Zeldritzon [Cycle 4] - Nightfall
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Current Location:
[Ungroot Zone]
[UvoSath Forest of the UvoSath Realm]
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KiAera gasped as the last of the fusion ebbed away, her body reverting back to its usual Merecritt form. She could feel Amber's essence pulling away, like a thread unraveling, and suddenly the ferocity she'd been clinging to was gone. Her limbs felt heavy, her heartbeat slowed, and the burning heat of her Spectral Flame flickered out.
{proto-Chimerization Terminated}
{ApeX Scorched: 50%} {KiAera} {Amber}
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera's [APeX]: 142 Units > 71 Units.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
{LeapLeap} Amber's [APeX]: 114 Units > 57 Units.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
The voice that had counted down moments ago echoed faintly in her mind.
[Time's up.] No kidding. KiAera shook her head. The lingering buzz in her brain felt awful. Not only that, Amber's essence had been more than just raw power; it was like having a second mind, a beast's instincts guiding her every move. And now that they'd split, KiAera felt… hollow. A part of her missed that bond.
Amber. It clicked on her hard. Where…where was Amber? Her gaze swept the forest. Nowhere in sight. No, no, no, no, no!
"LeeLee…"
Amber, the LeapLeap, lay beside her, panting hard. KiAera's drumming heart softened. The fusion had taken its toll on both of them. KiAera could see it in Amber's eyes—the creature was disturbed, maybe even a little afraid.
"Oh good grace, at least we made it..." KiAera could still feel her heart racing from the adrenaline, but her body was wrecked. The merging had been... too much. Sure, the power had been insane—feeling Amber's strength in her legs, her speed, her instincts—but the cost? The way her mind blurred into something feral, something not her? That freaked her out more than the damn Skyrawltals did.
But the sensations… they lingered. The primal hunger, the ferocity of Amber's spirit, the overwhelming sense of being two creatures in one—they were hard to shake off.
She blinked, trying to focus, her heart still pounding in her chest. Her head turned to their adversary. The Skyrawltal was nothing more than a scorched pile now, its forms lying still, feathers smoking from the flames she'd unleashed.
"Damn," KiAera muttered under her breath. "That... was close."
Amber's eyes met hers, filled with an unease KiAera hadn't seen before. The bird-like creature shuffled, feathers ruffled, still catching its breath.
"Yeah, I know," KiAera sighed, rubbing her sore arms. "It wasn't exactly a picnic for you either."
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She ran a hand through her fur, now matted with dirt and sweat. Her ears twitched, still sensitive from the weird sensations of extending and retracting like wings. "I mean, don't get me wrong. The power rush? Awesome. But that whole... beastly rage thing? Not so much." She shook her head, feeling the residual ache in her legs where Amber's talons had fused into her own.
Amber let out a soft, low coo, still eyeing KiAera cautiously. The LeapLeap was proud, strong, but even she had her limits. And KiAera could feel that.
"I know. I got carried away," KiAera said to herself than to Amber. "But the damn Skyrawltals weren't exactly giving us options, were they?"
She glanced at the smoldering remains of the Skyrawltals and kicked a stray feather aside.
The silence between them stretched, broken only by the distant groan of the injured Skyrawltal, one of which her party had fought first. KiAera glanced at the fallen creatures and let out a tired sigh. The thrill of victory usually felt better than this.
"Listen," she started, trying to shake off the lingering effects of the merge. "I'm not saying we'll never do it again, but…" She trailed off, looking over at Amber, who had now laid down. "It messed with my head, Amber. It was like I wasn't even me anymore. I get the whole chimera thing is supposed to be a big deal, but I don't know if I can handle losing myself like that."
Amber's gaze softened a little, and she fluffed up her feathers, giving a slow nod. KiAera knew she felt the same—it wasn't just the power; it was the loss of control.
"Yeah," KiAera exhaled, leaning back against a tree trunk, her body still trembling. "Guess we're not built for that kind of connection yet." She paused, staring up at the darkening sky. "Gonna need a lot more practice if we're gonna survive out here."
Amber chirped softly, her antennae flicking back and forth as she surveyed the wreckage of their battle.
"We won, though," KiAera added with a small smirk. "Still got those Skyrawltals off our backs."
Amber gave a low coo of agreement, her mood seeming to ease. Despite everything, they had made it out alive. KiAera let out a deep breath, her eyes drifting back to the horizon. She was still here. Still standing. But that fusion? That was a whole different beast.
"Next time," KiAera said, rolling her shoulders and wincing, "we're gonna need a better plan. Something that doesn't feel like it's about to fry our brains."
Amber gave a little grunt, as if to say no kidding, and KiAera chuckled. "Yeah, you and me both, buddy."
The air was cooler now, the adrenaline fading as the exhaustion crept in. KiAera knew they had to move soon, but for now, they both needed a moment. Just to breathe. Just to be.
Speaking of which—
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Skyrawltal
APeX: [234 Units]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
A rush of air and the heavy flap of wings yanked her back to reality. One of the Skyrawltals had survived and was now zooming toward them, its talons outstretched, murder written in its bloodshot eyes.
"Shit!" KiAera’s instincts screamed at her to move, but her body was too slow, too wrecked from the fight and the fusion. She braced herself, ready to push Amber out of the way if nothing else.
Just as the creature's talons were about to make contact, the air crackled with energy, and a blinding crimson lightning bolt tore through the sky, striking the Skyrawltal mid-flight. The massive creature let out a gut-wrenching shriek as its body seized up, its wings twitching before it dropped from the sky like a stone, crashing hard into the earth with a sickening thud.
KiAera blinked, her breath catching in her throat. "What the hell—?" She jerked her gaze upward, scanning the cliff that overlooked the battlefield. There, against the darkening sky, stood a silhouette—a deer, or at least something that looked like one. Its antlers glowed with a faint crimson light, and for a split second, KiAera swore the thing's eyes locked onto hers.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the silhouette vanished in a flash of crimson thunder, the sky rumbling in its wake.
"Did you…?" KiAera trailed off, looking at Amber, who seemed just as stunned. "Yeah… didn't think so."
Her body was screaming at her to collapse, but they weren't safe yet. KiAera shook her head, pushing herself up to her feet. "We need to get back to base. Now." She couldn't afford to collapse out here, not in this hellhole.
Amber let out a soft chirp, a sign she agreed, though it was clear the LeapLeap was just as drained as she was.
KiAera gave the sky one last glance, her ears twitching as the distant thunder rolled away. Whoever—or whatever—that deer had been, she wasn't about to stick around and find out. She didn't like leaving things to fate.
"Come on," she muttered, nudging Amber gently with her foot. "Let's move before anything else decides to try and fry us."
A sudden rustle caught her ears. Her heart gushed with relief as the Kobolbos and Osseods emerged from the undergrowth. They were scathed like battered punching bags, but alive. They carried what she and Amber needed dearly for the moment—crystals.
The wind picked up, rustling the charred feathers on the ground. It reminded her of Amber's wings, the way the wind had moved through them during the fight…
KiAera shook her head, starting to move again. There was no time to dwell on what had happened. And there was still a long way to go before they could figure out this new power—before she could figure out who she was becoming.