The mark. An emblem she had never fully understood, burst into life with a dazzling brilliance. Light poured from it, enveloping Amber in a vortex of power. She vanished before the Skyrawltal could strike.
KiAera's fur bristled, and something strange began to happen. Her form twisted and shifted, the air around her crackling with sparks of energy as she felt Amber's essence—her strength, her will, her spirit—merge with her own.
KiAera let out a roar, but it wasn't her voice alone. It was deeper, fiercer, a fusion of both their souls.
Her body elongated, her ears growing feathery and adorned with streaks of amber. Her hind legs stretched, becoming longer and more muscular, her feet now clawed like talons. Her tail flicked, more powerful, sleek with feathers that shimmered in the dying light.
She could feel the ground tremble beneath her longer legs, the strength of Amber coursing through her, their forms intertwined.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
[Chimera Synchronization]:
{UNSTABLE}
Name: KiAera (Hybrid)
Age: [Glitch] [25]
Race: [Merecritt] + [LeapLeap]
Species: [Merecritt] + [LeapLeap]
Evolution Stage: [Hybrid] [Fledgling]
Variant Grade: [Hybrid] [Common]
Attribute Influence: [Beast] [Fire] [Wind]
APeX: [152 Units] → {Bond Bonus: C} → [228 Units]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Her body was still that of a Merecritt, furred, with her sharp rabbit-like ears and sleek tail. However, a feathered crest crowned her head, her ears and arms flapped like wings, and her legs were stronger, more bird-like, with deadly talons—they were all hers now.
The Skyrawltal saw it too. The damn thing hesitated. KiAera could see it in its eyes—the confusion, the doubt. It knew something was different.
KiAera snarled, and the blue-black flames of her Spectral Flame erupted around her once more, but this time, they were tinged with amber, burning brighter, hotter than before.
She felt the heat of the flames crackling around her, but it was overshadowed by an eerie voice that echoed inside her mind. It was distant. Yet it was urgent.
["Five seconds remain. The proto-[Chimera Mark] is...unstable..."]
Panic washed over her like a cold wave. Unstable? Screw it! She couldn't afford to lose this power, not now when two furious Skyrawltals were preparing to attack.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Skyrawltal [1]
APeX: [234 Units]
Attributes: [Wind] [Deino]
Faction: [Predator]
Variant Grade: [Common]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Skyrawltal [2]
APeX: [258 Units]
Attributes: [Wind] [Deino]
Faction: [Predator]
Variant Grade: [Common]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Without wasting another second, she leaped—hard.
Her legs pushed her higher and farther than she ever thought possible. The air around her blurred, and in a heartbeat, she was on the Skyrawltal, claws outstretched. She tore through the beast's wing with a vicious slash, hearing the sickening rip of flesh and feathers.
The Skyrawltal screamed, a high-pitched, guttural sound that reverberated through the gorge. It tried to shake her off, but she wasn't letting go. She dug her claws in deeper, using every ounce of strength Amber had given her.
Again! Again! Slice it up!
Amber's essence was deep in her bones now, and it wasn't just power—it was something wilder, something more... feral.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
On instinct, KiAera slashed across the Skyrawltal's face, her talons leaving deep smoldering gashes. The creature screeched and recoiled, flapping its wings desperately to regain altitude. But KiAera wasn't finished.
She leaped into the air again, faster than she ever had, the strength of Amber's legs propelling her upward with blinding speed.
KiAera felt her blood pound in her ears, every sense on high alert. She could feel the wind, like Amber always could, feel the way it shifted, the way it moved around her. The wind whispered, carrying information like an old friend—where the next attack was coming from, how the beast below her was angling to strike.
Amber's instincts were part of her now, and they were sharp.
In a single bound, she closed the gap between herself and the beast.
Her claws dug in deeper, and she felt the Skyrawltal finally give, its body jerking violently as it plummeted toward the ground. KiAera kicked off just in time, landing in a crouch, her feathered ears flapping.
The first Skyrawltal crashed into the dirt with a thunderous impact, stirring up a cloud of dust and debris. It lay there, motionless, one wing bent at a grotesque angle.
The second Skyrawltal, the scum that had ambushed Amber, let out a low growl, pacing back and forth like it was trying to decide whether to fight or flee.
"Your call," KiAera growled.
Her mind was racing.
Hunt. Protect. Strike. The words rang loud in her mind, almost too loud. It was like trying to drive two different directions at once.
She wasn't used to this. The merging, the sheer overload of power—it was thrilling, intoxicating even, but it was starting to mess with her head. Her thoughts getting more erratic, more... animalistic.
Stay in control.
["Four seconds."]
It was like Amber's instincts were bleeding into her own, pushing her to act on impulse, to strike without thinking. The more she embraced the fusion, the harder it became to separate herself from it.
KiAera forced herself to take a deep breath, focusing on the ground beneath her, trying to regain control. She couldn't let this power consume her. Not here. Not now.
She glanced at the Skyrawltal that hesitated in the air, its sharp eyes narrowing as it took in her new form.
The Skyrawltal screeched.
KiAera screeched back in retaliation!
The Skyrawltal dove, its massive talons stretched forward to snatch her from the ground. KiAera snarled, her body reacting on instinct. She twisted, her talon-clad legs launching her high into the air, narrowly avoiding the creature's grasp. The Skyrawltal let out a frustrated screech, swooping up to circle again.
["Three seconds. Failure imminent."]
Panic clawed at her. Her fur stood on end as the second Skyrawltal swooped down, its eyes gleaming with murderous intent. She swung her ears, the feathery extensions snapping out to wrap around a nearby tree branch, using the momentum to hurl herself sideways.
The Skyrawltal's talons raked the air where she had been moments before, and the force of its miss sent a gust that rattled the twisted trees.
But KiAera knew she couldn't keep dodging. The energy from the mark was fading. Her breaths came faster, her muscles trembling with strain.
She had no time to waste. She pushed the unstable energy of the mark aside, focusing on the immediate threat.
The second Skyrawltal lunged, its wings flaring as it charged forward. KiAera ducked low, channeling the remaining power of her Spectral Flame and igniting her claws. As the beast swooped down, she slashed upward, aiming for its exposed underbelly. The fire scorched its flesh, causing the creature to screech in agony.
But before she could recover, the second Skyrawltal powered through the agony and darted to the side. Using its massive wings, it created a gust that sent KiAera tumbling. She landed hard on the ground, the breath knocked from her lungs.
"KiAera!" Amber cried.
["Two seconds."]
KiAera struggled to her feet, shaking off the disorientation. As she stood, she glanced at the mark on her forehead—its glow was dim, flickering like a candle about to be snuffed out.
She had to act quickly.
KiAera began to weave through the twisted terrain, dodging between trees and rocks, searching for a vantage point.
The second Skyrawltal had recovered, its talons raised again, and with a guttural roar, it swooped. KiAera sprinted to the side, feeling the rush of wind as the creature flew past her. In that moment, she seized the opportunity.
Her talon-clad feet reached for the Skyrawltal just as it regained altitude. KiAera swung her claws down, aiming for the creature's wing joint, hoping to ground it.
The strike connected, and the Skyrawltal shrieked, plummeting toward the earth.
The first Skyrawltal returned to the fray. It pounced low, flanking them from the other side. KiAera's ears twitched, catching the sound of its wings before it even struck. Her flaming talons slashed through the air, connecting with the Skyrawltal's chest and tearing into its leathery flesh.
The beast howled, veering off course.
She could feel the last remnants of the Chimera's Mark, sparking back to life as she focused. KiAera took a deep breath, then leaped onto a low-hanging branch of a gnarled tree, the sturdy wood groaning beneath her.
The second Skyrawltal, now grounded, bared its teeth and lunged. KiAera snarled. With a feral cry, she unleashed her [Spectral Flame]. The blue-black-amber flames roared to life, spiraling out from her talons in a swirling vortex.
“NOWLL!” she yelled, launching herself into the air.
The mark on her forehead flared violently, sending a wave of searing heat through her entire body.
["One second..."]
Without thinking, KiAera leapt, kicking the air. Twisting, her body moved with a speed and power she didn't fully control, her talons extended, her body glowing with the last vestiges of the Chimera's power.
CLASH.
The impact was brutal. KiAera's talons clashed with the Skyrawltal's, the force of the collision sending shockwaves through the forest. Her entire body screamed in agony, but she pushed through, her flames flaring brighter, fueled by a primal rage.
She could feel the energy burning out, the unstable fusion unraveling.
NOT YET!
Together, Amber…
[SPECTRAL LEAP KICK]!
Her talons tore into the Skyrawltal's talon as her Spectral Flame burned hotter than ever before. With a final, desperate roar, she unleashed everything into the beast.
The Skyrawltal screeched, its body engulfed in the swirling flames. It thrashed wildly, trying to shake her off, but KiAera shoved harder, her claws sinking deeper, her flames burning hotter.
And then, with a final, earsplitting roar, the Skyrawltal's wings faltered. Its massive body crumpled beneath her, collapsing to the ground in a heap of smoldering spectral blaze clinging to its feathers and scales.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
[[Skyrawltal] defeated…]
[ApeX obtained: 258 Units]
[Conversion: 258 Units > 25.8 Units]
[Conversion {2}: 25.8 Units > 26 Units]
[BONUS!] [Reason: Double Power]
[Gama's Benevolence: 26 Units > 52 Units]
KiAera's [APeX]: 90 Units > 142 Units!
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
[[Skyrawltal] defeated…]
[ApeX obtained: 258 Units]
[Conversion: 258 Units > 25.8 Units]
[Conversion {2}: 25.8 Units > 26 Units]
[BONUS!] [Reason: Double Power]
[Gama's Benevolence: 26 Units > 52 Units]
Amber's [APeX]: 62 Units > 114 Units!
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
For a moment, everything was silent. The air crackled with the remnants of her power, the ground beneath her still trembling from the force of the battle. KiAera stood over the fallen beast, her chest heaving, her body trembling with exhaustion.
Then, the voice returned.
[Time's up.]