Ganaa stood, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“Grassreader… a Progenitor? Are… are you certain? That’s…”
Kallik shook her head, though her smile never faltered.
“No. I can’t say for certain. I’ve only heard the same tales you have, but the pieces line up. It’s roughly the right time, as well. The stories always say that Progenitors are likelier to appear during the Apex months… but if the stories are true…”
Kallik let the statement hang in the air. A Progenitor… a real, living Progenitor! Ganaa felt something well up in his chest, something he couldn’t quite place, but it exited his mouth as a laugh. Ulagan only gave a light chuckle and shook his head. If the Lord Protector really was a Progenitor, that could change… everything.
Spirit beasts were broken into three broad categories. The first were the minor beasts. These were creatures like the Root Gophers, Horned Hares, and Windcaller Sparrows. They were only a step above common animals with only a small amount of Spirit Energy. They rarely formed a beast core and seldom grew more powerful than [Wood Body].
The second were the so-called ‘common’ spirit beasts. This was by far the broadest category and included everything from Grassbreaker Penguins near the bottom to powerful creatures like Grand Elk and Mountainspiraling Amphiptere. They could be big or small, weak or strong, as stupid as a rock, or intelligent and crafty. Each could grow to astounding heights of power, given time and luck, but at the end of the day, they were just beasts.
Last were the Awakened spirit beasts, or simply the Awakened, as many liked to be called. The Awakened were just as numerous and almost as diverse as the common spirit beasts, but with one defining difference: upon maturing, the Awakened always become fully sapient. In most places, the Awakened were treated as no different from any other civilized race, and many tribes held great power worldwide. The United Tribes — a collection of unified Awakened Tribes and one of the Five Great Pillars of the Skybreaker Continent — were the perfect example.
And every single Awakened Tribe originated from some ancient Progenitor.
No one was quite sure what made a creature a Progenitor. Not even the oldest Awakened Tribes could say for sure. But stories of the Progenitors and their rise to power were almost as legendary as those of the Fallen Stars. Some claimed that any common spirit beast could become a Progenitor, that all it took was the right level of power and the right fortuitous encounters to break through some unknown barrier separating the powerful from the truly sapient spirit beasts. But despite countless attempts through the ages, none had ever successfully created an ‘artificial’ Progenitor.
As far as anyone could tell, mysterious spirit beasts no one had ever seen or heard of — creatures of unusual intelligence and unimaginable power — would appear out of nowhere one day. These creatures would dominate their surroundings with this vast power and bring untold changes wherever they appeared. In time, they would give rise to a new Awakened Tribe and a new power, forever leaving their mark on the world.
The rise of every Progenitor was well documented by their corresponding tribes, and they were often revered more like deities than ancestors.
More important for the Slatewalkers, every recorded Progenitor’s story spoke of those who’d helped the Progenitor along their Path to Power and reaped untold rewards. Many of the most powerful and influential clans and sects only rose to the heights they had because they had stood beside a Progenitor during its early years. Even the Wandering Cities’ ancient ancestors had stood beside the Progenitor of the Akh’lut long before they’d ever stepped foot in the Radiant Sea. It was a relationship that had lasted for countless ages.
Like a farmer nurturing a carp into a dragon so he could grab its tail when it ascended into the heavens.
If the Lord Protector truly was a Progenitor, this could be an opportunity for the Slatewalkers even greater than the Fallen Star! At least for the village itself. Ganaa was tempted to throw himself at the creature’s feet and pledge his undying loyalty then and there, ‘cultivator’s pride’ be damned! Powerful sects would have paid fortunes Ganaa couldn’t even fathom for an opportunity like this.
However, a more rational side of Ganaa understood that would have been a foolish mistake. If it was so easy to gain the favor of a Progenitor, there would have been many more such stories out there. Coupled with the fact that they had no definitive proof that the Lord Protector was a Progenitor — other than their own speculations — they had to proceed with caution. The creature might very well just be some wily spirit beast manipulating them for an unknown purpose.
As much as Ganaa hated the thought of doubting his savior in such a way, he couldn’t deny that those kinds of stories were no less common than any other.
Ganaa turned to his two seniors and asked.
“So what’s the plan? Are we acting with the assumption that the Lord Protector is a Progenitor? Or do we wait until we know more?”
Kallik shook her head as she responded.
“Say nothing to the others, for now. At least not until I’ve had the chance to speak to the other Elders. For now, pretend as if the Lord Protector is just a kind soul who’s lent their aid. We know little of the being’s temperament or desires, and the wrong move this early could spell trouble later on.”
Ganaa and Ulagan nodded in agreement, even if Ganaa felt this approach was… sneaky. He could understand, though; spirit beasts, especially non-humanoid ones, were notorious for having strange senses of morals and values. Even those known to be even-tempered and docile could become deadly at the slightest perceived offense.
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All three nodded and turned back to the group and the Lord Protector.
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If Alpha could have grinned, it would stretch from ear to ear. For all their magical malarkies, it seemed everyone was susceptible to the good old ‘plant a bug on them when they’re not looking’ trick. Or rather, [Wasp] in this case. Alpha had sent the small drone to hide in the young man’s fur-lined coat and record as soon as he noticed the three move off on their own.
He still didn’t know what much of what they said meant, but his lexicon was coming along great! The several small conversations happening across the clearing did wonders for adding more data points. He’d even identified what he believed to be the names of a few of the natives and their title for him.
When they turned back to him, the look in the three’s eyes didn’t need translation, though. He’d seen it a thousand times in the Federation and on new worlds. Good, that just meant less work for him. Let them think they could get something out of him while he took what he needed from under their noses.
They might actually come out better for it, regardless. After all, the Federation was far more lenient and offered more benefits to those who cooperated willingly than those who had to be… persuaded. Some of Alpha’s early ‘companions’ — read: gophers — had gone on to hold significant power over their worlds after integration into the Federation.
Not that Alpha himself had much to say in those matters. That was SEAU-03 and SEAU-02’s job.
So when the group of three approached, bowing in respect, Alpha played along. The AI could tell by how they emphasized and slowed their words and frequently used gestures or miming motions, that they understood there was a communication barrier. Good, Alpha enjoyed working with those who caught on quickly, unlike a certain fowl-tempered overcooked chicken strip.
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Several hundred thousand kilometers from the planet’s surface, a certain Lunar King rubbed at the bandage around his throat and sneezed.
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The older woman drew a surprisingly detailed map in the loosely packed dirt. Alpha took a picture for future reference and tried to follow along. She gestured to several points he could only assume were the human and a picture of a large penguin surrounded by smaller ones.
Mostly on reflex, Alpha put a bullet in the small drawing, the single echoing gunshot making everyone but Snowball jump. What? An AI couldn’t be frustrated?
Well, most of them jumped. The wide grin on the older woman’s face told Alpha more than all her words had managed to so far. Quick arrows in the dirt represented the penguins following behind the group and encircling them. So she thought they were still being chased? Strange, for animals, even if the larger one had appeared sapient.
A long line extended from their own group before stopping some distance away. The woman stopped, then drew another symbol like a large obelisk, circling it several times. She drew five marks next to the line leading from them to the obelisk, then pointed to the sun and back to the broken cart.
Easy enough to understand: they were five days’ travel from… somewhere, by cart. The only issue was the penguin’s line intercepted their own, roughly 4/5ths of the way to the obelisk. So she expected to be ambushed before they made it to safety. Fair enough. Alpha tapped the side of his chassis, deep in thought. Alpha wasn’t opposed to a rematch; hell, he welcomed one. He’d screwed up and let the enemy escape, but if they wanted to walk right back to their deaths, who was he to stop them?
The issue was the smaller penguins. Five days was enough time to gather up the dispersed flock. If Alpha had to fight the giant penguin and protect the humans from a small army, things could get hairy. He couldn’t use the Harpy trick again since the humans would have to be within a range that put them at significant risk, either from the sonic weapon or the army of penguins.
But… what if he forced a confrontation before the enemy was ready?
Alpha scanned the cart and found it surprisingly sophisticated, at least by primitive standards. The wood was well formed and treated to prevent decay, while the shock and axle systems were specifically designed to traverse rough, uneven terrain at surprising speeds. The cart’s complexity was in strange contrast to the people’s more primitive, fur-loving fashion style.
Based on the specs of the cart and the rough topographic data Alpha had gathered, he did some quick calculations. He then reached down and erased three of the five marks beside their travel line.
The older woman stared down, her brow furrowing. She shook her head and pointed to the cart. They were insistent it needed to come along. Alpha approached the cart and noticed half a dozen large boxes packed in cushioning grass. The AI ignored the sounds of protest as he pried open several to find… plants? Dozens of various kinds of plants were packed into the container, sectioned into their own little cubbies.
A second crate showed more of the same, but the third was a welcome surprise.
“Jackpot!” Alpha exclaimed as he pulled the several-dozen-pound slab of hematite ore from the box. Several other ore samples shared the same box, as well as another. It wasn’t much, but it was more than he could extract from random rocks in the short term. Had this group been surveying the area for resources, just like him? Given the spread of samples, it seemed likely.
Alpha quickly swept the contents of the ore-filled boxes into the TAWP, much to the protest of the surrounding group. Some of the younger members looked ready to leap at him. Even the older woman was frowning up at him in apparent concern. Alpha ignored them all and replaced the lid on the plant crates before gently removing each crate from the cart and placing it on the ground nearby.
He then easily flipped the much smaller cart over, snapping the tangling vines that had ensnared it. There was an audible gasp from the group, but Alpha had work to do, so he paid them no mind. Over the next thirty minutes, Alpha set about modifying the cart to his liking. After the first five minutes, the group had gone silent, staring open-mouthed as Alpha’s arc-cutters sliced and welded steel like it was clay and not high-quality — to them — metal.
When Alpha was finished, the cart was gone, and in its place was a sleek, reinforced carrier that fit neatly onto the TAWP’s back. Alpha then placed the four remaining crates in the carrier and turned around, arms spread wide.
“Well?”
The group only stared up, wide-eyed, before bursting into cheers. The old woman shook her head again, but this time it was with a wide smile, while the older, armored man patted the younger man Alpha had rescued roughly on the back, both grinning like madmen.
No one bothered to question where the ore had gone.
After all, taxis weren’t cheap.
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The figure watched the group of foolish humans and the mysterious beetle creature disappear into the distance. It had to admit, things had gone sideways since Kusanagi’s… slip-up. The Mistress had promised them that the compulsion on the ‘Beast Lord’—Hah!—was perfect, yet the child had not only escaped but somehow found a dangerous, unknown ally. This would… complicate things. But with any luck, they might still twist events in their favor.
After all… every good plan needed a scapegoat.
The figure chuckled to itself as it slipped into the earth. Soon, all the pieces would be on the board, and several centuries of work would come to fruition.
All that was needed was a spark.