Hard rain continued to pour down on Kaya. Despite their treacherous appearance, she continued to glide over the rough and slick terrain of the mountainous steps. Kaya was almost home; at least what she currently called home. She sighed in relief as the cave entrance came within sight.

She walked through the entryway, and just as she was about to make it past the entry door, she heard a thumping sound of rock slamming on rock. She knew what was coming. Kymon, her big oaf of a younger brother, was locked within the form of an earth elemental.

His form was in the rough shape of a Kell, but each limb was made of several small boulders, making him look like a giant stone doll.

Kaya smiled as she said, "I remember when all you could form was a single boulder. You finally managed a Kell-like form!"

"Yes, I finally managed to form multiple facets of Flow connection to more than my core. I managed it about a month ago. Good god, thinking back to my single boulder days brings back all sorts of frustrations." His response reverberated around the cave walls.

Kaya grinned mischievously and quipped, "So, Kymon, do you think you've made enough friends as a rock over the past five years?

Kymon's voice rumbled like a distant earthquake as he chuckled, "Oh, you know, I've made some great pals in the earthworm community. They're quite chatty once you get to know them. But seriously, sis, if this Gildborn of yours that you're summoning turns out to be trouble, I'm turning them into a decorative garden statue. Golden horns or not."

Kaya laughed, her nerves momentarily forgotten. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that. I've put too much effort into this ritual for them to end up as a garden decoration. Besides, Gildborn were rumored to be resistant to magic so I doubt you could petrify him. You would be the one to make a better garden piece anyway.. You've got the whole 'guardian of the realm' look down pat. Imagine it: you, in a heroic pose?"

"True, true. I do cut quite an imposing figure. But remember, once I manage a form that can be hidden in public, I'll be too busy protecting you from your suicidal plans," Kymon rumbled with mock pride.

"They are not suicidal. They’re just risky." She said defensively.

"I'm not sure if Filo would agree. Is her hand back up to five fingers yet?"

"You know she can't go through Terraflow for two more months. Why would you ask that?"

"Oh, no reason." He stated. Kaya could have sworn his blank face formed the crack of a smile on it.

Kymon's tone darkened and he grew serious, "Just promise me one thing. When this is all over, we will take care of all the people who had to suffer to make this ritual happen."

Kaya's mind was drawn back to the village. Her demeanor grew dark, and self-resentment began to rise in her mind. She looked at her hands. The one on her right, pristine and well-kept. It looked as though an artist carved it from marble. Despite years of travel through the roughest of terrains, not a single scar marred its appearance. Then her eyes begrudgingly look towards her left. A gnarled hand with an even amount of tree roots for fingers grew out of her left wrist. "Weak fool," they whispered. Her left hand trembled, and she tucked it away beneath her cloak.

She shrunk into her cloak and spoke with a forced, neutral tone. "Deal, Kymon. Let's hope this ritual goes off without a hitch and we finally bring positive change to our people. I am going to the ritual room; let me know when the alignment happens." Her tone was betrayed with a slight quiver at the end of her words. At least she did not have to force a neutral face as well. Kymon can't see details like that with his tremorsense.

Years of preparation led to this moment. Kaya retrieved all the materials needed for the ritual from storage and placed them within the various symbols on the ground. The shiny baubles and grotesque keepsakes were like the world's worst collection. The corpse of a hydra, dozens of magical gems of all types, the blood her people had willingly given.

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Various containers of alchemical ingredients lay dormant in their bottles. Each object was more vague and strange to her sensibilities, but her mother's notes were clear. She followed the steps with the care of the strictest shaman. She checked that everything was in its place... once... twice... three times. She was in the middle of her fourth inspection when she heard the rumbling of her brother's voice..

"Kaya, the Moons are aligned, and the Eclipse has started."

It is time.

Kaya walked to the center of the ritual circle. She began to levitate, and then raised her legs into a crisscross meditation position, and chanted words of power. The energy within her body began flowing into the precise runes carved into the floor. The circle was hungry for her strength. Kaya no longer had to push her power out, the circle began to pull it from her.

She started to sweat, and her breathing sped up. She pulled out a small vial and drank a purple bubbling concoction, and replaced it in its case. The contents were nasty, as always, but the effects were potent. She returned to her calm, focused position.

At last, power began to flow from the lightning rods on the top of the mountain as the storm terrorized the area. With every strike, the ritual grew in intensity. Power was no longer being drawn from her at all. All her will was now focused solely on directing the primal energies through the ritual. As the magic coalesced, the various materials began to float and orbit around Kaya. One by one, the ingredients began fusing with each other.

She didn't know what the purpose of all these materials was. They appeared.. unrelated to a power that calls for someone. With each new ingredient, the creation began to take form. At the halfway point of the ritual, she saw what was being made and was horrified. It was a Homunculus, a soulless husk. Her mind made the connection. She was calling someone who would need this body. Who was she calling?

The body finished forming, and she could see that the form was a Kellaran body. It began to breathe. With the body created, the part of the ritual she expected began. The carved runes began to glow in a kaleidoscope of color. The glowing runes began to rise into the air, and the ancient words slowly rotated around Kaya. She stated a chant, words that she did not know the meaning of, spewed from her mouth.

Her trust in her mother was the only thing forcing every word through her lips. The words in the air compressed together and began to spin. Faster and faster until it looked like a solid chain of light circling itself, forming a portal. She heard a deep and powerful voice that shook the mountain she sat in.

"SO IT BEGINS!"

Kaya saw a tiny white wisp emerge from the portal. Her breathing stopped. It was a soul. It looked just like Kymon's did all those years ago. The wisp drifted aimlessly through the room, and then, with a sudden rush, the soul zipped into the homunculus. With that, the bright rune’s words lost their luster and faded. The only evidence of their existence was carved into the stone floor. All the materials were gone, replaced with the slowing breathing and newly made Kell lying on the ground.

His fur was mostly pure black with outlines of red trim accenting the color in various places. His form was firm and muscular, like a trained warrior, but the most striking thing of all was his two ram horns that glowed with a golden sheen. Kaya had never seen such a beautiful feature on any other Kell. At least not naturally.

With no warning, the Kell woke from its peaceful slumber and started to scream. His back contorted into an arch, and his limbs curled into tense forms. What was going on? Kaya was sure that everything was done correctly with the ritual. Had she missed something? Were her mother's notes incomplete? The tortured form continued to scream, and she cast her telepathy spell to call for Kymon. He came bounding into the room and said, with a firm voice.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Hold him down. I need to examine his Flow."

"Alright, he may get hurt, but I'll keep him down." With that, Kymon molded the earth around each of the Kell's Limbs. "Burning Hells, this Kell is strong. Hurry up and do what you need, Kaya. I'm not sure how long I can hold him."

She ran up to the now chained figure and began to channel Flow into her eyes. She looked at her patient and was dumbfounded. He had no Flow. That should be impossible. Nothing can live without a Flow. The Kell's bloodcurdling scream was tearing into her mind's concentration. She thought back to her lesson on Homunculi all those years ago. The creation of artificial life always failed because a Flow has never been created, but a Flow should have been made since this life is infused with a soul. She paused at that thought and had an idea, a terrible idea.

She yelled out to Kymon. "I'm going to do something stupid. If I die to ensure that idiot Polsta doesn't get elected as my replacement." She gathered her Flow into her hand and placed it on the Newborn Kell's chest.

"Kaya, what are you doing?" Kymon shouted with concern.

"What needs to be done."

She cast the Soul magic, and her Flow pushed its way into the tortured form. She could feel her energies begin to twist and connect with paths that should have their own source. It felt like she was losing a part of herself, except something new replaced what was being lost. Her mind was overwhelmed with a mountain of stimuli, and the world went dark.