Vel and Spair entered their home to find nearly everything destroyed. Every piece of furniture, every pot and pan, even the spoons used for breakfast were broken on the floor. All except for three of the chairs, where their parents sat with wide eyes and shaking. The third chair was taken by a man with a wild mane of hair and tattoos running down his right arm. The hand of said arm was resting on the sheath of his hips.

Before either child could speak, their mother started. “Vel, you are to go with Hu Chang Torman back to town. There are a couple of people who wish to talk to you.”

At his name, Torman rose and looked at the two kids. He frowned, moving his eyes from Vel to Spair. He seemed to debate to himself for a moment before saying “She’s coming too.”

“You cannot…” Nerb began before a backhand nearly threw him through the wall.

“Both children will come with me.” Torman stated. Their mother attempted to move around Torman, only for a strong arm to push her into the empty fireplace. A crack and a scream from their mother shook the children while another crack caused Torman to pause. Looking back, he say Nerb wielding a table leg. He looked unsteady as the air shimmered around him. Torman’s eyes flashed and Nerb found himself smashed into the floor, the wood shattering along with his legs.

“Dad!” Spair shouted, attempting to make it to her father. The air shimmered again and Spair found herself stuck. Vel, for his part, tried to throw something at Torman only to find it frozen in air as well. A grunt was all the warning before a golden boar charged into Torman. He remained motionless, even his clothes didn’t shift from the mass. Vel looked, finding his mother cradling an arm.

“Vel, Run. Grab Spair and run.” She yelled before attempting to throw herself at her attacker. Vel lunged at his sister, noticing the annoyed look on Torman’s face. He blinked the forming tears out his eyes to find him holding his sister’s hand, unable to move. The two of them were suddenly outside, their house on fire. Torman lazily exited the building, tossing two stones in the air. They floated over to the kids, who found they had enough movement to reach out and take one apiece.

Velon looked at it. It was as large as a grain of rice, shining with a golden color. Written on the stone was the name Zhu Jinzi Nerb. He tried to collapse, only to find he was stuck standing in mid air.

“They’re a good start for you.” Torman said as he began the journey back to town. “You’re unlucky.” He continued. “You should have started with three. But your sister is as unique as you are so you both only get one.”

“You killed them.” Vel said through a sob. Torman nodded at that. “Why?” Vel’s voice cracked as the weight everything threatened to crush him.

“Every cultivator starts with their family. It’s the only way.” Torman’s eyes had a far away look. The three didn’t exchange another word as they headed back to town. Torman, lost in his past as the children mourned their parents.

The town was in the same state as their house. Fire was everywhere, without a soul to be seen. They headed toward the town center, kids still floating in air. As they got closer, Torman slowly released his will. He sensed the kids being set on the ground, huddling together as they got exposed to the world for the first time. It reminded him of his childhood, of what was done all those years ago. He focused, knowing now was not the time to get lost in the past. That was for later, after Snake and Dog left.

As he got closer, he found the two divine cultivators standing beside a pile of cores, all glowing with the same golden color of the kids’ cores.

Torman grimaced at that. A more in depth aura sweep revealed what he feared. More divine cultivators. Taking a deep breath, he looked behind him at the two cowering kids.

“Everyone you know is dead. But don’t worry, you will be shortly.” Torman exhaled as he unsheathed his sword. It was a broken blade, snapped a hand length from the guard. As he held it, he felt the echo of his Beast, of T before it was ripped from him.

“Is Tiger here?” He demanded of the two.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Is that anyway to treat us, Emperor Torman?” Snake asked. He was in his humanoid form, with the snake overtaking the entirety of his head.

“Why two?” Dog asked. She was also in her humanoid form, her new ears raised in attention.

“Is Tiger here?” Torman demanded again.

‘Of course I am here brother.” Another person walked out from midair. “I have to say, I am glad you haven’t lost your touch.’

“Nafel.” Torman ground out. “Here to finish what you started?”

“Oh you were finished back then. You’ve just been a corpse I’ve allowed to move since then.” Nafel countered. It was hard to tell the gender, the tiger having overtaken a majority of the body. Its arms were thick with fur and muscle, claws extended on each paw. The eyes glinted with a dark glee that matched the toothy grin.

The air shimmered, two wills crashing. But Torman’s was that of a puddle trying to drown the oceans of Nafel’s. Instead, he focused to split Nafel’s will to part around him. As he moved to attack, Nafel’s grin grew into a full smile.

In that moment, the children were wrenched away. They barely paid attention, focused entirely on each other. Spair began to mutter as the air around her flexed, allowing her unicorn to form between them. It wasn’t even the full size when she obtained it, rather barely larger than a doll. Still, she clutched it tightly as her brother tried to shield her from everything else.

Vel for his part tried to watch the fight unfolding, only to find himself unable. One moment, Torman stood before them the next they couldn’t make out anyone in the center. Wind and dust blew up, creating a vortex and cause the flames nearby to rise in joy. That joy was soon put to use as they entered the fray. A whirlwind of death that hurt to look at was the only thing still visible. He closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

Torman, for his part, refused to go out easily. Nafel dodged his strike before beginning trapping them in a whirlwind. The air speed up, causing intense pressures that threatened to rip the air right from Torman’s lungs. In response, he summoned the fire he felt around town. It joined the tornado, making a dangerous thing deadly. But that was all he could do. Keeping his shield while controlling the flame was taking every bit of aura he had. Still, the shield at least allowed him to move as Nafel walked slowly towards him.

A claw strike rent the ground, forcing Torman to dash to the side. Still, it clipped his leg, nearly tearing it off. He frowned at that. Nafel was a divine cultivator, not much beyond him. Divines can’t grow anymore, so why did it penetrate his body?

Nafel laughed at the confused look on Torman’s face as he propped himself up on his sheath. “Divines can grown, its just harder. You, however, are stuck at the same level you always were.”

Another lazy swipe forced Torman to drop face first on the dirt. He rolled closer to the edge of the tornado, missing another strike.

“Still, impressive you can move.” Nafel commented. “I’ll have to remember that technique.”

Torman dropped the control over the fire. The air was already impossible to breathe, making the fact Nafel could talk all the more impressive. Cultivators were strong, but human in the end. Or, at least they were.

Focusing his aura into a shield, Torman forced more power into his leg. With an audible snap, the leg broke as he pushed against the ground. Nafel watched with boredom as she tried to knock him back down. She chuckled, knowing he was out of it after this attack. He couldn’t defend, reinforce, and attack at the same time so he gave up reinforcing his body.

Still, to be safe, she forced more elan into her arm. Her aura was too dispersed to be used defensively, but she would be fine. She though that as she watched her lower arm flew in front of her face, before the pain registered.

A roar of combined rage and agony escaped her lips as Torman escaped the circle. He lay at the base of the core pile, legs useless. His body bleed with multiple cuts as he looked up to see the surprised faces of Snake and Dog.

The dust tornado disappeared as quickly was it was formed, showing Tiger missing an arm. The blood was already being staunched through her reinforcement. She glared at her brother, stomping towards him. A coughing laugh escaped his lips as he felt her move.

“You think this is funny?” She demanded of him. His aura was weak enough that she could lift him like he did with those kids he brought. “I will make you suffer for this.”

A bloody chuckle was all he returned with. A different laugh joined his. A Rat, the size of three story house, was laughing at Tiger. It was then she felt that the idea Torman infused with that attack. That arm couldn’t be repaired. Wounded, in front of the other predators, Tiger began to change.

The other eleven Divines arrived, surrounding Tiger. One strode forward. The head had long pointed ears and a button nose. “Before we tear ourselves apart, lets at least see if it is fixed after our growth.”

“Yes,” responded Ox, tossing Vel and Spair on top of the dying man. “Feed him so we can harvest.”

Snake and Dog pulled out the core and coin, before noticing the Beast Spair was clutching.

“Now isn’t this new?” Snake said, pulling the two apart. “The girl is also part of the new zodiac. Horse, it looks like you.”

“Does it now?” Horse asked, not moving from his spot encircling Tiger. Tiger, for her part paced in a circle, trying to keep all her peers in her sights.

“It does. I suppose we will need another town.” Snake replied, his fangs extending. “Boy first?” He asked, moving the coin towards Vel.

That was when a colorful wagon slammed full force into Tiger.