chair out and sat next to her opening his book. She noticed the book because it was one of her fathers¡¯ books. It even had his picture on the back. She didn¡¯t know all the big words in it but her dad loved to read it to her and it always helped her sleep at night. She knew what was about to happen and groaned slightly¡­ her dad after all worked as a zoo something, but he didn¡¯t wear those shorts like the croc guy did. He had always left with a big pack and thick pants. ¡°So let me start¡­ The North American brown bear eats¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ---------- She woke with a start¡­ her head throbbing and the pain that coursed through her whole body. She couldn¡¯t even identify where the pain started or where it ended. All she knew was that her back hurt¡­ her head hurt¡­ her shoulder was killing her¡­ not to mention the full body ache. Though what surprised her most was that her hands hurt as well. Well not specifically her hands but the tips of her fingers. With a groan she pushed herself upwards off the ground. That¡¯s when she noticed her hands. What the actual fuck is going on! She screamed internally as her eyes focused on the three fourth inch sharp claw like nails that extended from her finger tips. They were black and glossy with very sharp points and a edge underneath that looked sharper than what the trees felt like. ¡°Admire later. Your still bleeding slowly.¡± Seraphion stated in her head. Elaine looked about and didn¡¯t see the haze. Where are you? she asked ¡°I joined back inside of your soul.¡± Seraphion stated, ¡°I wanted to feel what you felt when going through this procedure.¡± My what? She thought as she sat back on her rearend looking at her now clawed hands. ¡°why does this keep happening to me?¡± She asked silently. She looked at the claws and then looked at the¡­ It really does need a name¡­ I can¡¯t keep calling it a rabbit dog like animal. She thought for a moment her head still foggy from the fatigue of the forced evolution. She was tired and hurting after all. ¡°Sooo about that¡­¡± Zee started as she rolled out of her imaginary immaterial bed giving a big stretch. ¡°We figured it out for you while you were nappin¡¯.¡± She made a movement to get Elaines attention. ¡°It seems that your Divine Gift is tied to your thoughts and wishes of different animal traits. When you think of what you want, understand what you want, and how it is made and its purpose, it seems that your able to go through a forced evolutionary process that uses what your body has to make the evolution.¡± ¡°Wow that is a lot of words coming from you.¡± Seraphion stated with a bit of amusement. ¡°And when she says we¡­ she means I¡± she didn¡¯t want Zeraphine to steal all the glory of discovery after all. ¡°Your right too many words¡­ *yawn* good night.¡± Zee said with a mighty lady like yawn as she rolled back over. It was odd to say the least but at least Elaine was starting to get used to all the movements, or she really just didn¡¯t care because her body was still in extreme pain.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You¡­ you mean that,¡± she paused catching her breath trying not to have a panic attack from all the information that was given to her. How?! That wasn¡¯t possible! It shouldn¡¯t be¡­ but¡­ it is? I mean here I am fighting off something that shouldn¡¯t even exist in the first place! She exclaimed internally¡­ ¡°I¡¯m doing¡­ this to myself?¡± ¡°Why do you think and talk at the same time. It makes it hard for me to keep up with what your trying to get across, but yes your right.¡± ¡°So just don¡¯t actively think about what I want right?¡± Elaine asked hoping that was the answer. ¡°That is correct.¡± Seraphion paused for a moment while Elaine was getting her thoughts under control. ¡°Good job human, you killed something to survive.¡± Elaine paused as she was about to reach out for the¡­ Leporidae¡­ that was the Latin word for rabbit familia, right? Lagus¡­ one horn¡­ Cornu¡­ Cornilagus Umbrapredator. That would fit right? Her mind stopped as her hand did as well, shaking slightly. She had lost a lot of blood after all and the fatigue of the forced use of her divine gift, yet that wasn¡¯t what had stopped her. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the¡­¡± First time¡­ she both spoken outloud and internally. ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t ask.¡± She said bringing her hand back to the Cornilagus. ¡°Not now¡­ atleast¡­ I need to get this sinew off the longi¡­ longissi¡­ longissimus dorsi muscle.¡± She stated trying to remember how to say the word in its entirety as she could feel slightly cold. The blood loss was not something that she could ignore nor could she let it continue. ¡°Then¡­ then I have to poke holes¡­ in my¡­ skin¡­ to sew it up closed.¡± She shivered at the thought of self harm. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time she had done so, but this was important. With shaky hands she reached for the skin and lopped one of her nails under the skin and was surprised to see how easily it cut through the epidermis. It was really scapple like. With that she quickly went to work removing the muscle from the spine taking care to keep as much of the meat intact to extract the silver like strands. After all her life did depend on this very action. With careful hands she removed several long strands from the backstrap and went to toss the meat away. ¡°I would not do that¡­ you need to replenish what was taken from your body.¡± Seraphion stated. ¡°Waste not what you killed for that could be your last meal. Let it not go to waste and let it fill you with nourishment.¡± All Elaine could do was nod as she set the meat back on the spine where she took it. She closed her eyes for a moment dreading what was to come next. She slipped her makeshift bandage off to reveal the still oozing blood. She nearly let what was left of her previous days meal out when she took ahold of herself once again. ¡°You can do this. Push beyond what is and move forward.¡± Zee stated with words of encouragement clear with some cheer in her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t dawdle, take this and move forward, your very life, and ours, depends on it.¡± With that Elaine used one of cleaner claw tips and poked the first hole a small cry of pain escaping her tightly clamped lips. One¡­ another stab¡­ Two¡­ the claw tip made short work of her delicate slightly tanned skin. ~Humans were not made for the survival of the wilderness, only their cunning and aptitude for learning had allowed them to live this long after all, but in the case of Elaine Willow¡­ nature itself would bend to her wills. Due to her Divine Gift, granted to her by god, she would be able to transform herself at the cost of her own bodies biochemistry and nutrients. She must adapt and use all her knowledge to live.~ After what felt like forever, Elaine sat on the ground staring at her shoes¡­ the meat she had sliced was on the log drying, and yet the dilemma of her feet into shoes would be the problem. She nor the voices in her head hadn¡¯t noticed at first, but her toe nails were now a glossy shade of black, not to mention the pads of her feet were just as the same as her hands¡­ but my kicks¡­ she whined internally as she nudged the shoe with a fingered tipped claw. ¡°I think your feet look better this way. Better suited for fighting and survival.¡± Seraphion stated smugly. ¡°But¡­ I used food money to buy those shoes. I had to eat ramen for almost a month straight.¡± She said with real sadness in her voice as she pushed the shoe over. ¡°I miss home¡­ even a pair of nail clippers and I¡¯d be able to wear these again.¡± She noted looking at her shoes and back to her odd looking feet. She never really liked feet to begin with, but this¡­ this was just over the top. The top of her feet were going to get cold now without the protection of the shoes. After all its not like I have fu¡­. FUCK NO! she blurted in her head tearing her eyes away and thoughts away from the cornilagus laying dissected in front of her. She had known this was a risk, but Seraphion was right¡­ and so was Zeraphine¡­ she did need to eat, but she didn¡¯t think her stomach would be able to digest that much raw meat without being properly cooked. She knew if there was fresh water nearby she would be able to fish for something and eat that raw, she did love sashimi after all, and yet she did not know of any nearby lakes or streams¡­ and the day was starting to come to a end. She was though surprised to find that the cornilagus that had attacked her did appear to be a older male apart of the spices. That would make sense why it had attacked alone and why it probably didn¡¯t have the strength to fend off one human. She mentally noted that down as well. With a thought she grabbed her shoe and took the strings out of them. She was no expert, but she knew what a spear should look like. She piked up the head of the animal and brought it to a rock. She looked about for another rock and started to chip away at the animals skull to break the almost foot long horn from the base. If she could tie this to the stick, or one larger than the one she had thought would protect her she would at least have something that she could defend herself with. That would give her a bit more reach then what her bare hands and feet could produce. ¡°Distance would be a good thing.¡± Sera responded to what she was doing. ¡°You might just be able to make something useable.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I guessed as much.¡± She said with a ragged breath. Physical exertion still taking its toll. ¡°I feel like this night is going to be long¡­¡± She paused looking at the long streams of light passing through the forest nearly horizontally bathing the forest in deepening shadows. Chapter 8: Humans are Animals Chapter 8: Humans are Animals She gave the makeshift spear a few practice jabs before she felt like the tip wasn¡¯t going to fall off again. That had happened a few times before she gave up on the shoe strings and instead had used bits of tendon and sinew to tie the horn to the end of a wrist size stick that was roughly straight. Though it was only about four feet in length it was still better than using her own body. She really didn¡¯t want to get that close to another creature. ¡°That¡¯s the best yet.¡± Zeraphine yawned. ¡°Think it¡¯ll do the trick?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± She mumbled waiting for the voice in her head to move. Zee did have a bad habit of making large and extravagant movements while she was in her soul space. That¡¯s what they had agreed to call it. Elaine though just wanted to call it schizophrenia park¡­ but they didn¡¯t like the idea and reassured her that she wasn¡¯t crazy. Typical of those that suffered from that disease, but hey¡­ better than being alone right? During the time that it took her to make the spear she did ask her two voices what they remembered after being ¡°made¡±, they were not able to give her full details, but they did tell her that it was a being with unimaginable power and seemed to be able to withstand the void of space with no aid and make the void into a solid with a thought. Even had the ability to hold them in place while speaking to them. When she had questioned them about what he had told them though all they could do was tell her that they were to guide her in their own special way. That it was His wish for them to do so. Regardless, none of that information really helped her at the moment so she just pushed it off for now to move on to the next location. She found walking a bit tiring. Though when she started to eat the somewhat dried meat she started to feel invigorated bit by bit. Her body was ravenous in its desire for the nutrients. Which gave her a thought as she moved. Wolves. Wolves had an adaptation for a strictly meat diet. A typical wolf would have a stomach acidic around pH1 to two. Humans on the other hand had a acidity around one and a half to three and a half. It was to help break down harmful pathogens and to help break down raw meats into proteins faster. These were just a few things that she would need to change¡­ she thought as she placed her hand on her stomach¡­ she was a animal after all so why couldn¡¯t she include herself in this? ¡°I do not see why not. You are a human after all human.¡± Sera stated. ¡°Just another animal in the animal kingdom, you might even have a fancy Latin word for it too right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I think in Latin the direct for human female is Humana Femina.¡± Elaine stated happy that she could remember such a odd detail. ¡°Though if you are talking about the whole of the humanity then it would be Homo Sapiens¡­ which loosely translates to wise man.¡± She said as she started to formulate some of the necessary changes she was about to take, hoping that what she was going to use wouldn¡¯t affect her too much. First¡­ I need to increase the production of hydrochloric acid. Which could be a problem¡­ it will eat away at my stomach lining. So I need to make that better first before starting an increase in¡­ wait why am I trying to do that? She thought then shook her head as she chewed on a small piece of half dried raw meat. ¡°first I need to figure out if I can alter myself without another stimuli.¡± She said aloud. With the meat slightly dangling from her clenched teeth she looked at her arm noticing in the failing light that she did have small hairs there. Hair was simple. She stopped moving. Keep a eye out right quick? She asked her voices before turning her attention back to the hairs on her right arm. With a thought she remembered how hair was made. From root to tip, and what was required to produce hair. She looked at a portion of her arm and formed a clear thought in her head. She didn¡¯t want the hair there any longer. She knew why some places of the body grew hair and where others didn¡¯t and understood the biology of it. So with a thought and minimal biochemistry she watched as her skin slowly pushed the dermal papilla through the skins surface as the arrector pili muscle was reabsorbed into the body as nutrients. She smiled. ¡°Ha!¡± she exclaimed as she saw the small patch of hair fall out and then started the process down both of her arms. ¡°We are just another animal after all.¡± She said smiling and stopped the process. She had so many thoughts go through her head about all the implications of what she was able to do to herself with what the body could do on its own. Like how some people were double jointed or extremely flexible where others where not. They were after all just different genetic traits that any human would be able to get if they are lucky enough. With that she continued walking as the sun started to crest the horizon. She really didn¡¯t have that much time, but she had an idea as she started to walk back to the first clearing where the scaled jaguar was. She really needed to come up with a good name for that one too, but that was beside the point. She needed to find refuge¡­ and the only one she knew about was her hole in the ground. That would be a good place to hide for the night.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Ok¡­ so fist¡­ the stomach is coated in a mucus that helps protect the stomach itself, but that would require to develop a stronger bicarbonate buffer. So the parietal cells would need to enhance the production of bicarbonate to neutralize acid. Though the stomach is one part of the body that regenerates tissue cells constantly so that would need to increase as well. Ok¡­ so lets start with that. She thought rapidly as she quickened her pace. As the suns light was nearly gone. There was a good reason why she needed to do this. For one, raw meat would be easier to get, well if she could learn to hunt properly and not just put herself out there as bait waiting for something to come get her. Lastly because she herself didn¡¯t know how to make fire from nothing. Maybe if a storm happened to come through she and struck a tree and caught it on fire she would have a fire source that she would be able to keep alit, but the probability of that was going to be low. She hadn¡¯t spotted a single cloud all day. Trust her when she said she looked up constantly¡­ that¡¯s where scaled kitties lived after all. Ok¡­ she grunted as she could feel her stomach get really questionable at the over development of the mucus taking affect. Nothing was being absorbed that was in her stomach and made her want to vomit. ¡°Almost there.¡± Zee applauded. This feels wrong¡­ but¡­ I must endure. She thought as she imagined her stomach in her head and that of a wolves. Parietal cells¡­ I need to increase the HCI secreation to lower the pH further. I need to upgrade the regulation of the H+/k+ATpase in the parietal cells. These cells help transfer hydrogen ions into the stomach, so she had to imagine the very cells and their function in her mind. Thankfully she aced bio chemistry class. She knew her dad would have been proud. Though she pushed that from her mind quickly and continued to work out the processes. Now I need to increase the chloride ion transport into the stomach lumen to combine with the hydron ion s to form the HCI to lower the pH to one. She felt her stomach start to shift and then settle. She no longer had the need to throw up any more, as she could tell the meat in her stomach was starting to break down faster. Though there was still one more thing she had to do¡­ I must increase my gastrin regulation hormone as well so that this process is more regulated naturally to produce HCI in higher quantities. Though this might also need to upgrade my metabolism as well, soo good bye fatty cells! She thought with a happy tone as the fat cells in her own body was targeted for the energy that would be required to help with hormone production and everything else she was doing. Though this would require her to consume more meats to meet her dietary needs. The new metabolic demand would increase but she felt that she could manage that, and if not she could always change her stomach¡­ Oh shit¡­ I Almost forgot! Wolves have a smaller digestive system! Wolves indeed did have a smaller digestive system to prevent harmful bacteria from growing in the intestine. Time to preform a bowel resection! She smiled at the thought as she imagined her digestive system in her head as the clearing came into view. She thought about the full length of a wolves intestine which was about half the length of a humans. So all she would need would be half of her bodies current intestine length. So with a thought she started the evolution, this time though she doubled over in pain as portions of her intestine closed off and was rapidly shifted in her abdomen. She cried out in pain as she saw her small hole under the tree and slowly crawled towards it. Her right hand gripped tightly around the shaft of the spear and her left hand digging into the dirt pulling herself once again to the hole under the tree. Why didn¡¯t I think this through¡­ She thought as her body was wreathed in pain all over. She had been too caught up in the whole idea to worry about the consequences of her thoughts. The idea that she could do this to adapt to her new life style had made her take this leap before seeing how deep the water was. It was around the time when she started to feel her abdomen shift in a unpleasant way¡­ Oh Shit! Shit was right. She was quick enough not to ruin her clothing any further as she sighed in relief at the almost embarrassing moment. She may be able to forgive herself for this transgression, but the voices in her soul space probably would never let her forget if she had. She had a nagging feeling that Zee would remember for the rest of their lives and use it against her. ¡°Most definitely.¡± Zee responded with a chuckle, ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry I¡¯m building up quite the few jabs for the future.¡± She laughed again. It wasn¡¯t a bad laugh it was actually really cute and almost like singing. With that relief she pulled herself into the hole and maneuvered the spear in front of herself. She pushed herself towards the back of the hole¡­ Wait this was a fox hole! She thought as she looked about in the dimming light. Foxes had a tendency to dig under trees to make places to hide that would be relatively safe from other larger predators. She had even remembered watching some old war movies where soldiers would dig holes in the ground for protection and called the fox holes as well. Then it occurred to her that with her current hands she herself might be able to dig out such a hole herself. Well that¡¯s tomorrows problem. Tonight is to survive. She thought to herself as she pushed her back further into the hole and positioned herself facing the hole in that showed her nothing but clear sky. Wow¡­ so many stars. She thought she could see almost every light in the sky. There was no light pollution to speak of and this was probably one of the best sights she had ever seen in her whole life. It almost made her want to cry in the pure beauty of it. It didn¡¯t compare to the prismatic rainbow in the skies above earth, but this was most definitely a second. It was a true masterpiece. That¡¯s when she was warned by Sera. ¡°We are no longer alone¡­ something has entered the clearing looking at the cool kitty you played with.¡± She stated as she pulled herself out of the soul space. It was really uncomfortable when she did that, but they had discovered that her vision was better when she wasn¡¯t inside. Sera floated out of the hole but quickly ducked back in. ¡°I think it saw me.¡± She stated with a worried tone. Chapter 9: Real Nightmares Chapter 9: Real Nightmares What was out there? Elaine questioned as the reddish haze quickly retreated back into the hole with her. ¡°I did not see it¡­ it just felt like it looked straight at me.¡± Sera responded as her bits of what Elaine thought was her head turned towards her. It was almost like Seraphion had become slightly more corporal showing limbs and what would seem like a head. Can you take another look? ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Sera stated with resolve back in her voice as she moved towards the entrance, moving like a red fog through the narrow gap. Physical objects did not seem to hinder her movement at all. Though it seemed that it should as much as Sera made extra sure not to disturb things around her. Elaine waited silently her blackened palms gripping the hard wood tightly, sweat beading on her forehead as she waited for anything to be said. She didn¡¯t even want to blink as she stared through the hole at the beautiful sky. The suns light completely dissipated, yet with how clearly she saw the trees just outside the hole she knew that there would have to be some sort of celestial body in the sky that was reflecting the light. That¡¯s when something had happened. ¡°Holy Shit!¡± Seraphion called out as the night was lit up in reds and oranges. Elaine could smell the burnt brush and ash and the slight heat that rolled past the entrance. ¡°It fucking shot fire at me!¡± I cannot go back to the cave¡­ if I do it will know that my human is there. ¡°Do not come out. Do you understand human!¡± Sera commanded not knowing what to do next as the night sky lit up again. The human in the hole was petrified. Did she just say that it shot fire at her? Did something have a flame thrower out there? Was it some kind of soldier setting the forest ablaze? Her mind raced as she wanted to look outside to whatever was causing Sera to say such things, what kind of animal could do this? And why would a voice in her head be afraid of something like this. That¡¯s when she felt pain. It was as if something had singed her insides, but not in a physical kind of way. Her left leg burned from the inside and caused her to kick out and a cry of pain escaped her lips. That¡¯s when she also heard Seraphion scream in pain. What ever was attacking her could actually touch her. With the burning sensation it was apparent that what ever kind of fire this creature was using it was different in the sense that it could damage exposed souls. ¡°WE MUST RUN!¡± Seraphion exclaimed as she flashed inside the hole and into Elaines soul space. ¡°It knows you are here!¡± She urged as she frantically shifted herself inside of Elaine. ¡°What is out there, Seraphion?¡± Zee asked fear in her voice. ¡°A monster.¡± She whispered back. Elaine didn¡¯t know what to do. She had thought that this hole would be her saving grace for the night, after all she hadn¡¯t even went to sleep in the last twentyish hours. This day night cycle was mentally draining. That¡¯s when she heard something else¡­ it was chilling to the bone as she heard the soft steps of something approaching, her heart racing as she heard claws scraping across the ground. It Cried out as if in pain¡­ and it almost sounded just like her when she had felt the fire burn her inside of her left leg. That¡¯s when she heard creaking of bone and flesh leaning over closing off the light from the moon above. What she saw made her scream in pure terror. It was a furred and scaled head that closely resembled that of a jackal, its eyes where like burning luminescent coals with no other discernable features¡­ just glowing ambers framed by the night sky. That¡¯s when it screamed back at her in the same way she had just screamed! All she could do was scream back, fear taking over as she shoved the spear tip through the hole and at its face. The creature though expecting an attack quickly retreated making a cackling sound as it slowly faded away. Then all was quiet. Eerily quiet. Too quiet, not even the sounds of insects could be heard any more. Nor the small sounds of distant animal calls. Something that she had heard from time to time whilst walking through this death world like forest. Do you think its gone? Elaine asked trying to get her breathing under control. ¡°Well I am not going out there to check human.¡± Sera responded, rubbing at her leg where she could see where the creatures¡¯ flames had burnt her. ¡°I refuse to go out there again.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ but it knows that we are here. Do you think it was scared off with your pokey stick?¡± Zee asked as she too sounded scared. ¡°Is it actually safe here?¡± Elaine didn¡¯t want to think about it¡­ but she knew she had to check. She couldn¡¯t stand staying trapped in what could be her grave. With her hands shaking and her breath coming in fast ragged breaths she turned her body around in the cramped hole so that she could look outside. Her spear at the ready just in case it was just outside. As soon as she poked her head out she could tell that the immediate area was clear. She was looking for those nightmarish amber glowing eyes. Without seeing them she quickly pulled herself from the hole beneath the tree, feeling slightly foolish for thinking that anywhere on this death world would be safe. She only thought that because so far everything that she had spotted seemed to want to kill her. So far she was right. She moved quickly towards the center of the clearing where the dead kitty¡­ was. It was gone now. It was here when she crawled into the hole, now it was gone a gore trail leading off into the woods to her left. She looked over there trying to spot what Sera had fought with trying to decern its location so that she could slink away if it was eating. She saw nothing that¡¯s when she felt something hard hit her in the back causing her to lose her footing as stumbled forward. She quickly turned around to face her assailant her spear pointing towards the direction of the attack, yet what she saw was not that of the glowing amber like eyes but the four dead eyes of the cat like creature that was once here. Her eyes grew wide staring down at the decapitated head, that¡¯s when she heard movement to her left as the creature that could only have been born of nightmares rushed from the woods low to the ground its clawed hands held to either side as fire built up in its jaws. It was soo fast that all she could do was stare with utter fear in her eyes as the fire erupted from its wide open jaws coming fast at her.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°MOVE HUMAN!¡± ¡°MOVE GIRL!¡± The voices demanded. She snapped out of it at the last second darting in the opposite direction of the gore trail and to the left of the Nightmare. Yet that was the wrong move, the creature had purposely directed her movements and shifted its weight to meet her movement, its long claws reaching outwards towards her exposed left side. A wicked look in its eyes as it cried out once again in a nerve wracking cry that resembled the first time Elaine had made a noise. The claws dug into her side but its momentum was faster than Elaines and it had misjudged her speed, only causing shallow wounds. Elaine couldn¡¯t help but cry out in pain as she used her right hand to hold her side, her left still gripping the makeshift spear. She didn¡¯t even have the thought to try to strike at it as it flew by back into the woods, making pain-like human sounds followed by cackling once again. Then silence. WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING! Elaine cried out in her head. Her heart racing as she charged through the underbrush of the forest trying to escape the creature. She didn¡¯t even want to think of it as a animal. Hell she couldn¡¯t even think in any rational kind of way. All she knew to do was run away from it. Her side hurt and her breathing was rapid and not paced, wearing her out fast. Fear had gripped her mind and body and she acted just like any other prey animal would. All she could do was run, run away from certain death. I¡¯m Going to Die! I¡¯m Going to Die! I¡¯m Going to Die! I Don¡¯t Want to Die! I Don--- she kept repeating in her head running blindly through the forest. Her eyes were wide, her breathing rapid, her heart racing, sweat pouring from every gland on her body as her body pumped as much adrenaline as it could produce. Primal fears coming to the fore front of her mind, the instinctual fear of things in the dark. She didn¡¯t even hear the voices in her head as they screamed at her trying to warn her of what was coming. Her mind space was too cluttered with her thoughts of certain death. The creature had kept pace with her watching her from the shadows of the trees that was to her right. It smiled at the hunt, smiled at the smell of fear and desperation. It had been confused by the haze like creature, but decided that it must have been some sort of defense mechanism of the weird looking creature in the hole. The lightly colored creature that it was stalking was making this too easy. Elaine saw a bright light to her right and she quickly changed her direction trying to get away from the flames that had just appeared before her path. The human like cries echoing across the forest. What she hadn¡¯t expected was that this creature was faster than her and again came at her from her left side. With wide eyes she saw the creatures mouth open wide going for her throat, as luck would have it though, she had stumbled on a exposed rock and tumbled to the ground. Her mind racing at the shock of hitting the ground so hard. She rolled a few times her grip on the spear loosening and falling away. The thought of losing her only protection caused even more panic as she came to abrupt stop against a largish boulder. She looked around terror in her eyes, breath ragged with her chest heaving rapidly. WHERE ARE YOU! ¡°ELAINE!¡± Seraphion screamed, using her name for the first time. ¡°Get your spear its to your left!¡± She yelled and ripped herself from the soul space. ¡°Go and retrieve your weapon!¡± With that, Seraphion rushed into the wood line towards the creature willing to buy Elaine as much time as she could. She had known where the creature was and went straight for it. I AM WRATH! She screamed in her own head her body starting to materialize. YOU HURT ¡°MY HUMAN!¡± she screamed aloud for the first time. That¡¯s when her body started pulling itself together from the cosmic energies and ambient mana in the air, forming her glorious frame. Her body was wreathed in a fire like aura her blackened wings looked like the furnaces of hell itself all along her feathers. She had long dark brown hair similar to Elaines with fiery red eyes. A vicious snarl splayed across her face doing little to though to hinder her deep tanned complexion. She wore tight fitting black armor that looked both like a dress and metal plates at the same time. Both her hands glowed with blackish red fire, drawing from the various mana in the area, and from her very own soul space. ¡°YOU WILL FACE MY WRATH!¡± She lunged forward grabbing the startled creature around the throat pushing it against the tree it had attempted to use for cover whilst watching its prey. Though this creature knew how to fight. It raked both its claws against the backside of the arch angel ripping into the armor as it roared in her face summoning up its own fire. Seraphion was not going to have any of that. Her rage was too great and ignored the rivulets of blood that sprouted from her backside, her own cosmic power of Divine Right of Wrath poured through her hand around the neck of the creature. Causing the roar to turn to pains of anguish. She stared into its eyes as her other hand clamped around the mussel of the creature. ¡°Burn Bitch!¡± She commanded the mortal creature as flames erupted around the two of them. If Elaine had been of sane of mind at the time she may have paused in pure wonder, but with the previous command of the voice in her head she searched for her dropped spear until the night lit up like the sun. She feared the creature had launched another attack at her and turned to face the light to see in which direction it was coming. Instead all she saw was reddish black flames that towered nearly twenty feet, and a blinding light. The howls of pain from the creature made her clamp her hands to her ears and shut her eyes. If this was how she was going to go¡­ there would be no way of stopping it. She was after all only human, how could she compare to something that could breath fire? When the light cleared all she could see was fire all around where the towering inferno was. It reminded her of her last moments on earth. She stood shakily as she stepped forward slowly noting the charred remains of what she could only guess was the creature that had attacked her. Red cracks all along its skin from where it seemed to catch fire from within. What happened? She thought rationally for the first time looking around for something. ¡°I happened¡­ I¡­¡± Sera said weakly back in Elaines soul space. Elaine felt the presence of Seraphion, it was weak and tired. She didn¡¯t even notice when she had come back. Are you ok? She asked tentatively. ¡°Shes asleep for once.¡± Zee said softly. ¡°She was amazing, and was willing to sacrifice herself for you to live for a few moments more.¡± Zee had moved the sleeping form of Seraphion to her fluff and was petting her hair¡­ she was deathly pale and she could tell that she had expanded too much energy. ¡°Let her sleep. She¡¯ll be fine in a bit Elaine. For now you need to dig¡­ like a bunny, and stay hidden.¡± She mused comforting her fellow arch angel. Elaine nodded and went back to the large boulder and started to dig with her clawed hands, with a thought she gathered up some wood and brush and spread it around the entrance and tried to hide the hole. She was terrified, and could only listen to the soothing murmurs of care in her head as Zee took a bedside like manner for Sera. The human stayed awake for as long as possible, her eyes never leaving the entrance to her hole waiting for those amber like eyes to peer in once again, yet¡­ it didn¡¯t take long for the exhaustion to kick in as she drifted to sleep herself. Her body hurt and she hadn¡¯t even recovered from any of the wounds she had suffered over the past day and night. Her body needed to heal, and the adrenaline that had once coursed through her body had come to its end. Sleep was the only thing that could have happened.
She may have feared the amber like eyes¡­ but the eyes that were watching the whole scene from a tree branch far above watched throughout the night, waiting for the bipedal creature to come back out from its hole. It felt the rage from the other creature and knew not to tempt fate unless it wished for death. Chapter 10: Trauma Chapter 10: Trauma A day like this should never be this bright. The sun was shinning high in the sky with a gentle breeze that only slightly caused one to shiver this early in the spring. The last bites of winter not yet willing to release its hold, and yet¡­ it was still a beautiful day for something that shouldn¡¯t be. Elaine stood in front of the plain wood box. It wasn¡¯t adorned with extravagant handles or even polished very well, even the flowers that where around seemed to come from some cheap bargain store being that they were fake and all. Even her own mother¡¯s tears were fake, she knew because she heard her mother practice before they got here. That had made her all the more hate her mother. Though today was not the day for her to worry about what her mother felt or what she did, after all she was just capitalizing on what had happened. Life at the house only got worse when her father would go out on consultant work, or personal field study of his favorite animal: the north American brown bear. Her mother would constantly tell her pre-teen daughter that it was none of her business and that she should stay out of the affairs of adults. That¡¯s when Elaine started to pay more attention. It was one night when she caught her mother on the phone with someone who didn¡¯t sound like daddy on the phone at all¡­ and the things she was saying sounded just like what some of the other kids talked like at school. So she put two and two together¡­ Her dad had just come back from a consultant job for his firm that was about some sort of land they wanted to turn into a new bypass. They needed a professional''s opinion on the wildlife there and its long-term effects if and when they planned on building the bypass itself. Her dad had come through the door to his house calling out for his wife and daughter as he always did, announcing his arrival. It was routine, and something that she now missed, and would never have back. When greetings and many hugs where given he walked into the kitchen ready to start cooking. He had always loved to cook¡­ That¡¯s when she slid into her favorite bar stool and watched her dad start preparing food. He had been gone for two weeks this time in a whole different state this time. Though it never failed to see him in the kitchen, he was a better cook than her mom any day of the week. ¡°Daddy?¡± she asked tentatively with a bit of apprehension in her voice. ¡°Can I tell you something without getting too mad?¡± She asked crossing her fingers together infront of her rubbing her thumbs together. Her father turned to her seeing something was amiss. ¡°You can tell me anything and I¡¯ll never be mad at you princess bear.¡± He said putting down the knife next to the cutting board which he was using to cut up some vegetables. He walked around the island and sat on his bar stool. ¡°Whats wrong? Are you ok? Did something happen at school?¡± he asked in a bit of a rush¡­ ¡°Is it ¡­. Boys?¡± he asked really not ready for that conversation yet. Elaine looked at him slack jawed. ¡°Oh God no¡­ Boys are still stupid and will always remain that way dad.¡± She blurted then lowered her eyes. ¡°Its¡­ not boys¡­ but mom.¡± She said barely a whisper. ¡°Umm¡­ don¡¯t be too mad at me ok?¡± ¡°Oh did she over spend again at the mall? And did you finally help her out this time?¡± he said with a chuckle rubbing her head. God why is this so hard to say¡­ was it because mom told me not to? Didn¡¯t daddy have the right to know? ¡°No¡­ maybe¡­ god why is it so hard to say?¡± she said lowering her head on the counter. That¡¯s when her father got a bit more serious. He put his hand on her shoulder giving it small rubs in reassurance. ¡°You can tell me anything princess bear.¡± He said waiting patiently. ¡°Just blurt whatever is on your mind aloud. You have no worries with me.¡± He said knowing whatever was bothering his daughter was really bothering her something fierce. ¡°UGH!... mom¡­ she¡­ umm¡­ Talks to other Guys! I heard her a few nights ago on the phone and it wasn¡¯t you.¡± she finished in a rush putting her hands over her head. ¡°She goes out almost every other night and I usually don¡¯t see her til the morning and she always tells me not to tell you. I don¡¯t know what she does or where she goes. It just feels wrong like¡­ you know?¡± she asked looking back at her dad worry in her emerald green eyes. Her dad sat still for a moment, thoughts crossing his eyes as his brow knitted slowly together, something that she rarely saw¡­ it was emotion¡­ almost like sadness til it turned slowly into anger. ¡°Your not in trouble¡­ thank you.¡± he said taking the cooking towel off his shoulder and placing it on the counter before getting up and walking towards the back of the house. For some reason, Elaine sat there and started to cry. That¡¯s when she heard loud hush voices coming from the back of the house¡­ then it turned to anger¡­. Then yelling. She flinched when she heard her mother scream and then something crashed into the wall in the backroom. She kept her head buried in her arms as she cried¡­ That¡¯s when she heard the front door slam and daddies big red truck crank up spilling out of the driveway¡­ ¡­ But its my fault¡­ She cried as she slumped to the ground before the casket. Her mother joining her with her almost believable cries as well¡­ even though she hated¡­ she was still her mother and would take even the most fake comfort at this time. In the back of the young girls mind¡­ she knew that her mother was doing this for the attention and to look like she actually cared. All she could think of at that moment, was how it was all her fault¡­ After her father had left her mother came storming through the house screaming at the top of her lungs about how her father had cheated on her and every bad thing she could think of. Obviously her father hadn¡¯t mentioned to her mother that she was the one that had told him in the first place. Her mother just ranted and then got on the phone and went back to their bed room calling god knows who. Elaine remembered it was nearly one in the morning¡­ she had grabbed her blanket and laid on the couch waiting for her father to come back. . . yet¡­ the door didn¡¯t open, instead there was a knock. Did daddy forget his keys? She had thought as she remembered getting up and crossing the dozen or so paces to the front door unlocking it and opening it wide. What she had expected was her father¡­ but instead was a deputy¡­ the blue lights behind him flashing. Her eyes got wide as her mother came up behind her¡­ Why where there officers here at this hour? ¡°Mrs. Willow?¡± the officer asked his hands to his sides¡­ Elaine wondered why she looked at them so closely, but remembered seeing the bandages on his hands and the burnt smell that came from him. He was distressed and had a blank look in his eyes.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "Oh God..." her mother said, collapsing onto the carpet, sobbing and wailing uncontrollably. Elaine had just woken up, she didn¡¯t quite get it why her mother was crying until she heard something from the deputy. ¡°There was a wreck on inter----¡± Its my fault¡­ She blacked out. Its my fault¡­
¡°It was my fault¡­¡± she whimpered as she hugged her knees to her chest tightly in the dark hole under the rock. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told dad¡­¡± she cried softly speaking the words in her sleep. That¡¯s when she accidentally nicked herself with one of her claws and woke with a start. Her eyes full of tears she blinked them away using her back of her hand to wipe away the trails. ¡°ugh¡­ that dream again.¡± She sat up hitting her head on the rock with a curse¡­ Oh shit¡­ yeah I¡¯m not at college¡­ She thought her mind starting to clear from the grogginess of sleep. Instead¡­ I¡¯m hiding under a rock in the middle of a uncharted forest¡­ he would have loved this. She thought thinking about her father. ¡°Your dad seems really awesome, if he would have loved this.¡± Zee stated calmly in a soothing voice. ¡°Tell me a bit about him?¡± She asked truly wanting to know. Not¡­ I haven¡¯t¡­ talked about him in a long time. She thought back at Zeraphine. How is Sera? She asked trying to change the subject. Zee felt that and realized that her charge didn¡¯t want to talk about the dreams she had been having or the thoughts of someone she obviously held in high regard. The angels couldn¡¯t read her memories¡­ they only experienced them through her dreams and thoughts. They were learning who Elaine Willow was just as much as she was learning them. ¡°Whenever you want to talk about it, I¡¯ll be here.¡± Zee reassured her human in a soothing voice. ¡°And as far as Seraphion¡­ well shes spent. Used up and threw in the towel.¡± She laughed a little. ¡°Seriously though¡­ she used up her soul energy and needs to recover, but she¡¯ll be fine I promise.¡± She said with smile. How long was I out for? ¡°about twelve hours at my count¡­ I could be off by a hour or so though.¡± Damn¡­ I really don¡¯t want to go back to sleep right now. ¡°I understand¡­ I¡¯ll stay up with you.¡± I¡¯d appreciate that¡­ but right now¡­ I really need¡­ to you know? Umm¡­ ladies room? ¡°Oh¡­ umm¡­ that would be gross in here though¡­¡± Zee stopped and pondered for a moment. ¡°I really, really, don¡¯t want to leave your soul space¡­ its soo much effort¡­ but I also don¡¯t want you to get hurt. So maybe just this one time. I¡¯ve seen Seraphion do it a few times, but I really don¡¯t wanna.¡± Elaine paused for a moment thinking about how many times Sera had jumped from her soul space to real space. Did it take energy to do so? Zee had stated it a few times about some sort of soul power that they had been using just referring it to energy. Maybe it did take real effort? She pondered. ¡°Yes it takes energy to manifest outside of this place.¡± Zee said with a wave of her hand¡­ Yup¡­ still felt weird. Elaine thought¡­ I¡¯m never going to get used to you moving around so much¡­ can you¡­ umm please? Please help me out this once? I¡¯d really hate to have those amber eyes sneak up on me while¡­ you know¡­ doing my thing? She pleaded. Zee sighed as she willed herself out of the soul space¡­ ¡°Having a physical body seems to be such a bother.¡± She pulled herself from the soul space, yet when Zee did it didn¡¯t come with that popping feeling, instead felt like¡­ like water running through her body outwards. It was gentler. Though Zee didn¡¯t just stop there. Elaines eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped a bit as she saw the pale white glowing haze start to take a step¡­. On a foot¡­ as she materialized pulling in various mana and cosmic energy towards her. Elaine could have sworn she had pulled the very moon light around her as her body became more solid. What stood just outside of the fox hole was a young woman. Her skin was pale as if her skin had never seen the light of day, and yet it was flush in healthy. Her hair was the same color as her glorious wings, a pristine white, almost like that obnoxiously beautiful mans had been. She wore a dress with a silver band of material around her waist, the sleeves where sheer and seemed to flow with its own breeze as she moved. She was everything that Elaine would have thought a angel would look like¡­ then it was ruined rather quickly. ¡°Wow this sucks¡­¡± Zee huffed shifting her bare toes into the dirt beneath her feet. ¡°Yeah I want to go back¡­ Being here really does suck¡­ *Yawn*¡± She said her voice sounded like a young female who should have been the best singer in the world, soft and delicate at the same time. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m tired. Come on human hurry it up.¡± She said leaning down and grabbing the discarded spear from the ground with her bare hands. Though the branch didn¡¯t seem to cut her. There was a slight glow between the wood and her hands. ¡°So¡­. I¡¯m really not schizophrenic huh?¡± Elaine stated as she pulled herself from her hole. She reached for Zee¡¯s wings to touch the fragile looking feathers. ¡°Can I¡­ Can I touch them?¡± She asked still reaching for the feathers¡­ ¡°I thought you had to use the restroom?¡± Zee stated folding her wings against her back just barely missing the dirty humans touch. ¡°And no¡­ your hands are dirty.¡± Elaine sighed¡­ ¡°Yeah your right¡­ please keep a look out.¡± She said as she looked for a good spot that no one would be able to see¡­ ¡°When in Rome, do what the romans do.¡± She said as she just found a random spot and used her claws and dug a small hole in the ground to bury the waste. Afterall it may attract other animals if they smelt the random smell and come and investigate. ¡°You done yet? I¡¯m really getting tired.¡± Zee said with a small yawn bringing her hand up to her doll like face. Even though she didn¡¯t look like she took this seriously she did keep an eye out. She looked around and walked a few paces, always keeping both Elaine and the trees in sight. She even glanced up a few times. Though when her eyes went over a particular branch she thought she saw something shift. ¡°Fuck me¡­¡± she sighed pulling her arm back with the spear. ¡°Stay where you are Girl.¡± She stated activating her divine right of progression. ¡°I really hate having to use soo much energy¡­¡± she murmured. The makeshift spear tipped with the Cornilagus¡¯s horn started to shift in her hand. The wood becoming smooth and straight, the excess making its way up to the tip of the spear adding stability and a better seat for the horn to be placed. The horn itself elongated and flattened, becoming much sharper and purer. Its brilliant white blade sparkling in the moon light, attached to a polished, smooth, luxurious finish of a deep brownish red. It was a spear of spears in her hands. It had be transformed by her Right of Divinity over Progression forcing the makeshift spear to be the best that it could ever be. Zeraphine Reared back hiking one leg up as she threw the spear with all her might. With a grunt of effort it went flying towards whatever was sitting atop the branch a mere fifty feet upwards. It flew straight and true, and yet whatever was up there was soo startled it fell from the branch with a¡­ small cry? Zee huffed feeling drained¡­ both she and Seraphion had used everything they had¡­ holding nothing back as she slowly turned to motes of a haze and flowed back into Elaine who was rushing around the rock. ¡°I missed¡­¡± Zee stated as the creature that had fallen slowly pushed itself off the ground, making small pained sounds before slumping back to the ground, not able to hold its weight up. Elaine reached inside for either of her¡­ Fucking hell¡­ I mean¡­ I have Angels in my head?! Are you two awake? She asked and didn¡¯t get a response. ¡°Shit¡­¡± was all Elaine could say as she looked around quickly for something to defend herself with once again. Only finding a hand sized rock that she had used for camouflage on the entrance to her fox hole. She held the rock in both hands above her head. She approached the bipedal creature on the ground ready to swing dowards if it made any moves. ¡°Shit¡­¡± she said again letting the rock slip out of her hands falling behind her¡­ It was wearing animal skins¡­ like clothing. Chapter 11: Xin-ta Chapter 11: Xin-ta With a hard thump, the rock hit the ground just behind Elaine. She froze, her hands slowly lowering to her sides as she took in the sight before her. An animal? Was it an animal? It didn¡¯t look like any primate she¡¯d ever seen¡­ but wow. Her thoughts raced as she scanned the ground for a stick, something to prod the strange, bipedal creature. But as she considered it, she hesitated. Those edges looked sharp. Maybe poking wasn¡¯t the best idea. With quick, precise movements of her clawed nails, she stripped away the outer layer of bark. A slight tension tugged at the tips of her fingers, but she ignored it, focusing on the task. She worked diligently, smoothing a good four inches of the wood, clearing it of its razor-sharp bark. Satisfied with her work, she examined the smoothed stick, admiring how much she had accomplished in such a short time. Stick in hand, she moved back to the creature, the one that had tried to lift itself from the ground when she had rounded the rock earlier. A smile crept across her face as she approached. She paused, watching the rise and fall of its shoulders, faint signs of breathing breaking the stillness. This was her first live inspection, and she wasn¡¯t going to miss the opportunity to learn something new from a creature that was still alive. There was a difference between dissection and observation, she reminded herself. Dissection would reveal its adaptations and biological phenomena, but observation would uncover its behavior and habits. Both were important. Still, a nagging thought lingered in the back of her mind: if there was one, there could be more. A chill ran up her spine as she slowly turned back to the blackened, charred body of the creature that had attacked her hours ago. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to think there are more of those¡­¡± she whispered, her voice barely audible. Turning her attention back to the creature on the ground, she quickly regretted taking her eyes off it. Its hand moved, a clawed, slightly trembling hand, and its sharp features twisted as it spoke clearly concentrating on something. "Sha''ku xir-anri!" The voice was feminine but alien, and Elaine¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The creature¡¯s left hand rotated, palm forward, making a counterclockwise motion before sweeping toward the center. Elaine barely had time to react. The creature¡¯s veins lit up, glowing brightly for a brief moment before a powerful force struck her. It was as if a gale-force wind had slammed into her chest, sending her flying backward. She hit the ground hard, rolling slightly before coming to a stop about ten paces away. Fucking hell. I wanted to see its behavior, not experience them! Elaine cursed inwardly as she pulled herself up onto her hands and knees, her gaze snapping back to the creature, who was also struggling to rise, albeit with some difficulty. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for not making sure it was dead¡­¡± Sera¡¯s groggy voice echoed inside her head. Well, I don¡¯t want to kill everything that moves! Elaine protested, flustered that she had been so easily caught off guard. Huffing, she reached for the stick she had prepared, though her mind was already drifting to a more pressing issue. Hells! Where¡­ oh, I left those¡ªGod, I forgot my kicks! ¡°And¡­¡± Sera strained, clearly still recovering. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about right now?¡± Elaine pouted. You¡¯re right¡­ of course. Before she could dwell on it further, the strange female-like creature spoke. "Zra¡¯xir to?" It slowly reached behind its back, its posture tense. "Zra¡¯xir f¡¯loran-to?" it asked again, impatience creeping into its tone. Elaine hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Moving cautiously, she set the stick down in front of her, trying to appear non-threatening. Her eyes studied the other female of its species more closely. Its skin was tough-looking, a deep tan that faded into blackened, hardened patches. Fur started at its thick eyebrows and led into a messy mane of brown hair. Where Elaine would expect human ears, she instead saw sharp, thinner ones tapering to a point. The fur along its face was symmetrical, running down its high cheekbones in a pattern that made it look almost regal. As Elaine¡¯s gaze traveled downward, she took in the creature¡¯s neck, blackened, ridged, and covered in bony protrusions. Tufts of hair sprouted between the segments, giving the appearance of an external ribcage. Does it go all the way around? she wondered. Unfortunately, the leather and fur clothing concealed most of its body, leaving only its face, neck, and a small portion of its¡­ ¡°Yeah¡­ hers are bigger.¡± Sera snickered. ¡°It is a her, right?¡± She paused. ¡°I mean, I am no expert. I was born, what, a few days ago? I could be wrong.¡± Elaine¡¯s face burned. You didn¡¯t have to point it out! And yes¡­ I believe it is female. She grumbled, sighing aloud. The creature flinched at the sudden noise, its grip tightening around something. Elaine¡¯s stomach dropped as she watched it draw a sharp flint dagger from its back. Fuck¡­ umm, Sera? I don¡¯t know what to do! The creature spoke again, its voice sharper now. "Zra¡¯xir f¡¯loran-to?" It rose to its feet slowly, never breaking eye contact. "Xir-no sha¡¯tor-ha, N¡¯haak? Xir tha¡¯lor ami." It paused for a moment, then repeated itself, louder this time, enunciating every syllable. "KHEER-no SHA-tor-ha, N''HAHK? KHEER THAH-lohr AH-mee." Elaine could see it trying to communicate, but the words meant nothing to her. Shit, shit, shit¡­ okay, calm down. Basic field training when handling animals that are aggressive¡­ yet¡­ shes intelligent so this might work. She thought quickly Taking a deep breath, she pointed at herself. "I¡­ umm¡­ Elaine," she said, tapping her chest. Then, carefully, she pointed at the bipedal creature before her with her clawed blackened hand with its claw tip pointing. "You?" The creature tilted its head slightly. Almost ready to lunge forward. Elaine repeated herself. "Elaine." She pointed at the woman again, keeping her movements slow and deliberate. Inside, her mind was screaming. Holy shit! First contact, nerds! She could practically see the scholars and conspiracy theorists back home killing each other for this opportunity. Still, her training kept her grounded. She made no sudden moves, no outward signs of aggression. Whatever this thing was, it wasn¡¯t just an animal. It had intelligence. ¡°Yeah¡­ but this alien has a knife,¡± Sera muttered darkly. Elaine swallowed. Noted. Meanwhile, Sera, despite her exhaustion, finally noticed Zeraphine lying unconscious within the soul space. What¡­ did you do? she asked, but got no response. Frowning, she moved the unconscious archangel to rest within the immaterial fluff before turning her attention back to the increasingly awkward first contact unfolding before them. The bipedal creature seemed to take a moment to process what Elaine was doing. Then, with a slight nod, it tapped its own chest. "Ami¡¯za Xin-Ta Krol¡¯ten, sha¡¯fren," it stated proudly. Then, raising its arm, it repeated: ¡°Xin-Ta.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. It turned its sharp gaze back to Elaine, pointing a clawed finger at her. ¡°E-la¡¯in.¡± Then, slowly, it sheathed its dagger into a hide scabbard on its back. A sign of trust. Elaine felt a wave of excitement surge through her. She grinned and attempted to repeat the name. "Zah¡­ she¡­ ta?" she said, stumbling over the pronunciation. To her, it sounded close enough. ¡°Zah¡¯sh¡¯ta¡­ no that¡¯s not right¡­¡± she pondered as she thought about how the creatures lips moved when it said it. Her training at college helped when coming to notice the small things that animals did. It was really just another part of her job, and yet. This creature didn¡¯t have jowls, but lips¡­ so this shouldn¡¯t be too hard. ¡°Xenta.¡± She said at last. The creature known as Xin-ta, smiled too. It seemed that this monster wasn¡¯t that stupid after all. That¡¯s when she pointed at the charred corpse, "Xir-lok sha¡¯Nhaak Tor¡¯Zri?" she asked gesturing at the creature then started to move towards it slowly keeping the one known as E¡¯lain in her sight. She was still warry of the winged monsters and made sure to keep a eye out for them too, but this one seemed to have the same features, but was flightless. Elaine followed keeping the same distance between the two. She didn¡¯t know what she said, but got the meaning when Xin-ta pointed at it. She followed suit through the moon lit forest towards the charred remains of the nightmare like creature. In her mind it got what it deserved¡­ though she really didn¡¯t want to get that close to it, and yet the other bipedal creature had no qualms with it. Was she some sort of apex hunter? But with that weapon how would it even cut? That¡¯s when she remembered the movements of its hand and the effect that it had against her body. That creature had summoned something and hit her like a battering ram¡­ her chest still hurt. Hell most of her body still was nothing but aches and pains. Her shoulder hurt, her left side was still cut up¡­ her back still in shreds and now she had bruises everywhere. Not to mention her clothing was in tatters from all the constant running through the woods that she had just done not too long ago. She watched the curious creature before her pull out its knife again and then started to cut into the abdomen of the nightmare like creature. Her thoughts going back to the phenomenon that the nightmare had used and that Xin-ta used. Where they the same? She thought as she watched Xin-ta reach her arm inside the incision and push upwards, making small sickly sounds as ichor and burnt flesh seeped through the cut that she had made. ¡°You know¡­ if you could keep it talking, I might be able to figure out what it is saying. There are words and phrases it keeps repeating from time to time. For instance, Xir¡­ I believe that means you.¡± sera said watching what the creature was doing to its kill. She better not be taking any trophy¡­ that kill is mine. She fumed irritation in her thoughts to the point that even Elaine could feel that she was mad about something. Elaine ignored that¡­ know that Sera wasn¡¯t mad about what she was saying but probably some sort of internal monolog. She knew now that the angels in her head could communicate without her knowing, and that their thoughts were private where hers was not. Can you really do that? And were they using some sort of magic? I remember that god had mentioned something about that¡­ but didn¡¯t answer it either. If I remember all he said was¡­ ¡°Indeed¡±¡­ so does magic actually exist? Her thoughts were interrupted with a sucking plop sound. She watched as the female creature pulled its arm out with a grunt of effort. The smell of ichor almost made Elaine gag¡­ but she kept it down turning her head away slightly coughing. What the hell did this thing eat to smell that bad! She coughed a bit more, until she realized that Xin-ta moved quickly away from the Nightmare. She did the same and then she heard Xin-ta exhale a long held breath. She made a movement with her hand infront of her nose as if saying it was smelly, then made a face that looked like a frat girl hugging a toilet. Elaine couldn¡¯t help herself. She actually laughed, and so did the other female, which surprised her. She hadn¡¯t realized that when they had moved away from the psychologically damaging creature, that still made her shiver with the thought of it, that they had come within feet of each other. It became awkward fast. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m going to speak a lot of words and hopefully you make a whole bunch of words too. The angels in my head want to try to decipher your language¡­ ummm Xir Xenta.¡± She said trying to mimic the accent and the word that Seraphion had said before. Elaine had once tried to learn a second language, it usually helped when in the field with others and from other backgrounds¡­ but she really had no talent for it. A second language was beyond her. Though to her surprise Xin-ta smiled again then whipped the blade on some nearby large vegetation before putting it back in its sheath. She held out her hand to Elaine. "Sha''tek f''loran xir''ta, E''lain." Then she waited. Making urging hands with her open palm. ¡°I think she wants you to hold out your hand¡­ there is that xir again.. but this time with tah¡­ maybe¡­ your? Could be something else¡­¡± she murmured¡­ ¡°Oh and yes both that creature and this one gathered mana from the surrounding area and used it to create different effects. I do not know how they do it though.¡± She said as she went back to her murmurings. Elaine did just that holding her hand out. MAGIC IS REAL!!! Wow what person on Earth never once thought how cool it would be to use magic?! I wonder if I can do it I mea---¡­ ¡°Yup¡­ That is a heart.¡± Sera pointed out. Elaine looked down at the heart, it was a bit larger than what she had thought that the nightmare creature would have had. She wondered briefly at why Xin-ta had gave it to her in the first place, but that was second thought as she roatated the damaged heart in her hands looking at closely. She noted that it had ¡­ wait it had five chambers? That¡¯s not right. Ther e is the right and left atria and then right and left ventricles¡­ what the hell was this other one at its center? She took her clawed index finger on her right hand holding the heart in her left and started to make an incision at right atrium, her claw did the work easily. She sat on the ground forgetting that she was sitting here in the middle of the night with the moonlight pouring from the forested rooftop surrounded by god knows what in front of a creature that probably had meant to kill her at some point, but at this moment she fell into the rhythm of dissecting the heart. Her love for the unknown drawing all her attention. ¡°So the right atrium is correct¡­ I see its attached to the right ventricle and even the tricuspid valve is correctly placed.¡± She had almost cut the whole heart in half at this point leaving the center mass alone, ¡°Could this be some sort of tumor? I see that its heart is quite the same as any many other species¡­. Superior vena cava¡­ inferior vena cava¡­ pulmonary artery¡­ pulmonary vein¡­ aorta¡­. So this must be a tumor¡­ everything else is correct.¡± She spewed thinking aloud as her hands were covered in drying blood and bits of the heart under her already super dirty nails. Elaine really hadn¡¯t mattered much to others what she looked like, as long as she was presentable. Xin-ta¡­ could only watch this strange monster cut and open up the heart that she had dug out of the magic demon. She had wanted to give it to her as a gift to show a sign of respect at the kill, but instead it seemed like it was lost in thought. She reached behind her back touching the bone handle of her knife she had made¡­ Shora¡­ xa¡¯to-lor. Vek¡¯xir no-tha sha¡¯fren¡¯tor¡­ it thought. Smiling briefly. It instead letting its fingers glide along the handle before she knelt down bouncing on her heels of her leather covered feat. Zra¡¯xa sha¡¯lor? She thought once more as she scratched her head at the thoughts of this creature doing weird things. She half expected it to drop it, or eat it¡­ either she could accept. "Zra¡¯xir sha¡¯lor?" She asked curiously. Elaine paused for a moment startled at the sudden sound from Xin-ta. She had almost forgotten that she had even existed. Her lizard brain only focusing on one thing at a time. Everyone says that woman can multitask, but she had guessed that that gene had skipped over her. ¡°Umm this.¡± She said pointing at the mass in the middle of the heart. "Ozh... xa¡¯to Zri¡¯fex." She said pointing at it. ¡°Zri¡¯fex.¡± She repeated again giving the word for the mass in the center. That¡¯s when Elaine got the bright idea finally. She pointed to the aorta. "Tor¡¯fex." She responded Elaine pointed at the left ventricle. "Tor¡¯fex." She responded again. Elaine frowned. ¡°Left Ventricle.¡± She said¡­ "Tor¡¯fex!¡± Xin-ta exclaimed then pointed at each part of the heart saying the same word over and over. And elaine identified each part in a different word. The only time that the word had changed was when she pointed at the center mass. ¡°Zri¡¯fex!¡± she exclaimed becoming irritated at the E¡¯lain. ¡°Maybe¡­ that¡¯s just it¡­ they have not identified all the parts of the heart, so its just tor¡¯fex to them.¡± Sera stated. ¡°And the Zri¡¯fex is the only special thing about the tor¡¯fex.¡± Elaine sighed as she shrugged¡­ she heard the word enough and motioned over all the heart¡­ ¡°Tor¡¯fex¡­¡± then pointed to the middle ¡°Zri¡¯fex¡­¡± she sighed¡­ knowing full well that each part had another name. Maybe I can teach it real words¡­ ¡°It is using real words¡­¡± Sera stated sitting next to Zee on the fluff that was nothing and something at the same time. Sera had no idea how Zee had made it, but it was comfortable. ¡°Just not your words.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smile at the interaction between Xin-ta and Elaine, this was the best comedy she had ever seen. Well maybe not the only one¡­ there was the one time when Kenediel had grabbed the other arch angel against her will spiriting her away. ¡°Ugh¡­ fine.¡± She used her claw and dug the mass out of the heart¡­ fed up with the situation that she had encountered¡­ Xenta you uncultured lout¡­ she thought as her claw hit something solid. A small cracking sound could be heard. Xin-ta¡¯s eyes grew wide and she flung herself backwards away from the E¡¯lain. Covering her head. Sera saw this and grew worried quickly. ¡°THROW IT ELAINE!¡± she commanded. And she obeyed not questioning the actions of Xin-ta or the command of Seraphion. She threw the bisected chunk of meat towards the largish rock that she had dug underneath. Her eyes grew wide as Xin-ta saw what Elaine had done, quickly rushing over and pushing her to the ground as well. There was a rush of sound as the meat hit the top of the rock before sliding down to the backside of the rock. It felt as if all the air was being sucked towards it. The sound of wind whipped past them and then rushed back outwards, though this time it came with a thundering explosion and fire that nearly curved around the rock, thankfully Elaine in her desperate throw had managed to clear the rock that was a few dozen feet away. Else that could have been bad. Like really bad. That¡¯s when she felt Xin-ta pop her on the back of her head. ¡°ZIR¡¯FEX!¡± she said angerly at the E¡¯lain. And then pushed herself off the top of her. She sighed and started to laugh. Never once had she met such a strange creature here that was this stupid¡­ Chapter 12: Revelations Chapter 12: Revelations Elaine slowly pulled herself off the ground, thinking, this is new. She noticed fresh scorch marks around the clearing, evidence of the explosion caused by the zir''fex. She hadn''t expected something no more significant than her thumbnail to create such a dramatic effect. "Well... I, um, yeah... don''t do that again," she muttered to herself. Xin-ta sat there, shaking her head at the actions of the foolish creature before her. If they had been able to understand one another, this situation could have been avoided. After all, a zir''fex was a zir''fex and needed to be handled with care; they were known to be powerful. She sighed and moved towards the E''lain, helping her get up. "Xir-no sha''tek Zri¡¯fex tha''loran. Xa''to sha''nai vek," she said, making an extravagant motion with her hands, starting with them together and then moving them outward rapidly. "Xa¡¯no sha¡¯vek, xa¡¯to sha¡¯dran. Xir-lor sha¡¯tek fex¡¯kai," Xin-ta explained further, cupping her hands together and rocking them gently. "Xa... and Sha seems to be action or an action like a verb." Seraphion nodded as she listened to the creature speak more. "Keep it speaking... point to random things and ask for their names." "You know I really don''t understand anything you''re saying, right?" Elaine motioned to the big rock then. "What is that?" "Tor¡¯vak? Xir-to tha¡¯xa loran¡¯kai-to." Xin-ta responded, gesturing at the big rock. "Zra¡¯lor Tor¡¯vak?" She looked at the rock and the surrounding patches of smoldering vegetation, wondering what the E''lain was motioning for. Elaine pointed at a small tree, following Seraphion''s directions on what to say. "Zor''zek?" she motioned to a small tree, then pointed at one of a medium size. "Zor''zan?" she asked, looking back at the other woman. Elaine approached the large rock and placed her hand on its surface. "Zra''lor?" she asked, feeling more confident in mimicking the sounds. She had observed that her vocal cords were similar to those of Xin-ta, allowing her to produce the same sounds. Fortunately for Elaine, the Xin-ta did not use guttural noises like croaks or grunts, which would have been much more difficult for her to learn or imitate. The fur-covered woman approached the big rock and shook her head. "Tor''vak," then reached down and picked up a smaller rock, "tor''zek," then looked around the ground, not finding what she was looking for, so instead, she paced her hands slowly from one another. "Tor''zek." she said, pausing with her hands close together and then spreading them further apart, "Tor''zan." She spread them until her hands were fully outward, motioning for something big. "Tor''vak." "Tor?" she said, pointing at the rock... She understood that tor must have meant for the object in question. So rocks are tor... we can at least do a direct translation with that word. That was when the other woman shook her head. "Tor''vak," she said once again, holding her arms wide. "It is a difference... vak is big, zan is mid-sized, and zek is for things that are small. Try asking her about a tree using vak." Sera mentioned holding in every word that the creature was using. She was starting to develop a dictionary. Elaine knew this was important, so she did as she was told. She pointed to a nearby tree, "vak?" Xin-ta smiled, understanding that the monster was trying to learn. "Ka, zor''vak," she replied with a nod. However, before she could point to another, the E''lain surprised her. Xin-ta smiled, understanding that the monster was trying to learn. "Ka, zor''vak," she responded with a nod, though before she could point to another, the E''lain surprised her. Elaine pointed at a small tree, following Seraphion''s directions on what to say. "Zor''zek?" she motioned to a small tree, then pointed at one between the two sizes. " Zor''zan?" she asked, looking back at the other woman. This unexpected progress in their communication sparked hope in both Elaine and Xin-ta. The E''lain was beginning to understand the creature''s language, evident from the surprise on her face. Xin-ta''s eyes brightened as she started walking, clearly having a destination: into the woods. She pointed at various plants and vegetation, naming them and commenting on the flora. Meanwhile, Seraphion absorbed all the information like a dry sponge soaking up water. After a while, Xin-ta ceased her search for what she had initially sought. Though she was attempting to teach the E''lain words from her clan, she had been looking for the one item that had been thrown at her. It couldn¡¯t be overlooked; after all, it was breathtakingly beautiful. Her people had never been able to craft such an incredible object, yet the winged creature in white had managed to do so. She reached down and pulled at the spear that had embedded itself into the hardwood of the tree. With minimal effort, it came out. She inspected the tip for damages and saw that none were to be found. She smiled and gave the spear a good look over. "What is that?" Elaine said, moving up beside her. When she noticed the spear, she was amazed at the quality. Wow... mine can''t even compare to that spear! Why would she leave it here so far away from where she was? Where is my spear? She thought as she tried to remember where... Oh yeah. Zeraphine had it last! She pondered for a moment... didn''t she say she missed? "Tor¡¯vai¡¯zen sha¡¯tek xor¡¯za, tha¡¯no vek." Xin-ta responded, twirling it in her hand, feeling the perfectly balanced weapon. Something like this could earn a mighty place in their clan. "She says: The white-winged one threw this, but not well." Seraphion said with much pride in her voice. "Their language is straightforward, emphasizing motion and properties of verbs and nouns." Wait. You mean you can understand her now? Elaine thought, motioning to Xin-ta. She was amazed at how quickly the angel learned a new language. Do you think you can translate for me from now on so I don''t have to fill my head with all this random information?Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "if you ask nicely, I would not mind," Sera stated smugly. Wanting to be praised for her hard work. Please translate for me, oh great and mighty Seraphion. Elaine thought, adding much drama and over-emphasis on several of the words. She smiled outwardly at how cute this interaction was. It was like praising a new student for learning or doing something great. "Why, yes, human. I will use my knowledge to help you understand the words of beasts," Sera said regally, understanding what Elaine was saying and matching the same energy. "So say this: Xa¡¯to fex¡¯ta ami, ami-lor sha¡¯tek Tor¡¯vai¡¯zen." Elaine breathed and sounded each word out as Seraphion said it slowly to her in her mind. "That is my spear, I let the white-winged one use it." She hoped she got it right. The creature paused her musings over the spear at the words from the E''lain. "Now you can understand I?" she asked slowly, making sure she had heard right and it wasn''t her imagination. "Yes, I can," Elaine said. Xin-ta paused again, the hand that held the spear going towards her side. "So, this is yours?" she asked one more time. Elaine nodded, holding out her hand. She knew she would feel better if she had that magnificent spear with her. Apparently, Zee had done something to the spear that she had made and had made it better. When had she done that? "Probably when you were busily relieving yourself," Sera suggested. Xin-ta didn''t want to give it to her. What if she tries to use it again? Was the E''lain better with it than the white-winged one? She hoped not, but if it was hers, then she couldn''t refuse. Taking things that didn''t belong to you in the clan was a grave sin. With much reluctance, she extended the spear but first in the proper way. "Here is your wonderful spear. It was nice to hold it for a moment," she said, longing for something like it. "Do you think that you can make another?" "I will ask the winged one if she can when she gets back," Elaine said with a shrug as she held the spear. This spear was perfect in every way. She noted that each part still contained portions of what she had used to craft the makeshift one. Yet, it was reformed and made better somehow. "Oh, where is she?" Xin-ta asked, looking up and around. Elaine didn''t quite know how to answer that. She didn''t know if this creature had the capacity for the idea of something being inside of themselves. After all, Sera and Zee were in her soul space. So, instead, she moved her shoulders in a shrug, "I do not know when she will be back. What was that creature called?" she asked. The dark-skinned woman turned back towards where the woman was looking. "That is a Zri¡¯nhaak, magic demon," she stated with a bit of fear in her eyes. "I watched as the black-winged one killed it with mana fire." "Oh, how long have you been following me?" Elaine asked, looking at the woman beside her. She shifted the weapon from her right to her left hand. Her shoulder did not like the extra weight, yet the wounds on her left were still bothering her fiercely. She didn''t quite know how long they had been walking, but she noted that the moon was in full view when she looked up. It was pretty, but it wasn''t the moon she remembered. She knew now without a shadow of a doubt that she was no longer on Earth. Xin-ta looked up at the moon with a smile. "Sister Moon should be up too," she said, pointing in another direction. Elaine turned to look, and indeed, another moon was in the sky. Albeit a bit smaller than the first one, it was even a different shade of pearl. "Sister Moon... what is the first one called?" she asked, pointing back to the bigger one. She had forgotten the question that she had asked, amazed by the new revelation. This E''lain was easy to distract, Xin-ta mused. Don''t want her to know that this one had followed for almost a cycle. You were not hard to find when mana hearts are pulled towards the convergence. "Oh, that is Mother Moon, and then there is Father Sun, " she said. "Our God gave Sister Moon to illuminate our nights from the darkness." admiration in her voice could be heard as she cupped her hands together in a small prayer. "Wait... did she say their God? As in, there is another God? But ours is dead!" Sera exclaimed, pulling herself from a chair she had made in the soul space. Standing, she figured it out while examining the fluff that Zeraphine had made and discovered that it was just portions of Elains soul molded into something other than the whiteness in the soul space. "Ask her about her god! Maybe we can figure out who the Kul''tekca are! The ones that destroyed Our God and your world!" Seraphion was getting angry, her energy seeping out of the soul space and into Elaine''s thoughts. Calm down. I''ll ask, she thought as she, too, wondered who the Kul''tecka were. This was the first time she had heard the name, though the way Sera mentioned it sounded like an organization, not just a single person. She could be wrong, though. "Umm... Xin-ta. Kul''tekca? Have you---" Elaine asked hesitantly, worried that something was wrong. She had to take a deep breath, though. She was getting tired of all this walking and had wished to sleep in a bit more. She went to say more, though something caught her attention. Elaine was surprised as the animal-looking woman''s ears twitched. Her hands slid down to her sides, one in a fist, the other reaching behind her back. Elaine knew that was where Xin-ta kept her dagger. This happened rather fast, and before Elaine knew what had happened, the other woman pulled her dagger and flung herself at Elaine, pushing the unprepared woman to the ground. How could I think that this monster... yes, monster... was safe! Xin-ta howled in her mind, her left hand pushing Elaine on her lousy shoulder to the ground as her right quickly came up with the knife to Elaine''s throat. "You Kul Filth! I should not have waited... I should have killed you when you slept, when you appeared, when you---" Xin-ta paused mid-sentence. The E''lain wasn''t moving. Her eyes were shut, and her breathing was slow and shallow. Xin-ta pulled away from her. That''s when she noticed the dark liquid slowly pooling behind the E''lain''s head. She hadn''t meant to harm the woman to that extent; her anger had filled her at the mere name of those bastards. Then she thought about it... when the E''lain had spoken, she almost sounded like she was asking... not saying anything. "Vek¡¯nok¡­ ami-sha¡¯dran," she muttered, leaning back down to the woman. That''s when she noticed how damaged the woman indeed was. She put her ear to her chest, hearing the heartbeat, and then made sure that her life''s blood was still moving. She nodded with satisfaction but then decided to check her for any other wounds. She was surprised by how many she had. How had this monster kept moving after all these wounds, and they were still fresh? She glanced around the forested area they had entered, then looked up at Sister Moon and noted the time. They would only have another dozen hours or so before Father Sun came up. Noting the time and that they were safe for the moment, the one known as Xin-ta went to work on the E''lain. She took clothing off of the E''lain and pulled out a medical kit the healer had given her for this journey. With deft hands, she quickly started to apply basic aid to the woman. She now knew it was a woman, seeing the physical features that would separate her from the males. She truly hoped that she could correct this mistake. Something had caused her great anger, and she didn''t know why. She usually was a calm and reasonable female of her species, not drawn to anger so quickly. This was odd... did the E''lain have some sort of mana energy that did this? Chapter 13: Clean-up Chapter 13: Clean-up Joseph looked out at the endless expanse of the void. According to the report they were briefed on, this place was the home to a galaxy but now contained motes of dust and radiation light, the remnants of what used to be stars and planetary bodies destroyed by the Kul¡¯tecka. His responsibilities included verifying and eliminating any remnants, a task not solely assigned to him but also to his platoon. They were part of the 329th Eradication Corps. He was not a high-ranking member of the Core, but he was not the lowest either. He sat just comfortably in the middle of the pack, enough not to get the worst jobs but not to have the most responsibility among his peers. He had even gone as far as to make sure that his record reflected the average soldier. It was tricky to do that, for there had been many battles in the universe that caused whole divisions and even battalions to be lost in a single moment. Rogue gods had that ability, after all, and they were all but chaff for their creations to munch on as the upper echelon handled the rogue gods. After all, the Kul¡¯tecka were supreme in this universe, and their rule was righteous in their claiming of all elements and beings. Many soldiers and civilians living in the prime world were led to believe that. On the other hand, Joseph did not care too much about that. He was here, after all, for the credits. Life in a third world was not that kind if you did not have the money to do what you wished. Even an apartment in the Third World still costs thousands of credits. That¡¯s why he went on these dangerous missions and even took on some rather boring ones for the extended pay. Either that or he would have to transfer back to the Eradication Corps world of Mali¡¯tecka, which Joseph did not want to do. The mandatory training and physical training alone would persuade many to try to get off the world as soon as possible. Joseph rechecked the container that he was beside once again. This was his watch and his responsibility. The container looked like a large rectangle with magic circuits throughout the entirety of the device. Inside would be the Devour Plague. A very nasty creature. It was called a plague because of its rapid proliferation; it would be released and controlled by the user to go forth and eradicate anything made of matter. With each piece that they devoured, they would, in turn, make untold amounts of themselves. Joseph was once told the origin of the story of them, but he couldn¡¯t fathom such heresy. It was told that the Devour Plague was made by a rogue god that had destroyed not only his but many other galaxies just to attempt to eradicate the Kul. Kul refers to the overall population and galaxies that were controlled by the Kul¡¯tecka. A sample of the Devour Plague was quarantined and then dissected by the upper Kul members. After they realized that it was a magical creature that had no purpose but to destroy, they quickly changed the formatting of the biological aspects of it and created a weapon that they used instead on foolish gods that proved to be most troubling. It wasn¡¯t something that was used lightly, for if one made a small mistake, the user could accidentally eradicate themselves and possibly many solar systems around before the next company would come in and initiate the kill switch. He, however, just thought that the Kul made it themselves. Vilifying other rogue gods to spread hate and mistrust in those that were not the Kul. It was not the general opinion, though, so he just kept it to himself. Heresy and all that. It just meant that he had more time to think then the average person. What he didn¡¯t understand was why they were all the way out here on the edges of the universe looking at dust and lights and why they carried a galaxy ending weapon. A buzzing sound came from his wrist as he turned it over revealing a gem that was implanted. The System had a notification. He opened it up and read the contents.
Notice
The System has a message to all relevant personnel. Open? Yes --- No
He gave a sigh and opened the message. If he did not he knew that he would get displanary action against his record, and that could mean a loss of rank, which in turn, meant a loss of pay. With his other hand he hit the Yes icon and waited for the message.
Orders to the 328th Corps
In accordance with the Kul¡¯tecka, the mission is a go, to scan and verify any remaining soul fragments. This includes but is not limited to the rogue god and any creations it may or may not have had. If any soul fragments of the rogue god are found, release the Devour Plague and program to eradicate all energy in the designated area. Any deviations of the above parameters of the above order will result in the purging of their individual soul essence and the destruction of any biological remains of their genome.
Acknowledge order Confirm --- Deny
Obviously, he hit the Confirm icon and started the process of scanning from the container. He was on duty¡­ so this would make it his job for the scan and any subsequent release of the Devour Plague. The magic circuits roared to life at the inputs of mana into the system in key points as the magi-tek device started its bootup and process of doing the initial scan. While he waited, he went to one of the many display screens on the hull of the ship and opened it up with a bit of mana that streamed into it. He wanted to look outside instead of looking at the galaxy-ending container. Before the screen lit up, he saw his reflection. He looked quite young, maybe around the age of eighteen to twenty-one. He stood around five ten and had dark brown hair that could almost be mistaken for someone that had black or raven-like hair. His face wasn¡¯t that bad to look at, either. He was a decent-looking man with a strong jawline and deep blue eyes. Some even said the color could almost resemble a pulsar with its blues and whites. Though he looked young, he was around fifty years of age. The genome editing that the Corps did was great; it would extend his life by a few hundred years or so. Though the only reason that the Corps did that was for the accidental issues where they would need to leave a platoon or a force in a place for an extended duration, it was cheaper to do this than to keep recruiting new species. The screen lit to life as he witnessed the ripples across space in a spherical motion around the cruiser. If there were anything out there left after the Prismatic Wave was released, then that would be a miracle. He left the screen on and adjusted the scanner to include magical emissions as well. It would detect if there was any form of magic that had been used in the location in the last couple of cycles. A thin spherical wave of multi-colored light erupted from the ship behind the first. That¡¯s when the screen popped up a notification on the container. It was a stand-alone piece of magi-tek and not connected to any other systems aboard the ship or anyone else''s devices as well. He opened the icon and started to read.
Observation Scan Report
One fragmented soul was detected. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.Tier: 10 greater god soul fragment(s) detected
Release Devour Plague? Yes --- No
That was surprising. A tier 10 greater god soul¡­ what kind of galaxy was this? He thought to himself as he hit the Yes icon. A low hum sounded as he designated the correct amounts of the Devour Plague to only target the soul itself. Then with a dull thud he heard a smallish torpedo launch and deliver its payload in the void. He watched as small shimmering lights could be seen as they started to devour the left over bits of the soul essence. Wait¡­ just one soul? He thought as he checked the magi-tek once again to double verify. The report mentioned that this portion of space had been occupied by a single species in the billions¡­ why was there only one soul detected? There should have been some left¡­ even a few million or so. This made no sense at all. That¡¯s when a new notification popped up, and he selected it to open quickly. It was from the mana sensor. The numbers startled him as he unconsciously stepped back. The amount of mana that was used in this one space was larger than he had ever seen. Something or someone had used more than a galaxy''s worth of mana in a short time. He quickly sent a few more mana pulses out to scan and verify a few more times. All the numbers kept coming back the same. ¡°What in Kul¡¯s name happened here?¡± he wondered aloud as he started walking up to the command deck to inform the captain. This was abnormal and needed to be further discussed and reported. A more detailed scan needed to be made, and that could only be made from the command deck instead of just the container. He knocked on the door. ¡°Magi-tek officer Farbanks requesting entrance to the command deck.¡± He said as he placed his gem on his wrist on the panel. The System responded in a cold voice. ¡°Accepted.¡± From the gem in his wrist. With sure steps, he entered the room. At this time, many individuals of varying races were on the command deck. Everyone would be on high alert when the plague was used. The screens were lit up, taking in calculated movements and spatial readings of various types. He moved up to the appropriate area and saluted the Dragkin captain. ¡°Sir, I have a report from the devourer magi-tek room,¡± Joseph said in a crisp voice. The Dragkin turned to look at the unassuming man before him. He really didn¡¯t like the pink ones. They were typically rash and too bold for their station. He glowered at the human, ¡°What is it, MT Officer?¡± he asked in a barking voice, already irritated to be this far from the core worlds. Joseph knew that the reptilian-looking race were some of the most complicated people to work under. They typically just didn¡¯t like anyone. Though with the System that was in place, no one person was over any other, racism and ire would never be quelled. The captain was a large, red, lizard-looking, imposing figure. He stood roughly seven and a half feet tall and didn¡¯t let any of his physical training go to waste. He was a very burly man, almost appearing as if his muscles would bulge out of his captain uniform at any moment. The captain''s skin was covered in small scales that covered high-impact areas, such as his lower arms, shoulders, and backside. His face was looked draconic. That is probably why they thought so highly of themselves¡­ they believed, after all, that they were born from the dragon of myth. ¡°I have discovered through the use of the container that an astronomically large amount of mana was used in this area. Not to mention that there was only one soul detected in this area that we were informed by the System to come to.¡± Joseph stated as he stayed at attention. He wasn¡¯t told to stand down or dismissed in any way. It was just like Dragkin, after all. ¡°Hav¡¯ you discover the reason?¡± Captain Ja¡¯cob asked, growing impatient. ¡°Speak MT Officer.¡± He started to tap his clipped talons on the armrest of his chair. ¡°Nay, sir, I came to the bridge to request usage of the more advanced scans to get an approximation of the amount of mana that was used here and their locations.¡± He said again. Joseph really thought that would be apparent. They had the same reports that he had. Captain Ja¡¯cob pondered for a moment. It would cause them to stay out here in this desolate place longer than he had wanted. His brood mate was expecting soon after all, and he hadn¡¯t wanted to miss that. But when the System sent an order¡­ it had to be followed, or else the penalties for disobeying would be harsh. And this was a priority order. ¡°Negative, MT officer Baybanks.¡± He started, making sure not to use the MT officer''s actual name. ¡°Our orders were to destroy anything that was left here, nothing more, nothing less.¡± He went back to looking over his mixed crew working diligently in fear of his wrath. ¡°Sir,¡± Joseph started and then was interrupted. ¡°I said negative, MT Officer Closebanks!¡± he half roared, causing most of the crew to jump in their seats. ¡°This mission was granted to me by the System, and you will not¡­¡± he then was cut off as his wrist gem pinged a priority message. He grumbled as he opened it and hit a few buttons. The System notifications couldn¡¯t be seen by any other person except by the person with the implant. ¡°Well then, MT Officer Farbanks, it seems that the System has overheard your request and has overridden my commands.¡± He said, slamming his fist down on the armrest. ¡°Make a indepth scan for mana disturbances.¡± He barked out his command making the crew on the deck jump. They all could tell he was in a bad mood and they would pay for it later. Joseph stood there at rest and waited for the results. He had nothing else to do sense the devour plague was doing the job of cleaning up the remaining portions of the soul of the greater god that was here. ¡°Captain, the scan has been completed. Sending it to your console now.¡± A bipedal, again-looking female stated in a bird-song-like voice. She had feathers the color of a deep blue and sea-foam green, and stood roughly four foot and a half. Typically those of the Yum Yami didn¡¯t serve in the Core¡­ so Joseph just assumed she had issues of her own to be on a Dragkin ship. They were a really timid race after all. Captain Ja¡¯cob looked to his left where the display screen was located reading through the data. Even Joseph got a notification on his wrist gem and viewed the message as well.
Deep Mana Scan
Mana value: Unknown high value Mana type: Cosmic Tier: god 8
In-depth scans indicate that a large portion of magic was used here. Not caused by the Prismatic Wave Oscillator. Values suggest god-level magic was used here for some unknown reason. Scans indicate that something or someone was sent off in various directions. Scans indicate that six such mana emissions were sent in five directions. Coordinates for trajectories are unknown but calculating.
Notice The calculations are complete. Updating coordinates for mana emissions to the most probable locations now.
Notice Coordinates have been completed.
Notice New mission: Eradication of remnants of sector galaxy #129Y612C3-G10
Joseph sighed as he closed out the notifications. He looked at the captain and saluted, knowing that his job had just become a whole lot harder. ¡°Sir, your orders?¡± he called out. ¡°Which mana emission trail are we going to pursue?" Captain Ja¡¯cob grumbled in his seat. He had really wanted to get back to his brood mate, but this was a mission given on high by the System and couldn¡¯t be ignored. Even the private message that he had received on his wrist gem was intimidating to read. He was supposed to lead this mission regardless of whether they succeeded or not. It could be considered to be a death warrant. If whatever that greater god had done was more than one cruiser could handle¡­ well, he might just not see his newest clutch. ¡°Nav, set course for galaxy number 19875G23A-G01,¡± he paused as the deck ramped up to action as they set course. ¡°MT officer, get ready your platoon and wake them, it seems like you''re getting some world side time.¡± He said with a laugh, knowing full well that if things went to shit, he could always leave and go back to the Core world and request more meat for the slaughter. Chapter 14: Knowledge Chapter 14: Knowledge Xin-ta felt extremely bad for what she had done. As soon as she had stopped and thought about it, she did not even know where the anger had come from. It seemed as if someone had caused her to become angry for no reason, and it was triggered by just a name for something she hated already. She decided afterward that she herself would tend to the weird monster''s injuries. After making sure that the E¡¯lain was ok, she stood up and looked around the night into the forest. She knew that there were things out there that could even be worse than the magic demon, she had heard tales from other hunters, seekers, and gatherers about monsters that could cause the very essence of a person to be ripped from their bodies. She thought she knew a few tricks that might help them. The elders of the clan had made sure that everyone knew a bit about warding magic after all. She took a deep breath and breathed it out. Each breath pulled in the ambient elemental mana that floated in the air. With each breath, she pushed it through her body. Her veins started to glow once again as the natural mana circuits came to life. She did this for a few more moments, feeling that she herself was about to combust from the amount that she had gathered. With a last breath, she placed her hands together and envisioned a clear image of a sphere around her. It didn¡¯t need to be large, but it did need to ward off anything that thought it wanted to come and investigate. She imagined the sphere with a light, warm glow that would mask their scents, essence, and visage. That if something did tamper with the outside of the sphere it would alert by flashing brightly. Magic was taught that all one needed was a clear image of the effects and the understanding of the concepts that the image ensued. She was confident in this, her training had not been for naught. That is why she was a seeker after all. She felt the magical essence leave her body in an outward wave, her breath released as she stretched her arms wide, palms outward, and head back. The feeling of receiving mana from the body was always intense. Many people chased after this feeling and constantly used mana any chance they could, though the elders of the clan warned many to do things that they could without the aid of magic. Telling them stories of the past and the downfall of their greatest clan, one that was supposed to be almost as big as the forest itself. That touched on her role in the clan¡­ to seek the histories of their people and find the artifacts that remained hidden over time. Though when the light had appeared she was tasked to go out and discover what it was, thinking that it could be some long relic coming to life. She was only supposed to observe the object and if it was safe to retrieve it, else she was tasked to return back to the clan and bring hunters to force collect the object in question. Who would have thought¡­ it was a weird clan-looking monster? She mused as she knelt back down to the odd creature. She hadn¡¯t been watching it for long, the only time that she was able to track it down was near the time she was running from the magic demon. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms as she opened the med kit that the shaman had given her for emergency usage. She looked over her supplies and then gave a satisfactory nod and began. She had to first remove the clothing that the E¡¯lain was wearing. She had never seen such soft and stretchy material before; she could tell thought that it would keep one warm. She removed them, trying not to disturb the monster''s sleep. The more she could do while it was unconscious, the better. That¡¯s when she noticed that it had a wound on its shoulder. She peered down at it and noticed the poor attempt at knitting the skin. It was even starting to become infected, the one horns were known to be bottom feeders and usually had nasty claw attacks. With her knife, she reopened the wound and applied some medicine directly to the wound before taking out dried sinew and restitching the wound. With a sigh, she rolled the E¡¯lain over to see her back and gasped slightly. All the wounds on her back were infected, and the back stitching was far worse. With an internal curse, she went to work using almost the whole med kit on the backside and stitching the worst of the lacerations. She applied clean linens on the wounds and used a sappy-like substance to keep them attached to the skin. Then, she started to work on her side where the magic demon had clawed at her. Those were not too deep, so she instead, just field-dressed them and moved on to check the E¡¯lain all over. She had removed almost all her clothing, marveling at the weird undergarments that it wore. She knew what the purpose was for, but they were really soft and silky to the touch. She wondered if the E¡¯lain could make her some. With a nod of approval at her own work, she sat on the ground and closed her eyes. Taking a small nap, trusting the ward would alert her if anything approached.
Elaine didn¡¯t have a dream this time. Instead, she found herself enveloped in a bright, white space that felt both strange and oddly comforting. It was as if she was suspended in a gentle embrace of nothingness. This sensation reminded her of a previous encounter with a six-winged angel who had touched her forehead and sent her spiraling into darkness. But this experience was different; the whiteness around her felt warm, inviting, and not at all lonely. As she opened her eyes, she instinctively swung her hand at the figure hovering above her. Her grasp connected easily with someone else''s hand. ¡°Seriously? The first thing you do when you wake up is take a swing at someone?¡± chuckled Seraphion, her laughter light and soothing as she released Elaine¡¯s hand and began to tenderly stroke her hair. For a moment, Elaine was speechless, taken completely by surprise as she gazed at the angel¡¯s stunning face. Wow, she thought, you¡¯re absolutely beautiful, and that¡¯s saying something since I don¡¯t usually think of girls this way! But this moment felt special¡ªjoy surged through her as she realized that, for once, her thoughts were entirely her own. A slow smile appeared on her face as warmth crept into her cheeks. Only then did she realize she was resting on the lap of the dark-haired angel.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Um¡­ would it be okay if I sat up?¡± she asked, feeling a bit bashful. Without fully understanding the situation, Sera shrugged and allowed Elaine to sit up beside her. Noticing Elaine¡¯s flush cheeks, she was curious but chose to focus on the moment. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she inquired gently, placing her hands neatly in her lap beside her human. ¡°I¡¯m okay, really¡­ but where am I?¡± Elaine asked, a hint of concern in her voice. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re in your own soul space,¡± Zeraphine said cheerfully as she positioned herself behind Elaine. ¡°You almost died!¡± she added casually, stretching her arms above her head before playfully draping herself over Elaine¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Oh, hi by the way! It¡¯s so nice to finally meet you here!¡± Elaine sat there, trying to process everything as she gazed into the seemingly endless expanse of whiteness. What on earth¡­? ¡°I almost died?¡± she whispered in disbelief, the shock creeping into her voice. ¡°Why? What happened?¡± An echo of silence filled the air as the archangels exchanged glances, each waiting for the other to speak. Finally, Zeraphine stepped up to explain. ¡°Well, you see¡­ this one here,¡± she said, pointing at Seraphion playfully, ¡°let her anger out, and the alien picked up on it and reacted to what you said.¡± With that, she scooted closer to Elaine, wrapping her arm affectionately around her shoulders. ¡°In my defense,¡± Seraphion interjected, turning to Elaine with an earnest expression, ¡°I had no idea that I could even do that! Our God gave us bits of information about the situation, and knowing that the Kul''tecka were responsible for our world¡¯s destruction made me¡­ incredibly furious. All I wanted was to lash out, but in this space, there¡¯s nothing to confront!¡± she said, pacing back and forth as her frustration grew. ¡°I¡¯m filled with this power, and I can¡¯t use it¡ªthere¡¯s nowhere to direct my anger. It¡¯s maddening!¡± Her voice rose, and streaks of red motes began to shimmer around her wings, which fluttered with pent-up energy. Elaine felt touched by an overwhelming wave of raw emotion emanating from Seraphion. This wasn¡¯t just anger; it was something much deeper¡ªcompelling, fierce¡­ Wrath. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. Suddenly, pieces began to fall into place. ¡°Your¡­ your Wrath,¡± she stammered, instinctively leaning back, wanting to put some distance between herself and the angel who radiated such intense feelings. Sensing the tension, Zeraphine stepped in between them. ¡°Seraphion¡­ please calm down. You¡¯re scaring our human,¡± she spoke with a blend of firmness and warmth. ¡°It¡¯s important to control your emotions and remember your virtues.¡± Seraphion turned toward Zera, her eyes still ablaze with anger, but then she caught sight of Elaine. The fury within her began to dissipate as she softened. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, her voice trembling with regret when she noticed the fear in Elaine''s eyes. She hadn¡¯t realized how deeply her emotions could impact others. Slowly, she backed away, sinking to the ground, her earlier energy replaced by sorrow. ¡°I truly didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Zee gently interrupted, ¡°You really did know. You were aware she was here, and how much this would impact her. She¡¯s only human, after all. It¡¯s a heavy burden to carry the weight of one billion ninety-four million, five hundred and one thousand six hundred and forty-four souls. That¡¯s an enormous amount of pressure!¡± Elaine felt her heart race. Wait¡­ that many souls? The realization left her speechless. Were they truly composed of souls? And human souls at that? Overwhelmed by the magnitude of this revelation, Elaine fainted once again. It wasn¡¯t just the weight of the anger she felt but also the staggering shock that everyone on Earth was still trapped, truly gone. Even more unsettling was the thought that each of those countless souls resided within her, interwoven into the very fabric of her being. That realization alone could unnerve the most stable of minds. In her case, she simply slipped away into unconsciousness within her own soul space, missing the chance to uncover the truth about why she was there at all. Zee couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she watched Elaine¡¯s form gradually fade from the soul space. She hadn¡¯t wished to be harsh, but it was important to help her fellow archangels understand their roles. Zee was acutely aware that she held within her the essence of more souls than Seraphion did. And with such a wealth of energy at her disposal, she had the opportunity to accomplish far more than Seraphion ever could. Sure, Seraphion had the ability to unleash destructive wrath, a Divine Right that could extinguish anything in its path, but Zee¡¯s Divine Right of Creation was where the true power lay. ¡°Oh dear¡­ this was her first time here, and you sent her spiraling into a faint with your overwhelming divinity¡­¡± she said, a hint of empathy in her voice. Zee approached her fellow archangel with kindness. ¡°I have a feeling those who didn¡¯t have to share a soul space are probably managing a little better than we are right now¡­ but I want you to know that I¡¯m here for you.¡± With that, she enveloped Seraphion in a wave of calm energy, her comforting presence wrapping around them both. ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay¡­ I¡¯m right here,¡± she whispered, taking care to bring them both into a more relaxing position. ¡°I truly¡­ am sorry. I did not mean for that to happen,¡± Sera responded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Yes, the souls within her were leaning toward emotions like wrath and patience, but they were still profoundly human. They felt real emotions and possessed intelligence. She wasn¡¯t a monstrous being; she was an angel¡ªan archangel at that. ¡°I promise I will keep it together, Zee. I promise,¡± she vowed, meeting Zee¡¯s reassuring gaze. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize to me¡­ your focus should be on our human instead,¡± Zee encouraged, giving her a gentle pat on the head, her smile warm yet her eyes strong and resolute. It was less of a suggestion and more of a gentle command. ¡°We can¡¯t let our human break under the pressure; we have to protect her emotions and ensure she can thrive in the real world.¡± With a determined nod, Seraphion turned back towards Elaine, who was absent in body but still felt very much present in spirit. They knew that by concentrating deeply, they could feel her emotions and see through her eyes, as if experiencing life vicariously in an extraordinary manner. They settled in, patiently awaiting Elaine¡¯s return to consciousness. Despite knowing she was in physical pain, something within them sensed a positive change. Whatever was happening outside of their realm felt hopeful, as if a better outcome awaited them all. Chapter 15: Arise Chapter 15: Arise The soft, melodious chirping of birds filled the air, creating a gentle symphony that welcomed Elaine as she gradually stirred from her slumber. Their cheerful songs painted the dawn with hope and renewal, drawing her from the depths of sleep. The sun, climbing higher in the sky, wrapped her in its gentle warmth, a comforting embrace that chased away the lingering chill from the night before. Although the ground beneath her was rocky and rugged, more like a bed of stones than a cozy mattress, Elaine found an unexpected sense of comfort in her surroundings. In this harsh and unforgiving world, she had come to cherish every moment of rest, and this hard-packed earth felt better than any mattress she had ever known back on Earth. Sleep had always been her precious escape, a respite from the challenges of her existence, and she was grateful for it. With a satisfying stretch that ignited her muscles, she slowly sat up, blinking against the bright sunlight and releasing a long, delightful yawn that ended in a light, airy giggle. "Ah, I see you have finally awakened, E''lain," Xin-ta remarked, her voice dripping with amusement, though a hint of fatigue lingered behind her words. She had been awake for quite some time, standing guard against the encroaching darkness of the woods and keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. Had she been accompanied by her fellow seekers or hunters, the long night would have felt less daunting, as the burden of responsibility could have been shared. Elaine blinked in surprise, her mind momentarily foggy as reality washed over her. Right, the harshness of this world had slipped her mind for a brief moment. With a slight hint of exasperation, she murmured, "Good morning, Xin-ta," punctuating her greeting with another gentle yawn, only to be slightly embarrassed as her stomach loudly growled in protest. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around her midsection, offering an apologetic smile that felt both sheepish and endearing. Xin-ta tilted her head, curiosity dancing in her eyes. "What makes this morning so special? Is it truly better than any other morning?" she asked, rummaging through one of her well-worn satchels, her fingers brushing over numerous items packed within. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed a small cube in Elaine''s direction. Surprised, Elaine caught it deftly and examined it with a puzzled expression, turning it over in her hands. "It''s food," Xin-ta stated matter-of-factly, taking a sizable bite out of her own two-inch cube without hesitation. Elaine''s curiosity piqued as she inspected the snack; its appearance reminded her of those holiday fruitcakes that people often ridiculed back on Earth. Despite the gelatinous substance that held the colorful bits together, she brought it cautiously close to her nose, sniffing it but unable to identify any recognizable scent. Despite her reservations, she took a tentative nibble. To her astonishment, the flavor exploded in her mouth, vibrant and delightful. It was a taste she had never experienced before, a unique blend that left her pleasantly surprised. Without realizing it, she found herself devouring the entire cube, feeling the nourishing energy coursing through her, reinvigorating her weary body. "You know¡­ I prefer just ''Elaine,''" she said, a hint of shyness creeping into her voice as she broke the ice, watching Xin-ta thoughtfully munch on her own treat. "I know your name," Xin-ta replied playfully, tucking her half-eaten cube back into her satchel, which also housed the nearly empty med kit. She was carefully rationing her supplies, making sure that Elaine had enough to sustain her as well. "Then why do you keep calling me ''The E''lain''?" Elaine countered, a playful frown wrinkling her brow as she tried to understand Xin-ta''s reasoning. Xin-ta paused for a moment, tapping her chin in thought. "Because you are the only E''lain I have ever met. It seems fitting to me that your kind is called the E''lain," she concluded with a nonchalant shrug, her demeanor carefree despite the context of their harsh surroundings. Elaine took a moment to absorb this information, the idea swirling within her like a blend of wonder and amusement. "Well, I''m Elaine¡­ E-Laine and my species is called Homo sapiens. In simpler terms, you can think of me as Elaine, the last human," she explained, her voice finding an unexpected confidence in sharing her identity. Elaine found herself lost in thought as she recalled the extraordinary dream she had experienced the night before. Although her memory was hazy, fragments of the dream lingered vividly in her mind, leaving her in awe. What stood out most was the powerful sensation that resonated within her, a feeling that transcended the ordinary. Alongside this powerful energy were the two archangels, Seraphion and Zeraphine, whose presence exuded both grace and strength. Ealine was struck by the realization that these celestial beings held not just their own power, but also an astonishing multitude of humanity''s souls intertwined within their very essence. The weight of this knowledge was unnerving, sparking a torrent of questions in her mind. How could these archangels possess such a profound connection to the souls of countless individuals? What did it mean for her own identity and purpose? The dream had left her with more questions than answers, compelling her to confront the mystery of her extraordinary reality.Elaine couldn''t help but reflect on the dream she had the previous night. Although her mind struggled to recall every detail, the experience was astonishing, to say the least. What she could remember was a sense of power within her¡ªnot only from the two archangels, Seraphion and Zeraphine, but also the fact that they each carried an immense number of humanity''s souls within themselves. This realization was quite unnerving, and she pondered why or how this was even possible. A soft, almost imperceptible stirring echoed within her soul space, signaling a shift in the atmosphere. "Well, human," Zee began, her voice steady and infused with newfound confidence, "it seems that with your realization that Seraphion embodies Wrath, we have been granted permission to share more of this story¡ªat least the fragments that remain clear in our memories." Zee''s tone was markedly different; she was no longer hesitant or subdued. Instead, there was an air of authority in her words that hadn''t been there before. Despite the weight of the revelations, she radiated a surprising energy. Throughout the hours when Elaine slipped into her own dreams, Zee had taken the opportunity to rest, rejuvenating herself. This left Seraphion in a solemn vigil, tasked with the responsibility of keeping watch. She was always prepared to rouse her the moment Elaine stirred from sleep, ensuring that no moment of insight or revelation was lost. "And that is?" Elaine inquired, her voice cutting through the silence and drawing a curious glance from Xin-ta, who raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. As the words left her lips, Elaine felt a wave of memories flood back to her¡ªthe vivid scenes from the dream that had haunted her thoughts. The sensations, raw and intense, associated with Sera began to resurface. She took a deep breath, recognizing the complex emotions swirling within her. The initial intrigue she felt towards the archangel now intertwined with a palpable fear. It wasn''t the fear of physical harm; instead, it was a deep-seated apprehension of Sera''s potential fury¡ªa sense that the archangel''s wrath could erupt unpredictably, like a storm ready to break. This realization left Elaine feeling both vulnerable and wary, acutely aware of the immense power Sera possessed. "Is it okay if I come out?" Zee asked, her voice laced with a hint of excitement. She felt a wave of well-being wash over her and longed for the opportunity to stretch her limbs, to feel the freedom of movement again. "I''ve encountered some fascinating revelations that I can''t wait to share with you. Also, I can''t help but notice that woman you''re with¡ªshe seems to have a peculiar habit of playing with her knife whenever that intense look crosses your face." Zee''s gaze shifted to the woman, apprehension flickering in her eyes for the first time. There was something about the alien that unsettled her. It stirred a protective instinct deep within her, a fierce desire to shield Elaine from any potential harm. While Seraphion would likely encourage confronting adversaries head-on, conquering them through sheer force of will and strength, Zee''s heart urged her to take a different path. She wanted to envelop her human companion in a cocoon of safety, keeping all dangers at bay, allowing Elaine to revel in the wonders of this alien world. She wanted her to discover the planet''s exotic creatures and savor every precious moment of the life she had left.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Elaine nodded in agreement, her gaze shifting thoughtfully towards Xin-ta. A question flickered in her mind, nagging her: why did the archangels never use people''s names? Was it a sign of their colossal superiority, a way to remind lesser beings of their place in a grand scheme crafted by creatures capable of reshaping entire landscapes? It was a contemplation that filled Elaine with a sense of unease. In that moment, she recalled the raw fury that had emanated from Sera, a force so palpable that it sparked vivid imagery in her imagination. She envisioned an anime scene where the protagonist, bursting with unimaginable power, achieved overwhelming strength in mere moments, rendering the narrative hollow and unfulfilling. Elaine had always preferred the slow, steady ascent to power, the kind that allowed for growth and development. But the energy radiating from Seraphion was something entirely different¡ªa potent surge that eclipsed anything she had ever experienced with her own soul buddy. It was a staggering force, weighty like a storm cloud heavy with rain, leaving her both awestruck and a little intimidated. With the agreement reached, Zeraphine gently extracted herself from the ethereal soul space they shared, her gaze settling on Seraphion. "Make sure to get some rest... There''s no need to worry; I''ll take care of everything with our human," she said soothingly, wrapping her arms around her in a warm embrace before giving him a tender pat on the head. It seemed that the archangel, Zee, had an endearing habit of petting people''s heads. Within the vast tapestry of souls that inhabited her being, she sensed one tranquil and reserved soul that had always longed for this simple gesture. The moments when someone would stroke their hair sparked a flicker of excitement and relief within them, a comforting acknowledgment of their existence. However, as she lingered in the soul space, Zeraphine noticed a transformation occurring within her. The individual souls that resided within her were beginning to condense, merging together to form a singular solid mass that would eventually become her essence. This unsettling phenomenon perplexed her; she had always found joy in exploring the diverse lives of the souls that made her whole. Yet now they seemed to be tranquil and subdued, accepting their fate and surrendering their identities, gradually becoming something altogether different. It felt as if they were slowly being erased, their individuality fading into the collective. Though that one soul, she felt a pang for and decided to keep her separate. She had modled herself after that one after all. With slight coaxing she made sure that the rest of the soul space that was now her own would take on the lonely humans soul, giving her soul a purpose in the very end. This shift unnerved her, stirring a mixture of apprehension and an unexpected sense of empowerment within her. It was as if she was being reborn, surrounded by the comforting embrace of Elain''s soul space, developing her own identity from the very core of her being. Yet as the familiar contours of her surroundings began to feel alien, she yearned for escape, craving the freedom that lay beyond her encroaching unity with real-space. Xin-ta''s heart raced as she lunged for the spear that lay abandoned on the ground, her eyes wide with disbelief. The illusion that had shielded them from the treacherous woods around them shattered like fragile glass, and she instinctively shifted into a defensive stance, prepared to strike at the ethereal mist that swirled away from the form of the ''human''¡ªa term that suddenly felt inadequate. As the silver mist began to materialize, each graceful step it took sent shivers through her spine. With each movement, the essence of Zeraphine drew closer, coalescing into a formidable figure. The air around her thickened with an otherworldly energy, igniting Xin-ta''s own soul essence as it fought to comprehend the reality before her. Standing before her was a creature of breathtaking beauty, both terrifying and magnificent, exuding an aura of power that made her instincts scream for survival. In that moment, a cold realization took hold: she would need to flee to gather the hunters from her clan¡ªand perhaps even seek the aid of neighboring clans¡ªif there was any hope of confronting this being. But then, what transpired next left Xin-ta reeling backward in utter disbelief, her mind struggling to process the sight unfolding before her. "Elaine!" The archangel squealed with vibrant excitement, her voice ringing like a chime in the air. Without a moment''s hesitation, she propelled herself toward Elaine, a whirlwind of energy and light, disregarding the dirt that clung to the human''s skin. The archangel''s need to restore her image in Elaine''s eyes eclipsed any concern for tidiness. "Oh, how I''ve missed you, you filthy creature!" she exclaimed, her laughter mingling with the warmth of their reunion as she enveloped Elaine in a fierce embrace. Though she was shorter than the human, she managed to lift Elaine off the ground, burying her face into the softness of the girl''s chest. With a flourish, she wrapped her magnificent wings around them both, a protective cocoon shimmering with iridescence. In this gesture, she shot a defiant glare at the alien creature nearby, her eyes sparking with challenge as if to say: dare you to interfere with this moment. "OH, hi... Zee. It''s truly wonderful to see you again," Elaine responded, her voice tinged with surprise as she found herself lifted by the archangel''s delicate frame. As she gazed down at the ethereal wings that enveloped her, a sense of awe consumed her. They were breathtakingly beautiful, soft as silk, their feathers catching the light and casting dazzling reflections. Elaine was drawn to touch them, the urge bubbling within her, but a stark reminder held her back. Her palms were thickly calloused, a testament to her encounters with the harshness of the world, and she knew that those resilient layers could easily mar the beauty of the wings she longed to feel. Instead, she cautiously brushed her fingertips along the back of the archangel''s plumes, savoring the sensation of silken feathers under her touch, while the protective caul of her own skin kept her at bay. The alien who had meticulously tended to the wounds, maintaining vigilance throughout the long, restless night, found herself grappling with uncertainty. As dawn''s light began to filter through the trees, a chilling realization washed over her: if the winged human chose to attack, she would have no chance of escape. She had encountered this formidable being before, its power unmistakable as it had flung the very spear she now held in a gesture of wary submission. Yet the creature before her was unmistakably transformed; it radiated strength and an aura that sent a shiver down her spine. With trembling hands, she placed the spear carefully onto the hard earth, allowing it to rest on a patch of soft moss to avoid damaging the elegant blade perched atop its shaft. She raised her hands in a gesture of peace, her posture betraying a desperate yearning to flee. The essence within her quaked with anxiety, as if the sheer weight of the winged being''s presence threatened to suffocate her own spirit. Sweat began to bead on her skin, slipping down as the brisk morning air wrapped itself around her, amplifying her discomfort. Despite her reputation as a formidable hunter, even she felt dwarfed by this creature''s presence. It was an entity that could put even the most daunting of guardians to the test, leaving her acutely aware of her vulnerability in this moment of high tension. The air was charged with an electric anticipation, and she knew she stood at a precipice¡ªone wrong move could tip the balance between confrontation and escape. "You may stay," Zee declared, her voice firm yet carrying a hint of warmth. As she gently pulled away from Elaine, a flicker of irritation crossed her features¡ªher once pristine clothing was now marred by unsightly streaks of dried blood and gritty flecks of dirt. The sight was bothersome, but she pushed the thought aside; there would be time to tend to her attire later. Right now, her focus was on the two of them. A radiant smile broke across her face, illuminating her expression as she turned towards the alien, eager to convey her message clearly and ensure her intentions were unmistakable. "I am Zeraphine, the Archangel of the planet Earth, a divine being fashioned by the One True God of our universe. I am the embodiment of the myriad souls who have ever grappled with the dual forces of Sloth and Diligence, each essence woven into the very fabric of my being. As the guardian of Elaine Willow, I pledge to guide her unwaveringly through the trials that lie ahead, with the fervent hope of dismantling the Kul''tecka and their vile misdeeds that threaten the balance of our galaxy. With a resolute step towards the alien figure known as Xin-ta, an ethereal flicker of her essence swirled around her, shimmering with energy as she willingly sacrificed a mere fragment of her soul. In that moment, Zeraphine felt the weight of her purpose¡ªa powerful aura enveloping her as she prepared for the confrontation that could alter the fate of their very existence. "If you touch your weapon again while looking upon my human, I will end your race on this planet, and make her the rightful owner of this world." She said with a warm smile as she heard Seraphion laughing her ass off inside of Elaine. Even though she was separated from her human, she knew that if she depleted enough energy, she would go back into her human to incubate and gather up her energy once again. However, the more her soul she used as fuel, the longer it would take to regain such power. Though outside of Elaine... which was odd, to say the least, she couldn''t recuperate any expended power. Chapter 16: A New World Chapter 16: A New World The one thing that always made Joseph¡¯s heart race with anxiety was the unnerving sensation of a sudden drop from the ship hovering high above. It began with a slight jerk when the drop pod disconnected from the main ship, followed by an exhilarating freefall towards the surface of a distant planet. However, when the drop pod was launched at an enemy ship, there were often two jolts, if they were fortunate. The first jolt signaled their launch from the main ship, while the second acknowledged the violent impact against the enemy''s vessel. If there were more jolts than those, it typically meant they had been struck by enemy fire, resulting in a catastrophic miss of their intended target or death. Yet, on this fateful mission, Joseph found himself aboard a drop pod heading straight for the planet below, anticipating an experience fraught with extreme shaking and turbulence. As their drop pod tore through the planet''s atmosphere, Joseph felt the oppressive heat envelop him, accompanied by the thunderous roar caused by the outer shields battling against the atmospheric pressure. The relentless shaking and rattling of the pod forced each soldier to grip their safety restraints with white knuckles, teeth clenched tightly together, straining not to bite their tongues amidst the chaotic turbulence. It wasn¡¯t until several moments later that the violent tremors subsided, signaling their passage through the upper atmosphere as they steadily descended toward the surface. His mind drifted back to the briefing before their launch. They had successfully tracked a specific mana signal to this space sector, pinpointing one solitary planet and its precise geographical coordinates. The sheer amount of mana utilized in this area was shockingly traceable. Yet, the planet itself offered little in the way of resources or culture. It was primarily inhabited by two sapient species classified as stage one civilizations. One of these species had barely begun to explore metallurgy or the greater sciences, while the other had attained stage two status, riding the waves of rapid growth and an unprecedented technological boom. This advanced species had recently embarked on creating rudimentary devices that enabled them to exert some measure of control over their environment. Despite their progress, Joseph was relieved to know that they had strict orders to avoid contact with either native species unless their primary target had engaged with one or both of them. He fervently hoped the target had not made contact, for if they had, it meant that they would likely receive the same ruthless treatment they were preparing to dispense to the being that fled the devastated galaxy. Such was the grim reality for those caught in the Systems¡¯ crosshairs: elimination without mercy. It was standard operating procedure for the Corps¡ªevery directive was executed to the letter by those that were System. Failure to comply could lead to catastrophic consequences, and Joseph¡¯s mind shuddered at the thought of what the afterlife might entail. Suddenly, the drop pod experienced a subtle jerk as the thrusters roared to life, and the mana circuits surged, blazing to life as ambient mana coursed through the systems. These circuits were designed to temper the landing, allowing the drop pod to experience a controlled descent despite its rapid approach to the planet¡¯s surface. Moments later, a heavy jolt signaled their impact with the ground. In an instant, every member of the 328th Eradication Corps unfastened their safety restraints, their commander¡¯s authoritative voice cutting through the tension as he barked orders, urging them to prepare for their swift exit from the drop pod and to establish a secure perimeter around their landing zone. Joseph didn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment; he swiftly conveyed his own orders to those who were below him in rank, specifically, those individuals acutely attuned to mana, who formed the backbone of his specialized magi-tek corps. Although he had never found joy in leading others, his unique and enhanced capacity to visualize the intricate flows of mana surrounding them, along with the subtle shifts in its currents, had ultimately secured him the esteemed position he now held. If he were to encounter someone with superior skills in leadership, someone who could command the respect and admiration of their peers effortlessly, he would, without a trace of resentment, gladly relinquish the reins to them. Joseph was burdened by the weight of responsibility, especially when it came to the fragility of others'' lives; the thought of being accountable for their safety and well-being brought him a deep sense of unease. As the soldiers emerged from the drop pod, each equipped with sturdy helmets and a resolute determination, they executed their orders with remarkable precision. The communications officer, with swift movements, transmitted a signal to the cruiser that lingered in low orbit, poised and ready above the newly arrived planet. The grunts swiftly positioned themselves, their eyes scanning the unfamiliar terrain with vigilance. Meanwhile, the magi-tek division busily erected a series of rudimentary devices designed to measure the ambient mana in the vicinity. With expert care, they began deploying a mana field intended to function as a protective barrier against incoming projectiles, whether they were conjured from magic or made of solid matter. Everything unfolded flawlessly, with each member of the squad operating in unison, reminiscent of a well-oiled machine. Joseph, maintaining a commanding presence, approached one of his soldiers to request an update on their situation. ¡°Sir! We have pinpointed the mana signal, but there¡¯s something unusual about it, sir,¡± reported the female Jorvian, her voice tinged with urgency. Her uniform clung tightly to her slender frame, characteristic of her race, the Jorvians, who were known for their slight build and delicate features. They appeared almost fragile, as if the softest breeze could shatter them. Their distinctive look included a smooth, hairless scalp and skin tinged with a faint blue hue, marking them as a species long adapted to the aquatic realm before ascending to the stars. With their expansive eyes, they embodied the traits of an ancient aquatic species that had forsaken their watery home to explore the cosmos. Notably skilled in sensing and manipulating mana, they possessed an innate ability to weave their own magics, independent of magi-tec devices. Their talents made them invaluable to the magi-tec corps. ¡°Go on, Lt. Quil,¡± Joseph said, gesturing with his hand for the lieutenant to continue. His commanding presence, usually so strong and unwavering, seemed to soften just a bit in this moment. Joseph believed in nurturing his subordinates, treating them not merely as cogs in a vast machinery of war, but as individuals with their own thoughts and feelings. Yet, deep down, he understood the harsh reality¡ªeveryone was replaceable; it was the nature of their profession. This particular mission, however, was even more precarious¡ªit was a one-way trip. If they succeeded, there would be a chance for retrieval, but the uncertainty loomed overhead, oppressive and undeniable. ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± she exclaimed, snapping to attention and saluting sharply. Always eager to prove her worth to those in higher ranks, she understood that many Jorvians struggled with the demands of military life, particularly in the Eradication Corps. A rigid demeanor defined her; she was determined to demonstrate that, despite her fragile constitution, she could validate her existence through prestigious accolades and noteworthy achievements.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°The signal arrived here, but it no longer exists sir,¡± she reported a hint of concern in her voice. Deep inside, she suspected foul play. The device was in perfect order, yet whatever had been transported here had inexplicably ceased to transmit its signal. It felt as though this very cliff was the only possible location for its arrival. Joseph let out a lengthy sigh as he turned away from her, walking toward one of the grunts stationed nearby, who was scanning the vast expanse of woods before them. In the distance, a colossal tree dominated the horizon, its sheer size misleading him about the actual distance. Experience told him that the tree would be several miles away, an arduous trek of at least a week or two on foot. As he glanced over his shoulder, he noticed the formidable craggy rock face of towering mountains. The peaks stood towering and imposing as if daring anyone to underestimate their grandeur and suffer the consequences of their folly. ¡°Grunt,¡± Joseph commanded in an authoritative tone, his eyes piercing the dense foliage of the ancient forest before him. ¡°Have you noticed anything unusual? Have you seen anything?¡± He resumed his vigil, scanning the vast expanse where giant trees¡ªtowering sentinels of nature¡ªrose majestically from the forest floor. Each one seemed to stretch over three hundred feet into the sky, their thick trunks and sprawling branches forming a canopy that filtered the sunlight into dappled patches on the ground below. As he stood there, Joseph pondered the fate of this pristine land. Would it one day be stripped bare for its valuable hardwoods? The thought weighed heavily on his mind. He knew that whenever matters concerning the System arose and new worlds were uncovered, a squad of surveyors would inevitably follow. Their job was to meticulously catalog every potential resource, marking them for extraction to fuel the ever-expanding needs of the mighty Kul¡¯tecka. Joseph couldn¡¯t shake the apprehension that accompanied such industrial greed, fearing the loss of these ancient giants to the relentless march of progress. "No in yet, M.T. Officer," the grunt replied, his gaze firmly fixed on the distant horizon. "But I can see movement in dem woods, and day don appear to be friendly, sir.¡± The grunt grunted as he leveled his rifle towards something that darted back behind one of the towering majestic hardwoods. Joseph thought he caught a glimpse of something large and brown. Uncharted worlds have always evoked a sense of fear and anxiety, filled with the unknown and the unpredictable. Each world presents its own mysteries, with no knowledge of the unique evolutions that have taken place over millennia. What kind of apex predators might inhabit these unfamiliar terrains? What strange and magical beasts could be lurking in the shadows? He had listened closely to the tales recounted by Corps veterans. They told stories of colossal creatures as large as mountains, capable of launching ship-sized projectiles composed of magma and earth into the void of space. Such attacks could pierce the strongest starship hulls, demonstrating the terrifying power of these natural magical beasts. One old veteran shared an especially harrowing tale with a younger soldier during his early days. He recounted how one such world was ultimately eradicated by a tier four god following the emergence of one of these horrific creatures. Beyond that, the veteran revealed a shocking truth: this legendary beast had managed to wound the mid-ranked god, a feat that seemed impossible. However, this information was classified. No member of the Kul would dare to entertain the idea that their gods, revered and powerful, could ever be harmed by mere mortals or beasts. The very thought was too dangerous to consider. Joseph nodded, his brow furrowing as he stepped away from the grunt, immersing himself in a profound state of concentration. He closed his eyes, a practiced calm overtaking him, as he summoned his innate magical abilities, skills that had been meticulously honed through years of rigorous training and discipline. The Eradication Corps had deemed it necessary to enhance his natural mana circuits through intricate surgical procedures, enabling him to transmit mana more swiftly and amplifying his sensitivity to the subtle fluctuations of magical energies in the environment. As he inhaled deeply, drawing in the ambient mana that flowed around him like a gentle current, his straight mana veins shimmered with a serene blue hue beneath the surface of his skin, almost glowing with the power he was channeling. With a controlled exhale, he released the gathered energy, directing his focus outward to discern any lingering traces that the sophisticated magi-tech devices might have overlooked in their assessments. Taking a few tentative steps, he felt compelled to follow the faint trail of residual energy that seemed to whisper secrets only to him, an ethereal afterimage that was barely discernible to the naked eye. Kneeling down on the rugged terrain, he beckoned one of the specialized trackers¡ªa seasoned operative familiar with the nuances of tracking physical anomalies¡ªover to his side, urgency in his voice. ¡°Look at this¡­ It definitely feels like something was here recently and then moved in that direction,¡± he murmured, his voice low and steady as he pointed to the ground. ¡°Can you check for any physical tracks? I¡¯m not exactly sure how it concealed its mana presence, but we absolutely need to find it if we want to escape this godforsaken rock.¡± The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of their predicament, as the tracker leaned in to examine the area with focused intensity. He struggled to recall the name of this particular individual, but based on its slim build, he deduced it was likely another genetically altered Kul¡¯human. ¡°Sir,¡± he announced, gesturing to his left, ¡°there are tracks leading downwards off the cliff face.¡± As he spoke, he activated a device that outlined the footprint of a shoe in the soft earth. The System quickly calculated the direction of these tracks, providing additional insight into the mystery at hand. The commander of the operation approached, keenly observing what his officer and tracker, Mt Officer Farbanks, was doing. He grunted in approval and nodded, his demeanor suggesting a blend of respect and urgency. ¡°Gather a team,¡± he ordered, his voice steady. ¡°Follow those tracks with extreme prejudice and eliminate any remnants.¡± In a decisive motion, he reached behind himself and retrieved a canister from his gear. Joseph¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. He had never encountered anything like it before, and the shock reverberated through him, shaking him to his core. It was a portable Devour Plague¡ªan ominous device with mana circuits designed for unrestricted use, save for a single kill switch. His eyes traced the intricate circuitry as he read its outlined effects, knowing it would only safeguard the individual in contact with it; everything else would be subject to annihilation. Tales of such devices had circulated among soldiers, but he had hoped with all his heart that the Kul hadn¡¯t developed this technology to such a dangerous level of portability. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Joseph stuttered, his voice betraying his apprehension. ¡°This could end this planet¡­¡± Before he could finish, he was cut off by the commander¡¯s authoritative tone. ¡°You have your orders, Mt Officer Farbanks,¡± he said, shoving the canister into Joseph¡¯s hands with a forceful thrust before stalking away, leaving a sense of dread hanging in the air. Deep down, Joseph knew what the System notification would say; he didn¡¯t even need to look at it. With a heavy heart, he pressed the ¡®Yes¡¯ button, selecting several soldiers to march toward their doom. He made a conscious effort not to choose any of his acquaintances¡ªanyone he cared about¡ªbecause the thought of sending them to their deaths was unbearable. Nevertheless, that cursed Jorvian inserted herself into the selection anyway. With a sigh, he hoped that, when the critical moment arrived, he would be able to make the right choice. With a determined breath, his small group began a brisk trek through the towering redwood forest, tracking one of the six entities that had managed to escape the devastating grasp of the Prismatic Wave Oscillator, their fates intertwined in a perilous dance of survival. Chapter 17: Battlefield Chapter 17: Battlefield The small unit pressed forward through the tangled underbrush of the dense, towering redwood-like forest, the air thick with the scent of wet earth and moss. Shadows danced among the ancient trees as beams of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy overhead. It didn''t take long for the untamed wilderness to reveal its dangers to the Corps for daring to intrude upon its territory. Corporal Denson, a young grunt with wide eyes and nervous energy, learned this lesson the hard way. As he attempted to steady his aim on a peculiar creature¡ªa strange, squat being that stood roughly two feet at the shoulder, adorned with a spiraled horn jutting from its forehead¡ªDenson leaned back against the rough, gnarled bark of a massive tree. Instead of securing a clean shot, he felt the unforgiving wood snag the fabric of his uniform, a sharp burn as the material tore away and released the precious air trapped in his helmet. Panic flickered in his chest, but it was quickly quelled by the knowledge that they were protected from potential airborne pathogens in this alien world. The rest of the unit exchanged worried glances beneath their sturdy helmets, designed to shield them from the unknown dangers lurking in the atmosphere. Sensing the growing tension, Joseph¡ªseemingly the anchor of the group¡ªcalled out with a steady voice, urging his comrades to remove their protective gear. "Take off the helms!" he commanded, his confidence breaking through the chaos, "We need a clearer field of vision." One by one, they obeyed, their helmets clattering to the forest floor, revealing the determination etched on their faces as they prepared to face whatever threats lay ahead in the wild, uncharted realm. The dark, one-horned creature had darted away from the yelping of Denson and scurried away deeper into the underbrush. Making small noises as it went. The only reason that Denson had wanted to bring down the small creature was for his personal trophy collection of random bits of alien species that he had apparently come across during his many sorties. The dark, one-horned creature darted away, its slender frame twisting through the dense underbrush as it disappeared from sight, leaving behind a trail of soft rustles and faint lulls. Denson''s heart raced with disappointment; he had only intended to capture the elusive being for his peculiar trophy collection, a haphazard assortment of alien specimens he¡¯d amassed during his countless expeditions across various planets. ¡°Damn it, Denson! We can''t be sure if those creatures can communicate with each other,¡± Joseph shot back, his voice a mix of irritation and concern. He was slightly agitated by Denson¡¯s reckless ambitions. With a practiced motion, he lowered his magi-tek gun, the sleek weapon humming softly as he flipped the safety back on. Sunlight filtered through the towering alien flora, casting long shadows that danced around them. ¡°Come on, you louts¡­ we need to find a more open area before the sun sets,¡± he urged, glancing upwards. The sky, painted in hues of vibrant orange and deep purple, hinted at the impending twilight. Joseph had observed that the days on this strange planet stretched an exhausting forty-eight hours, leaving them with less time than he¡¯d hoped. The lengthy selection process and the necessary preparations for the unique environmental challenges had consumed precious daylight, and now, time was slipping away like grains of sand through his fingers. As they stepped into the dense, shadowed embrace of the forest, the air grew thick with the scent of damp earth and decay. In a small clearing, barely touched by the dappled sunlight that filtered through the tangled canopy, they spotted the remains of a furred beast. What little was left of it was unrecognizable¡ªits form reduced to scattered tufts of matted fur and jagged, picked-clean bones. The scavengers had already feasted, stripping away flesh and sinew, leaving only remnants of their frenzy behind. Now, a writhing mass of insects crawled through the hollows of the carcass, their tiny legs skittering over the exposed ribcage, burrowing deep into the remnants of what had once been a living creature. The sight was grim, but they spared it no more than a passing glance. Their focus lay elsewhere, drawn to the faint traces of something far more important¡ªa trail they could not afford to lose. Harrow, the skilled tracker and another member of the Kul¡¯human, studied the shoe imprints carefully, noting the distinct checkmark embedded in their patterns. As he traced the markings with his finger, he suddenly became aware of a different set of tracks that seemed to pursue the original target. Intrigued, he shared his findings with Joseph, hoping that whatever had taken up the chase had succeeded in capturing the prey, much like it had done with the beast that had been killed in the clearing. Together, they examined the massive paw prints that punctuated the forest floor, each print revealing a formidable set of nearly two-inch talons that spoke of a creature both powerful and predatory. Joseph simply nodded in acknowledgment, his expression serious, as they made their way deeper into the woods, following the intertwined paths of their quarry and the mysterious beast that hunted it. The dense canopy overhead filtered the sunlight, casting dappled shadows on the ground as they pressed on, each crackle of twigs underfoot heightening their sense of urgency. One of the other grunts raised his hand, signaling for the squad to halt and remain on high alert. Instantly, the team dropped to one knee, their movements fluid and practiced. Each soldier hoisted their magi-tek rifles to their shoulders, the metallic click of safety switches being disengaged punctuating the tense air. A low, ominous hum emanated from the rifles, a sound that always seemed to vibrate with latent energy. They strained to listen, every fiber of their being tuned to the surrounding wilderness, anxious to discern the source of the grunt¡¯s sudden suspicion. The underbrush crackled ominously, and the air thickened with anticipation. Just as Joseph was about to voice a question, a sudden commotion erupted from the dense foliage. Emerging from the shadows was a small creature, barely two feet tall, its body adorned with a wicked-looking spiraled horn and a disheveled black coat. Its eyes glimmered with a feral intensity, wild and calculating, as it darted into view. In an instant, the members of the Eradication Squad pivoted, weapons aimed at the flickering shadow. The creature, however, was quick, disappearing behind the solid trunk of a nearby tree, leaving the squad poised for action, muscles tensed and ready to respond. That¡¯s when all hell broke loose. He heard a scream to his rear and turned his attention to the sound. His squad, made of twenty soldiers and two magi-tek officers, was quickly reduced to nineteen soldiers. One of the grunts had two horns sticking through his chest. Two of the creatures had attacked his back when the other one had misguided the squad in looking the wrong way. The look of surprise on the Dragkin was one of shock and pain, coughing up blood, the creatures pulled their one-foot-long horns out of the man and quickly retreated back behind a thick redwood. Joseph erupted in a fierce curse, his voice cutting through the tension, ¡°It¡¯s a pack type!¡± The words reverberated off the shadows that loomed around them as his squad sprang into action, instinctively covering their flanks. Each soldier positioned himself with precision, forming an unyielding circle, their breaths shallow and steady as they braced for the unknown. ¡°Be Vigilant, Be Brave!¡± Joseph shouted, sharing one of the Corps'' mottos¡ªa rallying cry that echoed in the hearts of his men. The mantra hung in the air, a lifeline of encouragement during this perilous moment. He observed the faces of his squad, some brightening with a flicker of renewed determination, their eyes reflecting the fervor of a soldier deeply embedded in the System. It may not have fueled Joseph¡¯s own resolve, but to those who had devoted their lives to this path, it ignited a flicker of confidence in the face of impending danger. The late-day sun cast golden rays through the tangled canopy, its light flickering off the metallic edges of their rifles as the squad fought for their lives. Blue flashes of energy erupted with each trigger pull, the metallic mana-infused rounds tearing through the relentless swarm of creatures. What they had first mistaken for a pack was something far worse¡ªan entire colony. A chittering, writhing mass of fur and fangs that refused to scatter, driven by some primal instinct to defend their den¡­ or whatever these things called home. The squad instinctively closed ranks, stepping back into a tighter formation as the situation grew dire. Reports crackled through their comms¡ªammo reserves were dwindling. By the time some of them reached the halfway mark, Joseph knew a decision had to be made. "Mixed weapons!" he bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos. That single order sent a ripple through the squad. Rifles slung over shoulders, hands reaching for the weapons forged from Magi-Tek devices¡ªblades that shimmered with latent energy, axes humming with raw power. These weapons were their last line of defense, designed to be wielded when ranged firepower failed. But unlike the rifles, they didn¡¯t draw from the surrounding mana. They required something far more personal. Personal core energy. The soldiers had been trained for this, taught how to wield their weapons with precision, how to channel what they believed was their own stored mana. They had never questioned it. But Joseph and Quil knew the truth. It wasn¡¯t mana at all. It was their own soul energy. The very essence of their being, siphoned away in battle. It would replenish over time, but the cost was undeniable. Each swing of a blade, each arc of an axe, burned away a sliver of their existence. They had never been told the full truth¡ªonly that this was the way of things. And now, as the creatures pressed in, the squad had no choice but to wield the very force that slowly consumed them. A lone, one-horned beast lurked at the edge of the tree line, its keen eyes fixed on the strange intruders that had dared to trespass into its domain. It had watched them much like the smaller, tree-climbing creatures had¡ªsilent, calculating, and growing ever more irritated by their presence. This was no ordinary scout or mindless predator. It was one of the eldest of its kind, a leader among its species, its thick fur streaked with the scars of countless battles.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! With a sharp, guttural yelp, it barked out a command. The change was immediate. The tide of creatures that had been hounding the squad with cautious strikes suddenly surged forward, their hesitation erased in an instant. It was as if the very forest had come alive, the undergrowth writhing with a blur of black-furred bodies and glinting horns. Joseph hadn¡¯t seen the one-horned leader watching from the shadows. If he had, he would have put a mana bullet right between its eyes without hesitation. But what he did see made his blood run cold. The once-relentless but manageable attacks turned into an outright frenzy. The creatures no longer struck in probing waves¡ªthey charged, howling and snarling, their movements a blur of muscle and malice. The treeline, once a tangled wall of dark greens and browns, became a roiling mass of shadowy fur and gleaming horns, surging toward them in numbers that seemed impossible. Joseph¡¯s breath hitched. His hands clenched tighter around his weapon. This wasn¡¯t just a pack. This was an horde. ¡°Bastion!!!¡± Joseph¡¯s voice boomed over the battlefield, amplified by the very ambient mana swirling in the air. The soldiers responded instantly, each gripping a small device at their waist and snapping it forward. With a synchronized hum, the Magi-Tek barriers flared to life, translucent blue domes interlocking to form a protective circle around them. Unlike the drop pod¡¯s passive shield, which continuously siphoned mana to sustain itself, this one was built for temporary resilience¡ªjust enough to buy them time. The horde crashed against the shimmering barriers with bone-rattling force. Black-furred bodies slammed into the glowing shields, their curved horns scraping against the energy field, sending ripples of strain across its surface. The Kul soldiers huddled closer, weapons raised, as cracks spiderwebbed through the barriers, splintering into floating motes of dying light. Joseph knew they were running out of time. But he only needed a little. Standing at the center of the formation, he reached into his pack and pulled out a glassy sphere, its surface reflecting the frantic chaos around him. Closing his eyes for a split second, he inhaled deeply, pulling on the latent mana thick in the air. The sphere began to glow, first faintly, then with a pulsing intensity as he channeled fire-aligned mana into it. The clear glass darkened, shifting into a deep crimson, flickering with violent energy. Joseph¡¯s lips curled into a sharp grin. It was ready. The first fracture splintered across the shield, a jagged crack of failing energy. The creatures sensed the weakening defense, their frenzied attacks redoubling. Joseph didn¡¯t wait. ¡°PURGATORY!¡± he roared, his arm snapping forward as he hurled the overloaded Magi-Tek grenade over the barrier and into the densest cluster of one-horns. The small, glowing sphere cut through the air in a smooth arc, bouncing once against the hard-packed earth. The creatures hesitated, their instincts screaming at them to beware. A brief, tense second passed. Then the world ignited. A brilliant explosion of fire and force erupted outward, engulfing the battlefield in a violent storm of reddish-orange flames. The blast wave tore through the front lines of the one-horns, incinerating those caught within its deadly radius. Creatures outside the immediate inferno were hurled backward, their bodies tumbling through the air as the shockwave rippled through the woods, snapping branches and scorching the earth. The fire burned unnaturally bright, feeding off the very mana Joseph had infused within the grenade. A ripple of fear coursed through the remaining creatures. The one-horns, so relentless only moments before, now recoiled, their instincts screaming in terror. The fire¡ªthe sheer, raw destruction¡ªtriggered something primal within them. It wasn¡¯t just the flames that scared them, but what the fire represented. It was a force they knew, one that prowled the night within these uncharted lands. Without hesitation, the surviving one-horns turned and fled, disappearing into the undergrowth like shadows dispersing before the dawn. Silence settled over the battlefield, save for the crackling embers of the scorched earth. Joseph exhaled sharply, surveying the aftermath before issuing the next command. ¡°Hold positions. Maintain vigilance until we confirm the area is clear.¡± He checked the status feed on his wrist, his expression darkening as the numbers rolled in. ¡°Four dead¡­ two wounded¡­ one missing,¡± he murmured. The weight of those losses settled heavily on his shoulders. His eyes flicked over the names of the fallen Kul soldiers, committing them to memory. Quil was still alive. Denton too. The tracker remained unscathed. The mission wasn¡¯t over. With a heavy sigh, he marked the location of the fallen on the map for potential retrieval. But deep down, he knew the truth¡ªby the time they returned, there would likely be nothing left to recover. Such was the nature of an uncharted world. He steeled himself, pushing the grief aside. There was no time to dwell. ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± he called out, his voice steady despite the exhaustion creeping into his bones. ¡°There should be a clearing ahead.¡± The squad quickly reformed, stripping any salvageable tech from their fallen before falling into a defensive formation. Their movements were sharp, disciplined, efficient. There was no room for hesitation in a place like this. With weapons raised and eyes scanning the darkened tree line, they pressed forward, disappearing into the unknown.
What the hell is that? Elaine squinted at the fiery streak cutting through the sky, her breath catching as she watched its rapid descent. It wasn''t just falling¡ªit was slowing down. Flames shot from its underside in a controlled burn, stabilizing its approach like something out of an old documentary about space capsules re-entering the atmosphere. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sera responded tentatively, her voice uncharacteristically meek. She knew she had upset her human, and the last thing she wanted was to make things worse. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m really sorry for my actions in the soul space.¡± The remorse in her voice was genuine, but Elaine wasn¡¯t sure what to do with it. Elaine¡¯s grip on her emotions wavered. How was she supposed to feel about Seraphion now? Sera had never hurt her before, not really, but the raw, unbridled wrath she had felt in that moment¡ªElaine still didn¡¯t know how to process it. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced, something far beyond human understanding. A primordial rage wrapped in celestial power. She was terrified of Sera, but more than that, she was afraid of the depth of what she had glimpsed. Look¡­ I¡¯ll be okay, eventually. She projected the thought toward Seraphion, her mental voice laced with uncertainty. Knowing what you are¡­ knowing that all those souls on Earth are trapped inside you and Zee, that¡¯s something I need to wrestle with myself. She hesitated, tracking the mysterious falling object as it flickered blue before vanishing beyond the treetops. I guess it¡¯s better that way, though. Instead of being lost forever, at least they still¡­ exist. Maybe that means humanity isn¡¯t truly dead. Zeraphine, standing in the real world beside Elaine, couldn¡¯t hear the mental exchange, but she caught enough of Seraphion¡¯s replies to understand what was happening. A small smile tugged at her lips. They¡¯re making up. That¡¯s good. But she had more immediate concerns. Her eyes flicked toward the alien before her, and her expression shifted into something far less friendly. ¡°Sooo, Xin-ta,¡± Zee purred, her voice edged with amusement and veiled menace. ¡°Are you going to be a good girl and leave my human alone?¡± She flashed a small, sinister smile, her back turned slightly to Elaine as she casually leaned in. ¡°See, I really like my human. And considering she¡¯s one of five left in the whole universe, I¡¯d say that makes her quite the rarity.¡± Xin-ta barely concealed her discomfort. She had no idea what to do. She had faced countless dangers in the wild, had encountered beasts that could tear a warrior in half, but nothing compared to standing before this¡­ thing. The winged one radiated an aura of power unlike anything Xin-ta had ever encountered. And if her instincts were right, this entity was on par with¡ªor perhaps even beyond¡ªthe Guardian of the Woods, Zephorion. She cleared her throat, forcing her voice to remain steady. ¡°I am Xin-ta of the Tal-Tal, a Seeker of the Lost,¡± she declared, standing taller, forcing pride into her posture. The title gave her strength, even in the face of something far beyond her comprehension. ¡°I promise, on the wrath of the Guardian Zephorion, that I will not engage your charge with any hostile intent.¡± She moved swiftly, pulling out her flint dagger in a practiced motion. In one fluid motion, she dragged the blade across her right forearm, a shallow but deliberate cut, before flipping the dagger and presenting it hilt-first to Zeraphine. Elaine gasped. ¡°What the hell, Xin!¡± She scrambled forward, instinctively tearing another strip from her already ruined hoodie to press against the bleeding wound. But as she did, her eyes caught something else¡ªsomething that sent a wave of realization crashing through her. She had been patched up. Bandages wrapped snugly around her left side. Someone¡ªXin-ta? Zee?¡ªhad tended to her wounds while she had been oblivious. Good God¡­ how am I so out of it? Zee, however, merely held up a hand, stopping Elaine from interfering further. ¡°Give me a moment, human,¡± she said with a bemused smirk, taking the offered hilt with an air of regal amusement. The moment her fingers closed around it, her power pulsed through the primitive weapon. The rough, crude flint began to change. ¡°Watch this, Xin-ta, and revel in my magnificence,¡± Zee said, her voice practically dripping with self-satisfaction. The blade shimmered as its coarse surface smoothed, shifting from a brittle flint to a near-crystalline obsidian. The jagged edges refined themselves to an impossibly sharp, near-molecular precision¡ªcapable of slicing through steel and flesh alike with terrifying ease. Yet, it retained the signature shape of the original flint knife, an echo of what it once was, now perfected beyond the realm of possibility. The hilt, once crude animal bone, transformed beneath her fingers. It rippled, reshaping to fit Xin-ta¡¯s grip perfectly, contoured for an unparalleled hold. It was no longer just a weapon¡ªit was an extension of Xin-ta herself. With a flick of her wrist, Zee dragged the newly forged blade across her own perfect skin. A thin line of crimson welled up before vanishing almost instantly as her body absorbed the lost energy. She handed the transformed weapon back to Xin-ta with a flourish. The alien woman looked as if she were about to pass out. ¡°Zee to Xin-ta¡­ Hello?¡± Zee waved a hand in front of her face, snapping the stunned warrior out of her trance. ¡°So, we both cut ourselves. What now?¡± she asked playfully, ignoring the deepening concern on Elaine¡¯s face. A droplet of blood nearly splashed onto her toe, and she sighed dramatically. Xin-ta blinked rapidly, her mind struggling to keep up with what had just transpired. Slowly, she extended her arm once more. ¡°This one is sorry. I, Xin-ta, swear.¡± A pulse of energy stirred around her. The ambient mana in the air thickened, drawn toward the ritual as her veins began to glow faintly. Elaine¡¯s brain clicked into motion. That¡¯s not just a promise¡ªthat¡¯s a binding magical contract. Zee, however, had no training in magic. Neither did Sera. They knew how to channel their inherent gifts, how to bend reality through sheer force of will, but the intricate mechanisms of structured magic? That was beyond them. So when Zee reached out and clasped Xin-ta¡¯s forearm, she was entirely unprepared for what happened next. Their blood reacted. Twin streams of crimson rose from their wounds, twisting through the air before wrapping around their forearms, forming a band of red. If they clasped hands again, the circle would be completed. Without it, it remained an unfinished oath. Zee¡¯s eyes widened in irritation. ¡°Fuck me¡­ it¡¯s a god-damn blood bond.¡± She exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples as realization sank in. ¡°At least it¡¯s completely one-sided.¡± With a grunt, she yanked her arm back and unceremoniously shoved the newly perfected knife into Xin-ta¡¯s hands. Elaine just stared. What the hell just happened? Chapter 18: Guardians and healers Chapter 18: Guardian With nightfall rapidly descending, the Eradication Squad made a temporary camp in the clearing, the flickering embers of their fire casting eerie shadows across the bloodstained grass. At the heart of the clearing lay the gruesome remains of a bisected creature, its jaguar-like form twisted unnaturally, lifeless eyes reflecting the dying light of day. The body, however, was incomplete. Its head had been wrenched away from the torso, dragged several feet across the dirt and tangled underbrush. The tears were brutal and uneven, as if immense force had been used to rip it free rather than cut it cleanly. Tendons and bones jutted from the ragged stump of its neck, a gruesome testament to the sheer strength of whatever had done this. The tracker of the group had meticulously followed a trail of shoe prints leading here, a path that spoke of struggle, desperation, and perhaps, a battle of survival. But something about the scene felt off. The way the earth was disturbed, the jagged claw marks gouged into the dirt, and the telltale patterns of combat all suggested a fierce skirmish had taken place. As the tracker studied the ground, they found another set of tracks¡ªsmaller clawed impressions, most likely belonging to the one-horned creatures the squad had fought earlier in the day. The marks crisscrossed the area in chaotic patterns, suggesting frantic movement, but whether these creatures had been attackers, scavengers, or something else entirely remained uncertain. Stranger still, the jaguar-like beast¡¯s paws matched the tracks the squad had been following. This was the very creature they had been tracking. But had it been the predator or the prey? If it had been hunting something, it had clearly underestimated its target. The sheer amount of blood spilled here painted a grim picture¡ªthick streaks of dried crimson soaking into the earth beside the bisected carcass. Whatever had done this had not just killed the creature; it had utterly dominated it. As they examined the body, an unsettling realization crept in. Though the feline form shared the broad silhouette of a jaguar, its features were eerily mismatched¡ªa patchwork of apex predator traits sculpted into one deadly beast. Its sleek fur shimmered with scaled ridges, while an unnatural number of limbs stretched from its muscular torso. It was as if some celestial force had taken inspiration from nature and then decided to rearrange the design entirely. Yet, something was missing. Both Quil and Joseph studied the remains carefully, exchanging wary glances. There was no trace of mana. Neither in the one-horned creatures nor in the six-legged, scaled predator. It was an anomaly. The redwood forest was thick with ambient mana, its energy pulsing through the towering ancient trees, the very air alive with arcane resonance. And yet, here, in this place of bloodshed and violence, there was only silence. A stillness that gnawed at the edges of their senses, whispering that something far stranger lurked beneath the surface of this mystery. Then the tracker found another set of tracks, partially buried beneath the chaos of battle. These prints were different. Larger. Heavier. They belonged to something that walked on its hind legs, its weight sinking deep into the damp earth. And unlike the others, these tracks radiated an undeniable mana presence¡ªdense, heavy, and oppressive, as if whatever had left them was steeped in power. Joseph exhaled sharply, his gaze following the tracks as they disappeared into the shadows of the redwoods. "Whatever did this," he muttered, "it wasn¡¯t just another predator." Something powerful had come through here. That was when the tracker, known as Harrow, found something else that deepened the mystery of the battle-scarred clearing. The place was a mar of chaos, every inch of disturbed earth telling a fragmented story of violence. The last few minutes of daylight waned as he carefully followed the erratic trails, his keen eyes piecing together the sequence of events like a puzzle. And then, he found evidence that reshaped their understanding of what had happened here. Without hesitation, he approached their squad leader, Joseph, his voice steady with conviction. ¡°Sir, I think I¡¯ve figured out what went down here,¡± Harrow explained, resolute in his deduction. ¡°The abnormal jaguar stalked its victim into this clearing, but the one-horns attacked it before it could strike. A fight broke out, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Something else came into the clearing after that¡ªsomething powerful. It didn¡¯t just kill. It tormented our quarry.¡± His voice was grim, but he stood by his conclusions. He motioned for Joseph to follow, leading him toward a scorched patch of earth. At first glance, it might have been mistaken for the remnants of a fire pit, but as Harrow pointed out the details, it became clear¡ªthis was no ordinary burn. The blackened ground stretched outward in uneven arcs; charred debris scattered around the area. The intense heat had seared the dirt itself, leaving behind deep cracks. ¡°This wasn¡¯t just a campfire,¡± Harrow murmured, running his fingers along the brittle edges of a scorched root. ¡°This looks like someone¡ªor something¡ªused a flamethrower.¡± Joseph frowned, studying the destruction more closely. The burn pattern was too wild, too deliberate for a natural fire. There were no wood remnants, no signs of controlled ignition¡ªonly devastation. Whatever had done this had unleashed a wave of fire with purpose. ¡°I think our target didn¡¯t just leave the clearing,¡± Harrow continued, glancing up from his analysis. ¡°It came back. It tried to use this hollow for shelter. But it wasn¡¯t alone for long.¡± He gestured toward the deep, gouged tracks leading away. ¡°That¡¯s when it encountered whatever left these¡ªthis thing you said had a heavy mana presence. And from how the tracks are spaced¡­ it didn¡¯t just appear. It chased.¡± Joseph¡¯s gaze followed the direction Harrow showed, the forest''s shadows seeming even darker now. The weight of the revelation settled over them like a shroud. Their target had fled into the depths of the redwoods, hounded by something unknown¡ªsomething powerful. And whatever it was, it was still out there. A growing sense of unease settled over him. The target chosen for eradication was proving to be remarkably fortunate, almost unnaturally so. Somehow, this entity had traversed the treacherous domain of the one-horns, evaded an apex predator, and then escaped from what seemed to be an even greater threat, one that exuded an overwhelming mana presence. The air still thrummed faintly with residual energy, a lingering testament to the sheer power that had passed through this clearing. And yet, despite these formidable dangers, their quarry remained free, slipping through the cracks time and time again. By contrast, the Eradication Squad had fought a brutal battle against the one-horns, shedding blood to carve their way forward. They had gathered vital intelligence¡ªdocumenting the creatures that prowled this world, cataloging behaviors, and expanding their understanding of this unforgiving planet. But it was becoming clear that their mission was pushing them toward an inevitable, dangerous confrontation. Unlike their target, who had eluded every lethal encounter so far, the squad¡¯s luck would not last forever. With a deep, weary sigh, he turned and made his way back to the center of the clearing. The faint rustle of movement met his ears as several of the lower-ranking members labored under the dimming twilight, working methodically to remove the remains of the dissected scaled jaguar. The acrid scent of dried blood lingered, mixing with the earth, the scent thick in the damp forest air. Their task was grim but necessary¡ªleaving the carcass exposed would only draw more predators, perhaps creatures even deadlier than what had already passed through. The dense redwood loomed over them like silent sentinels, their gnarled limbs swaying slightly in the breeze, casting shifting shadows across the clearing. Every sound beyond their small circle of light felt amplified¡ªthe rustling of unseen creatures, the distant call of something unknown. The planet was alive, and the forest, deep and ancient, was watching. And indeed, something was watching the small group of trespassers. It had already dealt with the ones that fell from the sky, and now it was here. Perched high above in the dense canopy of the living forest, it waited. Observed. Judged. The noble rabbit clan had fought bravely, their honor unshaken even in the face of death. Their warriors had leaped into battle with the ferocity of a storm, moving in perfect harmony with the rhythm of the forest. But it had not been enough. A mere score of trespassers had undone them. These invaders possessed devastating ranged magic blasts of fire and lightning that burned through the underbrush, cutting down warriors before they could even reach their foes. And worse still, something among them had fought with a presence akin to the dwellers of the deep. A being whose power should have belonged to the abyssal horrors that lurked in the drowned places of the world, not to those who walked the land. This failure burned like embers in its mind, fueling its growing fury. Its slender, predatory form crouched atop a thick branch, nearly motionless, save for the slow, calculated curl of its segmented, scorpion-like tail. The crystalline tip of the appendage was buried deep into the wood, pulsing faintly with energy, as if drawing sustenance from the very lifeblood of the tree. Its large, owl-like eyes glowed with an eerie intensity, locked onto the cluster of trespassers below. Small cracks echoed in the hush of the night as its clawed hands flexed against the bark, the sharp talons digging deep into the trunk. Its bluish-grey, chitinous body pulsed with an ethereal glow, the dim bioluminescence shifting beneath its armored segments like a heartbeat. Its wings quivered in anticipation, muscles tensing for the inevitable strike. These interlopers from the stars did not belong here. This was its forest. Its domain. And they would not see the light of day. Without hesitation, it launched itself from the limb, a silent shadow against the night. Its trajectory was calculated¡ªprecise. It targeted the smallest one of the group, the weakest link in the herd. The easiest to kill. Not only for its shock value but for something far more sinister.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It could sense the ambient mana swirling around her, the way it clung to her like an unseen veil. She was touched by it. Infused with the very magic of the forest. That could not be allowed. Creatures that could wield such power had no place here. They were unnatural. And it would purge them accordingly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have cut yourself, Zee!¡± Elaine scolded as she wrapped the archangel¡¯s forearm tightly with a strip of her ever-diminishing hoodie. Her black, razor-sharp claws made the task delicate, but she managed to secure the final knot with an extra jerk for good measure. Zee grunted in response, granting Elaine a small moment of satisfaction. ¡°Seriously¡­ that blade looks really sharp. If you hadn¡¯t been more careful, you could have sliced your basilic vein!¡± she continued, giving Zee a pointed glare. ¡°Lucky for you, though, you didn¡¯t even nick it, so you should be fine.¡± That was when she turned her attention to Xin-ta. ¡°You, on the other hand, did nick the vein.¡± Elaine sighed, reaching to tear another piece from her already-tattered hoodie, only to be stopped when Xin-ta raised a hand. The messy-haired woman pulled out a smooth, well-worn wooden box from her satchel and held it out. ¡°This is a healer¡¯s kit,¡± Xin-ta explained as she flipped the lid open, revealing the meager remains of what had once been a fully stocked supply. ¡°Every Seeker is given one when sent to find things that are lost.¡± Most of the contents had already been used¡ªmany of them on Elaine. ¡°Use what you must but know that I have no way to replenish it until we return to the Clan.¡± She extended the box toward Elaine, offering it without hesitation. Elaine blinked in surprise before taking the kit with a nod of thanks. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you had this earlier?¡± she asked, recalling how Xin-ta had simply watched her tear apart her own clothing to patch up Zee¡¯s wound. Even Zee looked mildly exasperated by the revelation. Xin-ta gave a slight shrug, clearly unbothered by their reactions. ¡°Oh well, nothing can be done for it now,¡± Elaine muttered, shaking her head. ¡°We need to take care of that wound, though. I can already see blood pooling under the skin. It¡¯s forming a hematoma¡ªit¡¯ll swell and hurt if we don¡¯t handle it properly.¡± She gestured for Xin-ta to sit beside her, grateful that her high school biology classes¡ªand that single college course¡ªwere coming in handy. Studying her own body had helped, but analyzing various animal anatomies had been just as useful. Xin-ta hesitated for a moment before finally sitting cross-legged and extending her forearm toward the human. She watched as Elaine carefully examined the remaining supplies, pausing only to check if her own hands were relatively clean. Before she could ask, Xin-ta handed over her water skin. Elaine hesitated, perplexed, before unscrewing the cap and peering inside. Water. Her eyes widened in realization. ¡°I haven¡¯t had anything to drink in¡­ a while,¡± she admitted, her throat suddenly dry as she recalled that her only source of moisture had been the partially dried meat she had eaten nearly an Earth day ago. It had done little to actually hydrate her. ¡°Do you mind if I drink some before washing my hands?¡± she asked, suddenly feeling the weight of her thirst. Xin-ta simply nodded. Elaine wasted no time, raising the waterskin to her lips and drinking in hurried gulps. The water was warm, but it hardly mattered. It tasted like salvation. She only stopped when she realized she had nearly drained the entire container. ¡°Oh¡ªI''m sorry,¡± she said, lowering the waterskin with a sheepish expression. Guilt gnawed at her¡ªshe had taken something precious without thinking. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Xin-ta reassured her, though her voice held an edge of something unreadable. ¡°I¡¯m glad it quenched your thirst.¡± Elaine exhaled in relief, but she didn¡¯t miss the way Xin-ta¡¯s gaze flickered toward Zee¡ªnot with curiosity, but with a quiet, calculating wariness. It was subtle, but it was there. Zee, for her part, said nothing. She merely watched Xin-ta in return, her blue-grey eyes calm but unwavering. There was something unspoken between them, a weight that settled into the silence. The blood pact. It had been made, binding them in an uneasy truce. But even as Xin-ta honored it, she knew the truth was one-sided, leaning heavily in favor of the winged one. It would do little to stop Zee if she ever decided to unleash havoc upon her people. And yet, Xin-ta still met her gaze with quiet defiance. If the day ever came when the archangel turned against them, it would not be an easy conquest. Zee would learn that, just as surely as Xin-ta had accepted the risk. A faint, almost knowing smile curled on Xin-ta¡¯s lips, but it was not meant for Elaine. It was a message, directed solely at Zee. ¡°Do not be afraid,¡± she said, her voice steady, but layered with meaning. ¡°Our kind have strong resilience to pain and tough skin.¡± Elaine glanced between them, frowning slightly. She and Zee were friends, but Xin-ta? Xin-ta didn¡¯t trust the archangel. And from the way she spoke, she wanted Zee to understand¡ªif the winged one ever turned against them, the fight would not be easy. Elaine just sighed at the two of them as she continued to examine the held-out forearm of Xin-ta. ¡°You¡¯ll really need to get over whatever this is.¡± She murmured as she pulled out a sewing needle that looked to be made from a thin bone. She quickly identified it as belonging to some sort of fish rib bone. She smiled at the thought of sashimi again. She quickly gathered herself back into the moment and not on the food that made her belly growl with anticipation. Zee and Xin-ta both turned their gaze toward Elaine. The human sat unaware of the silent war waged between them¡ªa battle of unspoken intentions, each woman measuring the other in the dim glow of the forest. Zee wanted to protect her human at all costs. It wasn¡¯t a matter of obligation. It was something deeper, something that even she couldn¡¯t fully explain. Elaine was fragile, mortal, and entirely too reckless for her own good. But she was hers, and Zee would tear through gods and galaxies alike before allowing anyone to take her away. Xin-ta, on the other hand, saw Elaine as something entirely different. She was the prize from the search she had been sent on. A lost thing, something that belonged to the Clan¡ªwhether she realized it or not. The elders would know what to do with her and the winged one. Xin-ta wasn¡¯t foolish enough to believe that she could take on Zee alone, but she also wasn¡¯t naive enough to think the archangel was invincible. The two stood at an impasse. The pact between them was unsteady, a fragile thread that could snap at any moment. They both knew the other was dangerous. Xin-ta knew that the archangel could most likely fight on par with the Guardian of the Forest, the monstrous enforcer that prowled the depths of this wood. But she wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to ignore its strength. The Clan had warriors, ones who fought as a unit, their strength amplified in numbers. Alone, they were no match for her, but together? Together, they might have a chance. If they were able to get the aid of the Guardian. Which only the Elders of the forest knew how to do. And that was the problem. Zee thought to herself. Zee¡¯s Divine Right of Creation was an unrivaled gift, but here¡ªon this low-tech world¡ªit was practically useless. These people had no great machines, no intricate weapons to refine or modify. They fought with steel and instinct, with blades forged by hand, and no matter how sharp she could make a knife, a knife was still just a knife. Provide her with a cutting-edge piece of technology¡ªsomething truly advanced, something that holds the potential for catastrophic impact¡ªand she could unleash destruction like no other. However, in this realm? There was little to enhance, and she was acutely aware of it. Xin-ta, in contrast, remained oblivious to this truth. She gazed at the spear and the knife, marveling at their inherent craftsmanship and beauty. Yet, even she understood that a knife is just that: a knife. Its effectiveness hinges entirely on the wielder''s skill and artistry. Now, if that other figure with the crimson wings were to appear... Xin-ta shuddered at the thought. If that creature, the one from the forest, came with the white-winged one, then there would be no hope. Xin-ta knew it deep within her hearts. If the two of them stood together, it would spell the end of her Clan¡­ and many others within the surrounding woods. Even the Guardian, with all its might, might not stand a chance against them. The silent war between the alien and the archangel simmered beneath the surface, unspoken yet palpable. But Elaine, ever the optimist, was blissfully unaware. She only wished they would get along. Instead, her attention was drawn to something else. ¡°What are these?¡± she asked, pointing at the faintly glowing secondary veins beneath Xin-ta¡¯s skin. The bioluminescent lines pulsed with a soft light, branching out like delicate rivers beneath the surface. Xin-ta snapped out of her thoughts, her gaze darting to the wound on her arm. Her eyes widened in alarm. She had cut too deeply¡ªdangerously close to her mana veins. ¡°It¡¯s not cut, is it?¡± she asked, voice tight with worry. If she had severed it, her magic heart would begin to bleed, draining all the stored mana essence within her. That kind of wound could be fatal. Elaine frowned, inspecting the wound more closely. If the mana vein had been severed, she imagined there would be some kind of color shift¡ªperhaps a blueish tint to the blood. She carefully washed the wound with water, studying the flow of liquid over the skin before confirming, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s cut.¡± Relieved, Xin-ta exhaled slowly, then noticed Elaine¡¯s lingering curiosity. ¡°So¡­ what is it?¡± Elaine asked again, holding Xin-ta¡¯s wrist gently as she studied the veins up close. The human¡¯s expression was a mixture of scientific intrigue and fascination. Xin-ta hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath. She pulled in ambient mana from the air, letting it flow into her body before casting it outward in a controlled pulse. She watched Elaine carefully, gauging her reaction. Nothing. Elaine didn¡¯t react. Didn¡¯t see it. The realization made Xin-ta pause. This human¡­ had no mana heart. It was strange. No, impossible. Everything that lived under Father Sun, everything capable of interacting with ambient mana, was born with a mana heart. Even creatures that barely scraped the surface of magic had traces of it. But Elaine? There was nothing. That alone made it easier for Xin-ta to speak freely. ¡°These are my mana channels,¡± she explained, moving her fingers in the air in fluid, deliberate motions. ¡°They allow my kind to wield nature¡¯s ambient mana.¡± Elaine¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement, watching Xin-ta¡¯s fingers move. But then her enthusiasm faltered as she realized something. ¡°You can¡¯t see mana, can you?¡± Xin-ta asked, reading her expression with a knowing look. Elaine deflated. ¡°No¡­¡± Xin-ta nodded, then decided to show her instead. She reached out with her magic, drawing in water-aligned mana from the air. With a controlled motion, she streamed the gathered energy into the waterskin. Elaine¡¯s eyes bulged as the realization hit her. ¡°That¡­ that was ma¡ªmagic?!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Wait¡ªso that¡¯s water? Like, real water? Drinkable water?¡± Xin-ta tilted her head slightly, confused by the question. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, her voice carrying the same puzzled curiosity she had earlier. Elaine blinked, trying to reframe her question. ¡°Is it pure water? Or does it have minerals and other elements? Or¡­ is it just whatever you perceive to be water?¡± Xin-ta frowned, processing the strange human logic. ¡°I¡­ have never heard of ¡®pure¡¯ water,¡± she admitted. ¡°There is only salty water and drinking water.¡± Elaine sighed. ¡°Of course.¡± Xin-ta, satisfied with her answer, returned her focus to her wound. She gestured toward her still-bleeding forearm. ¡°Are you going to patch me up, Shaman?¡± she asked, amusement creeping into her tone. Elaine¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She had gotten so caught up in her curiosity that she had completely forgotten the reason she was tending to Xin-ta in the first place. Quickly, she used the fresh water to flush the wound again, making Xin-ta grunt in pain. She examined the cut more closely¡ªit wasn¡¯t deep enough to require stitches, but it would take a week or two to heal properly. She grabbed what little bandages remained and used one of the alien salves left in the healer¡¯s kit, pressing it against the wound before wrapping the forearm securely. ¡°That should do it,¡± Elaine said, satisfied as she stood. She turned toward Zee, ready to share the new discovery with her friend. But then¡ª Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened slightly in shock. Zee turned toward her, confused. ¡°Do I have something on my¡ª?¡± She never got the chance to finish her sentence. The butt of a rifle slammed into the base of her neck with a sickening crack. Elaine screamed as Zee¡¯s body crumpled to the ground, her blue-grey eyes going glassy for a split second before the world erupted into chaos. Chapter 19: Guardian Zephorion Chapter 19: Guardian Zephorion Quil never stood a chance. It came like a shadow given form, descending in near silence from the thick redwood canopy above. The air grew heavy, thick with the scent of damp earth and something older, something unnatural. The moon, once a silent guardian in the night sky, vanished behind roiling clouds as if recoiling from the presence of the thing that willed itself into existence. It was not merely a predator¡ªit was something woven into the very fabric of the wild, a force of nature itself. Its bioluminescent blue-green eyes narrowed into slits, dimming as it locked onto its target. The frailest one. The easiest to break. A whisper of wind brushed the treetops as its elongated limbs extended, talons outstretched, craving the sensation of flesh giving way beneath its grasp. A deep, shuddering thrill coursed through the beast¡ªthis was not just a kill. This was retribution. The attack was instant, a blur of motion too fast for the human eye to follow. A rush of wind, the snap of branches¡ªthen impact. The creature struck from the void, slamming into Magi-tec officer Quil with the force of a falling star. Its long, knife-like claws tore through the fabric of her uniform, sinking deep into her upper back. She gasped, barely able to cry out before she was ripped from her footing and hurled face-first into the unyielding earth. The impact sent up a shroud of dust and leaves, masking the horror unfolding beneath. No one had time to react. The Eradication Squad hesitated for a fraction of a second, fingers barely brushing the triggers of their magi-tec rifles, but the creature and Quil were already gone. One moment she was there. The next, nothing but swirling debris and a hollow absence where she had stood. Then, from above¡ªa scream. Quil''s body plummeted from the towering redwoods, a lifeless marionette tossed from unseen hands. Two of the grunts lunged forward, arms outstretched to catch her, but before they could¡ª A sound. A sickly pop, subtle, almost unnoticeable. The deception was complete. Joseph saw it before the others. A ripple in the air, the faintest distortion¡ªthen the nightmare stepped forward from the void. It did not simply move; it bent reality around itself, emerging from the blackened weave of space as if stepping through a threshold unseen by mortal eyes. The tail struck before the squad could react. A segmented, scorpion-like appendage lashed out, piercing through the throat of the nearest soldier with surgical precision. His eyes bulged, hands scrambling to staunch the flood of crimson spilling from his severed windpipe. A second later, the creature¡¯s tail-tip pulsed with energy¡ªdark, shimmering, almost liquid in form¡ªbefore unleashing a concentrated beam of obsidian-blue light. The second grunt never had the chance to scream. His face was there¡ªthen gone, replaced by a smoking void where his skull should have been. Both bodies collapsed. One twitching, grasping at life with slipping fingers. The other still. Then, with a sickening crack, Quil¡¯s broken body slammed into the ground for the second time. Blood pooled around her motionless form, soaking into the thirsty earth, her bluish-green skin slick with crimson. The air was thick with the scent of burnt flesh and fresh death. She was gone. Three lives. Taken in mere seconds. Joseph¡¯s heart pounded in his chest as he finally got a clear look at the thing responsible. And in that moment, he knew¡ªhe knew¡ªthat whatever he was staring at would follow him into his dreams for the rest of his life. If he lived long enough to have them. The air pulsed with an eerie glow, thick with floating dust and leaves that drifted lazily through the bioluminescent mist. Towering redwoods stretched into the abyss above, their trunks gnarled with age, their canopies so dense they blocked out the alien sky. The silence was suffocating, the kind of silence that came not from emptiness but from the presence of something vast. The creature before him was unlike anything born of this world or any other. It moved with the predatory grace of a panther, its obsidian chitinous plates shifting in the dim glow like liquid shadow. Its sleek, owl-like face turned with unsettling precision, enormous hypnotic eyes glimmering with an intelligence far beyond mortal comprehension. A long, bioluminescent tendril jutted from its forehead, pulsating in time with some unseen rhythm, casting flickering halos of ghostly light across the twisted roots and damp earth below. It was beautiful. And it was terrifying. Its forelimbs, jointed like a mantis¡¯s, twitched in slow, deliberate anticipation, each movement a whisper of something razor-sharp waiting to be unleashed. Hind legs, thick with amphibian musculature, coiled as though storing untold power, ready to spring with the force of a living storm. A long, segmented tail, jagged and alien, arched over its back, the crystalline barb at its tip glowing with a quiet, ominous energy. Then, the wings unfurled. For a moment, the air itself recoiled. Glistening, insectoid wings extended from its back, shimmering with arcane runes that shifted and pulsed as though alive. They beat once¡ªjust once¡ªbut the force sent a wave of dust and luminous visible mana cascading through the clearing. The trees groaned, their ancient limbs swaying under an invisible pressure, the very atmosphere thickening with unseen power. The redwoods seemed to bow before it. This was no mere predator. No mindless beast stalking prey.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. This was a force. A guardian. A legend whispered among those foolish enough to wander too deep into the Veil. And it had found its prey wanting. With a billowing screech, the creature unleashed a pulse of psychic energy, a rippling force that warped the very fabric of the air. The ambient mana twisted at its command, bending, writhing like a living thing, saturating the battlefield in an unseen, inescapable fog of influence. The soldiers¡ªhardened veterans forged in the fires of war¡ªclutched their ears as an invisible shockwave rolled over them. There was no immediate impact, no explosion, no flash of light. For a brief moment, it seemed as if the attack had done nothing at all. Then Joseph saw them. Eyes. Dozens of them. Maybe hundreds. Peering from the darkness between the redwoods, blinking down from the canopy above, lurking within the swirling dust and shadows. Shapes moved, too many to count¡ªsome shifting, slithering, others looming impossibly tall. Wings beat against the night air. Clawed fingers curled around the trunks of ancient trees. An army. A legion of nightmares. His breath hitched, but his mind snapped to the truth before panic could consume him. Illusions. ¡°GUARDIAN TYPE!¡± he bellowed, his voice cutting through the growing hysteria, but it was already too late. The squad broke. Gunfire erupted in frantic bursts, magi-tec rounds cutting through the air, streaking with elemental force as they struck phantom enemies. Soldiers screamed as they turned on one another, shooting at shadows that were never there, slashing at creatures that only existed in the twisted veil of their minds. Joseph¡¯s pulse thundered in his skull as he forced himself to focus. He reached inward, drawing on his own mana reserves, willing them to surge through his body, to purge the hallucination¡¯s grip. But the moment he tried¡ªhe felt it. Something was wrong. The mana wouldn¡¯t bend. It refused to obey. It was tainted, infused with the creature¡¯s will. His stomach clenched as true fear took hold. Then, from the edge of his vision, movement. The real one. The creature descended, its unnatural form lowering itself to the ground with slow, deliberate ease, as if savoring the chaos it had unleashed. It was watching them tear themselves apart. Enjoying it. Joseph raised his rifle, locking onto the one thing he knew was real. He pulled the trigger, the magic-infused round streaking through the dark¡ª Ping! The bullet struck but did nothing. The shot ricocheted off its chitinous exoskeleton like a mere pebble skipping off stone. Then it turned. Joseph felt it before he even saw it¡ªsomething cold, ancient, pressing against his very essence. And when its luminous, bioluminescent eyes fixed upon him, his soul froze. He couldn¡¯t breathe. Couldn¡¯t move. This wasn¡¯t just a guardian. It was something far worse. Something that should not exist. Joseph stood frozen, watching the horror unfold around him. His squad¡ªonce disciplined warriors¡ªhad become puppets to a nightmare they could not escape. They tore at one another, their screams of terror drowned beneath the relentless gunfire echoing through the blood-drenched clearing. Shadows twisted and warped in the flickering muzzle flashes, their movements erratic, each soldier trapped within a cruel, false reality woven by the creature¡¯s psychic influence. The thing toyed with them. It moved through the battlefield like a specter, slipping in and out of existence with those sickening, popping distortions of space. Each time it reappeared, another soldier fell, their death more gruesome than the last. Clawed limbs, slick with viscous fluids, carved brilliant arcs of crimson through the night, illuminated in fractured flashes of rifle fire. It was playing with them. Savoring the moment. But Joseph noticed something else. It was ignoring him. Deep in his gut, he knew why. The creature saw him as the leader, the one meant to endure the slow, torturous unraveling of his squad. It wanted him to suffer. To watch. To break. His fingers curled into fists. No more. With renewed resolve, he reached behind him, fingers closing around the cold steel of a magi-tec cylinder strapped to his back. The weight of it was absolute. A weapon so potent, so abhorrent, that even the Kul only deployed it in the most dire of circumstances. The Devourer Plague. Joseph¡¯s grip tightened as he snapped the safety latch open. His breath was steady, his heart a war drum pounding in his chest. The decision was made. The creature loomed over a fallen soldier, lifting the unfortunate man by his shattered torso. Its jagged mouth split wide, releasing a bubbling stream of dark, putrid ichor that hissed against the soldier¡¯s armor, burning through the plating, then the flesh beneath. The man¡¯s screams twisted into something inhuman as the liquid ate away at him¡ªhis voice cut short as the last of him disintegrated into ruin. Joseph took his chance. ¡°DIE, YOU MONSTER!¡± With all his might, he hurled the activated canister at the beast. The creature twisted its head toward him, its luminous eyes narrowing in cruel amusement¡ªuntil it noticed the strange, swirling darkness spilling from the device. For the first time, it hesitated. It felt something. Something it had not felt in a long, long time. Fear. It flitted from reality, attempting to escape, but it was too late. The unseen force spread outward in tendrils of consuming blackness. The moment it reappeared, its right arm was already rotting. A screech of agony tore through the clearing. Its flesh disintegrated, peeling away in ragged chunks, as the black substance crawled hungrily across its chitinous hide. Desperation overtook it. It flitted in and out of space, attempting to shake the plague off, but every time it reemerged, more of its body was lost to the ravenous corruption. In a maddened frenzy, it struck itself against trees, tearing through its own illusions, its panicked thrashing spreading the plague like wildfire. The infection leaped from its decaying form onto anything it touched¡ªbodies, trees, even the earth itself. The once-lush clearing became a blackened graveyard of rot and ruin, whole sections of the landscape simply vanishing as the plague devoured them, leaving behind yawning scars of emptiness. Then, in one final act of hatred, it turned its ravaged eyes upon Joseph. With a hellish screech, it lunged. Joseph barely had time to react. It was a blur of darkness, its gaze burning into his very soul, its ruined body moving with monstrous speed, ready to take him with it into death. At the last second, Joseph threw up his mana shield. The impact was catastrophic. The sheer force sent him hurtling backward into the underbrush, his body crashing through tangled roots and branches. Stars burst behind his eyes as pain flared through his limbs. His vision darkened, his breath ragged. Through the haze, he could barely make out the creature¡¯s final moments. It thrashed wildly, its screeches turning to distorted, warbled gasps. The plague devoured it entirely, its body breaking apart into blackened fragments that crumbled into nothingness. A final pulse of mana erupted outward as its existence was erased. Then¡ªsilence. Joseph lay still, his head spinning. Slowly, painfully, he forced his eyes open. And what he saw made his stomach turn. The battlefield was a ruin of death and devastation. His squad¡ªwhat remained of it¡ªwas either dead or dying. Three of his men were still writhing, their bodies consumed by the very plague he had unleashed. Even the redwoods¡ªsome of the most ancient living things in existence¡ªhad been reduced to skeletal husks, great sections of the forest eaten away by the relentless hunger of the Devourer. Joseph felt bile rise in his throat as he activated the kill switch. The plague stopped, but the damage was done. A heavy, suffocating quiet settled over the clearing. The forest itself seemed to mourn. No birds. No rustling leaves. No sound except the broken moans of the barely living and the slow, steady beat of his own heart. He pushed himself up, legs shaking, breath uneven. He was alive. Chapter 20: Flesh Shaper Chapter 20: Flesh Shaper Zeraphine crumpled to the ground like a marionette with its strings suddenly severed, her body folding in on itself with a terrible, unnatural grace. Her porcelain features, so untouched by suffering before, twisted in a fleeting expression of shock, her wide, luminous eyes reflecting the sting of betrayal and the searing pain of the strike. A sharp gasp slipped from her lips, soft, delicate, and barely audible, yet filled with the rawness of disbelief. Elaine felt as if time itself had slowed, trapping her in the horrifying moment as she watched Zeraphine drop to her knees. Her body wavered, her pale-white lashes fluttering as her eyes rolled back, surrendering to the inevitable. Then, like a wilting flower, she collapsed forward, her slender frame meeting the unyielding earth with a muted, heartbreaking finality. The pristine white of her wings, once so carefully kept from even the faintest touch of dust, now lay splayed out, their celestial radiance marred by the coarse, unforgiving dirt. The sight of them, once symbols of grace, now sullied and limp, felt like a violation, an affront to something sacred. It was as if the heavens themselves had turned their back on her, allowing an ethereal being to be reduced to something so fragile, so heartbreakingly human. That was when Elaine saw it, him. The figure standing behind Zeraphine¡¯s crumpled form sent a bolt of ice down her spine. Her breath caught in her throat, panic clawing at her chest as she instinctively scrambled backward, her hands and feet skidding against the dirt in a desperate bid to put space between them. The man before her was no ordinary soldier. He was a specter of war, a walking testament to violence and survival. His face was a canvas of scars, some old and faded, others fresh, crusted with dried blood that clung to his skin like an unholy relic. His dark brown eyes were void-like, hollowed by the weight of countless battles, lifeless yet terrifying in their quiet certainty. There was no cruelty in his gaze, no smugness or pleasure, just the detached emptiness of someone merely doing their job. His hair, a deep chestnut, was matted with filth and gore, clinging to his forehead beneath a makeshift bandage that covered most of his brow. The stained fabric did little to hide the raw brutality he had endured, or perhaps inflicted. He looked as though he had walked through the fires of hell itself, baptized in blood and anguish, only to emerge on the other side stripped of everything human. A hollow shell. A soulless thing. And now, he stood before her. Elaine¡¯s pulse thundered in her ears, her mind screaming at her to run, but her limbs felt useless, paralyzed by the sheer presence of the man who had brought an angel to her knees. ¡°All clear, MT Officer.¡± The man¡¯s voice was a bark of authority, gruff and unwavering, as he righted his rifle with practiced ease. The barrel snapped up, aimed directly at Elaine and Xin-ta. His expression remained void of emotion, his hollow eyes a silent warning¡ªone wrong move, and he would not hesitate to pull the trigger. Elaine barely breathed, frozen under the weight of that empty gaze, but Xin-ta, unknowing of the deadly weapon pointed at them, reacted differently. With a swift motion, she reached for the knife at her hip, the pristine blade slipping free of its sheath with a whisper of death. Elaine saw nothing of what happened next¡ªonly the flicker in the soldier¡¯s eyes, the nearly imperceptible shift of his focus. Then came the deafening bang. The air around Elaine split with force, the magi-tec round tearing past her so close that she felt the heat and pressure whip her hair into a wild torrent. A sickening gasp echoed behind her. Elaine¡¯s heart lurched as she twisted her head, her eyes locking onto Xin-ta. The alien woman''s wide eyes shimmered with disbelief, staring down at the gaping wound in her abdomen. The round had torn through her effortlessly, leaving a cavernous, burning hole in her stomach. For a moment, she didn¡¯t seem to understand what had happened¡ªher grip slackened, and the blade she held so expertly began slipping from her fingers. Then pain struck. A snarl twisted Xin-ta¡¯s once-calm features, her pupils dilating with sheer willpower. As her body wavered, she gritted her teeth, refusing to let go entirely. With a final flick of her wrist, she sent the blade flying, a last act of defiance. It cut through the air, slicing past Elaine in a flash of bone and obsidian, aimed straight for the soldier. He had seen the weapon the moment she drew it¡ªrecognized its primitive design and dismissed it as nothing more than a useless relic. But as the blade sailed toward him, his instincts flared, and he shifted, angling his armored pauldron to absorb the impact. The knife struck. A sharp clang echoed, but then¡ªimpossibly¡ªit bit deeper. The blade, impossibly refined, honed to a lethal edge no mortal forge could replicate, sank into the reinforced metal as if it were nothing more than soft clay. His armor, forged by the master smiths of Kul¡¯Mecka¡ªthe very heart of weaponcraft for the Eradication Corps¡ªwas meant to withstand the unthinkable. Yet, the serrated edge drove through both metal and flesh, sinking hilt-deep into his shoulder, carving past bone with unnatural ease. Xin-ta, her body failing her, slumped onto her side, her fingers weakly pressing against the gaping wound in her midriff. Her breathing was ragged, her vision dimming, yet a glint of satisfaction lingered in her gaze. The soldier let out a ragged cry of pain, his body jerking involuntarily as the blade shifted within him, grinding against bone. Even lodged deep within armor, flesh, and marrow, the knife still seemed to cut, as if refusing to lose its edge. His breath came in short, sharp gasps, his teeth bared in a grimace as his fingers found the handle¡ªcarved from bone, alien and unyielding. With a wrenching motion, he tore it free, a sickening squelch accompanying the gush of blood that spilled from the gaping wound. But he wasted no time. With practiced efficiency, he retrieved a vial from his belt¡ªa med-jelly pack. Cracking it open, he poured the thick, bioluminescent gel over the wound, watching as it instantly bubbled and sealed the gash, halting the bleeding in mere seconds. The pain remained, but his face betrayed no more than a flicker of discomfort. Yet through it all, his eyes never wavered. They remained locked on the other human. Elaine had turned, her trembling hands already reaching for Xin-ta, her breath hitching in horror as she pulled the alien¡¯s hand away from the gaping wound in her abdomen. Hot tears streamed down her face, her mind refusing to process what she was seeing¡ªwhat that devastating magi-tec round had done. Xin-ta was still breathing. Barely. Her chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven heaves. Elaine could hear the wet, gurgling rasp in each inhale, a reminder of the words her friend had boasted before¡ªwe¡¯re tougher than we look. But even those words felt fragile now, as Elaine desperately clawed at the supply box beside her, her fingers shaking as she rummaged through its contents. Her heart sank. The medical bandages were gone. Used just moments before. Her mind reeled, grasping for any other solution, but all she found were unfamiliar salves and tinctures. Panic clawed at her insides¡ªif I use the wrong thing, I could make it worse. She hesitated, her hands trembling over the vials, unsure, powerless. Her breath hitched as her tear-filled gaze snapped back toward the soldier. Hate. Fear. A raging storm brewed in her eyes as she turned on him, her voice raw with grief and fury. ¡°WHY?!¡± she screamed, her voice shaking. ¡°Why did you shoot?! Why did you hurt Zee?!¡± The soldier didn¡¯t flinch. Slowly, methodically, he raised his rifle, leveling it at her, the magi-tec core humming with lethal energy, glowing ominously in the dim light. Elaine froze. The fear struck deep, cold and primal, seeping into her bones. Her breath came in sharp gasps, her pulse hammering in her ears as her gaze flickered down¡ªto the spear lying just inches away from her fingers. She could reach it. She could fight. As if reading her thoughts, the soldier spoke, his voice even and void of emotion. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, lady.¡± The hum of the rifle intensified, a warning¡ªa promise of destruction, should she make the wrong move. ¡°Human¡­ don¡¯t do it.¡± The voice slithered into Elaine¡¯s mind like a cold breath of wrathful fire, a whisper that held the weight of an unearthly storm. Seraphion. Her presence billowed inside Elaine¡¯s soul-space, pressing against the fragile walls of her mind, threatening to spill over and consume everything. It wasn¡¯t just anger¡ªit was a primordial fury, raw and divine, so potent that it sent a tremor through Elaine¡¯s entire being. Elaine¡¯s breath caught in her throat. She remembered this feeling¡ªhow Seraphion¡¯s wrath had once nearly shattered her very will, reducing her to nothing beneath its suffocating intensity. Even now, it clawed at her, curling around her bones like shackles made of searing fire, demanding release. Her fingers twitched toward the spear. Her hand trembled. But then¡ªXin-ta. Elaine¡¯s gaze snapped back to her friend, her pulse thundering in her ears. Wrath threatened to devour her, but grief was the heavier weight pressing against her chest. She could feel Xin-ta¡¯s blood seeping through her fingers, warm and slick, no matter how hard she pressed against the wound. This wouldn¡¯t hold. She knew it.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Xin-ta was dying. Elaine shuddered as she fought to suppress the fury building inside her, to silence Seraphion¡¯s cold whispers of vengeance. She couldn¡¯t afford to give in. Not now. Not when her friend was slipping away beneath her hands. A voice cut through the tense air. ¡°Stand down, grunt.¡± Another man¡¯s voice¡ªfirm, authoritative. Behind Elaine, the sound of footsteps. Heavy, deliberate. Something dragged against the ground, scraping in slow, methodical movements. But she didn¡¯t turn. She couldn¡¯t. Her hands remained pressed against Xin-ta¡¯s abdomen, her mind racing, searching for something, anything to keep her friend alive. But she was running out of time. Seraphion¡¯s voice came again, softer now¡ªa whisper threading through Elaine¡¯s mind like a dying ember, its heat no longer searing, but smoldering. The violent tempest of wrath had begun to ebb, retreating as the archangel forced herself into a calm state. She saw how it affected her human, how the weight of divine fury threatened to shatter Elaine¡¯s fragile resolve. She would not let that happen. Not again. "Human¡­ she is just another animal. Could you not do what you have done to yourself to her?" Her voice held an uncharacteristic gentleness, an attempt at comfort, at offering something in this bleak moment. Seraphion had witnessed the resilience of humans, the impossible feats they willed into existence¡ªmiracles carved into flesh, forced evolution that defied the laws of nature. And yet, for all her knowledge, neither she, Zeraphine, nor Elaine truly understood the depths of Elaine''s Divine Gift. I... I don¡¯t know what to do, Sera! I don¡¯t know what to do! Elaine''s screams echoed through the depths of her mind, frantic and desperate, a plea that shattered under the weight of helplessness. She repeated the words over and over, her thoughts spiraling into hysteria, clawing for a solution that didn¡¯t exist. Tears streamed down her face in unrelenting torrents, hot against her chilled skin, falling like raindrops into the widening pool of blood that seeped around Xin-ta¡¯s body. Her friend¡ªher friend¡ªwas growing colder beneath her trembling hands. The reality of it crushed her. Elaine sobbed, her body wracked with the sheer force of grief as her fingers pressed against the open wound, slick with blood that refused to stop flowing. The warmth was fading, replaced by an eerie stillness, a quiet suffocating her soul. Sera, help me! Please! I don''t know what to do! But no miracle came. No divine hand reached down to undo what had been done. Xin-ta was slipping away. And Elaine was powerless to stop it. Elaine barely registered the words that Sera had spoken, her own mind fighting the reality of what was happening, her hands still pressed desperately against Xin-ta¡¯s wound, her breath hitching with every fading rise and fall of her friend¡¯s chest. Her mind spun in helpless circles, clawing for a solution, anything to stop this from happening. Then¡ª A whisper. So faint it could have been nothing. But it was something. A buried memory, long hidden beneath layers of consciousness, stirred in the depths of her mind. A whisper from before. From a time she had forgotten¡ªor perhaps, a time she had forced herself to forget. And now, it wiggled itself free, slithering forward like a long-dormant truth, waiting to be remembered. ~The planet your on is full of life and unknown species allowed to grow rampant and in ways that will amaze you. Use your knowledge and the Divine Gift that the God of our galaxy placed within you. Based on your background My Lord had deemed it fit that you will have the ability to change things around and inside of yourself. Dig deep within your very Soul and find which has been given.~ With that revelation, Elaine¡¯s breath hitched, her eyes widening as clarity cut through the chaos of her grief. The storm within her mind settled, her thoughts cooling as her face remained flushed from the intensity of her emotional outburst. She inhaled deeply, forcing herself to focus. She lifted her hands from Xin-ta¡¯s wound, the slick warmth of blood clinging to her fingers as she studied her friend with renewed purpose. Her mind whirred, tearing through the depths of her knowledge, sifting through the lessons she had once absorbed in university back on Earth. There had to be something¡ªanything¡ªthat could help. Behind her, Joseph approached, his footsteps measured but urgent. He carried Harrow, the tracker, setting him down carefully. The man was a ghost of himself, missing both a lower arm and a portion of his leg¡ªremnants of the brutal Devourer Plague. And yet, even in his near-broken state, he had led them here, his training holding strong despite the agony that stole the breath from his lungs. Joseph¡¯s gaze flickered toward the angelic figure crumpled on the ground¡ªthe target of their mission. The gods of the universe made angels for their own purposes¡ªto enact judgment, to shape fate. And yet, this one¡­ She was different. Her form, near-perfect, resembled that of a Kul¡¯human, the superior race crafted by Kul¡¯tecka¡¯s divine hand. But she bore none of the brutal identifier markings, the brands that all Kul¡¯angel subjects were seared with upon their creation. A demand from their god¡ªa permanent claim of ownership. Joseph frowned. This was no ordinary being. But then his gaze shifted, drawn not to the angel, but to the other Kul¡¯human¡ªthe woman. At first, he merely observed, curious about what she was doing. But as he circled the area, instinctively giving the angel a wide berth, he stopped cold. His breath caught. His jaw slackened. He could see it. The very fabric of reality around her was moving. From all directions, the ambient mana of the world bent toward her, swirling in delicate streams, pouring into her body like rivers drawn to the ocean. But it wasn¡¯t just mana. No¡ªthis was something more. Something no mortal should ever be able to touch. Flickering in the air around her, like dying embers against the void, were motes of cosmic energy. Torn fragments of space itself, slipping through unseen fractures in reality, twisting and reforming before being absorbed¡ªdrawn into the dark-haired woman¡¯s body. And then, impossibly, that energy poured from her into the beastial creature lying on the ground. Joseph¡¯s fingers twitched at his side, his mind screaming at him that this was wrong, that what he was witnessing should not¡ªcould not¡ªbelong to any mortal. This was power reserved for the gods. And yet¡­ Here she was. Stealing it. Joseph¡¯s fingers instinctively curled around the heft of his rifle, his muscles tensing as years of training took hold. The weight of the weapon was familiar, steady¡ªhis anchor in the midst of the impossible. Slowly, he started to lift it from his shoulder, his every motion deliberate, his mind screaming at him to act. The target had been in front of them the whole time, and he had been mistaken. Not the fallen non-Kul angel. No¡­ the true abomination stood before him now. The dark-haired woman, her presence warping the very fabric of reality around her, was the anomaly¡ªthe thing they had been hunting. His heart pounded against his ribs, his breaths coming faster as he leveled the rifle, the crosshairs aligning with her skull. He could see it happening in real-time¡ªthe air around her twisting, bending, feeding her with an energy no mortal should ever wield. His finger hovered over the trigger. Then, something stopped him. A soft sigh. The sound was so small, so gentle, that it nearly went unheard amidst the chaos. But it reached him¡ªcut through the rush of his own heartbeat, through the screaming orders in his head. His gaze snapped downward. The beastial creature¡ªthe one who had been dying mere seconds ago¡ªbreathed. A deep, shuddering inhale. Joseph¡¯s breath hitched as he watched the impossible unfold before his very eyes. The dark-haired woman had done something only the gods were supposed to do. Not even the most advanced medical technology in the entire Kul empire could have pulled someone back from the brink like this. Even the legendary healers, wielders of divine energy blessed by the gods themselves, could only delay death. But she¡­ she had reversed it. He had just witnessed a miracle. His rifle lowered, his grip slackening as disbelief took hold. The weight of realization crushed his mind, unraveling everything he thought he understood about the universe. If healing¡ªtrue, absolute healing¡ªwas a gift wielded only by the gods¡­ then what the hell was this woman? His knees hit the ground before he even realized he had fallen, his hands trembling at his sides. His mind cracked under the weight of the revelation, questions he had never dared to ask now clawing at the very foundation of his beliefs. Everything he had been taught. Everything he had fought for. It was all¡­ wrong. And yet, Elaine was oblivious to his breaking. She wasn¡¯t looking at him. Her focus was entirely on the creature before her, her mind racing through everything she knew of biology, of physiology, of the very nature of life itself. Because she wasn¡¯t finished yet. Elaine¡¯s hands hovered over Xin-ta¡¯s abdomen, her mind no longer clouded by panic but sharpened with relentless focus. The divine energy within her pulsed, not as an overwhelming force, but as an extension of her knowledge¡ªan instrument of science and instinct merging into one. She had studied biology, anatomy, and zoology. She knew how life adapted, how creatures evolved over millions of years to survive impossible conditions. If she were to reshape Xin-ta¡¯s flesh, she would do it not with blind magic but with precise biological intent. Taking a deep breath, she reached inward, allowing the energy to flow¡ªnot as chaotic magic, but as controlled cellular manipulation. First, the wound itself. Inspired by the axolotl, she guided the regrowth of damaged tissue, instructing the cells to replicate without scarring. Every severed nerve fiber realigned perfectly, the connective tissues weaving back together as if they had never been torn apart. The damaged blood vessels sealed themselves, rerouting pathways to ensure optimal oxygen flow. But she didn¡¯t stop at mere healing. The principles of the immortal jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, whispered in her mind. If she could reverse cellular degradation, Xin-ta¡¯s abdomen wouldn¡¯t just heal¡ªit would rejuvenate. The skin and muscles would regenerate not as they had been but as stronger, more resilient cellular age resetting to its peak efficiency. Never again to succumb to the ravages of time, the cells would retain their memory perfectly. Elaine¡¯s thoughts moved deeper, beyond mere restoration. Survival demanded adaptation. Drawing inspiration from pangolins, she coaxed a secondary dermal layer beneath Xin-ta¡¯s skin¡ªmicroscale structures forming a flexible yet durable underlayer. Not rigid armor, but a defensive mesh interwoven with collagen fibers to disperse impact force. From snakes, she borrowed something subtler¡ªenhanced muscular elasticity. Xin-ta¡¯s abdominal muscles became denser, their fibers capable of greater contraction and expansion. This wasn¡¯t just about strength but precision¡ªa body that moved with impossible fluidity, core muscles that could withstand stress and strain beyond their natural limits. Elaine¡¯s mind raced through the digestive system. Efficiency is key. From cephalopods, she introduced a restructuring of digestive enzymes, increasing absorption rates without altering essential gut flora. This would ensure that every nutrient extracted from food was used to its fullest potential. Inspired by crocodilians, she optimized the stomach¡¯s acidity, allowing it to break down tougher proteins and sustain energy longer, a necessary adaptation for a being constantly on the move. The thought came naturally¡ªwhy stop at function? Form follows function. Cuttlefish and chameleons provided the answer. By embedding chromatophores within the skin, Xin-ta¡¯s abdomen would gain the ability to shift pigmentation, allowing for camouflage or aesthetic changes at will. A shimmer of living biology, capable of blending into the environment or even glowing softly in darkness through symbiotic bioluminescent bacteria. And elasticity¡ªfeline agility. Elaine restructured the dermal layers, ensuring skin remained smooth and supple regardless of stress or stretching, never sagging or losing resilience. And from the electric eel, she took one final gift. Deep within the muscular structure, she wove nerve clusters designed to store and release electrical energy¡ªa defense mechanism like no other. If Xin-ta willed it, anyone who touched her would receive a sudden, shocking counterattack. Finally, protection against the unknown. She thought as her claw-tipped fingers drew small faint lines feeding the forces of the cosmic energies into Xin-ta. From the horseshoe crab, Elaine imbued Xin-ta¡¯s immune system with an extraordinary advantage¡ªan immediate response to toxins, neutralizing poisons before they could take effect. No illness, no venom, no infection would take her friend down again. And from woodpeckers, she borrowed a trick of force absorption. The abdominal structure would disperse impacts like shock absorbers, preventing damage from even the most devastating blows. With all the adaptations that she had borrowed from her near-perfect memories of all the schooling and extra study that she took place, she didn¡¯t just place these adaptations to the abdomen only but spread them throughout the whole body. When Elaine finally exhaled, her hands trembled¡ªnot from exhaustion, but from the sheer precision of what she had just done. This was not chaotic healing. This was evolution. She sat back, breathless, watching as Xin-ta''s body responded, her wounds sealing, her skin radiating a faint luminescent sheen before settling into normalcy. Xin-ta gasped. Her eyes fluttered open, sharp and alert, her breathing steady. Elaine had done it. Every ounce of her energy had been poured into the reshaping of Xin-ta¡¯s form, her knowledge and instincts woven into the very fabric of biology and evolution itself. She had defied nature¡ªnot by rejecting it, but by perfecting it. The moment her task was complete, the weight of it all crashed down on her like an unstoppable tide. Her limbs trembled, heavy and unresponsive. Her vision blurred at the edges, darkness creeping in as her mind flickered between exhaustion and the quiet satisfaction of achievement. She barely registered the feeling of her body slumping to the ground, the cold earth pressing against her cheek. The last vestiges of consciousness slipped away from her, but before they did, a small, tired smile curved her lips. Her final thought escaped as a whisper, barely audible against the stillness of the moment. "A perfect near immortal apex predator¡­" Then¡ªdarkness. Bonus Chapter: The musings of a dying god Bonus Chapter: The Musings of a Dying God The Prismatic Wave had not yet reached him. Suspended above the dying world, he lingered in the fading twilight of his creation, a god bereft of dominion. Below him, the remnants of the solar system clung to existence, fragile and flickering, an ember drifting through the void. It had not yet been snuffed out, but it would be soon. It was coming. He could feel the vast, silent force pressing at the edges of reality, unraveling everything in its path. The Prismatic Wave did not rage. It did not roar. It simply erased, pulling apart the very threads of existence without effort, without thought. He watched as it devoured the planet he had once shaped, its lands and oceans dissolving into nothing, the echoes of its people lost forever. The culmination of everything he had built¡ªreduced to an afterthought in the great, indifferent march of oblivion. Still, he did not look away. There was no point in mourning, not for a god who had already let go. He had long since transcended the limitations of time, stepping beyond the rigid chains of past, present, and future. It was an abstract thing to him now, a relic of a perspective he had discarded long ago. He existed outside of it, in the liminal space between what was and what would never be again. And yet, even now, at the very end, he worked. His hands, forged of will and woven from the last embers of his divinity, stretched into the void. He shaped with delicate precision, carving out the last of his strength, sculpting the final remnants of his power into something that would endure. Before him, three souls drifted, luminous and untouched by the entropy consuming all else. They floated in the fragile threads of creation, awaiting their release into the vast unknown. They were his final gamble. The last desperate strokes of a masterpiece unseen by any of his children, yet destined to shape the cosmos in time. Two had been crafted with purpose. One had been chosen by fate alone. And whether they triumphed or fell, the universe would never be the same. Seraphion ¡ª The Flame That Waits The first soul burned. Not like a wildfire¡ªreckless, chaotic, uncontrollable¡ªbut something infinitely more dangerous. She was a star held in restraint, a force of judgment forged in steel and fire, smoldering with a fury that never waned, never dulled. When she took form, she would be clad in midnight armor, her wings unfurling like obsidian blades kissed by the infernal glow of her essence. Her presence did not consume. It oppressed. It was the weight of a sky heavy with the promise of a storm, the breath before the tempest, the unbearable stillness that came before inevitable ruin. She was not destruction as mortals understood it. Destruction was reckless, wild, chaotic. She was something far more deliberate. She was judgment. The kind that waited, measured, and did not strike until there was certainty. When she burned, she did not leave ruin behind. She left nothing at all. He had sculpted many warriors before, forged instruments of war to shape the rise and fall of civilizations. But this one¡­ This one would never burn out. Even he felt uneasy at the thought.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Zeraphine ¡ª The Unyielding Hand The second was stillness incarnate. Where Seraphion burned, Zeraphine simply was. She moved like mist, a presence not forceful but inevitable, a thing that had always been there, simply waiting to be acknowledged. Her wings, white and untouched, unfurled in slow, deliberate movements, never rushed, never uncertain. Her hair, pale as frozen starlight, framed a face devoid of fear, of doubt. But her eyes¡ª Her eyes were dark. Endless wells of exhaustion stretched beyond the years she had lived. She had known weariness before she had even been born. She was not built for war. She was built for after. If Seraphion was the fire that burned away weakness, Zeraphine was the force that ensured what remained would never falter. She did not change things. She perfected them. And in her quiet certainty, she would outlast even time itself. She would not act rashly. She would not seek. She would wait. And in waiting, she would shape eternity. But neither she nor Seraphion would lead. That responsibility belonged to the last. Elaine Willow ¡ª The Random Factor. He thought fondly of. Of all the humans that could have been chosen randomly. And then, there was her. The one who had not been chosen for power. The one who had not been sculpted with divine intent. The one who had been abandoned. She had never sought dominion. She had never craved control. She had only ever wanted to understand. To study creatures, to catalog life, to lose herself in the quiet wonders of the natural world. And yet, of all the gifts he could have bestowed, he had given her the most terrifying of all. The Divine Gift of Flesh Shaping. Not destruction. Not refinement. Change. The ability to take what was and make it new. To force evolution. To rewrite biology itself. To shape life into something stronger, something that would never fail, never falter, never break. But she would not see it as a gift. She would hesitate. She would resist. She would fight against the truth of what she had become. But in the end¡­ She would use it. Not only because she would have to¡ªbecause she could not stop herself. Her very existence would demand it. She would take what the gods had sculpted, what the universe had deemed worthy, and she would make it better. And in doing so, she would become something to be feared. Survival was never given freely. She would have to take it. She would have to become something else. She would drive herself into madness and pain to shape herself into the perfect being. Because when Seraphion¡¯s flames burned away weakness, and Zeraphine¡¯s hand ensured nothing was wasted¡ª Elaine would be the one to decide what came next. And in the end, even he would not recognize what she had become. A Final Defiance. He mused as he could feel himself weak as the last bits of his power left him. He looked upon the three souls, his final creations, the last mark he would leave upon existence. Seraphion would break before she bent. Zeraphine would grow still in her waiting. Elaine would fight against the truth of what she was. They would burn worlds. They would reshape history. And they would never be sane again. How could they be? How could a woman made of fire, a being sculpted from frozen time, and a human who could not die without dragging the universe along with her ever hope to remain whole? The Prismatic Wave reached him. He did not run. He did not resist. He had already sent them away, cast them beyond the void, entrusted them to Marious. And with his last breath, he pushed his first creation into the mana channels, ensuring that magic itself would survive. Then, he closed his eyes. The wave consumed him. His empire was gone. His people were erased. His name would be forgotten. But the universe would remember what he had left behind. And in the silence of the void, a whisper remained. "Fear what you have destroyed." Then, the light swallowed him whole. Chapter 21: The Sixth Chapter 21: The Sixth Xin-ta¡¯s eyes snapped open. For a moment, she did not move, the sensation of being feeling foreign, unnatural¡ªyet undeniably alive. Air rushed into her lungs, hot and sharp, as though she had never breathed before. Every nerve in her body was alight, not with pain, but with power. Then she saw her. Elaine¡¯s body slumped to the ground, motionless. A spectral image of her¡ªthe ¡®human¡¯ who had just saved her¡ªcollapsing under the weight of whatever terrible thing she had just done. The memories surged back like a flood, hitting her all at once. The pain. The gaping wound in her abdomen. The moment she knew she was dying. But she wasn¡¯t dead. Her hand instinctively went to her stomach, fingers searching for the injury, for the blood, for any sign that the wound had ever existed at all. But her flesh was whole. No torn muscle, no searing pain¡ªnothing but smooth, untouched skin where she should have had a fatal wound. What had Elaine done? Her eyes snapped up, instincts flaring. The other human¡ªthe soldier¡ªwas still standing there, his rifle half-raised, his brown eyes wide as they fixated on the womans fallen form. Shock was written across his face, frozen in place as if his mind had yet to catch up to what had just unfolded before him. Xin-ta moved. She didn¡¯t think, didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªshe reacted. Rolling to her feet in a single fluid motion, she snatched up the nearby spear, the weapon¡¯s familiar weight settling into her grasp like an extension of herself. Every fiber of her being screamed that something was different¡ªthat she was stronger, faster, more than she had been before. She did not care. Not now. Not when Elaine lay there, unmoving. Her grip on the spear tightened as her gaze snapped back to the soldier. The one who shot her. "Zra¡¯xir sha¡¯dran¡¯nok?!" she snarled, the alien language tearing from her throat like a war cry, laced with the venom of fury and confusion. The soldier¡¯s head jerked toward her, his body tensing. His shock fractured in an instant, instinct taking over. His rifle rose¡ªnot toward the unconscious woman on the ground, not toward the impossible miracle that had just unfolded before his eyes¡ª But toward her. The one who should have been dead. The one who was now standing, very much alive. Xin-ta did not wait for him to fire. She charged. Joseph had witnessed death before. Not the quick, clean kind. Not the kind they wrote in reports¡ªKIA, Died Instantly, No Pain. He had seen what real death looked like. The messy, ugly, desperate kind. He had watched comrades claw at their own throats, gurgling as gas burned their lungs from the inside out. He had seen soldiers try to push their intestines back into their bodies, shaking, whispering prayers to gods who did not answer. He had heard the wet, choking gasps of men too broken to scream, their minds gone before their bodies finally caught up. But this¡ª This was something else. Xin-ta should have been dead. The shot was clean. The wound had been fatal. He had seen it with his own eyes. The round had punched through her stomach, a gaping hole left in its wake, the kind of injury that no amount of training, no amount of raw instinct, could save her from. He had watched the light leave her eyes. He had heard the sound¡ªthe awful, rattling sigh of a body taking its last breath. And yet, here she was. Standing. Whole. Alive. His mind couldn''t process it fast enough. And before he could even think, she moved. It wasn''t just speed. It was something far worse. Something predatory. She didn''t just run. She closed the distance between them in the time it took to blink. She was a blur of muscle and fury, something that no longer belonged to the realm of mortals. The grunt hesitated. It was the only mistake he was allowed. He fumbled to lift his rifle, his breath catching in his throat, the first hints of real fear creeping into his eyes¡ª Too late. Xin-ta slammed into him with bone-shattering force, her spear already a blur in her hands. The impact sent him staggering, his rifle firing a panicked shot into the sky as his footing failed him. The blast was meaningless, the sound already swallowed by the wind. She was on him before he could recover. Her spear plunged deep into his shoulder, sinking through armor and flesh as though neither existed. A wet, visceral crunch filled the air, followed by the sharp, broken scream that tore from his throat. Joseph saw the spray of blood before he saw her expression. It was focused. Cold. Not rage. Not vengeance. This was survival. Xin-ta ripped the weapon free with brutal efficiency, spinning it in her grasp as the grunt crumpled to one knee. His breath hitched, pain stealing the air from his lungs, his hands clawing at the wound as though he could hold himself together by sheer will alone. He looked up¡ª And Xin-ta drove the spear into his thigh. The force of it cracked bone, sent blood spurting in fresh bursts against the dirt, and forced a strangled, animalistic sound from deep within his chest. His body convulsed, his leg collapsing beneath him as the pain overtook his ability to resist. His hands scrambled weakly at the spear. Desperate. Helpless. Xin-ta wasn¡¯t done. With terrifying grace, she wrenched the weapon free, twisting her grip mid-motion¡ª And swung the blunt end of the spear in a whiplash-fast arc toward his face. Joseph winced at the sound of the impact. The grunt¡¯s nose exploded, blood bursting outward in a violent spray as his head snapped backward with the force of the strike. He let out a noise that wasn¡¯t quite human¡ªhalf a shriek, half a wet, broken gurgle. His body convulsed as he collapsed onto his back, the world spinning around him. Joseph had seen men die before. But this¡­ This was worse. Xin-ta let her spear fall to the ground. She didn¡¯t need it anymore. She lunged, her movements inhumanly fluid, closing the final inches between them. She grabbed the grunt¡¯s head, her fingers digging into his scalp, claws tearing into flesh with horrifying ease. Blood seeped between her fingertips, warm, sticky. Joseph saw panic flash in the grunt¡¯s eyes. A desperate, animalistic terror. He screamed¡ª Xin-ta twisted. Joseph heard the sharp, wet pop of a spine separating. The sound of life ending. The scream cut off mid-breath.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The grunt¡¯s body tensed¡ªthen slumped, every muscle failing at once. His limbs twitched for only a moment before they went completely still. Xin-ta did not let go. She crouched over the lifeless corpse, her breath coming in slow, deep, controlled heaves, her hands still tangled in what remained of the grunt¡¯s skull. Blood dripped from her fingers, thick and steaming, pooling into the dirt beneath her in slow, lazy rivulets. Joseph couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t breathe. He could feel it¡ªthe raw, unchecked power radiating from her form. This was not the same creature the grunt had shot. This was something else. Something the non-kul¡¯human had created. A monster¡ªbut not one of rage. This was something perfect, something built only to survive. There was no gloating. No triumph in her expression. No pleasure. Just instinct. Joseph forced his hands to stop shaking, his fingers tightening around the rifle at his side. Xin-ta turned toward him then. Her eyes glowed in the dimming light. Her breath was steady. Blood painted her skin in long, dripping streaks. And then¡ª She smiled. Joseph¡¯s breath hitched. His fingers twitched around his rifle, gripping it tight, but his arms felt weak, almost useless against the thing standing before him. His mind screamed for him to do something¡ªto react, to raise his weapon, to fire¡ªbut his body refused. The realization of what had just happened crashed over him like a tidal wave. Xin-ta had butchered Harrow. Not just killed¡ªbutchered. There had been no wasted movements, no hesitation, no excess effort. It had been the most precise execution he had ever seen. Fast. Brutal. Efficient. His heart pounded so hard against his ribs he swore it would break free. Something twisted in his gut¡ªfear, disgust, and something else he didn¡¯t want to name. Without thinking, his grip loosened. His hands opened. His rifle slipped from his fingers and clattered against the dirt. The sharp thud felt final, like a coffin being sealed shut. He stepped back. One. Two. His hands lifted slightly in surrender, his breath coming in ragged gasps as his wide, disbelieving eyes locked onto the alien woman standing in the carnage. Xin-ta watched him, her hungry grin stretching wider as she reached down and gripped her spear once more. Blood still dripped from the pristine, white-tipped blade, slithering in slow rivulets down the weapon¡¯s length. A thing so beautiful¡ªso deadly¡ªgleaming in the dim light. She lifted it lazily, shifting her weight as she turned her head toward him and the remaining soldier. Then, she pointed it at them. The grin sharpened. Her teeth flashed¡ªrazor-edged, sharpened to cut. Joseph¡¯s breath hitched. She was playing with them now. A predator with prey cornered¡ªa cat deciding how much fun it wanted to have before sinking its claws in. His legs tensed. His instincts screamed at him to run¡ª Then a voice. "Xa¡¯loran-ha, Xin-ta." Soft. Gentle. It was so out of place amidst the blood and fear that it froze the alien woman in her tracks. Her spear lowered just an inch. Her smile faltered, confusion flickering across her face. Joseph saw her eyes widen as she processed the words. They had been spoken perfectly¡ªher language, fluent¡ªbut from who? Her gaze snapped downward. And there, stirring from the dirt and debris of the battlefield, was the angel. Seraphine. The white-winged being lifted herself from the ground, her movements slow, deliberate, almost bored as she dusted herself off. A small grunt escaped her lips, as if she had no patience for the effort it took to rise. She barely looked fazed. But the disgust in her expression was clear. She glanced down at her once-pristine garments, now marred by dirt, leaves, and blood, and clicked her tongue in displeasure. Her fingers twitched, as though she longed to burn it all away in a cleansing fire. Then, she turned. Her gaze swept over the battlefield, barely acknowledging the broken corpse Xin-ta had left in her wake. Her lips curled¡ªnot in horror, not in anger. Something closer to amusement. And then, she met Joseph¡¯s gaze. A smile¡ªwarm, but unsettling¡ªstretched across her face. "You there." Joseph stiffened. "Sit." He obeyed instantly. Not out of strategy. Not out of self-preservation. But because she had told him to. His body moved on its own, his knees hitting the dirt as his mind spiraled into chaos. A being of the gods had commanded it. And he had complied without hesitation. His stomach churned as he tried to piece together the insanity unraveling before him. What the hell was happening? His mission had already been complicated before¡ªbut this? This was something else entirely. His gaze drifted toward Harrow¡¯s lifeless body, his gut twisting with a realization that felt like ice sinking into his bones. He had assumed the stray shot had been random. An act of chaos in the heat of battle. But now, looking at Harrow¡¯s corpse¡ª The gaping, perfectly placed hole where his heart had once been¡ª He knew. It had not been random. Xin-ta had moved the gun. She had redirected the shot. And Harrow had never stood a chance. Joseph swallowed thickly, his throat dry as he stared at the thing standing before him. Xin-ta had been changed. Remade. And whatever the non-Kul human¡ªElaine¡ªhad done¡­ She had done it perfectly.
Seraphine turned back toward the alien woman, her golden eyes flickering with something indiscernible. "You did good," she said simply. Xin-ta¡¯s grip on her spear tightened, her body still coiled, ready to strike. Seraphine tilted her head, as though scolding a reckless child. "But wait for a moment," she murmured, her tone light, almost teasing, "while I look after my amazing human." Xin-ta hesitated. Joseph watched the tension shift¡ªwatched something in the alien woman ease, just slightly, as she finally lowered her weapon. Seraphine nodded in approval, then turned her back on the battlefield entirely, stepping toward Elaine¡¯s crumpled form. She knelt beside her, reaching out to brush a few loose strands of hair from the woman¡¯s face. Her fingers moved delicately, carefully, as she checked Elaine over, her sharp, angelic eyes assessing, calculating. She gave a small, approving nod. Then, with an elegance that felt almost too effortless, she shifted¡ªeasing herself into a seated position and pulling Elaine into her lap. She cradled her gently, stroking her hair, her expression unreadable. A long moment passed. Then¡ª "She¡¯ll be okay," Seraphine murmured. Joseph let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he was holding. But as Seraphine turned to face him, the warmth in her voice vanished. Her golden eyes locked onto him. And suddenly, Joseph was very, very aware¡ª That he was the last one left. He swallowed hard. ¡°Human.¡± She said with some disgust. ¡°I thought all of you were dead, am I mistaking that Our God had sent more here than I assumed?¡± she asked sharply. He shook his head, trying to clear it. The angels voice was too serene. ¡°I¡­ I am a Kul¡¯human.¡± He said hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m not f-from your world.¡± He spoke as he felt the gem in his wrist vibrate slightly, his gaze shifted to it. Sera had noticed it too. ¡°What is that?¡± she asked as she pondered over what the ¡®Kul¡¯human¡¯ had said. So¡­ he is a human, just not from Earth. She thought as she watched him very carefully. ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s the System.¡± He stated as he went to check the notifications that were piling up. He lifted his wrist about to tap on it but stopped instantly. Xin-ta¡¯s weapon raised as if she was about to throw it. Her eyes narrowed on the Kul. ¡°Do not move Kul.¡± She hissed as Sera translated for the bestial alien. Joseph hesitated and then started to feel the gem radiate heat as it started to itch¡­ the first warning. There would only be one more warning after that, and if he didn¡¯t check it¡­ well that would be a bad thing. ¡°I¡­ I have to check it.¡± He said in a pleading voice. ¡°If I don¡¯t, then¡­ then It will terminate me.¡± He said hesitantly as he raised his wrist once more. ¡°if you make any movements that I don¡¯t like, I will allow Xin-ta here to finish what she had started.¡± Sera pointed out. He nodded.
NOTICE
Your presence is requested back at the dropship.
NOTICE
Disregard. Dropship has been compromised.
NOTICE
You have engaged the hostile rouge god¡¯s creations. Deploy Devower Plauge.
NOTICE
It appears that you have been captured. Your team is no longer detected. It has been determined that you are now a liability and will be terminated to prevent Kul information from being leaked. You have 4 Minutes before termination commences. Thank you for your invaluable service. Do Attempt To Keep All Information Classified
His eyes widened at the revelation. He gave a heavy sigh and laughed. This was exactly what he had feared. He had heard tales of whole squads dying from the System. ¡°Well, it looks like I¡¯m about to die anyway.¡± He said. His hands dropped to his sides. ¡°Well, so much for an easy life.¡± He muttered as he flopped backward, his easy life coming to an end. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sera asked as she shifted her position slightly just in case she needed to protect her human once again. Joseph didn¡¯t even bother opening his eyes; he ignored the burning sensation on his wrist as he sighed heavily once more. ¡°Well. The System has determined that I¡¯m a liability now that my whole squad is dead, and to prevent secrets from being told its going to kill me soon.¡± He rolled over to his side and looked at Harrow and the unnamed grunt. ¡°Think you can make it quick?¡± He asked knowing that however the System was going to kill him most likely wouldn¡¯t be pleasant. This perplexed the angel. Her head cocked to the side as she then noticed the smell of burning flesh. Her breath caught for the briefest of moments as she realized that the gem in his wrist had started to glow a painful red. ¡°Is that thing going to kill you?¡± she asked quizzically. ¡°yes,¡± he said with a grunt as he waved his hand in the air in a slow circle. ¡°So, do you mind killing me right quick, this is really painful after all.¡± He said as he got to his feet, making pained sounds as the smell of his flesh came to his nose. He looked down at his wrist and noticed the red lines starting to appear around the gem, slowly crawling up his arm. He closed his eyes and let his arms fall to his side. Ready to receive his fate, hoping and praying to whatever rouge god that they followed here would finish it quickly as he felt the mana veins in his body burn. Sera looked to Xin-ta. She gave a nod, and that was when the alien woman nodded, too. No words were needed as she gripped her spear tight and slowly approached the Kul¡¯human. She had a look of pity on her face; she didn¡¯t like to kill something that couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t fight back. His gem Chimed. His eyes opened and Xin-ta hesitated. The red mana veins started to retract. There was another notice. He lifted his sore arm up and tapped the gem.
??????($???*%
Sorry for the la?tenes s, it took longer©È¨h than I had tho¦Ìg??ht to get into this thing. Such a marv?lous piece of work here. ¡à????????‡à 1 Second Please
Joseph quickly raised his hand to stay the alien woman. Xin-ta did hesitate for a moment, weirded out by the man who was supposed to be the victim of her spear, and yet even watching the corrupted mana veins completely vanish into the man''s wrist gem, she was intrigued and did just that.
!!!NOTICE!!!
This System interface has bee------ Oh shut it you pile of junk. ---n Hijacked. TERMINATION¡­ I said HUSH! God, this System is a piece of work. Do not fear Joseph, your safe from It now. Tell Seraphine that Our God has deemed to save me. Marious, the First Arch Angel.
Joseph did just that, never once in his whole life, or anyone that he had ever met, had he heard of someone hijacking the System before. This¡­. This day¡­. Could it get any more strange. He thought as he looked at who he believed was Seraphine. ¡°Umm¡­ Seraphine. Marios says that your god saved him?¡± he asked and stated at the same time, his eyes full of confusion and wonder. ¡°And¡­ me?¡± Seraphines eyes widened. ¡°Oh¡­ my¡­ well Kul¡¯human,¡± she paused, brushing Elaine''s hair, ¡°You are now more valuable alive.¡± She said with a wicked grin. He didn¡¯t like how that looked. Chapter 22: Mistakes Chapter 22: Mistakes The late afternoon sun cast a warm orange glow upon the colossal redwoods, their massive trunks rising like ancient sentinels around the small clearing. A soft breeze rustled the canopy far above, sending dapples of light dancing over moss and fallen leaves. Amidst this hushed grandeur, Xin-ta stood with her spear in hand, gaze sharp and wary. Her triangular ears flicked in Joseph¡¯s direction¡ªhe was the Kul soldier she had subdued earlier, and she still didn¡¯t fully trust him. The beast-woman¡¯s breathing came quick and steady, adrenaline still coursing through her veins from the recent fight. She¡¯d been taught all her life that Kuls¡ªbeings from beyond the stars¡ªwere held at bay by the Goddess¡¯s power. Sometimes, though, they slipped through. Her clan elders and the shaman told stories of these intruders and the harm they could cause if left unchecked. Something about this particular Kul made her uneasy, yet she also sensed his uncertain intentions. Nearby, Elaine lay unconscious on a patch of soft moss, her pale face half-hidden by unruly strands of hair. Unlike Joseph, she had no glowing gem embedded in her wrist¡ªno obvious sign of the Kul¡¯s mysterious power source. That fact alone marked her as different, something else entirely, although Xin-ta wasn¡¯t sure what. She studied the woman¡¯s features for a moment, silently hoping she would recover soon. At last, Xin-ta¡¯s intense gaze flickered to the white-winged one¡ªZee¡ªwho stood close by, exhausted from her brief stint outside the ¡°soul space.¡± The beast-woman¡¯s grip on her spear relaxed, though she held it at the ready, the tip pointed toward the earth but able to snap upward in an instant. ¡°What do you want to do with it?¡± Xin-ta asked in a low, guarded voice, indicating Joseph with a nod of her head. As she spoke, she subtly repositioned her spear, ensuring she could defend herself¡ªor Elaine¡ªwithout hesitation. Zee turned away from her study of the gem in Joseph¡¯s wrist and gave a small shrug. Her fine white feathers shimmered in the fading sunlight, and she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand as though drowsy. ¡°Well¡­ whatever Elaine wants to do,¡± she answered through a half-yawn, making it clear she was nearly spent after leaving her spiritual domain. Xin-ta¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°Why does she have to decide?¡± she pressed. A faint smile tugged at the corner of Zee¡¯s lips. ¡°Because she is my human. She¡¯s the reason I¡¯m even here, and I trust her judgment in these matters.¡± With that, the winged being turned to Elaine and inclined her head, almost like a fond guardian preparing to retreat. ¡°Nighty night,¡± she said softly. ¡°Keep that male from running off, or worse¡ªhurting Elaine.¡± A faint glow shimmered around Zee¡¯s form, and her body became hazy, as though made of drifting fog. Gradually, she melded back into Elaine¡¯s prone figure. Joseph sucked in a sharp breath, eyes wide at the sight. Stories of the divine ones sometimes spoke of them possessing mortals, yet he had never witnessed such a thing. ¡°That is new,¡± he muttered, sinking onto one knee in a gesture of weariness more than respect. His mind buzzed with surprise. Xin-ta turned from watching Zee¡¯s departure and addressed him in fluent Kul. ¡°Yes, yes it is,¡± she said curtly, her voice tight with distrust. Joseph¡¯s jaw dropped slightly. Only moments ago, Xin-ta had been speaking a language completely alien to him, and now she conversed easily in his native tongue. ¡°H-how¡­?¡± he began, before a strange voice in his head silenced him. Well, I¡¯m translating for you now, came Marius¡¯s calm mental tone. Joseph¡¯s eyes darted around, unsettled by the telepathy. How is that possible? Even the System never directly connected to someone¡¯s mind like this. Marius chuckled quietly. Each gem carries hidden features. Those with higher authority can use advanced functions, including telepathic translation. Interesting, Archangel. Joseph shot another uncertain glance at Xin-ta, who was now crouched by Elaine, checking her pulse. I never expected this level of sophistication, even from the interface. Marius¡¯s reply came with a hint of amusement. The System is integrated into your mana veins and therefore tied to your thoughts and memories. It¡¯s more intimate than you realize. Joseph tensed. My memories? After all, knowledge is power. Marius¡¯s tone was light, as though he were flipping through a storybook. He seemed especially amused, though Joseph couldn¡¯t tell exactly why. I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t pry too deeply. Joseph rubbed the gem on his wrist with a rag, an old habit he¡¯d picked up early in his training. He cast a quick glance at Xin-ta, who had turned her fierce golden eyes back on him. She stalked forward, lips curled. ¡°You. Kul,¡± she snapped, the last word almost a growl. Joseph swallowed. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°It will be dark soon,¡± she said, a note of urgency creeping into her voice, ¡°and we need shelter before the magic demons come sniffing around.¡± In one smooth motion, she picked up his rifle from where it lay on the forest floor and tossed it to him. He snatched it out of the air, baffled that she returned his weapon. The charge crystal in the rifle hummed faintly when he checked it, so he slung the strap over his shoulder. Next, he hurried to retrieve the tracker''s rifle from another fallen comrade, though it had a cracked stock. He rummaged for the mana crystal in the weapon and slipped it into one of his many pockets. Xin-ta¡¯s gaze never left him. Her muscles were coiled tight as a spring, her eyes narrowed to slits, ready to lash out if he made the slightest move against her or Elaine. ¡°What are magic demons?¡± Joseph asked, stepping carefully around the bodies, his voice subdued. Xin-ta¡¯s tail flicked. ¡°They are the dwellers of the Deep,¡± she explained, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°Creatures the Guardian sealed below, hidden away from the sun.¡± Joseph froze mid-step. He was pilfering a medi-pack from a fallen grunt¡¯s belt, and his grip tightened around it. ¡°Hypothetically,¡± he said carefully, ¡°what if the Guardian was¡­ gone?¡± At that, Xin-ta frowned, her ears angling back. ¡°Why would you ask such a thing?¡± She hesitated, seeming troubled by the notion. ¡°We of the Clan ensure the Guardian remains unharmed, for it wards off those fiends in the Deep. The Goddess herself commanded that we leave the Guardian in peace. It performs many sacred tasks¡ªits constant existence protects this forest.¡± Joseph lowered his gaze, mindful of how this knowledge was borderline heresy to her people. ¡°Then we need a place better than simple shelter. We need something defensible. Something with real fortifications.¡± Xin-ta¡¯s brow furrowed, a ripple of alarm crossing her face. ¡°Why?¡± she demanded. Joseph lifted his rifle, double-checking the safety. ¡°Because¡­¡± He swallowed, suddenly feeling the weight of what he¡¯d done pressing on him like a physical burden. ¡°I killed it.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. A beat of silence passed. The forest seemed to inhale around them¡ªbirds paused, leaves stilled. Then Xin-ta sprang forward so fast Joseph barely saw more than a blur of tawny fur. In a single motion, she drove her spear between the plates of his armor and pinned it to the ground. Her other hand found his unprotected throat, gripping it with crushing force and slamming him to the leaf-littered forest floor. ¡°If this is true, Kul,¡± she hissed, her face inches from his own, ¡°you will answer to the Clan for your crime. The crime against our Goddess.¡± Her canines gleamed with rage, and her fingers tightened. Joseph felt hot blood trickle where her claws pricked his flesh. ¡°You will live, but only until our Goddess punishes you!¡± Somewhere within the gem, Marius sighed. I did warn you about how they¡¯d react to this. Joseph, unable to speak, nodded as best he could under her vice-like grip. Xin-ta exuded a fury so potent he felt certain she might tear out his throat at any second. After a tense moment, she released him and stood, spinning away. There was a storm of conflicting emotions in her eyes as she glanced to Elaine. Slowly, Joseph pushed himself up, massaging the fresh cuts around his neck. He still recalled how easily this beast-woman had snapped bones in the heat of battle. He suppressed a shudder, mindful to keep out of range of her spear as she returned to Elaine¡¯s side. ¡°What now?¡± he asked softly. A slight rasp colored his voice, the result of Xin-ta¡¯s crushing grip on his windpipe. She stared at him, hostility simmering in her glare. ¡°We go to the Clan,¡± she said flatly, ¡°and you will carry her.¡± She pointed at Elaine¡¯s still form. ¡°I am the stronger warrior. I know this sacred forest, and I will defend us from anything that lurks within it. But you¡­¡± Her eyes burned with anger at the memory of his confession. ¡°You are a criminal Kul¡ªremember that.¡± Joseph bowed his head in acquiescence. He approached Elaine with great care, bending down and scooping her into his arms. She felt feather-light, her body limp and vulnerable. Briefly, he wondered what might happen once she awoke to learn he had triggered such a cataclysmic event by slaying the Guardian. Xin-ta muttered something under her breath as she surveyed their surroundings. She disliked the revelation of the Guardian¡¯s demise and the fear that came with it. Worse still, she had sworn a blood oath to Zee¡ªand by extension, Elaine. She felt a knot in her gut, anger and duty warring in her mind. ¡°Follow me,¡± she commanded, nodding toward a dim path winding between two towering redwoods. The golden light was fading, dusk shadows stretching long fingers across the forest floor. ¡°We must run for four hours at least, until we reach Outpost Wyvern. It¡¯s not the main city, but it has walls and wards to keep us safe.¡± Even in the growing gloom, Xin-ta could feel a new vigor coursing through her limbs. Whatever that woman¡ªElaine¡ªhad done to her earlier had amplified her strength in a way she didn¡¯t fully understand. She flexed her free hand around the spear, feeling sinews ripple with renewed power. I¡¯ll have to thank her, she thought, assuming I¡¯m not made a slave first. With a determined set to her jaw, she took one last look at the injured man who had confessed to killing the Guardian and the unconscious woman cradled in his arms. Then she turned and broke into a brisk trot. Joseph, his mind heavy with guilt and worry, followed close behind, the crackling forest floor underfoot. Neither spoke, each haunted by the knowledge that as the sun dipped beyond the horizon, the horrors of the Deep might soon stir from their hidden realms beneath the earth¡ªand they would be dangerously close to the surface. They ran through the towering redwoods at a pace just shy of an all-out sprint, the colossal trunks surrounding them like silent titans. Moss-covered roots and uneven ground made every step treacherous for Joseph, who cradled Elaine in both arms. Though he would have preferred the ease of slinging her over his shoulder, he dared not incite Xin-ta¡¯s fury again¡ªher temper, he had quickly learned, was as sharp as her spear. Carrying Elaine in front of him required more care and balance, forcing him to run slower than he liked, but he couldn¡¯t risk stumbling and injuring either of them. Ahead of him, Xin-ta bounded through the foliage with a fluid, feral grace that made her look more beast than woman. A faint smile had touched her lips moments earlier, the thrill of her heightened strength setting her heart racing. She felt as though she were one with the forest, her senses attuned to every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs. Yet that sense of oneness abruptly vanished when she tried to channel light mana from the air¡ªa simple illumination spell to guide them through the deepening dusk and ward off the predatory scaled jaguars known to lurk in the high branches. She flicked her hand in a practiced gesture, one the clan¡¯s shaman had drilled into her until it became second nature. Her intent was to condense the faint motes of mana into a glowing orb. Except, this time, nothing happened. Xin-ta skidded to a halt, her bare foot kicking up decaying leaves and sending them spiraling into the gathering shadows. Joseph, struggling to keep pace while burdened with Elaine¡¯s weight, nearly barreled into her from behind. He caught himself at the last second, letting out a ragged gasp as he steadied his footing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xin-ta?¡± he asked between breaths, shooting a wary glance at the sky. Only the last vestiges of daylight filtered through the upper canopy, painting the forest floor in long, striped shadows. For a moment, she said nothing¡ªonly gazed down at her palm in disbelief. She tried the spell again. No soft glow sparked to life in her hand. No warm hum of mana answered her call. Panic flashed across her face. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t feel the mana anymore,¡± she murmured, her voice as taut as a drawn bowstring. She wheeled around, eyes fixing on Joseph and then on Elaine cradled in his arms. The confusion and budding fear in her eyes deepened. ¡°What has she done to me?¡± Xin-ta¡¯s voice trembled. She reached out, fingertips brushing Elaine¡¯s cheek in desperation. ¡°What have you done, Elaine?¡± she repeated, her tone verging on hysteria. The magical energy that once flowed through every breath now felt distant, gone. Before she could say anything more, a horrific sound rippled through the ancient groves¡ªa laughter so haunting it seemed born of nightmares rather than any living creature. It resonated among the trunks, sending startled birds fluttering skyward. A cold shiver raced down Xin-ta¡¯s spine; her ears flattened, and her pupils dilated with alarm. ¡°It¡­ it¡­ it is here,¡± she whispered, voice quaking. Her knuckles whitened around her spear as her bravado seemed to melt away. Joseph swallowed hard, shifting his grip on Elaine. Though he had not yet heard of the ¡°dweller¡± creatures, he knew instinctively that any predator bold enough to laugh in the face of armed prey was something far worse than a mundane beast. ¡°How far are we from that outpost?¡± he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and measured despite the dread blossoming in his chest. ¡°Too far,¡± Xin-ta answered grimly, shaking her head. She might have been physically the strongest among them, but even that could mean little in the face of something from the Deep. Another echo of that macabre laughter sounded, this time from the opposite side of the clearing. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. The dreadful realization that her mana was gone only made it worse. ¡°How many¡­ usually come?¡± Joseph ventured, eyeing the encroaching darkness. He gently set Elaine¡¯s legs higher in his arms, preparing for whatever came next. ¡°One¡­ normally,¡± she said, voice trembling. ¡°Rarely two.¡± Joseph stiffened. The notion that even one was enough to provoke this much fear made his stomach lurch. Before he could respond, a series of eerie lights began flashing deep in the forest¡ªsmall, dancing flames of unnatural coloration. Their sinister glow flickered among the redwoods, accompanied by that unholy laughter rising from multiple directions at once. Xin-ta¡¯s lips parted in a silent gasp, and her tail lashed behind her. ¡°We die tonight,¡± she declared with a finality that turned Joseph¡¯s blood to ice. ¡°We take as many of the dwellers with us as we can before our last breath.¡± Despite the terror in her eyes, there was a defiant gleam in them, too. She raised her spear, the moonlight glinting off its wickedly sharp tip. In her other hand, she gripped a hunting knife, though it seemed far too small a weapon against the emerging horrors. Joseph inhaled, nodding slowly. He laid Elaine on a bed of soft leaves at the base of a thick redwood, doing his best to ensure she was out of immediate harm¡¯s way. Then he unslung his rifle¡ªa magi-tech weapon powered by the gem in his wrist. Rivulets of mana coursed along the chamber as he readied it, brightening the engraved lines on its side in a cold, electric hue. He lifted it to his shoulder and peered down the sight, scanning the shifting darkness for any sign of movement beyond the creeping lights. Sweat slicked his brow as he glanced sideways at Xin-ta, who planted her feet in a combat stance, spear braced. Neither of them spoke, but each understood the grim truth: dusk had fallen, and whatever crawled up from the depths came hunting. At that moment, the forest quieted, as though the towering trees themselves held their breath. Then a ragged snarl and renewed laughter fractured the silence, shattering whatever peace lingered. Joseph felt his heart hammer in his chest. Beside him, Xin-ta¡¯s tail lashed, and her teeth were bared in a wild snarl of her own. They braced themselves for the next heartbeat, as something unspeakable stirred in the shadows. Their only hope now was to hold on to each other¡¯s resolve¡ªand fight. Chapter 23: Night of the Nightmare Stalkers Chapter 23: Night of the Nightmare Stalkers Night descended with terrible swiftness. The dense canopy of the redwood forest blotted out the final scraps of twilight, leaving the ground in an almost tangible darkness. An eerie glow flickered through the massive trunks, and Joseph felt the hair on his neck prickle at the unnatural lights. Despite his advanced magi-tech rifle and the augmented gem in his wrist, apprehension gnawed at him. There was a suffocating menace in the air, as though the forest itself had become hostile. He risked a glance at the woman crumpled where he had set her down¡ªElaine, still unconscious. Her face looked peaceful despite the chaos stirring all around. Closer by was Xin-ta, the beast-woman whose spear still dripped with the blood of fallen soldiers from earlier. She no longer radiated that quiet confidence; losing her ability to manipulate mana had rattled her deeply. He watched her square her shoulders, forcibly steeling herself for the fight. Suddenly, another ripple of laughter echoed through the redwoods. This time, the pitch varied¡ªlike some deranged chorus of mocking voices. Joseph¡¯s breath caught in his throat. Joseph swallowed hard, not liking how her voice turned sharp with dread. ¡°That laughter¡ªthat¡¯s them?¡± he asked, a cold knot forming in his stomach. Xin-ta nodded slowly, knuckles whitening on her spear. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d face more than one. Not like this.¡± Her clan had warned her since childhood of the dwellers in the Deep¡ªsome real, some almost mythical. This breed, the ¡°Nightmare Stalkers,¡± was among the worst. She had not only heard the cautionary stories but, years ago, had once glimpsed a single Stalker prowling a distant part of the forest. That single fleeting encounter had been enough to sear fear deep into her bones. Joseph frowned, scanning the dark tree line. ¡°So¡­ are they just animals? Bandits? I¡¯ve never seen anything move like that in the forest.¡± She shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re predators¡ªcunning, magical, and cruel. They hunt in ways that make even the bravest warrior quake.¡± She sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Now hurry. This place is no good; we need open ground¡­ or an outpost.¡± As if in response, a mocking echo of laughter rippled through the branches overhead, multiplied and distorted. This time, it seemed to come from several directions at once. Xin-ta¡¯s tail lashed nervously. When she spun around, she spotted the faintest glow¡ªlike smoldering cinders¡ªpeeking out from behind a cluster of redwoods. ¡°There are¡­ five sets of eyes,¡± she rasped, dread twisting her gut. ¡°They never hunt in packs of five. Something is very wrong.¡± A shrill cackle broke the night¡¯s silence, followed by a crackling burst of flame. Joseph¡¯s eyes widened as orange light reflected off scaly forms darting between trunks. Tall but unnaturally lean, jackal-faced silhouettes wove around them, bright eyes shining with hellish gleams. Their scrawny frames were offset by unnerving grace; each step possessed an almost boneless fluidity. No sooner did Joseph fix his sights on one than it flicked out of view, hidden behind a root or trunk. One of them cackled in a sing-song voice that was too human to be natural. As the echo died, a second voice seemed to mimic Joseph¡¯s own tone, calling out a plaintive ¡°Help me!¡± from somewhere deep in the woods. A chill swept across his arms; the voice was so close to his own that it set his teeth on edge. ¡°They¡­ they mimic prey,¡± Xin-ta said shakily, her golden eyes scanning the gloom. ¡°Sounds of pain, fear, or even a voice they¡¯ve just heard. It¡¯s how they break your mind.¡± Joseph exhaled, pressing the butt of his rifle tighter to his shoulder. ¡°Frail or not,¡± he muttered, ¡°we still have to see them to shoot them.¡± Just then, the world erupted with orange light. One of the Nightmare Stalkers spewed a short burst of crimson-tinged flame at the base of an old redwood. Dry bark caught fire, sending sparks showering across the undergrowth. The flickering flames momentarily illuminated five lithe silhouettes weaving amid the trunks. Glowing coals for eyes. Gnashing jaws. Barbed tails thrashing the air. Xin-ta snarled, the primal sound more bestial than Joseph had ever heard from her. ¡°Stay away,¡± she spat, brandishing her spear. With her mana gone, she had only her physical prowess. But Xin-ta was no mere human. Even without magic, her body was a finely honed weapon¡ªenhanced muscles, advanced reflexes, a prehensile tail for balance. She dropped into a low stance, ready to lunge. They didn¡¯t have to wait long. The first Stalker sprang forward on digitigrade legs, launching itself at the pair with a sudden burst of speed. Joseph squeezed the trigger. A bright flash from his rifle crackled the air, and the recoil thudded into his shoulder. The creature twisted mid-leap, so quick and agile that Joseph¡¯s shot only grazed its side. It let out a gravelly screech and bounded away, leaving oily droplets of blood spattering the ground. No sooner had the first retreated than two more charged from opposite sides. They zigzagged among the looming trunks to disorient him, flames flickering at their clawed fingertips. Xin-ta roared and rushed the closer one¡ªa blur of fur and muscled grace. Her spear lashed out in a precise arc, slicing the creature¡¯s flank, but again it darted aside with unnatural quickness. A swirl of sparks flared from its maw, forcing her to retreat or be scorched. She felt a surge of triumph that her blow had landed, but it was short-lived. A mocking chorus of howls echoed through the forest, and embers rained down around them. The Stalkers were systematically surrounding Joseph and Xin-ta, driving them into the center of a firelit ring. Even Elaine, still unconscious, lay perilously close to one of the creeping flames. ¡°They¡¯re herding us,¡± Joseph growled. He shifted sideways, putting himself between a pair of glowing eyes and Elaine¡¯s prone form. ¡°Xin-ta! We can¡¯t let them cut us off.¡± She nodded, panting. Sweat beaded her brow, half from the flames, half from raw fear. ¡°We need to break their circle¡ªdrive them back.¡± Her amber eyes darted to Elaine for a heartbeat. ¡°I¡¯ll guard her. You¡ªshoot.¡± Joseph needed no further urging. He thumbed a switch on the rifle, feeding a greater surge of energy from his gem into the weapon. Light arced along its barrel. Suddenly, from the shadows to his left, a Stalker lunged. Its maw gaped to reveal a flicker of internal fire. With catlike speed, it swept a clawed hand in an attempt to rake Joseph¡¯s face. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. He squeezed the trigger. The high-energy shot ripped through the creature¡¯s chest, spattering dark blood against a nearby trunk. A strangled cry wrenched from its throat, and it collapsed in a heap of dusty scales. One down. But there was no time to relish the victory. Two more of the beasts sprang into the flickering ring of light, jaws snapping. One dashed for Elaine, as though sensing easy prey. Xin-ta moved purely on instinct, vaulting over a half-burned log. She landed in front of Elaine and met the Nightmare Stalker head-on with her spear. Their collision sent them both tumbling. She hissed, twisting her body in mid-roll to throw it off. Despite its scrawny frame, the creature clung to her spear shaft like a cornered wolverine, jaws snapping with unholy fervor. Somewhere to her right, the forest exploded with gunfire. Another of Joseph¡¯s shots lit the gloom, and a second Stalker shrieked in rage. Xin-ta tried to flip free, but the one on top of her spat a jet of flame from its open jaws. She barely dodged, feeling the scorching heat nip at her furred ears. She managed to wedge one foot against the beast¡¯s chest and kicked it back with all her might. It skidded across the soil, scrambling upright with a hiss, but the momentary distance allowed her to regain her stance. ¡°Find a weakness!¡± Joseph barked over the chaos. He swung his rifle around, scanning for the next threat. The ring of flames now scorched the undergrowth, sending a cloying smoke curling upward. The flickering blaze illuminated the gnarled shapes of the last three Stalkers lurking among the trunks. Xin-ta¡¯s mind reeled. She recalled the clan¡¯s old warnings: Their bodies are weak¡­ but their minds are cunning. Do not let them fill your head with fear. She took a steadying breath. That was easier said than done, with the unearthly howling echoing all around them. Suddenly, a new chorus of voices erupted¡ªthis time, the tortured cries of someone who sounded like Elaine. ¡°Help me¡­¡± the voice wailed. ¡°I¡¯m burning¡­¡± Joseph¡¯s head whipped around, heart lurching, but he saw Elaine still lying motionless on the forest floor, untouched by any flame. The Stalkers were simply toying with them, spinning illusions and stoking terror. But the distraction worked¡ªone of the beasts darted forward with uncanny speed, jaws parted in a silent snarl. Joseph leveled his weapon just in time, a flurry of gunfire erupting in short bursts. Sparks flared as bullets ricocheted off a nearby trunk, but at least one shot found its target. The Stalker stumbled, hissing, a fresh wound glistening along its scaly flank. Xin-ta used the opening. With a guttural war cry, she bounded in and drove her spear beneath the creature¡¯s ribs, twisting hard. It let out a pained wheeze, embers glowing on its breath, then went limp on the shaft of her weapon. She yanked the blade free, her chest heaving. ¡°That¡¯s two!¡± she rasped, half-lost in the haze of adrenaline. There were still three more. Joseph caught movement at the corner of his eye¡ªone Stalker scuttled along a fallen trunk, edging around the flames that now surrounded the clearing. He took aim, but the creature sprang off the log and disappeared into the darkness before he could fire. ¡°They¡¯re trying to pick us off from different angles,¡± Joseph muttered, shifting to keep Elaine at his back. Another swirl of maniacal laughter rained from the branches above, though the canopy was too thick to see anything. ¡°Xin-ta, we might have to run.¡± She bared her teeth, the bioluminescent veins under her skin flickering with adrenaline. ¡°Where? We can¡¯t risk them following us deeper into the forest, and we¡¯re too far from the outpost. I won¡¯t leave her defenseless.¡± She jerked her head at Elaine. A shriek tore through the clearing as one of the three remaining Stalkers leaped onto a low branch and spat a swirling gout of fire at Xin-ta. She dove aside¡ªyet even in mid-leap, she managed to hurl her spear. It whistled through the air and impaled the creature¡¯s thigh. The beast toppled off the branch with a pained shriek, its flames sputtering in a wild arc that caught a patch of brambles on fire. Smoke and chaos thickened. Joseph didn¡¯t hesitate. He pivoted, squeezing off several shots in rapid succession at the fallen Stalker. Two bullets buried themselves in its torso, and it lay still, scaly limbs twitching. Three down. A flicker of movement at ground level¡ªanother beast! This one sprang for Elaine with all its speed, evidently aiming to seize the ¡°easy¡± target. Joseph¡¯s heart lurched, but Xin-ta was faster. Relying on her preternatural reflexes, she crouched low and tackled the Stalker mid-lunge, sending them both crashing away from Elaine. It snapped at her face, a claw raking across her arm, but she ignored the pain. With an enraged bellow, she drew her hunting knife and plunged it beneath the creature¡¯s jaw, cutting short its screams of terror. Four down. Now only one remained¡ªa master of illusions, it seemed, for the scorching ring of firelight revealed nothing but flickering shadows. Each new swirl of flame cast dancing silhouettes across the redwoods. Yet the final Stalker was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, Joseph dared to hope it had fled. Then, a ragged voice sounded in the gloom, echoing eerily: ¡°Nnngh¡­ please¡­ no more¡­¡± It was Joseph¡¯s voice again, twisted in agony, bouncing around the smoldering trunks. ¡°Show yourself!¡± he roared, weapon at the ready. Xin-ta crouched, panting, her tail lashing. A fresh streak of blood colored the fur on her arm, but her eyes blazed. She refused to let fear paralyze her. She forced her ears to tune out the ghostly mocking, instead listening for leaves crunching, twigs snapping¡ªany real sign of movement. A low hiss to her right. She spun just in time. The last Stalker lunged from behind a fallen tree, wisps of flame dancing at its fingertips. Xin-ta thrust her arm out to ward it off, but it twisted aside, spitting a burst of fire aimed straight at Elaine. Her eyes went wide¡ªshe was too far to intercept. Joseph reacted faster than he ever had in his life. He hurled himself between Elaine and the incoming flames, bringing up his rifle as if it were a shield. The impact of fiery magic sizzled against the metal plating and singed his armor. For a heartbeat, white-hot pain blinded him. Then he felt the scorching claws of the creature dig at his side, trying to climb over him for Elaine. Adrenaline surged, and Joseph shoved the muzzle of his rifle against the Stalker¡¯s torso. He pulled the trigger. The rifle¡¯s gem flared brilliantly, unleashing a roaring discharge of mana-infused rounds at point-blank range. The Nightmare Stalker let out a tortured scream as it was thrown backward, smoldering holes punched through its narrow chest. It collapsed onto the forest floor and went motionless, red eyes dimming to black. Five down. For a long moment, neither Xin-ta nor Joseph spoke. Their chests heaved, lungs burning from smoke and exertion. The once-quiet stand of redwoods was now dotted with small, dancing flames, the flicker lighting the battered clearing like torches. Thin columns of smoke rose into the canopy, while the charred remains of the final Stalker lay on the ground. Xin-ta slowly approached, knife still held in a trembling grip. She nudged the carcass with the tip of her blade, verifying it wasn¡¯t feigning death. After confirming it was gone, she exhaled shakily and wiped the sweat from her brow. ¡°Is¡­ is Elaine all right?¡± she rasped, eyeing Joseph¡¯s scorched armor. He knelt beside the unconscious woman, checking her pulse with shaking fingers. ¡°Alive,¡± he breathed. ¡°No burns.¡± Relief washed over him, and the tension coiled in his muscles finally began to release. In the distance, the unholy laughter had ceased. No more mocking voices echoed among the towering redwoods. But the night was far from silent¡ªembers crackled in the undergrowth, and the faint calls of real forest creatures crept back in. Xin-ta¡¯s ears twitched at those gentle night-sounds. ¡°We need to keep moving,¡± she whispered. ¡°Others may come. They never move in packs of five¡­ but that doesn¡¯t mean more aren¡¯t out there.¡± Joseph nodded, gently scooping Elaine into his arms again, ignoring the searing ache where his armor had scorched through to skin. ¡°Let¡¯s get to that outpost¡­ fast.¡± Together, they trudged forward, leaving behind the charred remains of five Therolupus ignescens¡ªand the scorched patch of forest that bore witness to the horrors they could unleash. Smoke drifted upward into the dark canopy, carrying with it the last traces of haunting mimicry. In their wake, the Redwood Forest seemed to exhale, a momentary respite from the nightmare. But Xin-ta and Joseph both knew the dangers below the surface were only beginning to stir. Chapter 24: Veil of the Redwood Night Chapter 24: Veil of the Redwood Night The moonless sky made the redwoods loom taller, their silhouettes jagged against faint starlight. Xin-ta strode quietly ahead, her clawed feet padding over the damp undergrowth without a sound. Joseph, cradling his rifle and wincing at the burn across his left flank, followed two paces behind, carrying Elaine in his arms. Though the woman had shown no signs of waking since her collapse, Joseph made sure to keep her as comfortable as possible¡ªher head supported in the crook of his elbow, her breath steady but shallow. In the hush of the forest, they could both hear the sporadic, haunting echoes of the Nightmare Stalkers¡¯ laughter. None had attacked since the brutal clash hours before, yet each cackle seemed a reminder that the peace was temporary. The acrid tang of old smoke still clung to Joseph¡¯s nostrils. Although they¡¯d fled the scene of that battle, the entire Redwood domain felt eerily saturated with tension, as if the trees themselves expected more bloodshed. Xin-ta stopped suddenly, ears twitching, tail flicking to maintain balance. She lifted her hand in a universal signal for Joseph to freeze. He obeyed at once, lowering his stance. For a tense minute, nothing stirred among the colossal trunks. Then, satisfied, she gestured for him to continue. In the weak starlight, Joseph could just make out the pained expression on her face. She was breathing harder than before, likely from the wounds on her forearm that still bled sluggishly. They pressed on, forging a cautious path through the forest. As a Seeker, Xin-ta was used to treading lightly over hidden trails, searching for artifacts from lost civilizations¡ªa specialized calling in her clan. Yet now she felt naked without her mana. In her youth, she had trained to channel flickers of elemental power that allowed illusions, healing, or illusions to blend seamlessly with her environment. But since crossing paths with Elaine, that mystical sense had vanished. All she had left were her sharpened instincts, her physical prowess, and the knife clutched in her hand. Meanwhile, Joseph used his soldier¡¯s training to navigate. Even though this was an alien world¡ªone he had never before set foot on¡ªthe Kul had taken him to many hostile planets in the past, teaching him how to read terrain and find defensible routes. His unarmored chest still bore the sting of the Nightmare Stalkers¡¯ claws, but he masked the pain as best he could. He had Elaine to worry about; he could not afford to appear weak in front of Xin-ta, who herself was battling exhaustion and pain. They climbed over a series of large, gnarled roots that formed a living lattice across the forest floor. The redwoods, each as wide as a small house, soared overhead, their canopies lost in the night. Now and then, faint starbeams filtered through cracks in the branches, illuminating ribbons of light that hung in midair like spectral curtains. The hush was complete¡ªno breeze rustled the leaves, and only the distant call of unknown creatures broke the silence. Every step felt too loud, every breath too obvious. Eventually, they paused in a hollow beneath two mighty trunks that rose side by side, leaving a protected nook. There, Xin-ta sank to one knee, pressing her free hand to her injured forearm. She had tried to bind it with a strip of cloth earlier, but the makeshift bandage was soaked through. Joseph set Elaine down with painstaking gentleness, shifting her body so that her back was braced against a mossy root. Then he knelt beside Xin-ta, rummaging in his battered satchel for anything resembling medical supplies. He produced a small roll of gauze and a partially crushed tube of antiseptic gel from his own kit. He had looted these from the remains of a Kul only a few hours ago, never expecting to need them quite so soon. ¡°Let me see,¡± he said quietly. Xin-ta, still panting, extended her arm without argument. ¡°Don¡¯t know why,¡± she murmured, voice tight with pain, ¡°but your ways always seem more advanced than ours. You carry potions, healing salves in tubes¡­ My clan barely uses them.¡± Joseph let out a rueful snort. ¡°You¡¯d be amazed how many battles I¡¯ve survived thanks to these little luxuries.¡± He applied the gel gingerly to the wound. Xin-ta grimaced, flattening her ears as she suppressed a hiss. ¡°Sorry,¡± he added. ¡°Burns, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She gave a curt nod. ¡°Better than letting it get infected.¡± She allowed him to bind the arm with gauze, though her face twitched from discomfort. ¡°Thank you, Kul.¡± She didn¡¯t know what Elaine had done to her making her effectively immune to all infections already thanks to the horseshoe crabs abilities. That last word she spoke with the faintest glimmer of respect. Joseph noticed, but chose not to comment. Her hatred for his people, so deeply ingrained, was likely not something she could shrug off overnight¡ªyet her voice contained less venom than before. Once the bandage was snug, Joseph sat back. He then turned to Elaine¡¯s prone form, placing two fingers against her neck. Still a pulse, still shallow breathing. But she was so still, her face tight with a ghostly pallor. Xin-ta¡¯s sharp eyes flicked over to Elaine. ¡°We need her awake,¡± she whispered, almost in frustration. ¡°Your friend¡ªthis¡­ white-winged one, Zee, or the other occupant¡­ they could help me get my mana back. Or at least they¡¯d help us find a safer route.¡± She exhaled, ears drooping. ¡°I do not like feeling so powerless.¡± Joseph offered a half-shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s that simple. Elaine is¡­ different. Even among the Kul, I¡¯ve seen nothing like her.¡± He brushed a stray lock of hair from Elaine¡¯s brow. ¡°And she¡¯s not exactly my friend. Honestly, I barely know her. We ended up in this situation together. I was tasked to kill her.¡± ¡°Yet you defend her, you carry her, you fight for her,¡± Xin-ta pointed out. ¡°So you must care enough.¡± For a moment, Joseph closed his eyes. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just who I am, and the angel commanded it.¡± he admitted softly. He had never felt quite at home with the Kul. Yes, they had raised him into their ranks, but his empathy had rarely aligned with their more ruthless tendencies. ¡°She saved you, though, right? She poured her power into healing you?¡± Xin-ta nodded. ¡°I was¡­ dying,¡± she said, almost disbelieving. Her memory of that event was fuzzy, dominated by pain and the sense of life slipping away. ¡°In my clan, that kind of healing magic is¡­ rare. The shaman can do some, but not enough to pull me back from the brink.¡± She let out a shaky breath. ¡°Somehow, Elaine did. And these¡­ archangels? They dwell within her?¡± Joseph was about to answer when a sudden flicker of light glowed on the gem at his wrist. The gem was dusty, scratched from earlier fights, but the faint luminescence indicated an active presence. Marious, the first archangel who had hijacked the gem. Joseph felt a subtle hum in the back of his mind, like a voice waiting to be heard. He frowned and turned to Xin-ta, lips parted in puzzlement. Then, abruptly, the voice of Marious echoed in both their heads, or so it seemed. A sensation of telepathic contact, though it manifested somewhat differently for Xin-ta: she heard it as a faint resonance, while Joseph experienced it as a direct presence in his thoughts. ¡°Yes, well¡­ we are Archangels, after all,¡± Marious said, his tone studiously polite. ¡°But I must correct you: in my current state, I cannot see or speak to Seraphione or Zeraphine. We are, how shall I say, effectively separated from them while she is unconscious.¡± Xin-ta jumped, stifling a yelp. The shock nearly caused her to drop her knife. ¡°W-what is¡­? Are you¡ªlike the winged-ones?¡± A soft chuckle drifted through the mental link. ¡°Correct. The first Archangel of Earth, Marious, at your service.¡± Xin-ta shot Joseph an incredulous look. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ in your gem?¡± Joseph¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°He hijacked it. Took over the System that we Kul rely on.¡± He paused. ¡°Let¡¯s just say he gave me a crash course in how that works, and I¡¯m not entirely thrilled.¡± Then, directing his thoughts inward, Joseph asked, ¡°Marious, so you can¡¯t contact angels at all?¡± ¡°No,¡± Marious replied matter-of-factly, ¡°not while she is trapped in that dreamless slumber. Same goes for Zee, presumably, and any other archangels that might be lurking in her. We¡¯re all, in a sense, tethered to her spiritual presence. But with her mind ¡®shut down,¡¯ we have no conduit to the outside world.¡± Xin-ta exhaled sharply. ¡°But you¡¯re talking to us right now.¡± ¡°That is because I¡¯ve appropriated your gem, Joseph,¡± the Archangel clarified. ¡°Though the power is minimal, it¡¯s enough to create this telepathic link. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do much more. Certainly not enough to rouse Elaine or those that dwell within her.¡± Joseph studied Elaine¡¯s face. Her cheeks were slightly sunken, lips pale. She had given so much energy. ¡°We have to help her wake up,¡± he murmured, not sure if he was speaking more to himself or to Xin-ta. Xin-ta nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes. With my clan¡¯s shrine or the elders¡¯ help, perhaps. But that¡¯s far from here. We must at least try.¡± Her tail swished with restless energy. ¡°If the Archangels are so powerful, maybe they can restore my mana once they¡¯re awake. Maybe they can protect her better.¡± A hush fell over them, broken only by a distant call from the higher branches¡ªa birdlike screech. Joseph¡¯s scalp prickled at the memory of that monstrous laughter, the shapes darting among the trees. They had escaped one battle, but the Redwood forest was vast, and the clan¡¯s outpost still loomed hours, if not days, ahead. ¡°Well,¡± Marious said, his voice echoing gently, ¡°I shall leave the impetus to you. Wake her up if you can. But do be careful¡ªif you let your guard down in these woods, more of those Nightmare Stalkers, or worse, might set upon you.¡± Xin-ta bristled. ¡°The chance is worth it,¡± she said, determination gleaming in her eyes. ¡°Without my powers, I¡¯m only half a Seeker. And Joseph¡¯s in no shape to fight a whole horde by himself.¡± Joseph gave her a knowing look. ¡°We¡¯ll keep watch,¡± he promised. ¡°If we see or hear anything suspicious, we¡¯ll stop.¡± So they decided on the spot. Xin-ta knelt next to Elaine, gently cupping her face. The beast-woman¡¯s claw-tipped fingers brushed across Elaine¡¯s temples as she tried to rouse her with whispered words. ¡°Elaine,¡± she said softly. ¡°Wake up. I need you awake. We both do.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. At first, Elaine¡¯s face remained slack, her breathing unchanging. Xin-ta tried again, voice more urgent. ¡°Elaine. Human. Please, open your eyes.¡± She placed her palm over Elaine¡¯s chest, feeling the steady drum of a heartbeat. Something fluttered behind Elaine¡¯s eyelids¡ªperhaps a flicker of response. Joseph, standing watch, scanned the perimeter. It was dangerously exposed. The starlight trickled through overhead leaves, forming a faint mosaic of shadows and pale glimmers across the forest floor. The environment was so silent it felt unreal. Fear gnawed at the pit of his stomach, every crackle of bark or rustle of leaves raising alarm. Don¡¯t let your guard down¡­ Marious had warned. Joseph tightened his grip on his rifle, straining to hear anything out of place. Minutes dragged on. Xin-ta whispered soft pleas to Elaine, occasionally shaking her shoulder. The young woman¡¯s lashes trembled, and she started to draw in a deeper breath. ¡°Elaine?¡± Xin-ta repeated, voice brightening. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Come back.¡± But the forest had other ideas. Joseph pivoted at a sudden, low growl from behind a fallen trunk. He hissed under his breath, stepping forward to place himself between Xin-ta¡ªwho was still bent over Elaine¡ªand the source of the noise. The rank odor of sulfur and damp fur drifted in the still air. A prickle of dread shot through him as the shape rose from behind the mossy wood. It stood about seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and ridged hide. Dim starlight revealed primitive armor¡ªlumps of leather or hide strapped across chest and thighs. In its clawed hands, it gripped a crude but deadly spear, hewn from bone and stone. A guttural snort escaped its broad mouth, revealing conical teeth. Though it bore some resemblance to the lesser creatures Joseph had seen not but moments ago, this one was bigger, bulkier, exuding a menacing aura of intellect and command. Xin-ta¡¯s eyes darted up from Elaine. She saw the figure and sucked in a sharp breath, cursing under her breath in her own language. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know. A bigger demon?¡± Her mind scrambled for an explanation. Instinct told her that this was no ordinary predator. Indeed, Joseph felt the same. The creature¡¯s posture was upright and disciplined, not the half-feral stance of the Nightmare Stalkers. Its eyes¡ªreflective slits of dull red¡ªregarded them with something akin to cunning. The moment Joseph raised his rifle, the hulking figure raised its spear to point at him. They stood locked in a silent standoff. Joseph wanted to shout at Xin-ta to gather Elaine and run, but his body refused to relinquish aim. This was a new threat, one he had no name for, but everything about it screamed lethal. ¡°Another Dweller,¡± Marious supplied in Joseph¡¯s head, his tone uneasy. ¡°But a smarter, stronger breed¡ªsome sort of commander or elite. The one you faced earlier¡ªthe Guardian¡ªwas a creation of gods. This is different. Focus.¡± As if on cue, three slender shapes slunk out from the shadows beyond the newcomer: Nightmare Stalkers, their eyes glowing like dying embers. So they were allied? Or at least cooperating. These three looked smaller, perhaps leaner, but they carried that same flicker of malevolence. One let out a quiet, rasping laugh, and another gurgled a low series of clicks that might have been language. Xin-ta¡¯s heart sank. She recognized the motions. The big creature¡ªshe dubbed it a Dread Vanguard in her mind¡ªseemed to silently coordinate with the Stalkers. A quick jab of its spear, an angled tilt of its horned head, and the three scaly demons parted to surround Joseph and Xin-ta from different angles. The beast-woman whispered, ¡°They¡¯re ignoring Elaine. They see only you and me as threats.¡± She was right: the Dread Vanguard¡¯s gaze was fixed on them, not even glancing at the unconscious woman. She recalled that the Nightmare Stalkers sometimes hunted all manner of living things, but this bigger creature seemed more concerned about potential resistance than easy kills. A conquest for food, she thought grimly, or territory. Possibly both. Joseph inhaled, trying to quell his throbbing side where his burn ached under the bandages. ¡°We need to hold them off,¡± he whispered to Xin-ta. ¡°We can¡¯t let them near Elaine. If these things truly want to kill us for food or territory, we¡¯re not outrunning them like this.¡± She nodded, a flicker of primal determination crossing her face. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the flanks,¡± she said, shifting her stance. Her knife was at the ready, though her wound stung with every pulse of her heartbeat. ¡°You focus on that big one, if it moves.¡± Joseph positioned himself by Elaine¡¯s side, rifle leveled at the Dread Vanguard. He could feel his breath quicken, adrenaline sharpening his senses. The forest around them seemed to recede, leaving only the circle of immediate threats in his mind. One of the Nightmare Stalkers made the first move. It dashed forward in a blur, scaly limbs clattering over the ground, spitting a plume of faint flame that cast dancing shadows. Joseph fired a burst, the muzzle flash revealing the creature¡¯s skull-like face. Shots pocked the earth around it. One bullet caught its shoulder, spinning it to the side with a snarl. At that exact moment, the other two Stalkers charged from opposite sides. Xin-ta sprang up, her powerful legs launching her at the nearest demon. She slashed wide, forcing it back, but the second scuttled behind her, claws raised to strike. She pivoted too late. A slash raked across her thigh, tearing fresh wounds. She hissed in pain, lashing out with a back-kick that knocked the attacker off-balance. While Joseph tried to line up another shot, the Dread Vanguard lurched forward. Its spear thrust for Joseph¡¯s torso with frightening speed. Joseph barely managed to sidestep, gasping at the power behind the blow. The vanguard was big but not slow¡ªits reflexes were honed, each movement purposeful. Joseph got the barrel of his rifle around and loosed a shot, but the creature twisted its hide-wrapped arm, letting the bullet tear a chunk from its layered armor. It growled, clearly wounded yet still very much in the fight. Xin-ta, out of the corner of her eye, saw Joseph engaged in a dangerous dance with the vanguard. She cursed, wanting to help, but a Nightmare Stalker sprang at her from behind a thick root, forcing her to lunge aside. It spat a brief burst of flame at her face; she jerked sideways, feeling the heat singe her ears. She returned the favor by driving her knife into its midsection. The beast shrieked, a keening wail that set her teeth on edge. Blackish blood spattered her arms. A jolt of savage relief coursed through her¡ªone Nightmare Stalker down. But she knew there were still two more. Joseph tried to create some distance from the vanguard, stepping back over gnarled roots. But behind him lay Elaine, and his foot caught the edge of her leg. He almost tripped, a sickening moment of dizziness washing over him. Taking advantage, the vanguard lunged. Joseph managed a single shot that grazed the creature¡¯s hide, but then the spear¡¯s haft slammed into his injured flank. Agony tore through him, nearly dropping him to one knee. He coughed, breath seizing. Meanwhile, the two remaining Nightmare Stalkers had regrouped. One circled around behind Joseph and Elaine, the other pinned Xin-ta near a trunk. Every time she tried to move toward Joseph, the creature hissed and snapped, forcing her to keep her knife raised. She saw him falter from that blow to his side. She bared her teeth, pressing a brief attack to see if she could break free, but the Stalker responded in kind with a swirl of claws. She couldn¡¯t reach him. ¡°Marious!¡± Joseph grunted mentally, eyes swimming with pain. ¡°Any chance you can help?¡± ¡°If I had more of the gem¡¯s resources, yes,¡± came the archangel¡¯s strained reply. ¡°But I told you¡ªElaine¡¯s unconscious. My power is minimal.¡± Joseph¡¯s heart pounded. The vanguard roared, stepping forward with steady, menacing confidence. In a short, guttural bark, it issued some command to the Stalkers. The scaly horrors hissed in acknowledgment, as though receiving orders to corner and dispatch the two prey. A flash of insight: Joseph realized the vanguard was ignoring Elaine because it perceived her as no threat. If she woke, that could change everything¡ªbut so far, their attempts to rouse her had proven fruitless. A wave of despair threatened to close around him. He forced it down, exhaling sharply. Keep fighting. He fired another burst, but the vanguard jerked aside. One bullet clipped its forearm, making it snarl in pain. Infuriated, it lunged with a savage overhead strike. Joseph parried with the rifle barrel, metal scraping bone-spear with a piercing clang. Pain shot through his arms. The creature¡¯s monstrous strength forced him backward. At that same moment, across the small clearing, Xin-ta managed to disembowel one Stalker with a swift thrust, but not before its companion pounced from behind. She felt claws sink into her shoulders, the weight forcing her to the ground. She roared in fury, but there was no time¡ªher knife was pinned beneath her body, and the Stalker¡¯s jaws gaped near her neck. It hissed, exhaling acrid breath. She struggled violently, hooking a leg around one of its limbs. Before she could toss it off, though, something heavy smashed into her side: another Nightmare Stalker, half-wounded, flung its weight on top. A flash of panic seized her. The combined mass of both scaly predators pinned her. Her shoulders pressed into the dirt. Her mind reeled, trying to figure out how to break free. The pain in her thigh flared. Her earlier wounds still bled through bandages. Everything felt dangerously close to an end. Joseph, battered by the vanguard¡¯s unrelenting spear strikes, felt his own consciousness slipping. He was bleeding from the flank, where the earlier scorch and new bruises had opened a deeper wound. The world tilted. With a last, desperate effort, he tried to raise his rifle for another shot. The vanguard¡¯s broad forearm slammed into his face, white light exploding behind his eyes. He staggered, losing his grip on the weapon. A second blow with the spear¡¯s shaft caught his gut. He pitched forward, retching from the impact. ¡°Huh¡­!¡± he gasped, mind spinning. As he collapsed, he caught a final glimpse: the vanguard turned away from him, scanning the clearing. Then everything spun black. Xin-ta was pinned, throat tight with panic. She felt her arms pinned by the second Nightmare Stalker¡¯s claws, her knife useless beneath her. She bucked her hips, but the creatures only dug in deeper, pressing her shoulders into the earth. She saw the Dread Vanguard step over Joseph¡¯s unconscious form¡ªhe wasn¡¯t moving, blood staining his side. Her chest constricted. They¡¯re going to kill him if they haven¡¯t already, she thought in horror. She tried to scream in rage, but one of the Stalkers pressed a clawed hand over her mouth, muffling her. Then the vanguard pivoted to face the still figure of Elaine. Its glowing eyes flickered with what could have been curiosity¡ªor predatory hunger. From behind its hide kilt, it drew a small, crude dagger, the blade chipped from black stone. It paused as if considering, then reached down with one large hand, claws glinting, to clamp around Elaine¡¯s throat. The unconscious woman¡¯s head lolled, her eyes shut, lips parted. ¡°No!¡± Xin-ta tried to scream, but the Stalker¡¯s hand muffled all but a garbled moan. She thrashed, adrenaline surging, but her injuries weakened her. The second Stalker used its free hand to pin her wrists above her head, forcing her chest to the ground. She could hardly breathe, forced to watch helplessly as the vanguard lifted Elaine by the throat. The vanguard¡¯s grip tightened. Elaine¡¯s face jerked, the choking reflex apparently jolting her from oblivion. As if from a great distance, Xin-ta saw Elaine¡¯s eyelids flutter, lips parting in panic. One strangled gasp tore the silence. The woman¡¯s expression twisted in confusion and sudden terror: half-dream, half reality, as her mind grasped for sense. Her limbs hung limp at first, but then the spasm of oxygen deprivation kicked in. Through watery eyes, Elaine made out shapes¡ªdark silhouettes, monstrous faces, and a paralyzed beast-woman pinned under scaly horrors. She felt raw fear jolt her chest. She tried to scream, but the pressure on her throat only let out a gargled croak. Her right hand twitched, searching for anything to hold on to. The vanguard hissed in her face, a guttural rumble that might have been speech in some unknown tongue. Fear hammered through Elaine¡¯s entire being. Memories of healing Xin-ta, glimpses of fighting, of Joseph¡¯s voice, of her own battered body. She was still so weak. But survival instincts flared. She rasped a single word, or what might have been a name: ¡°S-Ser¡­ aphine¡­?¡± Xin-ta, pinned and immobile, heard that final strangled cry. Her own heart thundered. Seraphione was another of the archangels, she had gleaned from conversation. Did Elaine call for help from the angel¡¯s power? For a single, potent second, the entire clearing seemed to hush, as if the forest held its breath. Then the vanguard roared, shaking Elaine like a rag doll, its thick hand pressed mercilessly to her throat. And with that, everything hung in the balance¡ªthe Redwood domain, a swirl of smoke, blood, and broken hopes. Joseph lay unconscious, half-dead. Xin-ta, pinned under two slavering Nightmare Stalkers. Elaine, forcibly awakened into a suffocating nightmare, desperately trying to call out for Seraphione. The next heartbeat would determine if salvation arrived¡ªor if they were all about to be swallowed by the night. Chapter 25: Fires of Wrath and Discovery Chapter 25: Fires of Wrath and Discovery The pain was immediate and suffocating¡ªa crushing force around Elaine¡¯s throat, robbing her of breath and scattering her thoughts. She hung in midair, her toes scraping the forest floor, a single massive hand locked around her windpipe. Panic swelled; she kicked and clawed, but her fingernails skittered uselessly over leathery hide. Through a glaze of tears, she took in the monster that held her: a Dread Vanguard, towering head and shoulders above the average man, its body clad in rough, hidebound armor, its eyes alive with some infernal, predatory light. A sheen of sweat broke across Elaine¡¯s forehead as she fought the encroaching darkness at the edges of her vision. This was worse than any lab accident, worse than any field expedition gone wrong during her time at Michigan State. She tried to remember the safety procedures she¡¯d learned¡ªa calm mind, methodical response¡ªbut nothing could have prepared her for having her windpipe crushed by a monstrous warrior from another world. She was an ordinary human¡ªno mana heart, no supernatural power. All she had was her so-called Divine Gift from her Earthly god, and it required an external source of mana that she simply did not possess. That knowledge mocked her now, as the Dread Vanguard¡¯s grip cut off her air. The forest around them was dark, lit only by thin strands of moonlight filtering through the redwood canopy. Each trunk soared like a watchful sentinel, ancient and unmoving, their massive forms dwarfed only by the night sky overhead. Low shrubs and ferns rustled in the faint breeze. If not for the choking terror and the scent of blood, one might have found this place serene. But serenity was a distant dream. From somewhere behind Elaine came the grunts and growls of a struggle: Xin-ta lay pinned under the weight of two smaller Nightmare Stalkers, known to her clan as ¡°Magic Demons.¡± Their scaly bodies and elongated snouts glistened with the sticky remains of their last kills, and they hissed with unholy hunger. Joseph was sprawled on the ground, his side soaked in crimson. She couldn¡¯t see his face, but the memory of his pained groan echoed in her mind, a reminder that he, too, was at death¡¯s door if no one helped him soon. A wave of oxygen-starved delirium swept over Elaine. Her vision blurred, and a frantic thought took shape: I can¡¯t die here¡­ I¡¯m supposed to help them¡­ But no matter how she raked the Vanguard¡¯s armor, she gained no purchase. Tears stung her eyes. In that moment, she felt a flicker in her chest¡ªa warmth unrelated to any physical organ. It wasn¡¯t mana. She had none. It was the subtle call of her Divine Gift, a gift that needed outside energy to do anything. Useless, unless¡­ With her final thread of air, Elaine forced out a strangled whisper: ¡°S-Ser¡­ a¡­ phion¡­¡± Her voice cracked on the last syllable. Darkness crowded her, and she thought she heard a triumphant snarl from the Vanguard. Then a sudden surge of electric warmth rushed across the clearing. The hiss of raw power joined the crackle of displaced air. The hand at her throat was ripped away. Elaine dropped, coughing and gasping, tears streaming down her cheeks. She tumbled onto moss and scattered pine needles, her nails clawing at her neck in reflex. Through watery eyes, she saw an ethereal glow forming behind her¡ªa figure of wings and armor, taking shape in a swirl of gold and red. The Dread Vanguard reeled back, momentarily robbed of its prize. It whipped its head around, lips curled in a snarl. Now standing between Elaine and the hulking warrior was Seraphion: an archangel wreathed in a brilliance that burned the shadows from the forest floor. Crimson wings unfurled behind her, each feather like molten glass flickering at the edges, and her dark metal armor shone with runic etchings that glowed faintly. A halo of searing light crowned her brow. Her eyes, twin embers of molten wrath, locked on the Vanguard. ¡°You dare harm what is mine?¡± Seraphion¡¯s voice resonated, both hush and thunder. ¡°You¡­ will be purified.¡± There was a moment of silence, pregnant with danger. Elaine felt each heartbeat thunder through her bruised throat. The Dread Vanguard let out a guttural roar and lunged, thrusting a long spear at Seraphion¡¯s abdomen. With an almost dismissive elegance, the archangel caught the spear mid-lunge, her gauntleted hand closing over the wooden shaft. Flame raced along the wood, swiftly melting the spearhead to slag. The Vanguard tried to yank free, snarling in fury, but Seraphion twisted, snapping the spear in two as though it were a brittle twig. Then came an uppercut¡ªso fast Elaine barely registered it. White-hot flame danced around Seraphion¡¯s fist, and the Vanguard staggered backward, its armored torso scorched. The archangel advanced, wings half-folded like a gathering storm. She raised a gauntleted palm where swirling flames coalesced, pulsing in gold and red. ¡°Return to nothingness,¡± she intoned, calm and terrible. A torrent of purifying flame erupted from her palm, the heat searing the air. The Vanguard¡¯s hidebound armor caught fire instantly, and the beast screamed¡ªa sound too animal and too intelligent all at once. The clearing roared with the hiss of superheated air, and Elaine shielded her eyes with trembling arms. She had never seen Seraphion fully unleash this power before. She knew it by name only, and she understood that each time Seraphion invoked it, she inched closer to the limit of her manifestation in mortal realms. Soon, the archangel would need rest, or risk fading entirely back into Elaine¡¯s soul space. When the flames died down, the Dread Vanguard collapsed in a blackened heap, hide armor melted, flesh scorched. Its once-fearsome roars had ceased, leaving only the echo of crackling embers. Seraphion stood over it, her eyes still blazing, a final brand of judgment. Falling to her knees, Elaine coughed so hard she retched, tasting copper where she¡¯d bitten her tongue. Her neck throbbed, and her lungs burned from the frantic attempts to draw air. She felt a wave of dizziness and tried to focus on the nearest shapes: the blackened remains of the Vanguard, smoke curling off charred flesh, and Seraphion¡¯s shining silhouette. ¡°S-Seraphion¡­¡± Elaine croaked, voice nearly gone. Her fingers shook from adrenaline and oxygen deprivation. The archangel turned, concern warring with the fierce glow of her eyes. ¡°You live,¡± she said, kneeling down. Beneath the layers of armor and power, there was gentleness in her tone. ¡°Are you badly hurt?¡± Elaine tried to speak, but a harsh cough stole her breath. Dizziness swept over her. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll manage,¡± she whispered at last, though every inhale felt like sandpaper against her throat. ¡°But¡­ Xin-ta¡ª¡± A sudden movement on the far side of the clearing reminded them both that the danger wasn¡¯t over. Xin-ta was still pinned under two Nightmare Stalkers, their sinewy limbs pressing her down. Each breath must have been agony for the beast-woman, whose entire frame strained with tension. They had been so focused on subduing her that they failed to notice the Vanguard¡¯s demise. The Stalkers hissed and spat in their savage tongue. ¡°Stay,¡± Seraphion said, voice quiet but resolute. ¡°I will free your friend.¡± With a surge of her wings, the archangel propelled herself across the clearing. The first Stalker, half-turned in surprise, barely had time to hiss before Seraphion¡¯s armored fist crushed its spine in a single, sickening blow. The second tried to recoil, but she grabbed its scaled arm and flung it aside. The beast slammed into a moss-covered trunk and slumped, stunned. ¡°They¡¯re not all dead¡­¡± Seraphion observed, noticing one twitch of movement. She stepped back, allowing Xin-ta to recover. ¡°Finish it quickly.¡± Xin-ta coughed as the weight lifted off her. Pain rippled through her torso¡ªone of the Stalkers had clawed her side deeply, and she felt warm blood matting the fur beneath her tattered clothing. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and each exhale sharpened the ache where her previous wounds throbbed. She had only recently been revived by Elaine¡¯s forced evolutions, after all; her body was far from fully recovered. Still half-dazed, Xin-ta realized that Seraphion was standing near, no longer taking action. She watched as Seraphion folded her flaming wings, her expression almost clinical, as though testing whether the beast-woman could handle the final adversary herself. The last Nightmare Stalker struggled to rise. Its scaly hide was cracked in multiple places, blackish blood leaking out. A violent hiss sounded in its throat, but it seemed disoriented from the impact against the trunk. Xin-ta tried to stand, but her legs wobbled. Pain lanced through her hips, reminding her of how many times she¡¯d been struck tonight. But she forced herself upright, every muscle protesting. Seraphion made no move to help. Instead, the archangel¡¯s molten eyes regarded Xin-ta with something akin to expectation¡ªor was it mild impatience? The message was clear: Prove yourself. Xin-ta clenched her jaw. She groped behind her back, finding the knife pinned beneath her. Her spear was lost somewhere in the gloom, but this blade would have to do. Gritting her teeth, she lunged. The Stalker twisted, letting out a vile hiss. A scaly arm lashed out, raking across Xin-ta¡¯s already wounded side. She cried out in pain, nearly dropping the knife. White spots danced in her vision. For a moment, she feared she might collapse from sheer blood loss. But she refused to yield. Angling her body, Xin-ta sprang forward again, knife flashing downward. The Stalker caught her wrist, snapping its jaws at her face. She smelled its fetid breath, an acrid mix that threatened to turn her stomach. Summoning the last reserves of her enhanced strength¡ªsome pangolin-like durability from Elaine¡¯s forced evolution¡ªshe twisted free, ignoring the fresh burn of claws scraping her forearm. She hissed back in defiance and reversed her grip on the knife. With a sharp upward thrust, she slammed the blade beneath the creature¡¯s jaw. A gargled shriek burst from the Stalker, and its scaly limbs went rigid. It collapsed in a heap, eyes bulging in final disbelief. For one breathless moment, Xin-ta remained poised above it, knife buried to the hilt, panting so hard her ribs ached. Then she wrenched the blade free and staggered back, nearly losing her balance. Seraphion, wings folded, observed with a cool nod. ¡°You fought well,¡± she said. There was a sliver of grudging respect, but also that hint of impatience¡ªlike a trainer who expected more speed, more efficiency. Xin-ta, chest heaving, refrained from snapping back a retort. Blood trickled down her arm from reopened gashes. She knew she owed this archangel a measure of gratitude, but the beast-woman¡¯s pride warred with her injuries. Meanwhile, Elaine clutched at her bruised neck. She watched the exchange through half-focused eyes, still dazed by the near-strangulation. Seraphion approached her, stooping low with wings half-furled. The archangel¡¯s halo flickered in its brilliance, as though it, too, was taxed by the recent exertion. ¡°You risk too much,¡± Seraphion murmured, her voice losing some of its booming resonance. ¡°If you had died, Elaine, then my presence¡ªand Zeraphine¡¯s¡ªwould vanish from this realm as well. We archangels dwell within your soul space; your death would be ours too.¡± Elaine swallowed, her throat raw. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t ask for this,¡± she managed. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, a potent mix of shame, relief, and leftover terror. ¡°But thank you. You saved me.¡± Seraphion¡¯s molten gaze softened. She exhaled, her stance relaxing slightly. ¡°You are my human, Elaine. My domain is Wrath and Patience, and I must ensure you survive to fulfill our shared purpose.¡± She tore her eyes from Elaine to gaze at the battered soldier on the ground. ¡°Your companion is gravely wounded. Attend him.¡± Elaine wiped her tears on the back of her hand, nodding. Her entire neck screamed with each movement, and her limbs felt leaden from adrenaline crash. Yet Joseph¡¯s life was at stake. She crawled over to him, ignoring the pounding in her head. He lay amid broken twigs and a growing pool of blood, bandage half-soaked. Xin-ta, cradling her own wounded side, hobbled over to help. At that moment, a gentle mental voice threaded through Elaine¡¯s thoughts¡ªMarious, the first archangel who had hijacked Joseph¡¯s gem. ¡°Seraphion is correct. This mortal man is badly hurt. Move quickly to stanch his wounds.¡± His words were calm, measured. Elaine silently thanked him for the reminder, though she felt a pang of frustration at her own impotence. She pressed a hand to Joseph¡¯s side, wincing at how hot the blood was against her trembling fingers. Joseph moaned faintly, his eyes half-lidded. He was too delirious to speak. Elaine peeled away the soaked bandage and nearly recoiled at the ragged tear in his flesh. Claw marks from the Nightmare Stalkers, perhaps, or from the Vanguard¡¯s spear. The edges were uneven, and the stench of copper was overwhelming. ¡°Elaine¡­?¡± Xin-ta said hesitantly, crouching beside her. The beast-woman was favoring one leg, and fresh blood trickled from the slash on her arm. Yet she focused on Joseph. ¡°How do we¡­?¡± Elaine opened Joseph¡¯s field kit with shaking hands, rummaging for antiseptic vials. The label was half-worn, but she recognized the chemical smell. ¡°We¡­ We clean the wound first,¡± she answered breathlessly. ¡°Then¡­ compress to stop bleeding. I¡ª I can¡¯t heal him. I have no mana to power my Gift.¡± ¡°Seraphion?¡± Xin-ta ventured, glancing at the archangel. But Seraphion only shook her head, wings whispering against the dark. ¡°My domain is Wrath and Patience, not healing. I do not possess the ability to restore mortal flesh.¡± A sense of helplessness sank over Elaine. She gently dabbed antiseptic onto Joseph¡¯s wound, earning a sharp hiss from him even in his semi-conscious state. The skin around the tear looked inflamed, though it might have just been raw from the fresh injury. ¡°I need to¡­ check for an exit wound,¡± she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. She rolled Joseph slightly, only to find no exit¡ªthe claw had torn into him, not gone through. That was at least some relief. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. She poured more antiseptic, ignoring the sting in her own throat as she coughed again. Her entire body ached, bruises forming where the Vanguard had gripped her neck. Each swallow felt like swallowing glass. But Elaine forced herself onward, following telepathic prompts from Marious to properly bandage the wound. She applied pressure, re-wrapping it tighter. Finally, Joseph¡¯s breathing eased a fraction, though he remained unconscious. Xin-ta, teeth bared against her own pain, helped tie the bandage. Her newly enhanced strength, courtesy of Elaine¡¯s forced evolutions, gave her steadier hands than Elaine¡¯s trembling ones. ¡°He¡­ He might survive,¡± Xin-ta said, her voice rough. ¡°If we can get him somewhere safer.¡± Elaine tried to nod, but a spike of agony in her throat made her wince. ¡°We can¡¯t drag him far right now,¡± she rasped. ¡°We need a moment to rest, at least.¡± In the clearing¡¯s dim light, Elaine spotted Joseph¡¯s rifle lying askew under broken branches. The metal barrel glinted dully, bent at an awkward angle. Pain lanced through her chest; that was their best defense, now hopelessly damaged. She crawled over, ignoring the screaming protests of her body. Picking up the rifle, she grimaced at the cracked mana lines. Their only advanced weapon was broken. Xin-ta uttered a curse in her own language. ¡°That was¡­ the best chance we had against these demons. Now we¡¯re left with spears, knives, and your archangel.¡± She shot a tired glance at Seraphion, who gazed back impassively. Before Elaine could respond, a light, teasing voice drifted through her mind: Zeraphine (Zee). Elaine recognized the tone of the Archangel of Sloth/Diligence, the same voice that had introduced itself with playful exhaustion before. ¡°Mmm, that poor thing is ruined. Next time I come out, I¡¯ll fix it¡­ or maybe make it better. But for now¡­ I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± Zee¡¯s mental presence faded, leaving behind a warm, sluggish echo. Elaine relayed the message to Xin-ta. The beast-woman twitched her ears irritably. ¡°So many archangels swirling around you,¡± she muttered, ¡°but no immediate help.¡± She sighed, scanning the gloom for signs of more enemies. ¡°At least there¡¯s hope of repair.¡± Seraphion¡¯s molten eyes flicked from the ruined rifle to the oppressive darkness at the treeline. ¡°We cannot rely on a broken tool. The forest teems with fresh threats.¡± A distant cackle drifted through the redwoods, that haunting Nightmare Stalker laugh that seemed both mocking and unnervingly human-like. Elaine¡¯s breath caught, and every muscle in her body tensed. The thick canopy allowed only slender beams of starlight, and the shadows between the towering trunks felt ominously alive. Xin-ta¡¯s ears flattened. ¡°They¡¯re close,¡± she murmured, her voice tight with pain. Blood still seeped from her reopened wounds, dripping onto the forest floor. ¡°Could be a large pack. They¡¯ll smell blood. Or sense the magic Seraphion used.¡± Seraphion¡¯s gaze lingered on the smoldering Vanguard corpse, then swept toward the horizon, as though scanning for more. ¡°They may be better organized than you realize. Their alliance with these deeper creatures is¡­ unusual.¡± Elaine rubbed at her neck, her pulse skipping in fear. ¡°We can¡¯t just run,¡± she said, though the thought of more fighting made her stomach turn. ¡°What if there¡¯s something on these bodies that explains how they bypassed the Guardian¡¯s territory? Or why they¡¯re grouping up?¡± Xin-ta let out a low growl of frustration. She cast a worried glance at Joseph¡ªstill lying in a precarious state¡ªbut nodded. ¡°Fine. If Seraphion stands guard, we can look fast.¡± Seraphion inclined her head in silent agreement, positioning herself near Joseph. Her wings, once blazing, now glowed at a subdued level, evidence of her spent energy. She folded her arms across her chest, a resolute sentinel. Elaine and Xin-ta navigated the clearing, stepping over broken branches, burnt grass, and the carnage left behind by the short but brutal skirmish. The stench of charred flesh made Elaine¡¯s stomach churn. She forced down a wave of nausea, determined to glean information from these abominations. They started with the Nightmare Stalkers. Even in her battered state¡ªher throat bruised, neck stiff, and limbs shaking¡ªElaine felt her zoological curiosity spark. She knelt by one body, carefully turning it over. The scaly chest plate, blackened by partial flames, offered a gruesome view of the organs inside. She bit her lip, prying the chest cavity open with shaky fingers. The Stalker¡¯s blood was a strange greenish-brown hue, thick and pungent. ¡°Back on Earth, I studied amphibians and reptiles, but¡­ this is something else,¡± she muttered, half to herself. She recalled times in the university lab, dissecting frogs or fish, but none of that compared to dissecting a magical predator that breathed flame. Eventually, she found a tiny, crystalline organ nestled near the center of the ribcage. Its surface sparkled a dull white under the meager starlight. She poked it with a scalpel from Joseph¡¯s kit, confirming it had hardened. ¡°This must be the ¡®mana heart¡¯ you mentioned,¡± Elaine said, glancing at Xin-ta. The beast-woman, arms folded across her bleeding side, peered close but kept a small distance. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not actually crystal while they live,¡± she explained, voice hoarse. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what my clan¡¯s shaman says. It¡¯s soft, fleshy. But once they die, it crystallizes.¡± Her nose wrinkled at the pungent smell. ¡°Magic Demons all have them.¡± Elaine nodded. ¡°So they use it to¡­ store energy, in a sense. And they can breathe fire.¡± She frowned. ¡°But how do they channel it from heart to mouth?¡± Xin-ta gave a slight shrug, then grimaced at the motion jarring her wounds. ¡°We just¡­ think it, and it manifests. Isn¡¯t that how your flesh shaping works, Elaine? You desire it, you shape it.¡± She paused, exhaling. ¡°To us, it¡¯s natural. We have¡­ mana veins that carry the power wherever we focus it. You think it, you manifest it. That¡¯s all.¡± The simplicity of the explanation startled Elaine. She studied the creature¡¯s chest again, noticing thin tubes or vessels that gave off a faint, bluish sheen, now deflated and leaking some ephemeral substance into the air that quickly dissipated. ¡°So these are¡­ mana veins?¡± She reached out with her scalpel, gently lifting a strand of that bluish vessel. ¡°They¡¯re not carrying blood. They¡¯re carrying¡­ energy. I can see it evaporating.¡± Indeed, a faint wisp of shimmering mist drifted off the torn vein, dissolving into the dark air. Elaine¡¯s scientific mind raced with questions. If these mana veins exist in living creatures, how do they form? Do they grow like normal vessels? Do they sense the environment to gather ambient mana? Xin-ta touched her abdomen where Elaine had introduced forced evolutions. ¡°My clan is born with a mana heart, which strengthens over time. Infants have it small, nearly useless, but by adulthood, it¡¯s a strong source of power. When we die, it¡­ crystallizes, just like you see here. We usually harvest them for certain clan rituals, or bury them. We never liked messing with them too much.¡± Elaine murmured in fascination. She recalled how Xin-ta used to have faintly glowing, bioluminescent veins visible under her fur in certain lights¡ªmaybe that was a reflection of her natural mana flow. ¡°You used to glow sometimes,¡± Elaine said aloud. ¡°I thought it was some kind of¡­ luminescent bacteria or fungus. But maybe it was these mana veins.¡± Xin-ta gave a wry smile, though her face contorted in pain. ¡°Yes, my clan calls it our ¡®lifestream glow.¡¯ But after you used my mana heart to save me, I can¡¯t glow anymore. Perhaps, over time, I might regain it.¡± Elaine wanted to apologize again, but forced herself to remain objective. She carefully dislodged the small ¡°crystal¡± from the Stalker¡¯s chest cavity. It felt cool to the touch, faintly rigid yet surprisingly brittle around the edges. She held it up to a stray beam of starlight. ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ intricate,¡± she whispered. ¡°Like layered quartz, but¡­ organic. If it¡¯s basically a battery for ambient mana, that means it can draw power from the air and condense it into a physical resource. Then, when the creature exerts itself¡ªsay, breathing fire¡ªit taps this stored power.¡± Xin-ta nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I was taught. ¡®You think it, you manifest it.¡¯ The heart is the reservoir. The veins carry the power. Then you shape it into the physical world.¡± She eyed Elaine pointedly. ¡°Is that not how your flesh shaping works, too?¡± Elaine managed a thin, rueful smile. ¡°If I had the mana to shape anything, yes. But I¡¯m¡­ powerless right now.¡± The irony wasn¡¯t lost on her¡ªshe had a Divine Gift that couldn¡¯t function without an external battery of mana. They turned next to the Dread Vanguard¡¯s corpse. Smoke still rose in wisps from its charred hide. The thick armor strapped to its shoulders had partially melted, revealing ridges of sub-dermal plating. Elaine felt her stomach churn at the smell of burned flesh. Yet she pressed on, gently peeling back a scorched flap of hide with Joseph¡¯s scalpel. What she found made her eyes widen. Beneath the hide was a system of reinforced bone plating integrated with large muscle groups. Nothing like the standard skeletal structure she might have seen in a normal predator. There were overlapping layers, reminiscent of an armadillo or pangolin, but fused deeper into the body. She trailed the scalpel down, discovering a bigger cluster of these ¡°mana veins¡± crisscrossing near a hardened organ in the creature¡¯s sternum region. ¡°Xin-ta, help me lift this,¡± Elaine said, her voice cracking. The beast-woman, despite her own injuries, stepped in, gripping the edge of the plating. Together, they pried it open, revealing a large mana node near the bone. The node was half-destroyed by Seraphion¡¯s flames, but it still retained a solid chunk. Sticky, blackish fluid oozed from the surrounding tissues. The stench was overwhelming, and Elaine had to fight a bout of queasiness. ¡°This is¡­ incredible,¡± she breathed, ignoring the nasty smell. ¡°It¡¯s not just a bigger heart. It¡¯s integrated into the skeleton, like a living battery fused to the body¡¯s entire structure. No wonder it was stronger than the smaller Stalkers.¡± She gingerly used her scalpel like claw to free a shard of the charred node. Even partial as it was, the chunk glinted with an internal luminescence, like embers trapped in crystal. Xin-ta grimaced, one arm clutching her side. ¡°My clan has rumors of deeper demons with more than one mana heart¡ªsome said they had multiple nodes to power their feats. That must be how they manage all that weight and still fight so fiercely.¡± Elaine swallowed, carefully storing the shard in a spare pouch. ¡°Potentially, I could replicate some aspects using my Flesh Shaping,¡± she muttered, half to herself. ¡°But only if I had a¡­ a huge mana source, and a volunteer. Even then, it¡¯s not something to do lightly.¡± She shuddered. The moral and logistical implications loomed large. Xin-ta said nothing, though her expression spoke volumes. No more forced evolutions, her eyes seemed to say. But curiosity still lingered in the beast-woman¡¯s gaze. At last, satisfied they had gleaned what they could, Elaine and Xin-ta limped back to Joseph. The entire time, Elaine felt each bruise on her neck throbbing with her pulse, a constant reminder of how close she¡¯d come to suffocation. Each breath brought a slight whistle in her throat. Xin-ta clutched her side, fresh blood darkening her fur. The forced evolutions had given her extraordinary resilience, but it couldn¡¯t erase the pain of repeated injuries. Seraphion stood watch over Joseph, her wings partially open. Dwindling embers of light flickered across her feathers. The archangel might have domain over Wrath and Patience, but she was not invincible in the mortal plane. Elaine wondered, fleetingly, how many times Seraphion could unleash that purifying flame before she had to vanish¡ªtwo, maybe three times, total? As they approached, Seraphion turned. ¡°Learn anything?¡± she asked. Her voice had lost some of its thunderous echo, perhaps from fatigue. Xin-ta¡¯s tail twitched. She swallowed a pained groan, answering, ¡°They¡¯re more sophisticated than random beasts. Some have multiple¡­ ¡®mana hearts,¡¯ advanced plating¡­ They¡¯re dangerous.¡± Seraphion nodded gravely. ¡°Then we must depart soon. If others of this sort arrive, it will be a battle we may not win.¡± Elaine knelt by Joseph, gently pressing a hand to his bandaged side. He stirred at the touch, letting out a faint moan. Relief fluttered in her chest¡ªhe was alive, at least. Turning, she looked up at Seraphion. ¡°We¡¯ll leave,¡± she promised softly, ¡°just¡­ give him a moment. He¡¯s lost a lot of blood.¡± The archangel hesitated, embers in her eyes flickering. She then inclined her head in acquiescence. ¡°As you wish.¡± In the hush that followed, Elaine closed her eyes, allowing herself a fraction of respite. She was still drenched in adrenaline, body trembling from fatigue and bruises. Her throat felt raw and tender, each swallow a small agony. The memory of the Vanguard¡¯s vice-like grip haunted her. Every so often, she glanced around, half-expecting another Stalker or Vanguard to appear. What if more come? she thought, heart pounding. What if I can¡¯t call Seraphion in time, or if the archangel is too drained? Within her mind, she felt a fleeting brush of another consciousness¡ªZeraphine (Zee), the Archangel of Sloth and Diligence. Elaine found the dichotomy apt: Zee was always either half-asleep or industriously tinkering with something. She recalled how Zee had promised to fix Joseph¡¯s rifle one day, if she had enough energy. But that day was not now. ¡°Rest a bit, Elaine,¡± Zee¡¯s mental whisper wafted through her thoughts. ¡°We can only do so much. Sloth can be a virtue sometimes¡­ or diligence, if that¡¯s what¡¯s needed.¡± Elaine managed a weak smile. I¡¯m trying¡­ Zee faded again, leaving behind a feeling of half-lidded calm, as though urging her to pace herself. If Sloth could be wise counsel, perhaps it was telling her not to push her battered body too far. And yet, there was no real time to rest. The Redwood forest was full of hidden shapes, and the laughter of Nightmare Stalkers still echoed. Pain flared every time Elaine inhaled, her bruised throat protesting. She stole a glance at Xin-ta, who sat on a low log, panting shallowly. Blood from the beast-woman¡¯s wounded side stained the undergrowth. Elaine knew she needed treatment, but the meager supplies in Joseph¡¯s kit were running low. She rummaged for extra bandages, handing them to Xin-ta, who grunted her thanks before awkwardly patching her own injuries. Each hiss of pain reminded them how dire their circumstances were. Joseph, though stabilized for the moment, could worsen if they didn¡¯t reach some form of shelter or medical help. Seraphion flicked her eyes to the blackness of the forest, and Elaine sensed the archangel¡¯s urgency. They had learned the barest hints about how these demons formed alliances, about their mana hearts and mana veins, but not how to stop them. If the Guardian was truly gone, the Redwood domain was wide open to such horrors. And Elaine¡­ she had gleaned glimpses into the biology of these creatures, recognized how they channeled ambient mana through specialized veins. She had half a mind to dissect them more thoroughly, to understand the synergy between body and magic. But time was not a luxury. She felt her bruised body screaming for rest, and she worried for Joseph¡¯s survival. Minutes stretched out in uneasy silence. A faint wind stirred the treetops, and clouds drifted across the distant moon, cloaking the clearing in deeper shadow. Even Seraphion¡¯s halo seemed dimmer, its scorching brilliance drained by the purifying flame she had unleashed earlier. Elaine looked at Xin-ta, who forced herself to stand upright, flinching at the pain in her ribs. The beast-woman¡¯s chest rose and fell in strained gasps, her new pangolin-like plating probably the only reason she wasn¡¯t eviscerated by the earlier attacks. Beside them, Joseph remained unconscious, his bandaged side rising and falling in shallow intervals. Seraphion finally broke the silence. ¡°We cannot linger,¡± she said, her tone gentle but firm. ¡°Another wave of demons may arrive at any moment. We should move Joseph to a safer locale.¡± Xin-ta muttered a curse under her breath. ¡°Carrying him will be slow going, especially in the dark. But I see no choice.¡± Elaine swallowed hard. The friction in her throat felt like knives. ¡°I can¡­ help you,¡± she managed to say, though her arms trembled. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out.¡± And so, under the watchful eyes of Seraphion, who stood guard with her wings half-furled, Elaine and Xin-ta prepared to lift Joseph and make their cautious retreat. Zeraphine dozed in the background of Elaine¡¯s soul space, the Archangel of Sloth and Diligence recharging her energies for when her craftsmanship might be needed. Marious stayed silent for the moment, presumably observing through Joseph¡¯s gem or ensuring Joseph¡¯s vitals didn¡¯t plummet further. In the distance, faint cackles still haunted the gloom, a reminder that the Redwood Forest was far from safe. The night felt endless, and the promise of dawn was hours away. Yet each of them¡ªElaine, Xin-ta, Joseph, and the archangels bound to Elaine¡ªheld onto a fragile hope. They had survived this vicious ambush. They had glimpsed the power of these new adversaries and discovered hints about their mana-based physiology. Bracing herself against the ache in her ribs and the raw burn in her throat, Elaine bent to hook her arms beneath Joseph¡¯s shoulders. Xin-ta grit her teeth, ignoring her bloodied flank, and lifted Joseph¡¯s legs. Together, they hoisted him, each step a painful jolt through battered muscles. Seraphion walked ahead, her halo a guiding beacon in the darkness. The Redwood titans loomed on every side, silent witnesses to the group¡¯s struggle. They pressed on, battered but unbroken, mindful that the Redwood domain¡ªand perhaps the entire land¡ªnow faced a threat far greater than random beasts. With the Guardian gone, Magic Demons¡ªand their dread vanguards¡ªroamed freely in search of conquest. If Elaine¡¯s clan or Xin-ta¡¯s clan could not assemble a defense, the forest might fall into darkness. Yet in the hearts of these weary travelers, a steely determination burned. Elaine might lack a mana heart, but she possessed knowledge, curiosity, and an unyielding need to protect her companions. Xin-ta might be drained of her mana, but her newly enhanced body gave her hope for survival and restitution of her powers someday. Seraphion, Archangel of Wrath and Patience, glimmered like a guardian star, prepared to unleash final judgments if called upon. And somewhere within Elaine¡¯s soul, Zeraphine (Zee)¡ªArchangel of Sloth and Diligence¡ªslumbered, waiting for the moment to enact her creative spark. The night stretched on, full of ominous shadows and hidden horrors. But they walked forward, step by grueling step, refusing to yield to despair. For now, battered though they were, they had each other and a measure of knowledge gleaned from the corpses of their enemies. Dawn was far off, the Redwood Forest thick with menace¡ªbut as long as they could still breathe, they would not give in. Chapter 26: Lost Hope Chapter 26: Lost Hope The night stretched on, a vast expanse of darkness cloaking the Redwood domain. Seraphion, Elaine, Xin-ta, and Joseph made their way through the labyrinth of colossal tree trunks, guided by faint starlight filtering through the dense canopy overhead. This was no mere five or six-hour night¡ªthis planet¡¯s rotation ensured that darkness lasted a full 24 hours. And they were only halfway through, with the other half still looming ahead. Every step carried the weight of exhaustion, dread, and an urgency born of survival. The hush of the forest was anything but soothing: occasionally, a harsh cry from distant creatures echoed, or the soft glow of pale bioluminescent fungi revealed the twisted shapes of massive roots. A faint wind rustled the treetops, carrying the scent of moss, damp earth, and underlying rot. Elaine had always imagined alien planets as wondrous places brimming with exotic flora and fauna she could study. Yet this world felt more like a predator¡¯s playground, where every living being seemed to be part of a brutal, unrelenting food chain. They had endured so much already. Only hours before, Elaine had confronted her body¡¯s forced evolution; Xin-ta had nearly killed her in a heated misunderstanding; Seraphion had collapsed after unleashing a catastrophic flame attack on a vicious Nightmare Stalker. Joseph clung to life with his battered gear. They should have been resting, but necessity drove them on. ¡°Half the night remains,¡± Xin-ta muttered, ears angled warily. She slowed her pace, stepping over a fallen log. Her eyes shone a faint gold in the dim starlight. ¡°We must reach Outpost Wyvern soon. They have watchfires, supplies¡­ and we can get real rest.¡± She paused, scanning the surroundings. ¡°If the outpost stands at all.¡± At Xin-ta¡¯s solemn tone, Elaine felt a pang of sympathy. The beast-woman¡¯s clan had pinned its hopes on this outpost for warning and protection. That so much hinged on a single bastion underscored the precariousness of their situation. Elaine clutched her new makeshift spear, one she had quickly put together, in her calloused grip, remembering the swirl of emotions¡ªrepulsion, anger, and sorrow¡ªthat filled her heart as she thought of the monstrous beings prowling these woods. Joseph cast a sidelong look at Elaine. He didn¡¯t speak her language fully, nor did he grasp the intricacies of Xin-ta¡¯s clan. Still, he recognized the tension coiling in everyone¡¯s posture. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ close, yes?¡± he asked in a halting manner, using body language and short phrases that Marious had taught him. She gave a curt nod. Seraphion, gliding near Elaine with wings partially furled, kept silent. The archangel¡¯s presence alone would have been astonishing in any world, but now, the group had grown accustomed to her regal, if subdued, aura. Yet Elaine could sense the archangel¡¯s worry. She carried the burdens of Wrath and Patience¡ªdivine extremes that weighed heavily on her soul, especially on a night as bleak as this. They trudged forward, breath coalescing in the chilly air, each step stirring the thick carpeting of fallen needles and leaves that blanketed the forest floor. Though it was the middle of the night, a feeble luminance filtered through pockets of starlight or reflected off the planet¡¯s smaller moon overhead. Elaine exhaled, hugging her arms around her torso to fend off the chill. The physical ache was one thing¡ªher partially healed wounds throbbed with every motion¡ªbut the psychological toll was becoming unbearable. She thought of the Nightmare Stalkers: pack hunters that used mimicry to toy with their prey, scaly and cunning, howling in voices they copied from their victims. She remembered their horrifying grin, eyes like embers in a bottomless pit. Once, the notion of an unknown predator might have excited her curiosity as a scholar. But the unrelenting, savage brutality of these creatures left her convinced that extermination might well be the only answer. She recalled the conversation that had taken place earlier, with Xin-ta and Joseph both explaining why they believed the beasts needed to die. A wave of guilt churned in her gut: for Elaine, a self-professed animal lover, it was a bitter pill to swallow, discarding her ideals in the face of unspeakable malice. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Elaine?¡± Joseph asked, noticing her slowed pace. He tried to keep his voice gentle, though the ever-present anxiety of their surroundings tugged at his composure. She forced a tight smile. ¡°Just¡­ reconciling the idea that we might have to kill more of these creatures.¡± Her voice trembled with frustration. ¡°I used to dream about discovering new species, protecting them, ensuring we never lose precious life. Now I¡¯m ¡­complicit in their annihilation.¡± She flinched at her own words. Xin-ta cast a sympathetic glance over her shoulder. ¡°E¡¯lain, I do not think you fully see how monstrous they are. The elders say these Magic Demons once nearly destroyed our clan ages ago, if not for the Guardian¡¯s protection.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t quell my conscience,¡± Elaine muttered bitterly, voice thick with sorrow. ¡°I might have no choice¡­ but it tears at me.¡± A hush settled. After a moment, Seraphion spoke in a quiet hush, ¡°We walk in a realm of nightmares, Elaine. Warped creatures that devour for sport. Sometimes, standing firm in your beliefs becomes a double-edged sword. Protecting the innocent can mean harming the guilty.¡± The archangel¡¯s dark wings ruffled, and arcs of faint, intangible magic crackled in the air. ¡°It is the price of survival in a world turned dark.¡± Elaine only grew more solum as she pondered the meaning behind Sera¡¯s words. ¡°It¡­ well it would have to be a necessity¡­ I don¡¯t like to think of myself as a person that goes around and kills things just because I don¡¯t like something¡­ but these creatures, they are more like savage humans that have lost their reasoning¡­ So I guess if it came down to it, well I think I would be able to see it through.¡± Seraphion could only nod at her Human for that one. She knew that her human was a softy but this world would not suffer the loss of a naive woman who cared more for animals than herself. They emerged from the darkest stretch of forest onto a broad corridor lined by massive, ancient trunks. Elaine¡¯s eyes widened as she spotted flickers of light in the distance, bouncing off uneven silhouettes. Could it be the watchfires of Outpost Wyvern? The possibility sparked a flicker of relief in her chest. Xin-ta hissed to get their attention and motioned for them to gather in the shadow of a fallen trunk that lay half-buried in a knoll. The group crouched, peering across a wide clearing. There, in the faint glow of torchlight and a handful of fires, Outpost Wyvern finally came into view. The outpost perched atop a rocky outcrop, its design fashioned from logs, sharpened stakes, and reinforced beams driven deep into the stony ground. Wooden palisades encircled the perimeter, two or three short watchtowers bridging the uneven heights of the boulders behind them. Dimly lit by oil lanterns, the walls flickered with scattered silhouettes. Overlapping voices and occasional clashing steel and flesh reverberated through the night¡ªgrim signs of conflict. Already, Elaine¡¯s heart pounded. She dreaded encountering another scene of carnage, reminiscent of the harrowing battles with the Nightmare Stalkers. ¡°It looks intact,¡± Joseph whispered. Through the gloom, he discerned that the gates were closed. ¡°At least the outpost still stands.¡± Xin-ta¡¯s face tightened. ¡°But for how long? The defenders obviously remain under siege. Listen to those war cries.¡± She directed their attention to the unearthly shrieks beyond the walls. The group tensed, eyes darting in search of the dwellers. But the immediate vicinity was eerily quiet, a sign that the main horde was concentrated on the far side of the outpost or along the walls. Seraphion¡¯s wings twitched restlessly. ¡°We must approach carefully,¡± she said. ¡°Though if the dwellers have taken the field, any open arrival might provoke an attack from both friend and foe alike.¡± She glanced at Elaine¡¯s battered condition, at Xin-ta¡¯s trembling arms, and at Joseph¡¯s depleted rifle. A sigh escaped her lips. ¡°We can¡¯t afford another direct confrontation, not with such uncertain prospects.¡± Elaine felt a powerful ache in her chest. The outpost likely housed innocents¡ªclan families, watchers, perhaps a few hunters. They didn¡¯t deserve to be overshadowed by the monstrous dwellers. Yet the question remained: Could they help, or would they only add to the defenders¡¯ burdens? ¡°Night is only half done,¡± Xin-ta muttered. ¡°We have at least twelve more hours until Father Sun rises. The dwellers typically vanish by dawn. If they have come in force¡­¡± She swallowed hard, not wanting to finish her thought. Joseph stepped forward, frowning. He recalled how savage the dwellers had been, ripping and devouring everything in their path. ¡°We might need to slip around, bypass the outpost entirely. If we can find a vantage, maybe I can see how many dwellers are there.¡± Xin-ta growled softly, but not at Joseph. Her anger was directed at the dire circumstances. ¡°I want to help my clan, but foolish heroics might cost us everything. Let¡¯s scout first, as you say. Then decide.¡± The group slipped around a small ridge of stone that jutted from the forest floor, edging closer to the outpost¡¯s perimeter. From behind the cover of a thick redwood root, they glimpsed several large shadows darting across the palisade. The ragged movements, the lethal shrieks¡ªNightmare Stalkers. At a far corner, a hulking shape hammered at the wooden defenses. A Vanguard. The logs quivered under its assault, but outpost defenders fired arrows from above, forcing it to draw back, snarling. ¡°I see at least five,¡± Joseph murmured. ¡°No, six Vanguards¡­ oh no.¡± His voice trailed off in alarm as he noticed two slender forms among them, each radiating a deep red glow. Elaine recalled the savage might of the single Dread Vanguard she had encountered. These forms were reminiscent but taller, thinner, holding staves of twisted bone. Flames intermittently flickered along the staves. They seemed to be preparing spells to unleash on the fortress. Vanguard Casters. ¡°This outpost is being assaulted by a whole host,¡± Xin-ta said, eyes wide with dread. ¡°They came in force tonight. I¡¯ve never seen the dwellers muster so many.¡± Elaine¡¯s throat constricted at the sight. The palisade was doomed unless a miracle intervened. Flames bloomed at random intervals along the sharpened logs. She could make out silhouettes of clan defenders battling bravely, but the mismatch of power was painfully clear. Then she heard it¡ªa single, distant voice that cut through the night air, raw with desperation, calling for help in a language she could not grasp. The outpost was crying out for aid. Her breath hitched. She turned to Seraphion, tears brimming. ¡°We can¡¯t just¡­ watch them die,¡± she insisted, voice trembling. ¡°Is there truly nothing we can do?¡± Seraphion touched Elaine¡¯s shoulder lightly. ¡°My divine flame might slay many. But the cost¡­ might be the outpost itself, consumed in the inferno. The defenders, too, would perish.¡± The archangel¡¯s eyes flickered with regret. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My power is not refined enough for such a large-scale rescue.¡± A strangled whimper escaped Elaine¡¯s lips. She felt her conscience tearing in two. She wanted nothing more than to charge in, to do something. But the risk was colossal, and rationally, she knew they would only join the outpost¡¯s defenders in a swift demise. The dwellers looked too numerous and too well organized, especially with the Casters commanding arcs of flame that soared over the walls with a savage majesty. ¡°This is the fruit of the Guardian¡¯s death,¡± Xin-ta whispered shakily, tail swishing in agitation. ¡°The dwellers from below gather in an unstoppable tide. Our clan city lies deeper in the Redwood. If Outpost Wyvern falls, the city will be the next target. I must get there, warn them. We have no time left.¡± Joseph cursed softly, scanning the horde again. ¡°No way we can break that siege. There must be at least thirty to forty Nightmare Stalkers, five or six Vanguards, and those two¡­ ¡®Vanguard Casters¡¯?¡± He whistled under his breath. ¡°Even an advanced Kul battalion would find that daunting. Let¡¯s circle wide and keep going. I¡¯m sorry, truly.¡± Elaine choked back a sob, her mind flashing with images of innocent outpost dwellers devoured or burned alive. The creatures advanced in a wave of malice, unstoppable at night¡¯s peak. The group¡¯s posture sagged, resigned to the truth. They had to slip by, outrun the dwellers, and alert the clan city. Perhaps with an army of beast-folk and whatever secrets they held, they could stand a chance at retaliation once daylight came. But for Wyvern, the night spelled almost certain doom. She made to speak, to put voice to her sorrow. But at that moment, Xin-ta grabbed her arm and yanked her behind a thick trunk. ¡°Get down!¡± she hissed, fear brightening her eyes. The group crouched in the undergrowth, hearts pounding. Overhead, the gloom parted, revealing a single monstrous shape gliding behind the outpost. Even among the dwellers, this being dwarfed the Vanguards. Its silhouette was draconic, with wings that shimmered faintly under the starry sky. Elaine couldn¡¯t recognize the creature that had emerged. Her blood ran cold. If that creature joined the siege¡­ The outpost¡¯s defenders had no chance. ¡°Stay hidden,¡± Seraphion urged, voice tight. She recalled the monstrous draconid that had attacked them earlier. Could it be the same species? Or, horrifyingly, something even stronger? She thought to herself. For agonizing minutes, the group remained in place, letting the monstrous shape disappear behind the outpost. The din of screams, roars, and crackling flames raged on, interspersed with the clash of steel or wood. Even from this distance, the stench of burning timber and the copper tang of spilled blood seeped into Elaine¡¯s nostrils. At last, Joseph prodded them, voice grim. ¡°They have the advantage. Let¡¯s move. If we wait, we risk being flanked again.¡± Step by painful step, they retreated from the outpost¡¯s perimeter. Elaine took one last, tearful look at the silhouette of wooden walls battered by unholy flames. She heard a harrowing wail¡ªpossibly the defenders¡¯ last cry. Her stomach lurched, forcing her to fight down a wave of nausea. Then, she and the others turned away, forging deeper into the Redwood domain, searching for the faint hope of saving the clan¡¯s city. Time lost meaning as they navigated giant roots and waded through bramble-choked gullies, guided mostly by Xin-ta¡¯s uncanny familiarity with the land. Their progress remained slow, for each had wounds or burdens sapping their strength. Elaine tottered on the edge of collapse, but Joseph stayed near, ready to catch her if she stumbled. Seraphion hovered like a guardian wraith, wings brushing Elaine¡¯s shoulder in silent reassurance. Xin-ta forged ahead, driven by primal instincts to secure reinforcements for her people. At last, they found a small clearing overshadowed by a fallen redwood trunk. The trunk was so large that it effectively formed a natural archway, with enough space beneath for them to hide from possible pursuers. The churned-up earth suggested that beastfolk might have once used this place as a rest stop or vantage point, leaving behind faint footprints. ¡°Here,¡± Xin-ta declared, dropping to one knee. Her chest heaved with fatigue, she breathed in ragged pants. ¡°We must rest¡­ for just a moment, gather ourselves. If the clan city is half a day or more beyond this point, we cannot do it all at once.¡± Joseph nodded, gently lowering Elaine into a sitting position. ¡°Yes¡­ good idea,¡± he said, forcing a tight smile. ¡°We need to keep our wits about us. If something finds us again, we¡¯d be in no shape to flee.¡± Elaine remained silent, still grappling with the carnage left behind them. She hardly noticed as Seraphion knelt at her side, checking the condition of her bandages. Each patch of linen was stained a dark maroon, and her once neat clothing had reduced to a ragged mesh. Her skin burned with dull pain in the deeper lacerations. She felt numb. Zeraphine, noticing Elaine¡¯s despair, emerged in ephemeral form by her side. ¡°Elaine,¡± she murmured, voice tinged with compassion. ¡°I know your heart is heavy. We all carry this guilt. But we must keep moving¡­ for a future chance to save others.¡± Elaine gave a slight nod, tears threatening again. She bit her lip, forcing them back. ¡°I¡ª I understand,¡± she whispered. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t dull the ache.¡± Under the colossal log, they huddled together to conserve warmth, mindful that the night remained unyieldingly cold and dark. The forest¡¯s hush pressed in, heightening every small shuffle or labored breath. Joseph examined the battered rifle in his lap, expression grim. Even if they reached the clan city, he questioned whether they could rally enough might to quell such a monstrous force. With the Guardian gone, the Redwood domain seemed ready to fall. Xin-ta¡¯s golden eyes roamed the surrounding gloom, ears twitching at the faintest rustle. ¡°Stay alert,¡± she said quietly. ¡°The dwellers often prowl in smaller hunting packs apart from their main host. If they sniff our blood, they might follow.¡± Joseph nodded, checking the rifle¡¯s gem interface. ¡°We¡¯ll keep watch in shifts. A good half-night remains, after all.¡± At that, Elaine¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°We still have nearly 12 hours left of darkness, don¡¯t we?¡± Her voice tremored, the weight of the prolonged night pressing on her psyche. Back on Earth, the dawn¡¯s arrival had always marked the end of nightmares, a comforting constant. Here, the blackness felt endless, as if dawn might never come. Seraphion exhaled softly. ¡°Yes. But once the sun emerges, the dwellers¡­ vanish, so you said,¡± she said, glancing at Xin-ta. ¡°Is that guaranteed? All of them?¡± The beast-woman closed her eyes, ears folding. ¡°In my entire life, never has any Deep-dweller lingered once the sun is above the horizon. It is our only respite. If they remain in such numbers at night¡­ with the Guardian gone¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish, letting the implication stand: each night, new horrors could roam free. Zeraphine carefully placed a comforting hand on Elaine¡¯s back. ¡°Rest a few minutes. We¡¯ll keep vigil. Then we proceed. That¡¯s all we can do.¡± Elaine gave a slight nod. She set her spear beside her, noticing her black, chitinous nails glinting faintly by starlight. She flexed her fingers, recalling how she had acquired them, forcibly shaping her own body to adapt to a savage environment. The unnaturalness of it struck her again, fueling the swirl of guilt, anger, and raw grief inside her. They paused for barely a quarter of an hour, the minimal respite enabling them to rewrap bandages, swallow meager rations, and close their eyes in brief attempts at mental recovery. The night overhead remained eerily star-spangled, a silent cosmos unbothered by the tragedy below. Then, a distant tremor rumbled beneath their feet. Elaine stiffened, heart lurching as she visualized the outpost¡¯s final stand. The sound conjured horrifying images: perhaps the walls had given way to the monstrous horde, or a powerful explosion had rattled the earth. Xin-ta¡¯s ear twitched. She stood abruptly, spear in hand. ¡°That must be them¡­ using some twisted magic to break the gates. If the outpost is gone, we can only pray some might have escaped,¡± she said, hugging herself. ¡°We must keep going. The clan city is our only hope for a real defense.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. No one argued. With hearts heavy, they pulled themselves up, re-arming, re-shouldering small packs. The raw sorrow emanating from Elaine caused Joseph to look away, feeling he had no comforting words to offer. Seraphion draped a wing protectively around her charge, a wordless gesture that, if nothing else, offered a measure of solace in a world so starkly cruel. Xin-ta took point again. They wound along a hidden trail that skirted the Redwood¡¯s denser interior. The giant trees soared overhead like columns of an ancient cathedral, forming an awe-inspiring labyrinth. Their canopies interlocked, starbeams only occasionally piercing through. Here and there, phosphorescent fungi dotted rotting logs, creating ghostly glimmers that illuminated spindly ferns and ropy vines. Twice, they halted at the faint sounds of growling or distant shrieks, each time waiting breathless until silence returned. During one such pause, as they crouched behind a fallen trunk, Elaine spotted a slender reptilian shape slithering up a tree trunk. She froze, thinking it might be another scaled jaguar or a dwelling demon. But it was smaller, more akin to a large lizard with vibrant patterns. To her shock, it displayed a pair of tiny vestigial wings on its back, fluttering weakly. A pang of wonder mixed with sorrow coursed through her¡ªso many creatures to discover on this planet, yet overshadowed by the monstrous dwellers. She watched it vanish into the foliage, carrying a small rodent in its jaws. Even the simpler predator-prey drama felt overshadowed by the knowledge that entire outposts could be razed in a single night. Eventually, after hours of careful navigation, they ascended a slope where the redwoods thinned. The ground turned rocky, reminiscent of the Redwood¡¯s border with the mountainous region. Xin-ta halted at a vantage. From here, they glimpsed an expanse of starlit forest canopy below, and far, far in the distance, a massive shape that must have been the clan city¡¯s central Redwood, rumored to be thrice the height of any other. That was their objective. Sighing, the beast-woman sank to the ground on one knee, tail drooping. ¡°It is perhaps a half-day¡¯s journey by foot, even if we keep a brisk pace,¡± she murmured. Elaine¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Half-day? That¡¯s half the night plus some of the next day¡­ or more?¡± Xin-ta nodded wearily. ¡°Though once dawn breaks, the dwellers vanish. That might allow us a quicker march in daylight. But if we linger too long, the next night¡­ the city might already be under siege. We must hurry.¡± Joseph and Seraphion swapped glances. The implication was clear: pushing on in the dark was risky and exhausting, but waiting until dawn might risk the city¡¯s downfall. Yet if they arrived too spent to fight or rally the clan, it could be equally disastrous. Elaine closed her eyes, running through the scenario. She spoke softly, ¡°We keep going. We can rest in small increments. If we push ourselves, maybe we can arrive by dawn. Then we¡¯ll have the day to prepare the city¡¯s defenses.¡± For a moment, no one contested the idea, each measuring their remaining stamina. They recognized the precariousness, but it was a plan¡ªa faint glimmer of hope in a terrifying world. Zeraphine offered a faint smile, her wings shimmering in the starlight. ¡°Agreed,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯t let you face the monsters alone, Elaine.¡± Fate, however, seemed determined to shatter their illusions. As they readied to descend, the night air quivered with a low hum¡ªa throb of malignant magic. All of them felt it: a subtle vibration across their skin, reminiscent of static electricity. Elaine¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°That feels¡­ vile,¡± she whispered. Their senses sharpened. Joseph shot a glance behind them, scanning the ridge. ¡°We¡¯re not alone,¡± he said under his breath, adjusting the battered rifle. ¡°Get down.¡± Xin-ta swiveled, spear angled. ¡°We must not be discovered¡ª¡± Suddenly, beams of crackling flame lanced from the darkness, slicing through the sparse underbrush. One seared a trunk near Seraphion, sending shards of burning bark flying. The group scattered, flinging themselves behind boulders or thick roots. The acrid smell of scorched wood invaded Elaine¡¯s nose. Emerging from the gloom advanced two slender figures¡ªthe Vanguard Casters. One brandished a staff fashioned from bone, flickering embers dancing along runic engravings. The other clutched a curved blade crackling with arcane energy. Flames twined around their gaunt frames, reflecting in eyes that gleamed with inhuman cunning. A trio of Nightmare Stalkers prowled at their flanks, each creature¡¯s lips curled in a menacing grin. ¡°These must be from the outpost siege,¡± Xin-ta gasped, adrenaline spiking. ¡°They must have circled around, searching for survivors or stray defenders!¡± Joseph cursed. ¡°Damn, they¡¯re strategic. We can¡¯t outrun them if they¡¯re able to conjure flame from a distance.¡± He leveled his rifle, taking aim at the Casters. One fired off a scorching projectile that blasted a chunk out of their rocky cover. The impact jolted Elaine¡¯s teeth, hot debris peppering her arms. Seraphion pressed herself close to Elaine, wings unfurling. ¡°I can fight them,¡± she growled, voice taut with apprehension, ¡°but I cannot protect you from the Stalkers at the same time.¡± She stepped forward, arcs of blackish-red energy coalescing around her hands. Elaine trembled. The Casters let loose another barrage of flaming bolts, each one screaming with lethal intensity. The group scrambled for better cover, hearts hammering in tandem. The three Stalkers advanced from the flanks, hissing and cackling, apparently eager for fresh kills. The watchers could see them plainly now: sickly-lithe frames, scaled flanks, elongated claws that dripped with an oily substance. They reeked of malevolence. The next moments devolved into chaos. Joseph fired a volley, dispatching one Stalker that lunged too soon. With a shriek, it crumpled, black blood staining the forest floor. Another hissed and launched itself at Xin-ta. She met it mid-charge, spear thrusting into its midsection. A hideous screech tore through the night. The beast-woman braced her feet, ripping her weapon free. ¡°Elaine, watch out!¡± came Joseph¡¯s shout. One of the Casters had locked onto her, staff lifted high. The runes scribed along the bone flared with unholy brilliance, swirling flames converging at the tip, forming a lethal orb. Elaine¡¯s stomach twisted. Time seemed to slow as her mind screamed for a reaction. She had fought before¡ªhad forced her own body to adapt. But facing a monstrous caster from the Deep was an altogether more horrifying prospect. She ducked, raising her battered spear in a feeble defense. She glimpsed her black nails, remembered the unstoppable transformation she had forced on her body, and wondered if it might somehow aid her once more. But before the flames could fully manifest, Seraphion soared into the line of fire. Her own swirling energies condensed around her palms. With a single savage cry, she unleashed a wave of blackish flame that collided with the orb in a thunderous explosion. Sparks and embers rained down, scorching the ground. Elaine shielded her face from the cascade of fiery debris. ¡°Stay behind me!¡± Seraphion hissed, her eyes burning with a fierce glow. She advanced on the nearest caster, arcs of destructive magic coursing around her body. The caster¡¯s staff flickered as it tried to conjure another volley, but Seraphion was swifter, smashing aside the bone staff with a lash of crackling wrath. The caster hissed and slashed with gnarled claws, but the archangel pivoted, summoning a short, controlled lance of flame that seared the creature¡¯s flesh. It reeled back, shrieking, half its face charred. ¡°Do not kill yourself,¡± Zeraphine¡¯s voice echoed in Seraphion¡¯s thoughts, concern laced in every syllable. ¡°We may face worse foes ahead.¡± The archangel grit her teeth, striving to moderate her power. She was certain she could obliterate these enemies if she tapped into the full scope of her ¡°divine right,¡± but that risked draining her to collapse¡ªleaving Elaine vulnerable should more horrors emerge. Meanwhile, the second caster circled wide, brandishing its curved blade. With a guttural snarl, it thrust the blade forward, releasing a spear of arcane fire. Joseph, pivoting, unleashed the last of his rifle¡¯s charges in a panicked spray. One shot clipped the caster¡¯s shoulder, making it flinch and disrupting its aim. The spear of flame soared overhead, setting a distant cluster of ferns aflame. The caster hissed in rage, scanning for a fresh opening. Then, it tore a short, twisting dagger from its belt. With fluid steps, it darted behind Elaine. Heart pounding, Elaine felt the heat of the caster¡¯s presence at her back. She spun, raising her spear. In that brief second, the tip of the dagger glowed a vile red, exuding menacing runes that seemed to hunger for her blood. She had no illusions: her forced modifications gave her a measure of resilience, but she was still just an amateur. This foe was trained in lethal magic. She scolded herself for letting it slip behind her. ¡°Zee¡­ help me,¡± Elaine whispered, desperate. Another swirl of intangible energy pulsed within her chest, reminiscent of how she had altered her body. She recalled how she had shaped her nails, her stomach, her general biology. Could she replicate that shift mid-battle, quickly enough to block the caster¡¯s blade? Steeling herself, she inhaled, focusing on forging denser plating along her forearm. It was a mad gambit. She hadn¡¯t tried so advanced a metamorphosis in real-time. Yet terror overcame caution, and she reached deep within, picturing pangolin-like scales or chitin forming across her forearm. Pain spiked as the cells contorted. She let out a choked cry, but didn¡¯t falter. The caster lunged, dagger angled at her chest. Elaine raised her left forearm in a desperate block. A sickening jolt wracked her frame as the blade bit into the newly formed plating. She felt it partway pierce before it snapped on bone, halted by the denser structure. The agony seared her mind, but she gripped the spear in her right hand, channeling her fear. With a ragged scream, she drove the spear¡¯s tip into the caster¡¯s midsection. It snarled, blackish fluid seeping from the wound. In a fury, it tore free, stumbling back. ¡°You can do it,¡± Zeraphine whispered inside her, imparting a subtle rush of strength. ¡°Finish it, Elaine¡­ now!¡± The words spurred her on, adrenaline sizzling through her veins. She advanced, ignoring the throbbing in her arm. But the caster wasn¡¯t done. With a twisted snarl, it released a wave of black flame that crashed into Elaine¡¯s chest, sending her sprawling. She landed hard, the spear clattering aside. Vision flickering, she gritted her teeth. The beast advanced, swirling new energies in the stump of its ruined dagger. The ground beneath Elaine darkened with her blood. Her mutated arm now felt numb, pinned beneath her weight. In that instant, a streak of bestial fury cut across. Xin-ta had seen Elaine go down. The beast-woman roared, driving her spear at an angle into the caster¡¯s flank. It howled, pivoting to face this new threat. Xin-ta kicked it back, following with another savage thrust. The caster tried conjuring flame, but she pressed in close, slashing its arms, forcing it to parry physically. With a final roar, Xin-ta jammed her spear into the caster¡¯s throat, cutting off its hideous shriek. It collapsed, twitching, eyes dimming. Breathing heavily, she hurried to Elaine. ¡°Are you alive?¡± she asked in a trembling voice. Elaine managed a weak nod, tears blurring her vision. The plating on her arm retracted involuntarily, leaving behind raw, bleeding flesh. Her entire body shook from shock. Meanwhile, Seraphion had all but cornered the first caster, who was pinned against a half-crushed trunk, feebly attempting to conjure a last-ditch flame. The archangel clenched her fists, black energy coruscating around her. ¡°No more illusions,¡± she hissed, unleashing a short burst of scorching wrath. The caster convulsed, consumed by the black flames that devoured flesh and bone. It died with a spine-chilling screech that echoed among the trees. Joseph, chest heaving, looked around. ¡°The Stalkers?¡± he gasped, scanning for the three that had accompanied the Casters. He located two lifeless forms on the ground, riddled with bullet holes or spear wounds. The final one, evidently injured, dragged itself into the undergrowth, leaving a dark trail. The group stood in a clearing of carnage: scorched bark, broken undergrowth, and acrid smoke from magical flames. They had triumphed, but at a dire cost. Elaine¡¯s wound seeped blood, her skin pale. Joseph¡¯s rifle was spent, and the barrel glowed faintly from the overheated gem. Xin-ta¡¯s arms trembled, the aftermath of her spear thrust leaving her breathless. Even Seraphion¡¯s shoulders slumped, her wings drooping as she panted quietly, reining in the destructive power swirling in her chest. The threat neutralized, they huddled to address Elaine¡¯s wound. Xin-ta grimaced. ¡°You¡­ forced your flesh to adopt a scale plating? Are you insane?¡± she scolded, rummaging in her diminishing med kit. She carefully cleaned Elaine¡¯s torn arm, applying a pungent salve that stung fiercely, making Elaine wince. ¡°Foolish E¡¯lain. That kind of metamorphosis is¡­ beyond unnatural,¡± she chastised, though her tone carried more worry than anger. Elaine managed a faint, pained grin. ¡°And you¡¯re the one who pinned me to the ground earlier. We all have regrets,¡± she murmured. She hissed as Xin-ta wrapped the wound with cloth. ¡°But thanks¡­ for saving me.¡± Xin-ta averted her eyes. She said nothing more, finishing the bandage. The battered group recognized they couldn¡¯t linger. If these Casters had followed them from the outpost, more might be on their trail. Seraphion hoisted Elaine to her feet with gentle care. ¡°We must keep going. No telling what else hunts tonight,¡± she said. Her wings rustled, black flame flickering in her eyes for an instant before snuffing out. Joseph exhaled, reholstering his worthless rifle. ¡°Right. The sooner we reach your clan, Xin-ta, the better. We can¡¯t endure another fight like this.¡± A hush fell as they resumed their trek, forging deeper into Redwood territory under the unfeeling starlight. Weariness pressed down on their limbs like chains. Their morale teetered on the edge of despair, haunted by the knowledge that Outpost Wyvern might have already fallen, that horrifying new beasts roamed the gloom, and that the dwellers¡¯ might was growing unchecked. Yet, they trudged on, pulled by a fragile conviction. If they could warn the clan city, perhaps they could muster enough defenders to protect at least some measure of life from the unstoppable horrors that claimed these nights. Twelve hours remained until sunrise. It felt like an eternity. As they skirted a low ridge, the forest opened slightly to reveal a grand vista of the Redwood canopy stretching out beneath the star-flecked sky. Far on the horizon, a flicker of red glowed ominously, flames licking at the skyline. Though distant, Elaine recognized the location. Her heart clenched. Outpost Wyvern was ablaze. A ghostly hush descended among them as they paused to watch the faint red aura dance in the night. No one spoke for several beats. Even the forest¡¯s typical nocturnal calls were absent, as if nature itself mourned the stronghold¡¯s demise. Xin-ta bowed her head, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. Elaine placed a tentative hand on her back, offering unspoken sympathy. Joseph stared at the inferno with grim resignation, and Seraphion turned aside, jaw tight with guilt. ¡°We¡­ can¡¯t help them,¡± Xin-ta managed in a hoarse whisper. ¡°They fight alone. Perhaps a few might flee. Some might survive.¡± She let out a tremulous exhale. ¡°We must save who we can. The clan city is all that remains.¡± Elaine nodded, voice catching in her throat. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡± With one last sorrowful glance at the blazing outpost, they turned away, stepping into the darkness of the Redwood domain. Shadows absorbed them, silent witnesses to the torment roiling in their hearts. Time slithered onward, the night¡¯s inexorable grip unrelenting. At intervals, they allowed themselves only tiny breaks for sips of water or to recheck bandages. Each attempt to rest was cut short by the looming dread that some unstoppable fiend might catch them off-guard. Joseph stoically kept watch, rifle or sidearm at the ready. Elaine, leaning on Seraphion for support, occasionally drifted into a half-conscious state, eyes fluttering from pain and fatigue. Xin-ta tried to pinpoint invisible landmarks among the gargantuan trees, cursing under her breath when she spotted that certain giant trunks had collapsed or changed over time, altering the routes she¡¯d memorized. Eventually, the forest floor began a gradual descent into a region where watery hollows and creeping vines abounded. The ground grew slick, forcing them to slow. With each step, Elaine¡¯s battered body threatened to collapse. Her legs quivered, muscles on the verge of giving out. The archangels silently argued within her soul, mulling whether to forcibly induce healing transformations again, but each metamorphosis robbed her of precious nutrients and inflicted near-crippling pain. Another hour passed in uneasy quiet. The cluster of trees parted briefly, revealing a patch of starry sky. Through that gap, they saw a faint pinkish hue nearing the horizon. It was subtle, but enough for Seraphion¡¯s keen eyes to notice. ¡°Dawn draws near,¡± she said softly. Xin-ta perked up. ¡°Father Sun? How many hours¡­?¡± Joseph rubbed his temple, squinting. ¡°Maybe¡­ four or five hours to full sunrise? Hard to say, not my planet,¡± he admitted. ¡°But we¡¯re close to that halfway mark. The dwellers might begin withdrawing soon. If we can avoid them until then¡­¡± A shaky exhalation from Elaine. ¡°Then we can push forward more easily?¡± Seraphion mustered a faint nod of encouragement. ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Though I worry about what monstrous creatures lurk here. The greater threat might not vanish with the lesser dwellers.¡± They pressed on. Finally, they found a small, elevated clearing relatively free of underbrush, strewn with large boulders that formed a partial shelter. Exhausted beyond measure, they decided to rest for an hour or two. Possibly, with the dwellers retreating, it was safe enough for a short respite. They would need their strength for the final push once dawn arrived. Joseph helped Elaine ease down onto a flat rock, while Xin-ta fashioned a rudimentary perimeter trap using vines and sharpened stakes¡ªenough to give them a warning if anything prowled near. Seraphion knelt by Elaine, checking her pulse and the feverish heat radiating from her wounds. The archangel¡¯s face showed concern. Elaine¡¯s forced transformations and the repeated injuries threatened to overwhelm her body¡¯s ability to heal. They were almost out of salves, and the bandages were soaked in places. ¡°Elaine,¡± Seraphion said gently, brushing a damp lock of hair from the human¡¯s face. ¡°We are close to morning. A few more hours, then you can walk in the sunlight without fear of them. You must endure.¡± Elaine¡¯s lips twitched in a half-smile, tears clinging to her lashes. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± she whispered, letting her eyes close. The archangel¡¯s presence felt oddly comforting, a flicker of warmth in the endless night. For a moment, she thought about how, on Earth, she might have watched the sunrise with a cup of tea in her dorm. She almost laughed at the absurdity, tears slipping down her cheeks. Here she was, on a savage planet, guided by an archangel and a beast-woman, fleeing nightmares incarnate. She¡¯d traded her dream of protecting animals for the grim necessity of slaughtering monstrous demons. Joseph stood guard near a boulder, scanning the perimeter. The weight of each breath felt heavier in the hush. They had bonded through mortal danger, forging an uneasy alliance. Yet, they each nursed private sorrows over those they couldn¡¯t save. The flicker of flame from the outpost¡¯s ruin haunted them like a lingering nightmare at the edges of consciousness. Xin-ta, returning from placing the trap, glanced at Elaine. ¡°E¡¯lain¡­ I swear, if I can help you find your place in our clan city, I will.¡± She paused, swallowing. ¡°You have risked your life many times already for me, for us. I can¡¯t ignore that.¡± Elaine opened her eyes, gazing at her. Despite her exhaustion, she managed a nod. ¡°Thank you, Xin-ta,¡± she murmured, heartfelt. ¡°I only hope we can truly reach them in time to make a difference.¡± Xin-ta¡¯s tail flicked in a gesture of resolve. ¡°We must. Our city will not fall so easily, but the dwellers have grown cunning. If the city is forewarned, if we fortify properly, we can stand a fighting chance. Maybe we can even slay that monstrous¡­ draconid that appeared.¡± At the mention of the colossal beast that seemed to overshadow normal dwellers, a chill rippled through the group. Joseph forced a grim smile. ¡°We¡¯ll see. For now, we rest. Then, we press on.¡± They divided into watches. First, Joseph and Xin-ta took turns patrolling the perimeter, though each circuit left them wincing at their wounds. Seraphion hovered near Elaine, instructing her to sleep, all the while scanning the deep shadows for any lurking abomination. Within Elaine¡¯s soul, a subdued dialogue flickered between the archangels and the swirl of old Earth souls. She felt them as though in a half-dream, uncertain whether to fear or embrace their presence. Time crawled, measured by the slow arc of the smaller moon overhead. The forest felt pregnant with tension, as if countless eyes watched from behind the ferns and bracken. Occasionally, a distant cackle or bestial shriek would force them to hold their breath. Each time, it receded, leaving them anxious and hypervigilant. At some point, Joseph gently touched Seraphion¡¯s wing, murmuring, ¡°I can watch them for a while. If you need to¡­ replenish, or whatever you do.¡± The archangel studied him, gleaning the sincerity in his voice. She felt her own spiritual reserves dangerously low; unleashing another wave of purifying wrath would likely incapacitate her. Yet, a small, grateful nod was all she gave. ¡°You have your rest, too, soldier. We¡¯ll share the burden.¡± And so they stood in silence, listening to the forest¡¯s subdued symphony. The knowledge that dawn would eventually banish the dwellers provided a faint, flickering sense of hope¡ªlike the promise of rescue after a shipwreck. Elaine¡¯s eyelids fluttered open and closed, drifting in a borderline dream state. She glimpsed vague impressions of old Earth memories and ephemeral silhouettes of the countless souls bound up in Seraphion and Zeraphine. It hurt her heart, but at the same time, she found a measure of solace in the notion that she wasn¡¯t as alone in the universe as she once feared. Eventually, Joseph felt an abrupt shift in the air. A subtle brightening tinted the distant horizon, merging night¡¯s deep indigo with faint pink. The first suggestion of dawn. The forest around them seemed to exhale, as though the Redwood domain recognized the approach of the sun. The tension in the group eased fractionally, though none dared to celebrate prematurely. Some dwellers might linger to slaughter stragglers. Xin-ta, rousing from a short doze, sniffed the air. ¡°We should move now,¡± she said, scanning Elaine¡¯s face and gently helping her to stand. ¡°The clan city is still many leagues away, but traveling by daylight is safer. If we push, we can cover half the distance before nightfall. Maybe more, if we find good trails.¡± Elaine moaned softly, rubbing her stiff neck. Her entire body felt battered, but dawn¡¯s approach gave her the faintest spark of renewed will. ¡°Yes¡­ let¡¯s.¡± Seraphion hovered protectively near, wings curving around Elaine¡¯s shoulders in a silent vow. ¡°I will not let them harm you again,¡± she said, voice hushed. Joseph just nodded, checking his sidearm. The battered rifle was a lost cause; he let it drop, no regrets. Zeraphine briefly manifested by Elaine¡¯s side. Her luminous wings glowed softly with an almost motherly warmth. ¡°We¡¯ll keep watch for you, E¡¯lain. Don¡¯t be afraid to rely on us.¡± Then, with a small swirl of energy, she faded back, preserving her limited reservoir of power. Together, they emerged from beneath the shelter, squinting against the faint dawn¡¯s light that crept through the Redwood canopy. The forest was no less imposing, but at least they could see more than vague outlines. A few nocturnal insects buzzed around luminescent mushrooms, their hum fading as daylight beckoned. Elaine inhaled, a peculiar relief coursing through her, tinted with guilt. They had left countless innocents to an uncertain fate at Outpost Wyvern. But she was alive¡ªthey were alive. And the fight was far from over. With each painful step, she carried the weight of that knowledge, hoping that at the clan city, they might find the means to stem the tide of monstrous dwellers from the Deep¡­ if it wasn¡¯t already too late. In the dim hush of dawn, they press on, carrying fresh wounds both physical and spiritual. Seraphion remains watchful, determined not to repeat the mistakes of the outpost¡¯s demise. Elaine struggles to balance her zoological ethics against the nightmare that compels extermination. Xin-ta steers them toward the clan city, heart heavy with dread for her people. And Joseph clings to pragmatic soldier instincts, bridging uneasy alliances in this savage realm. Though Lost Hope clings to their hearts, they must forge ahead through the Redwood domain, praying the next twenty-four hour day can buy them time to regroup, warn, and prepare for the next onslaught of night. Chapter 27: Midday Respite Chapter 27: Midday Respite The sun rose in slow splendor over the Redwood domain, illuminating a landscape of towering giants that swayed with a gentle hum. Elaine was both relieved and uneasy: relieved that the 12-hour night of terror had ended, and uneasy because the day was still so vast¡ª24 hours of sunlight in total. Already, they were well into its eighth hour, a far cry from the fleeting mornings she knew on Earth. The light filtering through the colossal redwoods was bright enough to reveal dust motes dancing in the air, and patches of vibrant flora on the forest floor awakened under the long-lost sun. Exhaustion weighed on Elaine, Xin-ta, Joseph, and Seraphion. Half a day of traveling, fighting, fleeing, and mourning the likely fate of Outpost Wyvern had drained them, physically and emotionally. They had made steady progress through the Redwood domain, guided by Xin-ta¡ªher beastlike senses more attuned to the land than any map could ever be¡ªbut each step felt heavier. The adrenaline that had kept them upright after their last battle had long since worn off. ¡°It¡¯s up ahead,¡± Xin-ta muttered, nodding toward a sunlit clearing. ¡°We can rest there. No sense pushing on half-dead, or we¡¯ll do nothing but leave our bones on the trail.¡± Elaine sighed in relief, clinging tighter to the makeshift spear that had become a staff for her weary frame. The group had trudged for hours through ragged, dense patches of forest, crossing streams that snaked around gnarled roots. More than once, her nearly-blind stumbling had almost toppled her into thick brambles or the smooth fungus-covered logs bridging shallow ravines. Seraphion, wings drooping in the noon brilliance, looked equally exhausted. The archangel had not needed to unleash another catastrophic flame since the dreadful confrontation with the Vanguard Casters in the night, but her supernatural presence felt frayed, lacking the regal sharpness that Elaine recalled from earlier. Her eyes still darted at every distant rustle, as though dreading a fresh wave of horrors. She had insisted on forging ahead, though she, too, yearned for a respite to conserve her dwindling strength. Joseph, battered rifle discarded miles behind, settled for a sidearm strapped to his side. He kept glancing over his shoulder as they moved, scanning for potential pursuit. He recognized the massive Redwood trunks¡ªsome soared well over four hundred feet¡ªand found them both awe-inspiring and stifling. The canopy, thick and interwoven, allowed only patchy sunlight to filter down, creating stark, shifting beams of light that gave the forest a cathedral-like ambience. They might have called it beautiful if not for the haunting memory of slaughter at Outpost Wyvern. At last, they entered a small clearing that curved along a hillside. A toppled redwood trunk, half-rotted, provided potential seating and shelter. Mosses and ferns lined the edges, glimmering under the filtered sun. The ground was relatively level, with a carpet of soft needles. It appeared perfect for a brief camp¡ªa natural sanctuary in the midst of an unforgiving world. Xin-ta checked the perimeter, nose twitching, and exhaled in relief. ¡°No fresh demon scents here,¡± she said. ¡°I sense animals, but nothing bigger than a small cat-lizard. We can take our rest.¡± Seraphion¡¯s body sagged in gratitude, wings folding. ¡°Thank the heavens.¡± ¡°Finally,¡± Elaine murmured. Each step had been an agony on battered limbs. She nearly collapsed onto the old trunk, leaning her spear against a chunk of exposed root. Joseph joined her, letting out a weary breath. Xin-ta prowled the edges of the clearing, ensuring they were alone. The harsh midday sun¡ªeight hours into the 24-hour cycle¡ªcut through the Redwood canopy in thick columns, casting dramatic shadows. Seraphion hovered near Elaine, scanning her friend¡¯s injuries: the half-healed lacerations, the exhausted stoop in her posture, the dark circles under her eyes. With careful hands, the archangel checked the bandages. ¡°Let me see your side,¡± she said softly. Elaine nodded, wincing as she lifted her shirt enough to expose the bandaged slash from the prior fights. Each bruise throbbed with an insistent ache. Yet something else glowed beneath her skin, a faint shimmer where she had forcibly altered her own body to produce chitinous plating. The shimmer came and went, as if her body hovered between natural states. Seraphion sighed, pressing a gentle palm to the battered flesh. ¡°Your forced evolutions are¡­ incomplete. Overextending them could tear you apart. We must let your body truly rest. If we¡¯re attacked again, avoid more transformations¡ªZeraphine and I fear the cost is too high.¡± Elaine closed her eyes. ¡°I wish I could promise that. But if it¡¯s a matter of life and death¡­¡± She left the words hanging. They both knew how dire circumstances could get. Still, she nodded in acquiescence. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be more careful.¡± The archangel¡¯s eyes reflected a mixture of tenderness and concern. She gave a small nod and settled down beside Elaine. For a moment, the clearing seemed tranquil, as if the Redwood domain was granting them a short reprieve. Joseph cleared his throat. ¡°So, we have time. Maybe we can talk¡­ about each other.¡± Despite the ache in his limbs, curiosity glimmered in his gaze. They had fought side by side, but what did they truly know about one another? Xin-ta¡¯s ears twitched. She stowed her spear tip-first in the soft ground. ¡°I suppose. We have at least an hour, maybe two, before we should move again. The clan city is still many hours away¡ªeight hours or more, if we keep this pace.¡± Elaine forced a tired smile, eyes flicking to Joseph. ¡°Right. We¡­ we never even got to talk about what Earth was like, or how I ended up here. Or about you,¡± she said, turning her gaze to Joseph. She realized she still didn¡¯t fully grasp his ties to the Kul or how he had come to wander so far from their territory. Joseph shrugged, leaning back against the trunk, eyes drifting to the canopy overhead. ¡°You start. I might ask questions. I¡¯ve gleaned bits from you, Elaine, but not the whole story.¡± Seraphion laid a wing around Elaine for comfort, adding quietly, ¡°A recollection of your past might be a balm for you.¡± She gave Elaine a soft, encouraging nod. ¡°Remember who you are.¡± Thus invited, Elaine found her gaze drifting to the swirl of tree limbs overhead. A pang of nostalgia stabbed her chest. She remembered normal days on Earth, the sound of alarms buzzing in a dorm room, the comfort of bustling hallways. ¡°Sure,¡± she said shakily. ¡°Well¡­ I was a student at Michigan State University, studying to be a zoologist. We had a planet that¡¯s half the size of this, with 24-hour day-night cycles¡­ not 48,¡± she said, letting out a mirthless chuckle. ¡°I loved animals¡ªstudied them, wanted to protect them. Even wrote a few research proposals about preserving endangered species. And then¡­¡± Her voice faltered. Joseph quietly asked, ¡°And then your planet¡­ was destroyed?¡± Elaine¡¯s eyes grew moist with tears. She nodded. ¡°A godlike wave. Our entire galaxy¡­ gone.¡± A silent sob threatened to choke her. ¡°The last moment I recall was sitting in my classroom when the intercom came a calling, the sky fracturing with swirling colors. Then¡­ God¡ªmy world¡¯s God¡ªappeared to me, said I was chosen. Next thing I knew, I woke up in these forests, faced with horrifying predators.¡± Her voice cracked. ¡°I was so excited to explore new species. But¡­ not like this.¡± Seraphion¡¯s hand slipped into hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. She wore a sorrowful expression, acknowledging that Elaine had borne this nightmare alone. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair to you, or to any human,¡± she murmured. Joseph was quiet for a long moment. He had known sorrow, but such cataclysmic extinction was beyond his comprehension. ¡°I¡­ see,¡± he finally said, voice subdued. ¡°I was raised by the Kul from childhood, taught to fight rebels or monstrous threats. I rarely paused to question if my side was right or if we forced horrors on innocents. But your story, Elaine, it¡­ puts things in a different perspective.¡± Elaine sighed, wiping away a tear. ¡°Thank you for listening. I guess¡­ the short version is: I was once a college student, living a normal life, preparing for research in the Congo or Amazon¡­ instead, I¡¯m stranded here, forced to kill unimaginable demons.¡± Her forced smile flickered. ¡°Michigan State¡­ zoology¡­ those words probably mean nothing in this place, but they were everything to me.¡± Xin-ta cocked her head. ¡°What is¡­ zoo-lo-gee?¡± A faint warmth crept into Elaine¡¯s voice. She tried to muster enthusiasm. ¡°Zoology is the study of animals¡ªtheir behaviors, anatomy, interactions with the ecosystem. I wanted to protect them from extinction, ensure no species was lost.¡± She gazed at her black, clawed nails, self-modified to survive. The irony burned her. ¡°Now I might be wiping entire species out if it means defending ourselves.¡± An awkward silence followed. They all recognized the tragic collision of ideals with harsh reality. The Redwood was no normal forest. The beasts that roamed it¡ªsome were savage abominations that defied moral compromise. Sensing the tension, Joseph cleared his throat again. ¡°Well, my story¡¯s less¡­ dramatic,¡± he began. ¡°I was an orphan in a Kul-occupied territory. The Kul taught me their ways, how to fight, gave me a gem interface in my wrist, which connects me to their system. I rose to become a soldier, though not high in rank. Spent my life deploying to quell threats, monstrous or rebellious. I never questioned it, not until I ended up here somehow, separated from my unit. Possibly, I was meant to die in a fight with your Guardian. When I killed it¡ª¡± He paused, swallowing. ¡°I thought it was just a savage beast. Then I realized it was a protective entity for these forests.¡± Xin-ta had grown still. She bristled at the mention of the Guardian¡¯s death. But she nodded tersely, acknowledging Joseph¡¯s shame. ¡°All is done. The clan can¡¯t bring it back. Let¡¯s just ensure you use your skills for good now.¡± Joseph rubbed the back of his neck, hearing the bitterness in her tone. ¡°I will.¡± With the conversation turning heavy, Elaine forced herself to shift the focus. She glanced around, eyes scanning the undergrowth. Several curious creatures scuttled near rotting logs, perhaps drawn by the faint smell of blood or the group¡¯s presence. One looked like a rodent with elongated limbs, nibbling on neon-blue mushrooms. Another perched on a root, an avian-lizard hybrid that let out a soft hiss. Elaine¡¯s lips parted in wonder. ¡°If¡­ if I had come here under normal circumstances, I¡¯d be thrilled to study them. The biodiversity is incredible.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Xin-ta snorted softly. ¡°You might find some docile things, but be warned: many are lethal. We have no shortage of venomous crawlers, or creatures that can warp mana to their advantage. Our clan, too, had to adapt.¡± Elaine gave a shaky smile. ¡°Still, in another life, I¡¯d love to classify them, learn about their habitats.¡± Her eyes took on a momentary gleam of the old academic spark. ¡°But the dwellers overshadow everything. They disrupt any chance of stable ecosystems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is,¡± Xin-ta conceded. ¡°We of the Redwood survive because we do not rely on easy farmland. We glean from the forest, or fish in streams. We keep watchers along our borders¡­ watchers that evidently weren¡¯t enough.¡± Her voice quivered at the memory of Outpost Wyvern¡¯s downfall. Joseph gently asked, ¡°Would your clan accept her? Or me? Or¡­ a literal archangel?¡± Xin-ta hesitated. ¡°My clan is wary of outsiders, especially ones who reek of Kul magic,¡± she said, glancing pointedly at Joseph. ¡°But if I vouch for you, if Elaine and Seraphion remain respectful¡­ possibly. We have bigger problems now. They might see the practicality of alliances.¡± A hush settled. Seraphion, who had been quietly listening, offered a final reflection. ¡°In my short existence, I¡¯ve known that forging alliances in times of war can save entire worlds. Let us hope your elders see reason.¡± They ate meager rations: lumps of dried fruit or tough jerky from Xin-ta¡¯s dwindling supply. Elaine, chewing absentmindedly, felt a knot in her chest. She recalled her father¡ªhow he had always cooked hearty meals after returning from fieldwork. He was a zoologist and had been enthralled by nature. He introduced her to the wonders of the animal kingdom, read to her from thick books on evolutionary biology, took her to nature preserves for bonding trips. She remembered his laugh¡­ the warmth of it. She missed him fiercely. As the Redwood clearing teemed with alien life, so reminiscent of the once-endless wonder she had cherished on Earth, a tear slid down her cheek. She found herself speaking softly, words tumbling out like a confession. ¡°My dad always believed in protecting the weak. He was a wildlife consultant¡ªalways traveling, always championing conservation. He used to say, ¡®We share the planet with them, we hold it in trust for the next generation.¡¯ It kills me that I¡¯m¡­ forced to kill some creatures, even if they¡¯re monstrous. Dad would have tried to find another solution.¡± Xin-ta gazed at her, empathy flickering in her beastlike eyes. She offered a small tilt of her head. ¡°Your father sounds honorable,¡± she said quietly. ¡°But I fear these dwellers see no reason, no mercy. If your father were here, perhaps he, too, would fight.¡± Elaine¡¯s tears glinted in the midday sun. ¡°I know,¡± she whispered. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t help but wish¡­ the world was different.¡± She clenched her bandaged fists. ¡°I never wanted to become a butcher.¡± Seraphion draped a comforting wing over Elaine. ¡°You remain your father¡¯s daughter, even if forced to extremes.¡± Their talk offered momentary ease, but it took no more than the subtle snap of a twig behind the rotted trunk to set them on edge again. Immediately, everyone seized their weapons: Joseph, with his sidearm, Elaine, with her spear, Xin-ta with her own spear, and Seraphion, braced for a destructive spell. A small, furry shape darted into the clearing. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a cat-lizard about the size of a raccoon. Its elongated muzzle twitched, eyes fixed on the group¡¯s rations. Elaine¡¯s heart lifted for a moment at the sight of an innocuous forest denizen. Perhaps not all was death and ruin. Xin-ta tensed but then relaxed. ¡°Just a scavenger,¡± she said with a snort, flicking a pebble near the creature to shoo it away. The cat-lizard hissed and scampered off, leaving behind the faint mewling growl that melted into the forest¡¯s hush. A fleeting moment of normalcy. Elaine let out a shaky laugh, relief dancing across her face. ¡°It¡¯s almost¡­ cute,¡± she said, blinking away tears. ¡°If it¡¯s not savage or demonic¡­ maybe some beauty remains in this world.¡± No one contradicted her. Sometimes, even a small reminder of normal wildlife was enough to rekindle hope in a world beset by nightmares. With hunger sated and bodies tended, the conversation turned practical once more. Joseph studied the angle of the sunlight, streaming diagonally across the clearing. ¡°We¡¯re about eight hours into the day,¡± he said. ¡°We probably have another sixteen hours of sunlight. Enough time to reach your clan city by nightfall, if we push?¡± Xin-ta frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the plan. But it¡¯s a long road, especially with these wounds. And if we encounter trouble, we might not arrive until after dusk. That¡¯s a risk.¡± Elaine squared her shoulders. The respite had steadied her somewhat. ¡°Better to try than to fall behind again. By the next night¡­ who knows what new horrors might roam.¡± Seraphion, though weary, nodded in solidarity. ¡°We press on. We¡¯ve lingered enough.¡± As they gathered their belongings, Elaine found herself answering a series of small questions from Xin-ta and Joseph about Earth and her zoology focus. She explained how humans discovered new species even in advanced times, how certain ecosystems thrived under strict protections, how she had dreamed of traveling to the Congo for fieldwork on gorillas. The beast-woman¡¯s ears perked at the mention of Earth¡¯s primates, intrigued by creatures that, ironically, were somewhat reminiscent of her own people¡¯s brawny frames, minus the tails or beastlike features. Joseph listened quietly, feeling a pang of regret. The Kul was known to quash many species considered ¡°threats¡± or ¡°inferior.¡± He realized with a deepening sense of shame that, in a different circumstance, Elaine might have found the Kul¡¯s efficiency in controlling worlds monstrous. Despite the grimness, Elaine¡¯s face glowed with rare passion. ¡°I wanted to study and protect them. I never imagined a world with 48-hour cycles, or monstrous dwellers emerging at night. We had our own horrors¡ªpoaching, deforestation¡ªyet it felt like we still had a chance, if we just tried hard enough to save our planet¡¯s biodiversity. But¡­¡± She trailed off, tears threatening. A hush followed, broken only by the chirping of insectlike creatures that soared around the clearing. Seraphion softly placed a reassuring hand on Elaine¡¯s back. ¡°Your knowledge remains valuable,¡± she whispered. ¡°Your father¡¯s ideals shaped you, and your world taught you the importance of harmony. Don¡¯t let the nightmares take that from you.¡± Elaine nodded weakly, swallowing the lump in her throat. She peered skyward, determined that at least some spark of her father¡¯s dreams would live on. Their short respite drew to an end. The Redwood domain beckoned, a labyrinth of gargantuan trunks and hidden streams. They rose, each stifling groans and wincing at throbbing wounds. Elaine, spear in hand, found her legs steadier than before. Joseph gripped the sidearm with quiet vigilance, while Xin-ta resumed the lead, tail flicking. Seraphion remained at Elaine¡¯s flank, cloaklike wings partly furled. ¡°Follow me,¡± Xin-ta said. ¡°We stick to the footpaths along the Redwood¡¯s roots. The ground is more stable, and we can keep sight of vantage points. If the dwellers appear in daylight¡ªrare, but possible¡ªat least we¡¯ll have some warning.¡± Joseph nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll watch our six.¡± Seraphion¡¯s gaze lingered on Elaine. ¡°Are you sure you can walk?¡± Elaine mustered a faint grin. ¡°I¡¯ve marched eight hours already. Another sixteen until nightfall, right? Might as well try.¡± She paused, taking a deep, calming breath. ¡°I want to get there. If we can help your clan, Xin-ta¡­ count me in.¡± The beast-woman let out a quiet huff. ¡°Let¡¯s do it, then.¡± They left the clearing, pressing between trunks that loomed like silent sentinels, the forest floor blanketed in fallen needles and creeping vines. Now and then, birds with glittering plumage flitted among the canopy, uttering shrill calls. Elaine felt her chest tighten at the sight, so reminiscent of a new form of biodiversity waiting to be studied. If only she had time¡ªtime to unravel this world¡¯s secrets, to be the explorer she once longed to be. Hours stretched on as they navigated over winding roots, crossing shallow streams. The Redwood domain was majestic under the bright midday sun, which soared steadily toward the apex of its 24-hour arc. Heat and humidity lingered, making them sweat, but no sign of the dwellers emerged. Possibly, the savage throng had receded to some underground lair. If so, it allowed them a measure of safety in the gloom of day. They paused intermittently to sip water or scrounge for edible plants that Xin-ta recognized. Elaine recognized a faint, nostalgic thrill whenever she found a new type of leaf or fungus, but the overshadowing dread remained, remembering that each step took them closer to what might be an even greater conflict. Outpost Wyvern burned behind them, but the clan city might yet be saved¡ªif they arrived in time. Joseph advanced a question. ¡°Xin-ta, how large is your clan city? Are we speaking about hundreds of people or thousands?¡± The beast-woman flicked her ears. ¡°Thousands, but scattered in clusters around the Great Redwood. The elders and the main city cluster is built around the Redwood¡¯s trunk, where the best hunting grounds converge. Enough warriors to hold off a typical raid from the dwellers, but if an entire host emerges¡­ plus those monstrous new Casters¡­?¡± She let the question hang. Elaine¡¯s mind conjured an image: a vast Redwood with suspended walkways, houses perched amid branches, beastlike people forging daily life. The notion held a strange allure, a testament to adaptation in a world shaped by 48-hour cycles and unrelenting perils. She prayed silently that these defenders had the resources to muster a fortress stronger than Outpost Wyvern. As the hours marched on, the overhead sunlight began to shift color from pure white to a pale golden. They must have been halfway through the daylight¡ª12 hours in, with another 12 to go. The group¡¯s pace slowed as exhaustion piled on top of injury and hunger. Their water supply thinned. Joseph, being the least wounded, sometimes scouted ahead or helped Elaine over large roots. Xin-ta¡¯s steady leadership guided them through tangles with minimal wasted effort. Seraphion quietly conserved her energy, each footfall a reminder that her angelic might was not infinite. It was near the end of the 8th hour, creeping into the 9th, that the group found themselves at the base of a massive Redwood with an exposed root system so large it formed a natural alcove. Here, the ground was drier, sloping gently up. The four collapsed against the roots, panting in the heavy midday heat. The towering canopy above offered partial shade. ¡°Just a short break,¡± Xin-ta insisted. ¡°No more than a quarter hour, or we risk losing too much daylight.¡± She glanced at Elaine, who was on the verge of nodding off, sweat glistening at her temples. Seraphion offered the human a small swig from her own canteen, the last bit of water she could spare. ¡°Elaine,¡± Joseph ventured, after regaining some breath, ¡°I recall you said you were in your junior year at Michigan State University? Or was it senior?¡± She blinked drowsily. ¡°Junior. I had about another year to finish my bachelor¡¯s in zoology¡­ then grad school.¡± A bitter laugh escaped her. ¡°Sometimes, I wonder if my credit hours carried over to the Redwood domain,¡± she joked in a bleak tone. A momentary chuckle rippled through them. Even Seraphion cracked a small smile. The absurd notion helped ease the gloom. ¡°Bachelor¡¯s, master¡¯s, these are your people¡¯s ranking titles for knowledge?¡± Xin-ta asked. She seemed genuinely curious about human education systems. ¡°Yes, basically,¡± Elaine explained, eyes fluttering from fatigue. ¡°We systematically study various fields. Zoology, for me, required biology, chemistry, ecology¡­ a stack of courses. My dad thought I¡¯d go further, maybe do a Ph.D. I used to fantasize about discovering new species in the Amazon or forging solutions for threatened species.¡± Xin-ta nodded slowly, though some references soared over her. She gleaned enough: humans valued structured learning, devoting many years to mastering a discipline. Seraphion quietly added, ¡°And ironically, you discovered new species here.¡± She nodded at the Redwood domain. ¡°Though, I wish it were under kinder circumstances.¡± Elaine¡¯s shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. ¡°Me too.¡± The hush that settled felt restful, almost peaceful. Xin-ta¡¯s tail swished as she stood, scanning the horizon. ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± she said at last, prompting them to gather the last scraps of energy. ¡°We press on. At this pace, if we keep going, we might reach the clan city by late afternoon, maybe the 20th hour of daylight. That still gives us four hours before night returns.¡± Joseph agreed with a grunt, though concern laced his expression. ¡°That might have to suffice. If the city can brace itself during those four hours, maybe they can hold out once darkness falls.¡± Elaine forced a wry smile, hauling herself upright. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can remain conscious that long.¡± She tried to lighten the mood. Anxiety gnawed at her, but she refused to let it paralyze her. As they resumed the march, Seraphion laid a gentle hand on Elaine¡¯s arm. ¡°You will see your father¡¯s vision honored,¡± she whispered, voice quavering with sincerity. ¡°No matter what fate we face, I will stand by you to safeguard your ideals.¡± Elaine¡¯s eyes glistened. She gave a shaky nod, voice failing her. In her heart, a fragile flame of hope endured¡ªhope that somewhere in this deadly Redwood domain, her father¡¯s lessons about compassion for living creatures would not be entirely lost, even if they had to destroy the savage dwellers. Chapter 28: A City on the Brink Chapter 28: A City on the Brink The sun had crept well past its zenith, casting a golden glow on the towering Redwood trunks. It was difficult for Elaine, Xin-ta, Joseph, and Seraphion to gauge the true time of day in this forest of giants, each trunk so broad it felt like a fortress wall. Nonetheless, Xin-ta estimated that this was the twelfth hour of daylight. After well over half a day of constant travel¡ªplus the harrowing events of the previous night¡ªthey were all on the brink of collapse. The group¡¯s unspoken truce had deepened into something resembling camaraderie. Yet, an unending weight bore down on them: Outpost Wyvern had likely been overrun, and the monstrous dwellers could be closing in on the heart of the clan¡¯s territory. They were perhaps a few hours¡¯ journey from the main clan city, still uncertain whether they would arrive before the next nightfall or if they¡¯d arrive to find it already under siege. It was Xin-ta who first sensed the presence of something ahead, freezing mid-step on a crest where the ground gently sloped downward. She motioned for the others to join her. ¡°Look,¡± she murmured. Dense pockets of leaves obscured what appeared to be a shallow valley, but in the breaks of the foliage, Elaine saw the faint outline of buildings¡ªwooden huts, seemingly clustered near a stream. A small banner, dyed in reds and yellows, hung limply from a tall post. Smoke curled skyward from several points, presumably cooking fires or furnace pits. ¡°A settlement,¡± Elaine whispered, relief mingling with caution. It felt almost surreal to see a sign of civilization. Up until now, the Redwood had offered little but gloom, monstrous predators, and the promise of dire confrontation. Here, at last, was a place of mortal life, presumably allied to Xin-ta¡¯s clan. But in the next moment, Elaine¡¯s spirits sank. Seraphion, who had been drifting near her, wings drooping from fatigue, gave a soft hiss and rubbed at her forehead. ¡°I cannot maintain this form,¡± she murmured. ¡°I need to return to your soul space.¡± She fixed Elaine with a serious look. ¡°I¡¯ll rest, gather my strength for the night. If we find trouble here, I might not be able to intervene quickly.¡± Elaine¡¯s heart constricted with worry. She pressed a trembling hand against Seraphion¡¯s. ¡°I understand. Rest as long as you need. We¡¯ll handle any complications.¡± Elaine¡¯s own body ached with exhaustion, but she recognized how dire it must be for the archangel if she was actively retreating. Seraphion smiled weakly, eyes full of both regret and faith. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready if you truly need me. Call me by name, and I will attempt to manifest again.¡± Then her form glowed with faint, luminous energy, shimmering away into an ephemeral haze that sank into Elaine¡¯s chest. Elaine felt a brief inward pull, then emptiness, as if a comforting presence had just withdrawn. ¡°She¡¯s gone?¡± Joseph asked, scanning the space where the archangel had stood. Elaine nodded. ¡°Yes. She needs to recuperate.¡± She felt oddly exposed now, but also grateful that Seraphion could gather more strength for when night fell, and all manner of horrors might reemerge. With a final check of their weapons¡ªJoseph¡¯s battered sidearm, Xin-ta¡¯s spear, Elaine¡¯s makeshift staff¡ªthey descended into the small settlement. A rutted path led past a grove of trees, opening onto a row of crude huts built against massive Redwood roots. Each structure had walls of thickly woven reeds or bark, plus a pitched roof of animal hides. A cool breeze carried the smell of cooked grain and, faintly, the musk of tanned hides. As they emerged near the settlement¡¯s edge, Xin-ta stepped in front, ears pricked forward in an attempt to appear at least somewhat official, though her ragged appearance told a different story. She spotted two men armed with spears standing near a makeshift gate¡ªlittle more than a fence of sharpened stakes. They wore hardened leather chest wraps, bone ornaments clinking at their waists. Their stances stiffened the moment they noticed the strangers. Xin-ta raised a hand in a universal sign of non-aggression. ¡°I am Xin-ta, a Seeker from the Redwood clan city,¡± she declared in their language, her voice carrying across the short distance. ¡°We seek entry¡ªmy companions are in need of help.¡± The two male guards exchanged wary glances. One stepped forward, spear angled. He spoke with a sharp edge. ¡°Xin-ta¡­ that name is known. But who are these outsiders? None look like Redwood folk. They reek of blood and foreign mana.¡± His eyes flicked to Joseph especially, who towered in battered gear. ¡°I see a Kul man among you. That is suspect.¡± Joseph froze, not understanding the dialect. But Elaine, thanks to Seraphion¡¯s earlier partial translation, gleaned bits and pieces. She recognized ¡°Kul,¡± and his tone was full of distrust. She tensed, hand hovering near her staff. Xin-ta held out a small carved token from around her neck¡ªa twisted piece of bone engraved with flowing lines. ¡°I come bearing the seal of a Seeker,¡± she insisted. ¡°Sent by the Elders to investigate the star-light that appeared days ago in the Redwood. I have found a non-Kul being who manifested. She is vital to my report. And yes, the male is Kul¡ªbut do not fear. I must take him to the Elders, that he might answer for his actions. I vow to keep him in check.¡± The guard¡¯s eyes narrowed. He spat on the ground. ¡°A Kul¡­ we seldom allow them in Redwood lands, and never in our settlement.¡± He jerked his spear in Joseph¡¯s direction. ¡°He cannot enter.¡± Xin-ta¡¯s tail flicked in irritation. She clenched her jaw, bracing for an argument. Elaine felt her stomach lurch¡ªshe knew Joseph was worn out, not about to cause trouble. But these beast-folk had reason to despise the Kul, given the Guardian¡¯s death. ¡°I will vouch for him,¡± Xin-ta pressed, voice firm. ¡°But if he must be under watch or placed in a holding pen, so be it. Let us in, or do you wish me to remind the Elders of your refusal to assist a Seeker?¡± That threat made both men pause. The second guard, younger, frowned but softened when he noticed how heavily bandaged they were. He muttered to his partner, eyes flicking to Elaine¡¯s pale face. ¡°They look half-dead. If we deny them help and they die, we dishonor the clan¡¯s vow to aid those who carry its seal.¡± The older guard glowered, wrestling with his distrust. After a tense moment, he lowered his spear fractionally. ¡°Fine. We will permit them inside¡ªminus the Kul,¡± he growled. ¡°But we cannot let him roam free.¡± Xin-ta nodded, exhaling a small breath of relief. She turned to Joseph, speaking in halting words he could grasp. ¡°You, stay close. They not want you. Let me talk. We get you to Elders.¡± She flicked her tail, eyes carrying a subtle apology. Joseph gave a reluctant nod; better to accept mild imprisonment than face a standoff. With a wary nod, the guards parted enough to let the group shuffle into the village. Low huts clustered around a central fire pit. A handful of wide-eyed children peeked around corners, and a few older beast-folk emerged from dwellings to assess these battered strangers. Most wore simple leather garments, though a few had ornamental bone pieces. The entire place exuded a frontier vibe¡ªfar removed from the advanced city Elaine had half-imagined. No metal glinted anywhere, reinforcing that this clan had yet to adopt forging technology. She saw only polished stone knives or spears with sharpened bone tips. They were guided to a small clearing near the largest hut. The older guard jabbed a finger at Joseph. ¡°He will remain here, under watch,¡± he barked, summoning two more men to flank the Kul soldier. Joseph raised his hands in meek compliance, murmuring a quiet word of acknowledgement to Xin-ta. Elaine felt a rush of protectiveness but bit her lip, trusting Xin-ta¡¯s plan. The guard turned to Elaine and the beast-woman. ¡°We will fetch the healer for your wounds,¡± he said curtly. ¡°After which, you shall arrange transport out of here. Our settlement does not welcome trouble or strange Kul criminals.¡± Elaine whispered to Xin-ta, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not exactly rolling out a welcome mat.¡± Xin-ta shrugged. ¡°Better than I feared. At least we get a healer.¡± Within minutes, an elderly beast-woman approached, her fur graying around her temples and chin, draped in a cloak of woven leaves and stitched hide. She carried a satchel stuffed with pouches, from which a variety of pungent aromas emanated¡ªherbal balms, ointments, dried roots. Her eyes swept over Elaine¡¯s bandaged torso, Xin-ta¡¯s battered arms, and Joseph¡¯s bruises. She also noticed Elaine¡¯s unearthly black nails, partially retracted plating near her forearm. A flicker of alarm crossed her face, but she masked it quickly. ¡°I am Haln-rah, the village¡¯s elder healer,¡± she said, voice gruff but not unkind. She nodded to Xin-ta, taking note of the Seeker seal. ¡°And I see you bring trouble, Seeker. But if you are truly from the main city, we must honor tradition and offer you aid.¡± She motioned for Elaine to follow her to a low bench fashioned from a fallen log. ¡°Sit. Let me see those wounds.¡± Elaine sank onto the bench, letting the older healer gently unwrap old bandages. The contact brought stabs of pain, but Elaine clenched her teeth. Xin-ta hovered close, summarizing the group¡¯s plight in the clan tongue: ¡°We encountered Magic Demons by the Redwood outskirts, forced to flee. The Outpost Wyvern behind us¡­ fell. We have been traveling all night and day to warn the Elders of the main city.¡± She cast a grim look at Haln-rah. ¡°Outpost Wyvern is lost.¡± The healer went still, eyes widening. A hush fell over the watchers. ¡°Lost?¡± Haln-rah repeated, voice dropping. She busied herself applying a pungent salve to Elaine¡¯s raw flesh, but her hands trembled slightly. ¡°This is grave news indeed.¡± She clicked her tongue, carefully threading new bandages. ¡°And the horde¡­ if it overcame an outpost, it may come here next,¡± she murmured, frowning. ¡°We have barely over a hundred folk in our settlement. We cannot stand against a legion of demons.¡± Elaine winced at the stinging ointment but forced herself to speak. ¡°You must warn them, please,¡± she said, words stumbling from her lips. ¡°We saw dozens¡ªNightmare Stalkers, Vanguards¡­ even specialized Casters. They might move on the next outposts or even the clan city. You¡¯re too close to them. The Redwood is compromised.¡± Haln-rah¡¯s features turned bleak. ¡°We have known such threats before, child. Things have slipped past outposts more times than you might guess, though rarely in such numbers.¡± She finished tying off Elaine¡¯s bandage and turned her attention to re-dressing Xin-ta¡¯s cuts. ¡°We will speak to the lord of this settlement¡ªUlan. If your warnings ring true, we shall gather the townsfolk and relocate closer to the city.¡± Xin-ta¡¯s ears pricked. ¡°Time is short. They struck Wyvern last night. Another 12 hours or so of daylight remain, then night falls again.¡± She locked eyes with the healer. ¡°We barely survived the last onslaught. This settlement must evacuate soon.¡± Haln-rah nodded in understanding. She gleaned from Elaine¡¯s battered frame, the fresh scarring on Xin-ta, and the bruises marking Joseph¡¯s arms that they¡¯d seen real combat. She applied salve to Joseph, pausing when she saw the gem in his wrist that glowed faintly with a Kul signature. A flicker of disgust crossed her face, but she mended his bruises nonetheless, though the watchers refused to let him remove his binds entirely. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. When finished, Haln-rah stood, shoulders set. She offered Elaine and Xin-ta each a small flask of medicinal water. ¡°Drink this. It will ease your pain a little. Then I must away to speak with Lord Ulan about your tidings. If outposts are falling¡­ we are in dire need of safer grounds.¡± Joseph, understanding some of the exchange, gave a short bow of thanks. ¡°We¡ª we appreciate your help,¡± Elaine said, voice laden with gratitude. ¡°But please hurry. The next night might bring them right to your doorstep.¡± Haln-rah exhaled sharply, eyes distant with worry. ¡°Very well. Rest here a moment. I will arrange for your transport to the city.¡± With that, she left them, stepping briskly across the village square, disappearing into a larger hut. Elaine sipped from the medicinal flask. The fluid tasted bitter, laced with unfamiliar herbs. Yet warmth coursed through her limbs, dulling the sharpest edges of her pain. She allowed herself a brief, shaky sigh of relief. They had found at least some measure of healing, if not full acceptance. The villagers watched from a distance, some with open curiosity, others with clenched suspicion. More than once, Elaine overheard whispered curses at Joseph, references to ¡°Kul scum,¡± or murmurs about the Guardian¡¯s demise. She placed a comforting hand on Joseph¡¯s shoulder, mindful that he likely sensed the hostility, even if he couldn¡¯t parse their words fully. Xin-ta waited, tail flicking in restless arcs. She refused to mention Joseph¡¯s exact crime¡ªkilling the Guardian¡ªto these guards. Let the Elders decide his fate. She turned to Elaine. ¡°Stay calm. If they discover he¡¯s the Guardian¡¯s killer, they might try to murder him on the spot. For now, we let them believe he¡¯s merely a captive I¡¯m bringing to the Elders.¡± Elaine¡¯s heart twisted. She still harbored resentment for Joseph¡¯s role in the Guardian¡¯s death¡ªan act that had opened Redwood to unspeakable horrors. Yet, she also pitied him. If he had known the Guardian¡¯s importance, would he have done it? She suspected not. Shortly, Haln-rah reemerged, accompanied by a younger beast-woman wearing a necklace of carved shells. They approached the group. The older healer offered a curt nod. ¡°Lord Ulan has decreed that we must prepare to relocate most villagers deeper into Redwood territory for safety. However, for you, a small transport to expedite your journey has been arranged. The faster your Seeker arrives at the main city, the better for us all.¡± She pointed behind her. Two villagers led forward a pair of extraordinary creatures. Each stood about the height of a tall horse, with six recurve-jointed legs that ended in broad, webbed pads. Their bodies lacked fur, instead covered in sleek, scaled skin that gleamed in shades of aquamarine and dull gray under the sun. A slender tail extended behind them, ridged with finlike protrusions. Their heads tapered into a gentle muzzle, ringed with short, flexible whiskers. Elaine¡¯s jaw dropped in wonder. Zeraphine¡¯s whisper stirred in Elaine¡¯s mind, awakened by the rush of fascination: ¡°Oh, they are adorable!¡± The archangel¡¯s telepathic voice felt bright with curiosity. Elaine almost giggled. She remembered how Zee had always exuded a whimsical side, even amid grim times. Xin-ta noted Elaine¡¯s astonishment and explained, ¡°These are Kaanaris. They thrive in watery shallows, but also on land. Their speed across Redwood terrain is unmatched. Our clan uses them for travel. They¡¯re docile, but you must handle them carefully.¡± Elaine approached one Kaanaris with wide eyes, enthralled by the intricacy of its scaled limbs. She murmured softly, mindful not to frighten it. ¡°Amazing,¡± she breathed. ¡°A six-legged amphibious mount¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± The creature huffed gently, whiskerlike sensors brushing Elaine¡¯s palm. She felt a childlike thrill surge through her battered body. Joseph, flanked by guards, looked on with equal awe. He risked a faint, apologetic grin at Elaine, as if to say: I¡¯d share your excitement if I wasn¡¯t half-prisoner here. Haln-rah offered reins made of braided leather. ¡°They¡¯re used to carrying one rider each, sometimes two if not heavily burdened. But you four¡­ well, you must decide. Possibly the Seeker and your female friend on one, and the Kul plus the rest on another. Or we can lash a small wagon if needed.¡± Xin-ta grimaced. ¡°Time is short. We¡¯ll ride them directly. We can double up¡ªElaine with me on one, and Joseph alone on the other. That might be fastest. The Kaanaris are strong.¡± She turned to Joseph, repeating in simpler terms. ¡°You ride alone. But these guards watch you. Understand?¡± He nodded stiffly. ¡°Yes.¡± Elaine worried about how he might handle such a creature alone, but time was pressing. She trusted Xin-ta¡¯s judgement. Meanwhile, Haln-rah studied Elaine¡¯s face. ¡°You must depart soon. Night is not far off, and we cannot guarantee your safety here if the horde comes early. Move swiftly. I will speak to Lord Ulan and see that our people start heading for the main city. Travel safe. May the goddess watch over you.¡± The group thanked Haln-rah, each in their own way¡ªElaine with a heartfelt ¡°Thank you,¡± Joseph with a respectful half-bow, and Xin-ta with a formal clan gesture by pressing a hand over her chest. The village guards parted to allow them through. A hush of anticipation lingered among the villagers, many of whom had begun hastily packing carts. The reality of Outpost Wyvern¡¯s fall had struck them like a hammer. Before they left, Haln-rah caught Elaine¡¯s arm gently. ¡°If the outposts truly fell,¡± she said in a hushed tone, ¡°this is not the first time something has bypassed our defenses, but rarely have so many. We must be prepared for the worst. Thank you for risking your life to bring word.¡± Her old eyes shone with gratitude. ¡°You might save many.¡± Elaine swallowed. ¡°Then do what you must. The demon horde isn¡¯t normal. We suspect they have a cunning leader¡ªor worse, multiple. Please hurry.¡± Haln-rah¡¯s mouth hardened in resolve. ¡°Farewell, child. Goddess willing, we meet again in safer times.¡± She swept away, voice echoing for the villagers to gather their essentials. The group mounted the Kaanaris, Elaine clutching the saddle behind Xin-ta¡¯s seat. She found herself awed by the creature¡¯s sinuous six-legged gait. Each step was smooth but powerful. Next to them, Joseph clambered onto the second mount, brows knitting in confusion as he studied the reins. The guards¡ªstill suspicious¡ªhovered close, ready to intervene if Joseph tried to flee. But Joseph gave no trouble. Xin-ta urged the beasts forward with a short chirping command. The Kaanaris responded, lurching into a steady, ground-covering stride. The watchers parted, letting them pass the stake fence. Then they emerged once more into the Redwood forest, forging a faster pace along a half-formed trail that cut between giant roots and meandering brooks. Now traveling on the Kaanaris, they shaved hours off the journey that would otherwise be spent on foot. The creatures proved remarkably sure-footed, bounding over knotted roots and splashing through shallow streams with ease. Elaine felt every jolt in her battered body, but she was grateful to spare her feet the full brunt of the journey. She tried to ignore the dull throbbing from her side and arm. Joseph, to Elaine¡¯s relief, managed to coax his mount competently, though with occasional muttered curses as it sidestepped or jolted unexpectedly. Xin-ta guided them on a route that angled around steep ridges and dense thickets. The Redwood soared overhead, branches weaving into a thick net of leaves, tinted by the descending sun¡¯s golden beams. Time felt compressed yet urgent: a swirl of mental images hammered Elaine¡¯s mind¡ªburning outposts, monstrous dwellers, an uncertain clan city. ¡°Tell me,¡± Elaine asked softly, leaning close to Xin-ta. ¡°What should we expect from your Elders? Will they trust me, or see me as a threat?¡± Xin-ta exhaled. ¡°Elders rarely trust outsiders. But they honor a Seeker¡¯s testimony. Once I give my report about your arrival, and that you are not Kul¡­ they might be open to hearing about your story. Joseph is the bigger risk. They will want to punish him for the Guardian¡¯s death. But¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. A flicker of conflict crossed her eyes. ¡°I will not let them kill him outright. Not now. We need him for¡­ what¡¯s coming. It¡¯s a messy situation.¡± Elaine¡¯s chest felt tight with guilt. She also recognized the necessity of forging an alliance if they wanted to repel the demon horde. ¡°We must unify,¡± she whispered, half to herself. ¡°We can¡¯t afford divisions. Not with such a threat looming.¡± Xin-ta steered the Kaanari around a massive trunk. ¡°Precisely. The Elders are wise. Let us pray they see the bigger picture.¡± Zeraphine¡¯s mental voice chimed softly in Elaine¡¯s mind: ¡°We¡¯re close, Elaine. I can sense many living souls in that direction.¡± Elaine offered a minute nod, comforted by the archangel¡¯s presence in her thoughts, even though physically absent. Hour after hour rolled by as the Kaanaris trotted, unstoppable across Redwood¡¯s uneven terrain. The day shifted from bright midday to an afternoon glow. The sun angled lower, painting the forest floor in elongated, dappled shadows. Lichens and bright mushrooms glowed among decomposing logs, forming a patchwork of muted color. They paused only briefly at a clear spring to let the Kaanaris drink. With each mile, the Redwood canopy opened slightly more, and the ground softened into gentler slopes. The forest¡¯s hush felt less oppressive, though the undertone of dread never fully vanished. Elaine scanned the surroundings, her heart yearning for a glimpse of the Great Redwood she had heard of¡ªa legendary tree around which the clan city thrived. At last, as they emerged from a thicket of lesser shrubs, Xin-ta pointed forward with her spear. ¡°Look!¡± The group followed her gaze, and Elaine gasped softly. Far in the distance, silhouetted by the lowering sun, rose a truly colossal Redwood, dwarfing even the giant trunks around them. Its canopy spread wide, an imposing green crown, and at its base flickered countless pinpoints of light¡ªlanterns or torches, no doubt belonging to the city. A swath of pathways and scaffolding appeared to ring the titanic trunk. ¡°We¡¯re nearly there,¡± Joseph breathed, relief and apprehension mingling in his voice. He recognized how large the settlement likely was to produce that many lights visible from miles away. ¡°Give or take an hour¡¯s ride,¡± Xin-ta confirmed, ears perked with a mix of eagerness and anxiety. The Redwood was still quite far, but it loomed over the horizon like a silent sentinel. Elaine¡¯s pulse quickened. They had maybe an hour of riding, then perhaps two hours to explain themselves to the clan¡¯s leadership¡ªElders who might be suspicious or even hostile. Then night would come, potentially bringing the unstoppable horde of dwellers. She bit her lip, resolved not to buckle under the mounting pressure. The Kaanaris picked up the pace, spurred on by Xin-ta¡¯s urgent commands. Elaine felt her battered body protest the rapid swaying, but she clung to the reins, focusing on breathing steadily. Joseph, a short distance behind, managed not to lag, though his face was drawn with pain and exhaustion. The Redwood domain around them glowed in shades of copper and amber as the sun inched downward. Each fleeting minute eroded their margin for error, the darkness waiting like a predator poised to strike. Elaine found her thoughts swirling with dread: Would the clan city be prepared for the news that Outpost Wyvern had fallen? Would the Elders accept Joseph¡¯s presence, or execute him on the spot? Could she possibly help strategize a defense, or would they lock her up as some heretical foreigner? Zeraphine¡¯s voice whispered in Elaine¡¯s consciousness once more: ¡°Stay strong. Seraphion and I are here if the worst comes. We just hope we have enough energy to matter.¡± The weight of that reassurance carried Elaine through the last strenuous miles, as the Great Redwood¡¯s crown slowly expanded to fill more of the horizon. At length, as they rounded a final bend in the trail, the canopy opened dramatically, revealing a massive clearing around the Great Redwood¡¯s trunk. The trunk itself was easily half again as wide as any they¡¯d seen, with thick wooden walkways and small huts perched on higher boughs. Beneath the giant canopy, the clan city sprawled¡ªan interlocking patchwork of huts, scaffolds, rope bridges, and carved steps, all lit by an abundance of torches and oil lanterns. The lights glimmered in the impending twilight, an ethereal tapestry in the Redwood¡¯s looming shade. Xin-ta brought the Kaanaris to a halt at a vantage point, letting the group stare at the breathtaking sight. Elaine felt a flutter of awe. Even in her battered state, the city¡¯s organic grandeur nearly stole her breath. She spotted swirling tiers of platforms around the Redwood¡¯s trunk, teeming with the shapes of beast-folk going about daily tasks. But the watchfires atop the highest walkways also attested to a city braced for potential war. ¡°How¡­ how big is it?¡± Elaine managed, stunned. She glimpsed glints of movement¡ªhundreds, perhaps thousands of clan members. She couldn¡¯t even see the top of the Redwood; it vanished into the receding daylight sky. Xin-ta¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°Big enough to house many, but¡­ perhaps not enough to withstand a massive horde if they come all at once.¡± She inhaled, her voice resolute. ¡°We have about an hour to reach the city gates. Then we must speak to the Elders quickly. Night¡¯s not far behind us.¡± Joseph, guiding his mount alongside Elaine¡¯s, let out a ragged breath. ¡°So we have an hour ride¡­ then maybe two hours of daylight. Enough to present our case.¡± He glanced at the horizon, where the sun hung low, gilding the Redwood¡¯s highest boughs in fiery gold. Shadows lengthened around them, creeping across the ground. Elaine swallowed. Her eyes flicked to Xin-ta. ¡°I hope they¡¯ll listen. I hope we can help them fortify.¡± She didn¡¯t voice her deeper dread: that if the Elders refused them or delayed, the city might be no more secure than Outpost Wyvern had been. The idea made her blood run cold. Zeraphine¡¯s thought prodded gently: ¡°No matter what they decide, we stand with you. But we must hurry.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Elaine whispered aloud, spurring her Kaanari onward. ¡°We can¡¯t waste another second.¡± Chapter 29: The Gathering Storm Chapter 29: The Gathering Storm The day was far advanced when Xin-ta, Elaine, and Joseph¡ªalong with the intangible presences of Seraphion, Zeraphine, and Marious¡ªat last rode their six-legged Kaanaris mounts out of the dense Redwood canopy. A soft breeze carried the scent of tilled earth and ripening grain, startling Elaine. They were still half a mile shy of the main city¡¯s outer boundaries, yet the signs of cultivation abounded: neat rows of golden stalks, each rippling under the warm sunshine in a broad clearing. Towering trees loomed on the horizon, forming a natural fortress around the farmland, but the farmland¡¯s presence alone was an unexpected testament to the clan¡¯s complexity. ¡°Grain, out here in Redwood territory?¡± Elaine murmured. She recalled nights she had spent back on Earth poring over her zoology textbooks at Michigan State University, with an occasional side interest in agricultural biodiversity. The Redwood world so far had seemed too harsh, too monstrous for conventional farming. ¡°How did they get seeds for these crops in a place like this?¡± she asked aloud, her black-nailed fingers absently adjusting her battered spear across her lap. Xin-ta guided her mount around a gentle bend in the road, revealing additional fields dotted by slender silhouettes¡ªclan folk tending the crops. The beast-woman¡¯s tail swished. ¡°We trade with them,¡± she said simply. ¡°A separate race who dwell far from Redwood domain. They discovered methods to produce these seeds. We supply them with Redwood timber and certain exotic animals. They bring us their grains and knowledge of irrigation.¡± Her lips twitched in mild distaste. ¡°Relations are¡­ tenuous at best. We do not see eye to eye with them on many matters, but for survival, we endure an uneasy alliance.¡± Joseph guided his Kaanari closer, scowling slightly as he observed the farmland, shoulders stiff from being in partial captivity. ¡°So you¡¯re not the only inhabitants of the planet?¡± He tried to keep his voice neutral, mindful that the local guards might overhear anything. Xin-ta nodded curtly. ¡°Indeed. Redwood¡¯s not the sole domain of my clan. Others exist: some with advanced forging, some whose magic dwarfs ours. Our city has thrived largely because of the Redwood¡¯s resources¡ªand the Guardian¡¯s old protection.¡± Her voice caught on that last phrase. ¡°But now we must rely on ourselves more than ever.¡± A pang of sorrow twisted in Elaine¡¯s chest at the mention of the Guardian, whose death had opened Redwood to monstrous dwellers. She said nothing, not wanting to stir tension around Joseph¡¯s role in the tragedy. Instead, she tried to distract herself by analyzing the farmland. The grains were tall, somewhat reminiscent of Earth wheat but with broader, darker leaves. She saw a slender figure tending them, possibly mixing a homemade fertilizer from a wooden trough. Zeraphine¡¯s voice sparked in Elaine¡¯s mind: ¡°They appear well adapted to Redwood soil. I wonder if these seeds derive from some earlier crossbreeding.¡± Elaine suppressed a small smile; she always found comfort in the archangel¡¯s curiosity, even if the notion of crossbreeding alien grains was overshadowed by their more dire predicament. They continued along a half-formed road dotted with roots and small ruts. Several clansfolk leading small wagons hurried past, giving the group a wide berth. The presence of Joseph¡ªtall, battered, and obviously foreign¡ªprompted unease. Elaine watched them hustle away, the sense of urgency thick in the air. Perhaps word of the Outpost Wyvern¡¯s fall had already spread, or maybe they just recognized something ominous about the travelers. The midday sun angled downward, casting elongated shadows across the farmland as the group neared a ridgeline that overlooked a more built-up region. Elaine felt a shift inside her mind, a gentle stirring that made her recall Marious, the mysterious presence that had been unusually silent. Long ago, he had introduced himself in a letter and a brief telepathic conversation but vanished soon after. Now, she felt the swirl of intangible energy coalescing in Joseph¡¯s direction. Suddenly, Joseph flinched. ¡°Marious¡­?¡± he whispered. His words were inaudible to the farmers, but audible to Elaine and Xin-ta. A spasm of uncertainty crossed his face. Marious, a disembodied voice that once guided Joseph, spoke at last. ¡°I greet you again, Joseph. I apologize for my extended absence. I was¡­ severely depleted, especially after you used your mana rifle so extensively. My essence needed ambient mana to regenerate.¡± Xin-ta¡¯s ears pricked. She recognized the name from earlier. ¡°Marious? The¡­ presence in Joseph¡¯s wrist gem?¡± She recalled how this being had somehow prevented her from outright executing the Kul soldier after the Guardian¡¯s death. She scowled faintly, unsure of her feelings. Elaine, hearing the mention, turned in her saddle. ¡°Marious¡­ you gave me that letter. Are you truly the one who wrote it, the one who said you were bound to me in some cosmic sense?¡± She found her memories jumbled: an ephemeral explanation about gifts and transformations, overshadowed by constant danger. Marious¡¯s voice, now audible to both Joseph and Elaine in a subtle telepathic link, carried a note of contrition. ¡°Yes, that was me. I also had a brief conversation with you, though I was too weak to sustain it. Our God¡ªand I¡ªwere the last powers to ensure you received the ¡®Divine Gift,¡¯ that which you now harness to reshape living tissue.¡± Elaine¡¯s grip tightened on the reins. So he was confirming the origin of her forced evolutions. ¡°You mean¡­ you and my God gave me this ability to convert mana into¡­ flesh?¡± she asked softly, emotions swirling between gratitude, confusion, and fear. Marious¡¯s tone was measured. ¡°Precisely. And I must say, you have wielded it more readily than I expected, Elaine. You¡¯ve found ways to modify your nails, your muscles, even your internal organs. You do so at a cost, of course, but you at least harness it well.¡± Joseph¡¯s face darkened slightly. ¡°Why me, then? Why my gem? Did you not have other choices?¡± A quiet pause. Marious sighed, a mental echo. ¡°I had no time or alternative. I felt the faint glimmer of unclaimed mana after your comrade was slain in that same fight. You were the only Kul with a functional gem nearby. I latched on, using your ambient mana. I was in fragments¡ªno stable body of my own. My presence¡­ might have compelled some actions that day. I apologize if you felt second best.¡± Joseph let out a bitter exhale. ¡°I see. So I was a fallback plan. Great.¡± Nevertheless, a flicker of relief surfaced in his expression. At least Marious was not malicious¡ªjust ephemeral and manipulative by necessity. Xin-ta¡¯s eyes cut to Elaine. ¡°You speak of forging flesh from mana. So is that not just for healing or self-defense? Could you¡­ craft an entire living being?¡± Her voice held both wonder and a trace of alarm. The roads remained quiet except for the shuffle of the Kaanaris¡¯ six legs. Marious answered in a subdued note, ¡°In principle, yes¡ªin time. As Elaine¡¯s mastery grows, she might shape more complex organisms, or even alter existing ones beyond recognition. But she would require deep knowledge: of anatomy, of how souls attach to bodies, and of complex biochemical processes. So far, she has done superficial changes under extreme duress.¡± A hush enveloped them. Elaine stared at the horizon. The idea that she might one day craft new creatures from scratch stabbed her with moral dread. She remembered her father¡¯s deep reverence for the natural world. ¡°So¡­ if I wanted to create life¡ªlike a brand-new species or a loyal companion¡ªI could do that eventually?¡± she asked. Marious hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s no simple feat. You¡¯d need a more advanced blueprint, plus incredible control. In effect, you might require an autopsy of a lesser god or a high-rank angel to glean the structural secrets necessary for stable creation on that scale. Otherwise, you risk catastrophic failures.¡± Elaine¡¯s eyes widened. The notion was both exhilarating and horrifying. She had used forced evolution to survive, but forging entire living creatures felt akin to playing a deity. She cast a glance at Joseph, who wore a bemused scowl. No doubt he, too, harbored reservations about how the Redwood clan might react if Elaine¡¯s powers grew monstrous. They soon encountered a broad thoroughfare leading to a small gate structure¡ªa formidable checkpoint well before the city proper. The farmland around them extended in patchwork sections, dotted with scarecrow-like totems. People with wagons queued up, waiting to pass through. The walls here were not nearly as tall as the rumored city walls, but they were constructed with a mix of heavy logs and reinforced stone. Armored beast-folk patrolled the ramparts, carrying spears or crude crossbows with stone-tipped bolts. Xin-ta reined in her Kaanari, scanning the line. ¡°We can¡¯t afford the wait,¡± she muttered. ¡°We¡¯re out of time.¡± She directed them to skirt the queue, ignoring a few startled protests from travelers. Soon, the group came face-to-face with a half-dozen watchmen stationed by a smaller gate off to the side. ¡°Stop,¡± demanded one of the watchmen, stepping forward with a leveled spear. Behind him, two more watchers readied themselves. ¡°Who are you, ignoring the queue?¡± Xin-ta brushed hair from her eyes, displaying the Seeker insignia. ¡°I am Xin-ta of the Redwood clan city, on urgent business for the Elders. Stand aside. We bring news that the Magic Demons have destroyed Outpost Wyvern.¡± Her voice rang with urgent intensity, enough to make the watchmen exchange alarmed looks. Elaine watched the watchers¡¯ faces pale. One stepped back, whispering under his breath, ¡°Wyvern¡­ lost?¡± Fear flickered in their eyes. The lead watchman swallowed. ¡°Explain yourself.¡± ¡°I said we¡¯ve no time. The horde is gathering¡ªNightmare Stalkers, Vanguards, Casters. Possibly heading here next. Open the gate. We must get to the city swiftly.¡± Xin-ta¡¯s tail whipped with frustration. She motioned to Joseph and Elaine, who sat battered on their Kaanaris. ¡°We fought them all night. My companions are near death. If you slow me, you might doom your own settlement.¡± The watchers exchanged uneasy glances. They recognized the Seeker seal¡¯s validity but also struggled to process the horrifying news. The lead watchman stepped aside, gesturing them in with a trembling hand. ¡°Understood¡­ pass, quickly. We¡¯ll alert the outpost captains.¡± He eyed Joseph¡¯s imposing figure warily. ¡°You¡¯ll be watched.¡± Xin-ta didn¡¯t bother acknowledging his threat. She spurred her mount forward, and the guard barked orders to open the smaller gate. Elaine urged her Kaanari onward, numbly taking in the glimpses of fear on the watchers¡¯ faces. Every moment hammered home the gravity of the threat overshadowing them. Beyond the gate, the thoroughfare wound through a smaller settlement that had grown around the farmland. Houses of mud brick and wood lined the wide, rutted road. Many workers returning from the fields parted to let the Kaanaris pass. Judging by their weary expressions, they were finishing their day¡¯s labor¡ªa labor that might become meaningless if the horde arrived by nightfall to ravage everything. Seraphion¡¯s voice echoed faintly in Elaine¡¯s mind, a weary whisper: ¡°So many¡­ living ordinary lives, oblivious to what¡¯s coming. If we fail to unify them quickly, the Redwood might witness a massacre.¡± Elaine bit her lip. Even the children along the street stared with confusion, sensing the tense urgency in the travelers¡¯ eyes. A few called out inquiring words, only to be hushed by anxious mothers. Joseph, still overshadowed by local distrust, kept his gaze forward. He wished not to incite panic. In hushed conversation, Elaine asked Xin-ta, ¡°If these outskirts are within the Redwood domain, why aren¡¯t they better armed? If the clan city invests in advanced defenses, shouldn¡¯t these villages be better protected?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The beast-woman¡¯s ear flicked. She exhaled, sounding both bitter and resigned. ¡°We have limited resources. The main city invests heavily in its own walls, forging alliances for better metals. The outlying areas seldom see that wealth. They rely on watchers and the Guardian¡¯s old wards¡­ wards that now fade.¡± She guided them around a cart loaded with hay, ignoring the startled driver. ¡°That is why Outpost Wyvern fell so easily. A fraction of the main city¡¯s defenses might have saved it.¡± Elaine felt anger stirring. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that way. They¡¯re all part of the same clan, aren¡¯t they? They share the Redwood¡¯s blessings.¡± ¡°Politics,¡± Xin-ta answered curtly, voice tinged with sorrow. ¡°The Elders have tried to unify. But forging or obtaining advanced gear is costly. We rely on outside trade for metal. Our Redwood domain has no natural veins of ore that we can mine safely. So it is¡­ complicated.¡± Elaine slumped in her saddle, feeling grim. The city¡¯s might, it seemed, came at the expense of smaller communities. Meanwhile, the demon horde did not discriminate. If the Redwood truly faced a wide-scale invasion, this entire region would burn. After another hour of riding, the farmland and outlying huts gave way to more imposing architecture. At last, Clan City Alpha¡¯s outer walls rose into view¡ªfifty feet of ancient ramparts glowing with a strange, bluish sheen. Vines and moss clung to it, yet beneath the overgrowth, faint lines of mana pulsed like circuit boards. The wall encircled a vast area, at least six miles in diameter. Above it rose the Great Redwood, dominating the skyline, its longest branches forming a partial dome overhead. Joseph¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This¡­ is real?¡± he breathed. ¡°Looks more advanced than anything else we¡¯ve seen here.¡± Elaine, similarly transfixed, noted the synergy of raw nature and unknown technology. She saw small pulses of azure light dart across the wall¡¯s surface, bridging cracks or node points. ¡°Is it¡­ magitech?¡± she ventured, glancing at Xin-ta. ¡°This surpasses forging bone or stone. It¡¯s like a lost relic from a more advanced age.¡± The beast-woman nodded. ¡°Precisely. The Elders say it¡¯s older than our earliest records. We only know it wards off armies and amplifies our defenders¡¯ magic. Nothing has breached it¡ªever.¡± She cast a meaningful look at Joseph. ¡°Or so we believed. Our city never fell to any mortal force. Perhaps we grew complacent.¡± Elaine gulped, a stirring of awe and dread in her chest. If these walls truly were unbreachable, that might be Redwood¡¯s final bastion. But would it hold against the monstrous horde commanded by cunning Casters? Only time would tell. They slowed their mounts by a secondary gate, bypassing a throng of travelers lined up for entry¡ªfarmers hauling produce, traders bringing goods. The queue extended for half a mile. Shouts and pleas filled the air, as the day neared its end and no one wished to remain outside when night fell. The tension was palpable. Clansfolk in battered clothing hoisted sacks of grain or livestock, eager to enter the city¡¯s protective perimeter. Xin-ta guided them to a smaller side gate flanked by a squad of clan military who wore actual metal armor¡ªprimitive, hammered plates strapped over hides, but metal all the same. Their weapons also boasted iron or steel edges. Elaine took in the sight with uneasy relief: if these were the main city¡¯s defenders, perhaps they stood a chance. Yet, her heart clenched at recalling how the outpost watchers had been undermanned. A hush spread among the guards as Xin-ta dismounted, showing her Seeker insignia to an older soldier near the gate. He wore a modest chain coif, with whitened hair peeking beneath. His posture exuded authority¡ªshoulders squared, a presence that demanded respect. He eyed the battered group, frowning. ¡°State your name and business, Seeker,¡± he said in a gravelly tone. Another soldier in better-fitting plate recognized the insignia but stayed quiet, awaiting orders. Xin-ta inhaled deeply. ¡°I am Xin-ta, Seeker of Redwood Elders, returning with urgent news: the Magic Demons have formed a horde, overcame Outpost Wyvern, and approach this city.¡± Her words spilled out rapidly. She gestured at Elaine and Joseph. ¡°We bring warning and require immediate counsel with the Elders. Time is short.¡± A flicker of surprise crossed the older soldier¡¯s expression, followed by a sober acceptance, as though he had half-expected disaster. ¡°So it begins,¡± he murmured. Then, in a louder voice, ¡°I am Ver-tal, Grand Warrior Mage of this city¡¯s militia. If what you say is true, we are in grave peril.¡± His gaze flicked to Joseph. ¡°Who is this Kul man? Do you not know we bar them from the Redwood?¡± Xin-ta tensed. ¡°He¡­ must come. He claims vital knowledge. I¡¯ll assume responsibility for him.¡± She lowered her voice. ¡°We have no time to bicker, sir. The horde might arrive by nightfall.¡± Ver-tal studied her face, then Elaine¡¯s exhausted figure. He nodded slowly, turning to a subordinate. ¡°Summon the militia captains. We¡¯ll prepare for a siege if necessary.¡± He rummaged in a pouch, drawing a small metal emblem with a stylized Redwood tree etched in shimmering lines. He tossed it to Xin-ta. ¡°My personal seal. Show it to any official who doubts your urgency.¡± Elaine watched, muscles trembling with fatigue. She felt relief that a ranking figure believed them. Then, her eyes widened as other soldiers approached Ver-tal with bundles of equipment¡ªarmor of an ominous, crimson hue. She overheard them call it the ¡°Berserker¡¯s Mantle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time, is it?¡± one soldier asked, voice tinged with apprehension. Ver-tal responded in a calm, ominous tone, ¡°We must muster all powers. If Outpost Wyvern fell, we cannot risk half measures.¡± At that, Elaine, Joseph, and Xin-ta watched in tense curiosity as the older soldier removed his chain coif and began strapping on pieces of the Berserker¡¯s Mantle. Each segment of armor made small drilling or clamping noises, as though ancient gears turned and locked in place. The red metal shimmered with runic lines reminiscent of the city¡¯s walls. Ver-tal¡¯s silhouette expanded fractionally with each piece latched on. A large blade was brought forth, as tall as a man, with a socket at the base that attached seamlessly to the Mantle¡¯s right arm. A hush enveloped the courtyard. The watchers, some city guards, stared with uneasy reverence. Then, with a methodical calm, Ver-tal tested the blade¡¯s heft, pivoting in place. Metal squeaked, arcane runes pulsing a faint glow along the blade¡¯s spine. Xin-ta inhaled sharply, her tail bristling. ¡°The Berserker¡¯s Mantle¡­ I never believed I¡¯d see it in action,¡± she whispered. ¡°They say it drains living essence to fuel the wearer¡¯s strength.¡± Elaine¡¯s heart hammered. ¡°Drains¡­ living essence?¡± Her mind conjured images of monstrous magic reminiscent of the Nightmare Stalkers. She realized Redwood¡¯s defenders might harness equally dire powers. Not all magic was gentle or protective. As if to confirm her worst suspicion, a trembling soldier led an exhausted beast of burden¡ªan old Kaanari¡ªbefore Ver-tal. Without hesitation, the old warrior swung his massive blade in a precise, lethal arc. The mount collapsed, blood spurting onto the dusty ground. Elaine gasped, horrified, eyes locked on the sight. The blade¡¯s runes flared, drawing the spilling blood into itself, funneling it along etched grooves that glowed a bright red. The Mantle¡¯s plating seemed to drink in the energy. Under everyone¡¯s stunned gaze, Ver-tal¡¯s body began to shift¡ªspine crackling as he grew more muscled, standing straighter and taller. Elaine¡¯s stomach churned, revulsion gripping her. Even Joseph paled, a strangled curse escaping his lips. In her mind, Seraphion stirred in alarm, though too faint to manifest outwardly. ¡°So they use a savage necromantic device¡­ by their god,¡± she whispered telepathically. ¡°Elaine, be cautious around him.¡± Xin-ta also recoiled, face contorting with shock. ¡°That is how the Mantle is powered?¡± she managed, stepping back. She had heard rumors but never witnessed it. ¡°Gods help us.¡± Ver-tal lowered the blade, a faint glimmer of new vitality in his eyes. He dismissed the lifeless mount¡¯s carcass with a hollow command: ¡°Dispose of it.¡± He turned to them, voice reverberating with enhanced strength. ¡°We have limited time. The demon horde must be met with every tool we possess. Seeker Xin-ta, gather your companions and proceed within the city. Report to the Council hall, near the Great Redwood trunk. I will mobilize the militia. But mark me: if your warning is false, the clan shall cast you out. Entirely. No leniency.¡± Xin-ta forced a respectful bow. ¡°I speak truth, Grand Warrior Mage. Let us go.¡± She beckoned Elaine and Joseph, face grim. Elaine cast one last horrified glance at the drained mount, then urged her Kaanari forward. Joseph did similarly, though his expression was grimly set. The gate parted for them, revealing an inner courtyard bustling with more heavily equipped guards, some wearing partial metal plating. They parted as well, letting Xin-ta hurry her mount along. The webbed pads barely made a sound on stone pavers that replaced the old forest ground. High above, the city¡¯s walls sparkled with intermittent pulses of blue, an arcane defense that hummed softly. Elaine felt her breath catch. The architecture inside the city was a patchwork of wooden structures built around Redwood roots or stumps, some rising on stilts, connected by rampways. Interspersed were obelisks or pylons that crackled with faint arcs of mana, presumably part of the city¡¯s defensive network. Thousands of beast-folk thronged the streets. Many carried baskets or wore modest bone/leather garments, though some boasted better gear. At intervals, she spied older, presumably magical devices embedded in the city¡¯s foundations¡ªhints of that old, advanced relic technology. Joseph rode behind, warily eyeing the crowd. The passersby parted in haste, some gaping at him, others giving suspicious glares. He overheard a few curses in a foreign tongue. He clenched his jaw, determined to endure. It was better than rotting in a Redwood outpost¡¯s shallow grave. Xin-ta led them to a side thoroughfare that wound deeper into the city. The Redwood trunk soared overhead, branching out into a natural canopy so massive that it nearly formed an enclosed dome above the city. Elaine saw how the thickest branches, unbelievably, touched the top of the city wall or hung just above it, forming a near-seamless barrier with the ancient fortress. ¡°Look,¡± Joseph muttered softly to Elaine, pointing to where a branch curved along the wall¡¯s crest. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ as though the Redwood was grown to complement the walls. Or the walls were built around the Redwood. Perhaps both are connected with the same magical pulses.¡± Elaine remembered Joseph¡¯s earlier assertion that the Redwood domain had secrets. Now, the grand synergy hammered home the notion: Redwood City was a fortress harnessing living and arcane technology, possibly older than the clan¡¯s entire history. And for centuries, the Guardian had sealed away monstrous threats. Now it was gone, the horde stirring in the gloom. She swallowed, mind reeling. They pressed on, passing lines of people returning from fields or errands, each carrying produce or wearing expressions of worry. Word of the outpost¡¯s destruction might not have fully reached them yet, but a tension hung in the air. The midday heat had begun to wane, the sky tinted in a late-afternoon gold. In perhaps four hours, the sun would slip behind the Redwood canopy, heralding the start of another long, 24-hour night. The group¡¯s hearts thumped with a collective urgency. While weaving through narrower streets, Elaine glimpsed glimpses of daily life: open-air stalls peddling fruit or crafts, children running with wooden dolls, blacksmiths hammering away at lumps of ore. She realized the city must import metals from somewhere far away, as Xin-ta mentioned. The chime of metal on metal felt comforting after so many bone-weapons in the outskirts. Eventually, they reached an intersection leading up a broad ramp towards the Redwood trunk itself. A cluster of warriors stood guard, wearing heavier metal armor, each brandishing swords or polearms with iron blades¡ªfar superior to bone or stone. They recognized the insignia Xin-ta carried, letting them pass. The Kaanaris panted, whiskers twitching as they ascended. Zeraphine murmured within Elaine¡¯s thoughts: ¡°The clan invests heavily in this city¡¯s defense while the outskirts languish. It¡¯s¡­ pragmatic but tragic. They might survive the horde, but many outlying villages will be ravaged.¡± Elaine¡¯s heart clenched in agreement. She urged the mount forward, determined to help orchestrate a real solution if at all possible. If the Redwood clan had the power to stave off lesser invasions, perhaps it could repel the monstrous new threat. But only if they recognized the scale. At last, they arrived at the inner gate, an ancient arch carved from the Redwood¡¯s living trunk. Here, guards wore an emblem signifying higher rank, their gear more ornate. Before them loomed a short but powerfully built older man, wearing partial metal plating. He recognized the seal in Xin-ta¡¯s hand and parted the guards. ¡°You come from Grand Warrior Mage Ver-tal? He sent word ahead¡ªsome crisis at the outposts?¡± Xin-ta slid from her Kaanari, wincing at her leg¡¯s stiffness. ¡°Yes. We must speak with the Elders immediately. The entire Redwood domain is threatened.¡± The older man nodded grimly. ¡°I will direct you to the Council hall. Time is short. The Great Redwood alone knows if we can rally the city¡¯s defenders swiftly enough.¡± He turned to gesture at the wide walkway snaking up around the Redwood trunk, presumably leading to the Elders¡¯ seat. They dismounted, letting stable-hands approach to take the Kaanaris. Elaine¡¯s limbs shook as her feet touched the ground, a mix of relief and dread swirling in her gut. Joseph hopped down, glancing around warily¡ªhis role in the Guardian¡¯s death hung over him like a guillotine. Xin-ta signaled for them to follow. Her eyes shone with fierce determination. Somewhere inside the Redwood trunk or in a specialized dais above, the Elders awaited them. The day was nearly done, an ephemeral hush falling as the city¡¯s citizens scurried about, collecting final provisions. Another night would soon descend, possibly bringing the unstoppable demon horde to Redwood¡¯s doorstep. They had mere hours to secure a plan or be consumed by calamity. In Elaine¡¯s mind, Seraphion stirred faintly. ¡°Steady your heart. We face dire truths¡­ but we are not alone.¡± Indeed, she felt Zeraphine nod in silent accord, and faintly, the reemerged presence of Marious focusing on the city¡¯s swirling mana. Joseph set his jaw, ready to face condemnation if it bought the Redwood a fighting chance. Xin-ta drew a breath, planting her spear on the wooden ramp. ¡°Come,¡± she said to the group, voice tight. ¡°We must make them see the seriousness of this. Let the Elders judge the Kul, me, or any of us after. Right now, we warn them, or Redwood stands on the brink.¡± Together, they ascended the walkway. Torchlight flickered as the evening sun angled low behind the Redwood canopy, painting the city in deepening shadows. Overhead, the vast trunk rose, a silent titan that had sheltered the clan for centuries. Yet even such a colossus might not be enough to hold back the nightmares that lurked just beyond the perimeter, ready to strike once night fell. And so the group marched onward with urgency, bracing for a confrontation that might reshape the Redwood clan¡¯s fate forever. Chapter 30: The Trial of Two Worlds Chapter 30: The Trial of Two Worlds The midday sun, subdued by the labyrinth of Redwood branches overhead, dappled the massive trunk with flecks of pale gold. Xin-ta, returning from her dire mission, guided her Kaanaris to a towering ramp spiraling up the Redwood¡¯s colossal girth. Each step along the gently sloping walkway brought her nearer to the Council Hall¡ªthe seat of Redwood¡¯s elders¡ªembedded deep within the living trunk. Tension weighed her down like a physical burden. After days of frantic travel, horrifying demon encounters, and the revelation that Redwood¡¯s Guardian was dead, she was finally home¡ªbut the home she feared might soon be under siege. Behind her, Joseph and Elaine dismounted their own Kaanaris amid suspicious glares from watchful city guards. Joseph, battered in body and spirit, endured the hostility in stoic silence. Elaine¡¯s nerves were frayed; her forced evolutions on Xin-ta, plus the harrowing demon battles, weighed heavily on her conscience. Now, these Redwood residents¡ªthey didn¡¯t trust her any more than they did Joseph. At the trunk¡¯s base, a cluster of militarily dressed beast-folk waited with grim faces. Xin-ta showed them her Seeker insignia¡ªa carved bone token depicting stylized Redwood leaves. One guard, an older female with a jagged scar across her face, curtly examined it, then stood aside. Another guard brandished a spear at Joseph, eyes narrowing at the Kul soldier. Elaine tensed, but Joseph raised his palms in surrender, voicing no protest. They had come too far to falter now. ¡°Welcome home, Seeker,¡± the scarred guard said in a cold monotone. ¡°The Elders await you, though they summoned only you. Your¡­ guests remain outside until permitted.¡± Xin-ta nodded, mind churning with frantic thoughts of how to present her knowledge. She shot a regretful glance to Joseph and Elaine. Elaine forced a small, reassuring nod, though her stomach lurched at the prospect of being separated right on the cusp of crucial negotiations. Seraphion and Zeraphine¡ªthe archangels bound to Elaine¡ªswirled in her soul space with quiet concern. Joseph stood stiffly, meeting Xin-ta¡¯s gaze with a silent, grim acceptance. Passing through a broad doorway carved from the Redwood¡¯s living bark, Xin-ta ascended an inner hallway that curved gently upward. The walls were adorned with chiseled reliefs of Redwood¡¯s storied past: images of the ancient Redwood Goddess forging the first beast-folk from seeds of life, the venerable Guardian standing guard, and scenes of old battles. Crystalline lanterns, glowing faintly from embedded mana stones, lit the path. The corridor opened onto a wide, circular chamber where four Elders presided from a crescent of stone seats: Elder Momo ¡ªa younger female, dynamic and sharp-witted, heading Ancient Research and Development. Multiple scroll-cases hung from her seat¡¯s back. Elder Kit¡¯tal ¡ªan older male with gray fur, in charge of Agricultural Development, wearing simpler robes adorned with pressed leaves. Elder Falimus ¡ªa stern, middle-aged male known as Cultural Historian, sporting intricately braided cords symbolizing Redwood epochs. Elder Tithway ¡ªan elderly female caretaker of the Clan Treasury, eyes half-hidden behind age-worn brows. She oversaw Redwood¡¯s finances and resource distribution. Each Elder wore an expression of mingled worry and impatience; evidently, the swirl of rumors about demon invasions or the Guardian¡¯s fate had already unsettled them. Their seats were spaced around a dais, built from carved Redwood inlaid with subtle runes. Flickering mage-lanterns cast dancing shadows across the elders¡¯ faces. Xin-ta halted at a wooden podium. Her heart pounded. She could feel each Elder¡¯s gaze, as if drilling into her soul. Before she could speak, Elder Momo broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯ve returned far sooner than the allocated fortnight, Seeker. Where is your scouting party?¡± Xin-ta briefly closed her eyes, steeling herself. ¡°Elders, there was no formal party¡ªonly me. I went to verify the star-like light witnessed in Redwood skies, under Elder Momo¡¯s directive. My news is urgent: Redwood stands in peril.¡± She kept her voice steady despite the dread coiling in her gut. Falimus¡¯s glare was immediate, his tone dismissive. ¡°You claim dire tidings, yet come alone with battered outsiders.¡± Momo lifted a hand, urging calm. ¡°Let her present her findings.¡± Tithway and Kit¡¯tal nodded in agreement, though each exuded tension. Thus began Xin-ta¡¯s summary: She recounted setting out alone, discovering the origin of the cosmic light to be a human named Elaine¡ª¡°Human, but not Kul,¡± she emphasized. She depicted Elaine¡¯s improbable arrival by divine means, apparently exiled from a world destroyed by an all-powerful wave. ¡°Elaine is guided by angels in her soul,¡± Xin-ta said, searching for the right words. ¡°I¡¯ve seen them manifest with my own eyes, saving me from a demonic ambush. They are real, beyond Redwood¡¯s known magics.¡± Kit¡¯tal¡¯s ears rose in interest. ¡°So you confirm these ¡®angels¡¯ are no Redwood spirits, but foreign entities?¡± ¡°Yes, Elder,¡± Xin-ta replied. ¡°They overcame monstrous creatures that even Redwood warriors might have struggled with. Elaine herself can forcibly alter living bodies¡ªshe used it on me to save my life. But¡­¡± She paused, voice wavering, ¡°It required using my mana heart as fuel.¡± Tithway¡¯s wrinkled brow furrowed. ¡°You must be exaggerating. Forced transformation¡­? Redwood¡¯s done selective breeding over centuries, yes, but direct bodily rewriting is heretical. Not to mention, dangerous.¡± A flicker of concern crossed her visage. Xin-ta bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯d never have allowed it otherwise. She used it only in a desperate situation. Now I stand changed, forging new capabilities. But I remain Redwood, Elders, loyal in every breath.¡± She flicked a tense glance at Falimus. He responded with a scornful snarl. ¡°One¡¯s body defiled by off-world magic is not Redwood¡¯s any longer. We are pure beast-folk, shaped by the goddess, not star-gods. I move that you be banished from these halls.¡± The statement hit Xin-ta like a physical blow. Her fists clenched. She started to speak, but Falimus¡¯s glare pinned her. Momo let out an alarmed sigh, but she was overshadowed by Falimus¡¯s wrath. At that moment, a side door creaked open, revealing Elder Bithla, draped in pale robes that marked her as Redwood¡¯s newest Priestess of the Goddess. A delicate circlet bearing Redwood leaf motifs graced her brow, symbolic of her exclusive right to read Redwood¡¯s Sacred Texts. Though younger than many expected for a priestess, she wielded an unmistakable command aura. Light from overhead mage-lanterns fell upon her as she stepped forward. She paused near the dais, black eyes flicking across the Elders. ¡°Why this clamor, Falimus? Are we Redwood so quick to dismiss a Seeker¡¯s testimony?¡± The male Elder drew a sharp breath, reining in his anger beneath Bithla¡¯s gaze. ¡°She is tainted,¡± he hissed, but her calm presence subdued his next words. With a slight wave, Bithla gestured for the group to be silent. ¡°Xin-ta, continue your account. Let none interrupt.¡± She settled onto a vacant seat, posture fluid yet authoritative. A hush descended, the tension more subdued but still throbbing beneath the surface. Xin-ta inhaled, steadying her nerves. ¡°Thank you, Elder Bithla. I will be direct: We discovered that Redwood¡¯s Guardian is¡­ dead. The Kul¡¯human soldier, Joseph, participated in its slaying. He admitted as much. This is why the wards have failed, allowing a tide of Magic Demons to surge. Outpost Wyvern is destroyed.¡± She forced each word out, recalling the carnage. ¡°I have witnessed the monstrous horde. If Redwood¡¯s main city doesn¡¯t prepare for an onslaught, we face annihilation.¡± A collective intake of breath occurred among the Elders. Tithway¡¯s face twitched with alarm, while Kit¡¯tal closed his eyes as if mourning. Falimus stiffened, his lips curling back in fury. Even Momo¡¯s mouth parted in shock, a hand hovering over her heart. ¡°Guardian¡­ gone?¡± Tithway managed, voice trembling. ¡°This is unthinkable. Our wards, our land¡­ We always assumed it would stand watch for centuries.¡± Kit¡¯tal¡¯s expression darkened with sorrow. ¡°So that is why these demons roam unchallenged.¡± A hush fell. Falimus let out a low growl. ¡°Then that Kul soldier must pay with his life, along with any star-ling accomplice who overshadowed Redwood¡¯s order.¡± Xin-ta raised her chin, mustering all her courage. ¡°We do not condone the Guardian¡¯s death, but Joseph claims ignorance. He might help Redwood¡¯s defense. Meanwhile, Elaine¡ªher power and her angels¡ªhave proven invaluable in demon fights. I urge Redwood not to kill them, or we lose crucial allies.¡± Falimus slammed a fist on his stone seat, sparks of anger dancing in his eyes. ¡°Allies? Allies who murdered Redwood¡¯s greatest protector? Your loyalty is twisted if you defend them.¡± Before Xin-ta could protest, Bithla raised her hand again, commanding silence. ¡°We must measure Redwood¡¯s survival against our rightful fury.¡± She turned to the dais, voice cool. ¡°I shall hear the rest of Xin-ta¡¯s tale. Falimus, stifle your rage for the moment.¡± A heavy silence reigned as Falimus sank back. Momo eyed the tension warily. Tithway fiddled with a ledger on her seat¡¯s arm, anxious. Swallowing, Xin-ta pressed on: She detailed the scuffles with demonic creatures, how Elaine¡¯s forced evolution saved her from mortal wounds, how Joseph proved an uneasy ally. She described Elaine¡¯s gift¡ªflesh-shaping¡ªin more depth, explaining it required a person¡¯s ¡°mana heart¡± to fuel transformations. In Redwood tradition, harming a mana heart was taboo, yet Elaine had done it to preserve life, ironically. She also enumerated the monstrous Nightmare Stalkers, Vanguards, and the draconid that ravaged Outpost Wyvern. Elder Falimus, though bristling, listened in tight-lipped frustration. Momo seemed torn between fascination and alarm, scribbling notes. Tithway¡¯s expression kept flitting between condemnation and pragmatic acceptance. Kit¡¯tal¡¯s posture sagged, as though picturing the farmland outside Redwood¡¯s walls being devoured by a demon horde. Eventually, Falimus growled, ¡°You speak blasphemies about another star god. Redwood¡¯s goddess alone¡ª!¡± Bithla cut him off with a simple upward palm. ¡°Stop.¡± Her voice, though soft, bore the undeniable ring of divine authority. Even Falimus froze. ¡°The Sacred Texts do mention other gods exist among the stars. Redwood was never truly alone in the cosmos, we merely believed ourselves so. Let us not deny what ancient scripture allows.¡± Those words hung like a hammer. The other Elders exchanged stunned looks. Momo¡¯s curiosity piqued, while Tithway¡¯s frown deepened with the notion of Redwood¡¯s goddess not being singular. Falimus¡¯s face warped in grudging acceptance. Meanwhile, Xin-ta exhaled, relief flooding her. If Bithla recognized the possibility of Earth¡¯s god, at least Redwood might not brand Elaine as heretical. ¡°Then¡­ the question remains,¡± Tithway ventured, voice quavering. ¡°How do we harness these foreigners¡¯ help? The Kul soldier might be an even bigger threat than the demons.¡± Bithla turned her gaze to Xin-ta. ¡°You said this Joseph man confesses to the Guardian¡¯s death, but regrets it. And that Elaine wields unspeakable power with her angels. Summon them both, so we might glean the truth from their own lips. Redwood cannot strategize in ignorance.¡± A ripple of uncertain consent spread across the dais. Falimus glowered but withheld objection, recognizing Bithla¡¯s sway. Momo gave a small nod, while Kit¡¯tal allowed a weary exhale, leaning forward to clasp his hands together. The faint lamplight cast deep shadows on their carved seats. Outside in the corridor, Joseph paced anxiously. Elaine perched on a wooden bench, guarded by stoic beast-folk who refused to speak. She constantly rubbed her arms, half-listening to Seraphion and Zeraphine¡¯s private reassurances in her mind. In that hush, the large double doors parted. A Redwood aide beckoned Joseph. ¡°The Elders call you. Come.¡± He shot Elaine an apologetic look and stepped into the hall, flanked by two guards. The door sealed behind him, leaving her alone with the watchers. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Within, Joseph found himself beneath the dais¡¯s lamplight. His battered Kul uniform, caked in Redwood soil and demon blood, seemed a shameful testament to his trespass. He locked eyes with Xin-ta for a moment¡ªher face flickered with sympathy. Then he turned to face Redwood¡¯s highest authority. Elder Falimus rose partially from his seat, voice laden with hostility. ¡°You, the Kul soldier. Name yourself. Explain your role in Redwood¡¯s worst calamity in living memory.¡± Joseph inhaled. Though physically exhausted, he mustered a shred of dignity. ¡°I am Joseph, once a soldier under the Kul¡¯tecka¡¯s command,¡± he admitted, words quiet but firm. ¡°I came to Redwood under instructions to locate a cosmic entity that might be a threat. My squad discovered the Redwood Guardian and fought it. We¡­ we killed it. I regret it. None of us realized Redwood¡¯s entire fate hinged on that being. We believed we were merely removing an obstacle.¡± The Elders¡ªexcept Bithla¡ªmurmured with anger. Falimus barked, ¡°Regret? That does not resurrect Redwood¡¯s Guardian! Do you not realize the damage wrought?¡± Joseph grimaced, head bowed. ¡°I do. I seek any chance at redemption: let me fight the demon tide. If Redwood spares me, I vow to stand against the horde. For if Redwood falls, so do I, at the demons¡¯ claws.¡± Kit¡¯tal¡¯s old gaze softened with a glimmer of pity. ¡°You were ignorant¡­ but Redwood¡¯s Guardian is gone forever. Perhaps your contrition can serve a final purpose¡ªdefending Redwood from the new threats you unleashed.¡± Tithway, arms crossed, gave him a steely once-over. ¡°Our city wards might hold off ordinary predators, but we suspect the demon horde is far from ordinary. You have advanced knowledge from your Kul background. Will that help?¡± Joseph shrugged in weary honesty. ¡°Some. But my rifle¡¯s spent. I have only a sidearm and the archangel Marious in my gem. Together, we might defend a portion of Redwood¡¯s ramparts, if you let us.¡± A hush. Falimus¡¯s lips curled, about to protest, when a sudden swirl of intangible energy rippled from Joseph¡¯s wrist gem. The entire dais felt a mental resonance, subtle yet potent¡ªMarious exerting a telepathic link. In the Elders¡¯ minds, a calm male voice echoed, not loud but forceful: ¡°Greetings, Redwood Elders. I am Archangel Marious of Earth. Joseph is my host. Harm him, and I fade. I would defend Redwood. Let him live, at least until the demon threat is resolved.¡± Momo gasped, startled by the direct mental intrusion. Tithway¡¯s eyes widened, heart pounding at such a blatant display. Falimus snarled, though the corners of his mouth twitched in confusion. Bithla¡¯s calm face revealed flickers of intrigue. She exhaled softly, acknowledging the archangel¡¯s presence. Falimus found his voice, albeit laced with fury. ¡°You threaten Redwood¡¯s council, creature? We are not swayed by fear alone.¡± Marious responded gently: ¡°I do not threaten. I speak truth: Joseph¡¯s life is bound to mine. Killing him dooms me. Let me and Joseph atone by defending Redwood¡¯s walls. Deny us, and Redwood still faces the demon horde alone.¡± A pointed silence descended. Finally, Bithla spoke: ¡°Very well. Redwood¡¯s counsel stands. Joseph is crucial to the coming battle. We shall hold judgment until after the siege.¡± Hence, Falimus grudgingly nodded. Momo¡¯s tense shoulders loosened. Tithway rubbed her temples as though reeling from the day¡¯s revelations. Kit¡¯tal tried to bury lingering anger under acceptance. Bithla, the young priestess, fixed Joseph with a penetrating stare. ¡°You heard them, Joseph. Redwood demands you fight. Betray us, and no archangel can shield you from Redwood¡¯s righteous wrath.¡± Joseph bowed, humility and relief filling him. ¡°Thank you.¡± He stepped back, letting the tension slacken. A wave of exhaustion threatened to topple him, but he kept upright, aware the conversation was not yet over. Elder Tithway coughed softly. ¡°Now, bring the female star-ling, Elaine. She must answer for her powers used upon Redwood folk, and clarify these angels within her.¡± Xin-ta signaled a guard, who slipped outside to fetch Elaine. Elaine, perched in anxious silence, jolted up as the guard approached. She was ushered through the trunk-hall corridor, heart thrumming. The double doors parted before her, revealing the same dais of Elders, the same tension that had battered Joseph. She caught sight of Joseph to one side, looking drained but unrestrained. Xin-ta stood near the dais, her posture rigid with stress. A swirl of uncertain gazes from the Elders pinned Elaine to the spot. Summoning her courage, Elaine advanced to the wooden podium, eyes flicking over the Redwood iconography etched in the circular walls. She tried to quell trembling in her hands. The only reason she stood here was Redwood¡¯s dire need and the archangels at her disposal. Absent those, she might have been cast out or executed. The knowledge frightened her. Momo regarded her with mild curiosity. ¡°You¡­ are the one they call Elaine, from a separate star-god¡¯s domain?¡± Elaine¡¯s voice cracked at first but steadied as she explained her origin: the wave that obliterated Earth, her unexpected displacement to Redwood, forging alliances with Xin-ta, tangling with the Redwood forest¡¯s monstrous fauna, eventually meeting Joseph. She omitted no detail about forcibly evolving Xin-ta or the repeated demon battles, hoping honesty would forestall suspicion. Elder Falimus scowled, cutting in, ¡°And you manipulated Seeker Xin-ta¡¯s body? Redwood forbids such interference in a clanmate¡¯s essence!¡± Elaine¡¯s stomach twisted. She nodded miserably. ¡°I had no choice. She was mortally wounded. The only method¡­ was to burn her mana heart to power my¡­ gift. I hate the idea of harming Redwood¡¯s folk. But if I hadn¡¯t, she¡¯d have died.¡± Her voice thickened with sincerity. ¡°I do not wish to wreak havoc on Redwood¡¯s traditions. I only want to help.¡± Silence. Tithway coughed, gaze drifting from Elaine to the flaring runes on the dais. ¡°Your methods are horrifying, child. But your sincerity seems genuine. We are in extraordinary times.¡± Kit¡¯tal¡¯s eyes lingered on Elaine. ¡°And these ¡®archangels¡¯? You hold them¡­ within your flesh?¡± Elaine inhaled, biting her lower lip. ¡°Yes. Seraphion and Zeraphine. They guided me. If you require proof, I can ask them to appear.¡± Momo and Tithway nodded in unison, their curiosity and caution mingled. Falimus merely sneered, but Bithla gestured. ¡°Yes, show them. Our city must verify their nature.¡± Elaine closed her eyes. In her thoughts, she addressed Seraphion and Zeraphine: ¡°They want to see you. Are you both ready?¡± Zeraphine responded mentally, ¡°Yes, Elaine. Let them witness. We have enough energy for a short manifestation.¡± Seraphion rumbled in agreement, though Elaine sensed the archangel¡¯s reluctance to risk draining more strength. Nonetheless, they acquiesced. A faint luminescence rippled across Elaine¡¯s form. In the center of the council hall, two silhouettes emerged¡ªSeraphion, a dark-winged figure wreathed in an ember glow, and Zeraphine, faintly translucent with gentle white clothing that rippled with a unseen wind. Gasps ensued among the Elders. Even Falimus¡¯s hostility faltered, overshadowed by awe. Seraphion spoke first, voice resonant: ¡°We greet Redwood¡¯s leadership. I am Seraphion, Archangel of Wrath and Patience. Our presence is bound to Elaine by command of Earth¡¯s God.¡± Zeraphine added in a quieter, melodic tone, ¡°Zeraphine¡ªArchangel of Sloth and Diligence. We uphold Elaine¡¯s will, not Redwood¡¯s, though we do not wish harm upon you. Our vow is only to protect her and the life she chooses to defend.¡± Elaine, stepping back, felt relief and fear in equal measure. The Elders¡¯ stares bore down on the angels with unsettled wonder. Momo slowly rose from her seat, scroll-cases rattling. ¡°Archangels¡­ so Joseph was right. They surpass normal angels?¡± To Elaine¡¯s surprise, it was Joseph who answered in a subdued voice, addressing the dais. ¡°Yes, from the Kul records, normal angels are rumored to be mortal or semi-divine. Archangels are different¡ªstronger. They carry the direct ¡®Gift¡¯ from a god. They¡¯re¡­ an unstoppable force in many accounts.¡± He cast a grim glance at Seraphion, recalling how swiftly she had incinerated a Nightmare Stalker. ¡°I suspect Redwood has never seen such foreign power in living memory.¡± Elder Tithway, trembling, whispered, ¡°Then Redwood is dealing with something akin to our goddess¡¯s most potent emissaries. But for another deity.¡± Seraphion¡¯s ember-lit wings flared slightly. ¡°Clarify one point: An archangel of Earth wields not a mere Gift, but a Right¡ªa direct facet of a deity¡¯s domain. I hold dominion over Wrath and Patience. Zeraphine reigns over Sloth and Diligence. Our roles outstrip mortal or lesser angelic bounds.¡± Zeraphine nodded, lips forming a fragile smile. ¡°Had Earth¡¯s God survived, we would serve him directly. But with him gone, we abide by Elaine¡¯s guiding will. Redwood need not fear us, unless it threatens her life.¡± Falimus¡¯s hands shook. ¡°This is¡­ unprecedented. Redwood¡¯s goddess alone is recognized here, but we cannot overshadow the reality that your star-god might hold sway in your actions. So be it. Let Redwood remain vigilant.¡± Bithla, however, displayed a measured calm. ¡°If Redwood¡¯s goddess had wanted them banished, I, as her priestess, would sense the divine prompting. No such prompting arises.¡± She addressed Seraphion and Zeraphine. ¡°Then I must accept your presence for Redwood¡¯s sake.¡± A hush followed. Momo exhaled, eyes shining with intellectual curiosity. Tithway kept her gaze on the conjured angels, mind racing with potential ramifications for Redwood¡¯s economy and defense. Falimus glared, arms crossed, but he no longer voiced immediate condemnation. ¡°Then Redwood must harness your might,¡± Tithway said, finally. ¡°If you stand with Elaine, and Elaine stands with Redwood, we can unite to repel the incoming demon wave. Let me remind you, if Redwood finds betrayal or deception, we will ensure none leave these halls alive.¡± Zeraphine¡¯s near-translucent face flicked with a small grin. ¡°We do not doubt Redwood¡¯s tenacity, Elder. Rest assured, we come not to subjugate, only to save what remains of this land. Elaine has chosen to help.¡± Seraphion¡¯s aura burned quietly. ¡°Precisely. She has the final word on our actions, though we may guide her with counsel. Redwood¡¯s war is now ours. Our vow shall stand at least until this monstrous threat abates.¡± Bithla rose, glancing from Joseph to Elaine and their angels, to the other Elders. ¡°So Redwood has decided: Joseph and Elaine join us in defense. We shall pass formal sentence on Joseph¡¯s guilt after the crisis. Elaine¡¯s flesh-shaping must not harm Redwood unless life is at stake. Should the horde breach our walls, we suspect we may need every advantage. Are we agreed, Elders?¡± Kit¡¯tal nodded. Tithway hesitated but acquiesced. Falimus gave a sour grunt, turning away. Momo brushed stray locks from her eyes, scribbling a note. ¡°Yes, we are agreed.¡± Just as Bithla prepared to conclude the session, the hall¡¯s doors slammed open once more. A panting Redwood warrior, cloak tattered, burst in. Guards tried to restrain him, but he pushed ahead, voice trembling with urgency. ¡°Elders¡ªurgent news! We have sightings¡­ a flying draconid assaulting the first outer wall. Our watchers confirm it¡¯s spitting vile flames, testing the wards. It might be the same beast that destroyed Wyvern!¡± A collective jolt of alarm seized the dais. Falimus shot from his seat with a snarl. ¡°Already? The sun has not even set fully.¡± He braced his arms on the dais, eyes flitting among the other Elders. Momo blanched, dropping her quill. ¡°So soon. That¡¯s not a random demon incursion¡ªthat¡¯s a planned assault.¡± She turned to Bithla, voice trembling. ¡°We must mobilize immediately.¡± Kit¡¯tal¡¯s fur bristled in a mix of panic and frustration. ¡°Our farmland out there¡­ the wards might hold, but if it¡¯s actively seeking weaknesses¡ª¡± Tithway looked near tears, recalling the mention of demon Casters. ¡°We cannot risk the walls being undermined from the air.¡± Bithla commanded the entire hall with a single shout. ¡°Guards, ring the city¡¯s alarm. Summon Grand Warrior Mage Ver-tal, have him deploy the militia. We shall meet this threat at the walls if necessary.¡± She turned a fierce gaze upon Joseph and Elaine. ¡°It appears Redwood calls you to arms now, not in hours. Will you stand with us?¡± Seraphion and Zeraphine exchanged glances of steeled resolve, then nodded. Elaine inhaled, fear surging but overshadowed by a sense of purpose. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re with you,¡± she said. Joseph¡¯s face hardened; he, too, gave a solemn nod. Elder Falimus, rage partially replaced by grim acceptance, waved them off. ¡°Very well. Redwood¡¯s fate is at stake. Go. Prove your loyalty on the battlefield.¡± Bithla gave a firm nod. ¡°Then Redwood stands united in crisis. Let us do what must be done.¡± She gestured to the dais, and the record-keepers scrambled to gather scrolls. The clamor of preparations filled the trunk-hall corridor outside, as further alarms were raised among the city¡¯s defenders. In a flurry of activity, Elaine, Joseph, and Xin-ta were escorted from the dais. The angels flickered by Elaine¡¯s side, intangible. Redwood soldiers parted in the corridor, some half-dressed in partial armor, others carrying weapons, responding to the emergency. The city¡¯s organic architecture funneled them toward a descending walkway that led to an outer battlement. The pulse of fear and adrenaline in the air was tangible. As they neared an open terrace, the city¡¯s defensive ramparts came into view¡ªa towering, bluish-metal wall covered in swirling vegetation. Along its crest, arcs of mana glimmered like living circuitry. In the distance, a roiling column of smoke stained the sky, near the first perimeter¡ªa lesser defensive barrier, not the main ring. Shouts and horns echoed from watchtowers. The draconid soared overhead, glimpsed in fleeting shadows and monstrous roars. Elaine forced a breath, heart pounding. So soon after forging a fragile alliance, Redwood faced an immediate test. She felt Zeraphine¡¯s gentle mental reassurance: ¡°You have us, Elaine. We¡¯ll do everything we can.¡± Joseph adjusted his sidearm, posture grim. He saw Redwood archers and spear-wielders racing to form squads. He recognized panic amid the novices, but also fierce determination in the older veterans. In the gloom over the far ramparts, the silhouette of a hulking, winged creature spat flickers of flame at Redwood¡¯s wards. Xin-ta¡¯s newly enhanced physiology thrummed with tension. She was Redwood¡¯s Seeker, once uncertain of her path¡ªnow forcibly altered into a living testament to Elaine¡¯s gift. She whispered, ¡°We stand at Redwood¡¯s pivot. If we fail to repel the demon horde, everything we love is lost.¡± Elaine, mind swirling with dread, recalled the Elders¡¯ edict that she was free¡ªfor now¡ªto use her abilities in Redwood¡¯s defense. She closed her eyes for a moment. ¡°Then let¡¯s ensure Redwood stands,¡± she said, voice unsteady but resolute. Seraphion and Zeraphine manifested just enough for the Redwood troops to notice ephemeral outlines at Elaine¡¯s shoulders. Gasps and awed murmurs rippled among the soldiers. The archangels hovered protectively, a reminder of the new, untested powers Redwood had harnessed. Soldiers parted, allowing the group a path toward the muster yard. Thus ended the tense council session, overshadowed by immediate peril. The Redwood city, once reliant on a mighty Guardian, now turned to an improbable alliance of star-ling archangels, a guilty Kul soldier, and a forcibly evolved Seeker to face the unstoppable horrors creeping at its gates. Nightfall loomed, and with it, an onslaught that would test Redwood¡¯s ancient walls, its cunning warriors, and the fragile unity of two worlds¡¯ survivors.