Chapter 29:
27 Days After Spring’s Beginning
289 Days After The Ra’tok Attack Amia Village
Rua Desert, Rhia Territory
Astral Conversion Center 035
My fingers curl into a fist, and my muscles tense. I take deep, steady breaths, watching as the figure lumbers down the hallway, a chattering sound accompanying it, along with the scrape of claws on stone as it moves forward on four limbs
I glance at Kamar, he mutters under his breath, “Ironworks: Steel Body.”
I watch as Iron aspected katra surges out of him, enveloping his form. It wraps around his limbs, forming interlocking bands of iron and plating. Thick pauldrons form over his shoulders, a large chest piece solidifying around his chest, his smaller pair of arms becoming lightly armored.
Iron katra creeps around his jaw, forming a thick band of iron to protect his jaw. Katra swirls around his head, solidifying into a helmet.
In Kamar’s place is a suit of large armor, fitted perfectly for him. It isn’t a suit meant to be entered, but worn like a second skin.
The warrior asper locks over to me, and he holds out his hand, Iron katra bubbling up and twisting, forming a long shaft. It solidifies into a spear made completely out of iron. He tosses it with ease to me, and I snatch it out of the air.
I twirl it in my hands, feeling the familiar weight of a weapon in my hand, and it comforts me a bit. It’s rather light as well.
“It’s hollow inside, so don’t use it to block,” Kamar rumbles, turning back to the hallway.
The umber hulk is at the end of the hall now, it’s form cloaked in shadow. It lumbers out from the hallway, into the dim blue light that comes from the large windows to my right.
It is truly a nightmare to behold. The creature stops hunching over, standing to a full height of 8 feet. It is covered in thick plates of sandy chitin, twisting into jagged, rock like spikes. A large carapace on its back, giving it a hunched over appearance. Four eyes, two large ones and two smaller ones on it’s side of the head, the smaller above the large ones. A large set of mandibles click together as a mouth of teeth chitters together, saliva dripping out. Two thick, large antannie twitch above its head.
Its four claws are massive and sharp, one designed to act as a thumb, are designed for digging and destroying. Thick arm plates of chitin covering them, with a spike jutting out backwards. Its legs are digitigrade, with large, round feet tipped with three front claws and one back. Thick hairs jut out from its chitin, vibrating slightly in the hair and acting as feelers.
The monstrosity takes another step, fully revealing itself in the blue light and stopping. Its chitin hide is scored and pockmarked with gashes and cuts, signs of past battles. A few blue spores still stick to its chitin, clinging on. Its left shoulder has a large dent in it, with cracks radiating out of it. Dark blood dribbling out of the cracks and down its arm, dripping off its claw and hitting the stone floor with a quiet splat.
The wound Kamar inflicted on it.
Kamar yells, “Don’t look it in the eyes.” He stares at the monster’s torso, not looking at its head.
I avoid its gaze, not wanting to risk my Immutable Will not being enough.
The creature screeches, it is unbearable. It sounds like several animals mixed together and further tortured. I resist the urge to cover my ears to block it out.
My grip tightens around the shaft of the construct spear as I stare at the umber hulk. I push down my urge to run and cower. There is no where to go. I have to stand and fight.
We stand there, waiting to see who will be the first to move. My muscles tense, and I glance over to Kamar.
That’s when the umber hulk screeches, charging forward at me. It bursts forward with a speed beguiling its size. It rears its left arm back, bringing it down for a crushing swipe.
So fast!
My muscles move in sync with each other, my joints bending as I dodge to the side, twisting myself out of the path of the monster’s claw.
I push my hands against the sandstone floor, spring to my feet a handful of feet from where the umber hulk’s swipe crashes into the floor. The sandstone cracks and caves in with a small cloud of dust where I was standing.
If I didn’t have Aberrant Resistance, I think I might have just died! It is a sobering thought, and I raise my spear.
I jab forward, aiming for a opening in the umber hulk’s chitin under its arm. The thing deflects my blow off it’s arm with a shower of sparks, pouncing at me.
Contorting my body and using my enhanced balance and center of gravity, I leap backwards, doing a handspring and landing with my feet planted on the ground.
The umber hulk’s claws gouge into the stone, carving deep furrows. It lands on all fours, screeching.
I watch as a blur of Iron crashes into the side of the umber hulk, a audible crunch can be heard.
Kamar launches a punch into the hulk’s chest, his fist clanging into the thick chitin and causing the hulk to stumble backwards, letting loose another inhuman screech.
The berserker asper roars in return, smashing another fist into the hulk. There's a crunch, but it is not from the hulk.
Kamars fist comes back and I can see that the links making up the fingers and his knuckles are dented and cracked, falling apart. It shimmers, repairing itself nepart way, but not completely.
The umber hulk screeches, batting at Kamar. It hits the asper square in the head, and he rears back, stumbling and roaring in anger.
The hulk presses the attack, bringing its clawed hands above its head.
My body acts without my thinking, my muscles tightening and exploding in a burst of speed. I rush forward, bringing my spear to bare and stabbing at the hulk’s armpit.
The spearhead penetrates the thinner armored carapace, I push, driving it deeper. Dark crimson wells up from the wound.
The umber hulk screeches in pain, twisting to swipe at me.
I try to pull the spear out, but the hulk grabs the metal shaft, stopping me from pulling it out.
Letting go, I duck under its swipe, making distance from myself and it.
The hulk crushes the spear in its can like tin, snapping the Iron katra construct in half. It roars, glaring at me.
I keep my eyes trained on its chest, not looking at the things eyes.
No weapon now.
I need a new one.
Kamar roars, recovering from his disorientation and smashing a fist into the side of the umber hulk’s head. The monster screech's, grabbing with sharp claws at Kamar’s ribs, looking to gore him.
Sparks go flying as its claws dig into Kamar’s armor, tearing gorges into the armors sides.
Kamar grapples with the hulk, tearing its claws from his sides and gripping its massive claws. He growls, wrestling with the beast that stands a foot taller than him.
The asper digs his metal boot covered feet into the stone, bracing himself as he pushes against the hulk. The umber pushes back, wrestling with the asper’s strength.
Kamar doesn’t look the umber hulk in the eyes, focusing on its manables, which snap closed an inch from his face.
I’ve got to do something!
I look around the decrepit foyer, looking for something to use as a weapon. Out of the corner of my eye, I note that the gold runes are now dimly glowing a gold white light.
Nothing.
My mind races, trying to come up with something. My fists tighten, the black cloth on my right hand shifting.
I’m going to have to use it.
There is that fear of it growing further up my arm and spreading to the rest of my body. I still don’t understand what this thing is. It might be an artifact, but unlike any of the ones I have seen. Its literally grafted itself onto my arm, unlike the ones that seem to take the form of objects.
Drawing from my core, I funnel it down through my channels and into my hand. The black cloth rustles, tendrils detaching, then a milky white substance bubbles up from between the cloth. It solidifies, hardening and forming the bone gauntlet.
I click the clawed fingers together, watching as the bone forms a bracer and elbow protector. The gauntlet has now formed, but reaches up to where the cloth did.
My arm a little ways above the elbow is completely encased in bone, black cloth tendrils coming out of the cracks for movement in the armor.
This’ll have to do. I spray out my right hand’s fingers, curling them into a claw.
I rush forward, towards the clash between Kamar and the umber hulk.
The hulk twists its hands to the left, sending Kamar stumbling. It extracts it’s left hand form his grip, bringing it back for a claw while screeching.
I leap, reaching out with my right hand. Twisting around, I grab the umber hulks back, digging my claws into its thick carapace. I wretch my arm, pulling myself up onto its back.
The spindly black hairs vibrate and I can hear them thrumming in the air. I ignore the zap I get on my left hand from a spore, extracts my fingers from the chitin.
The umber hulk screeches, forgetting about Kamar while I climb on its back. It reaches a massive claw over its shoulder, trying to force me off.
Using my flexibility to its full use, I twist myself around its strike, pulling myself further up the monsters back.
Dodging another wrake of the things claws, I reach the crest of its back and its neck.
I huddle close to its back bringing my clawed hand back. I draw from my pool of Gray Fire katra, pushing it into my hand.
The bone gauntlet bursts into flame, the fire licking up my arm and at the air.
I bring my hand down, screaming out my anger and jabbing my fingers into the hulk’s face. I wrack the sharp tips of my fingers across it’s face, goring one of its large eyes. It feels like something pops under my fingers along with flesh being cut.
It screeches in pain, clawing at its face and thrashing.
I am flung from its back, tumble across the hard stone floor, I collide painfully with the petrified banister, my vertebrae popping painfully and the air escaping my lungs.
I gasp, tumbling to the floor, desperately trying to get air back into my lungs. I claw at the floor, gritting my teeth and clutching my most definitely bruised ribs. I shakily look up at the umber hulk.
Kamar is grappling it again, his teeth bared in a snarl. Only now he has it by the mandibles and the monster has its hook like claws in his arms. It shrieks in anger and gnashing its teeth, spittle flying. The eye I gouged looks like it popped, a mixture of clear liquid and blood spilling from the open wound down the side of the hulk’s face.
Blood dribbles down the monster’s claws from the puncture wounds it has inflicted, droplets flying through the air as it wrestles with Kamar.
I can hear a crack and then a blood curdling wail.
Kamar holds in his hand the creature’s right mandible, broken off at the base with stringy, dark red flash attached to the end. The asper grits his teeth, roaring back at the umber hulk bringing the mandible down at the creature’s already wounded eye.
But the monster has its claws in Kamar’s arms.
It wrenches its left arm, throwing Kamar’s blow off course.
The mandible collides with the hulk’s shoulder, burying deep inside it. Dark blood sprays from the wound, and the hulk screeches.
I watch in numb horror as the hulk wrenches Kamar, throwing him off balance, it then pushes at the asper.
Kamar stumbles, the umber hulk using its size advantage to pin him down on the floor. It shrieks in glee, its one remaining big eye locking onto Kamar’s eyes.
Kamar tries to look away, but he is too slow.
The hulk’s one large remaining eye glows with a bright gold light, swirling hypnotically. Kamar’s gaze becomes locked on it, his expression of rage palcating and his struggles stopping.
It’s gotten him!
I croak out, reaching a hand feebly forward, “No!”
The umber hulk stands up on its backwards bent legs, blood streaming from its many wounds. It chatters, its saliva mixing with the blood pouring from where its mandible once was.
It ignores me, looking hungirly down at the stunned asper. Its claws twitch and the massive monster bends over, its claws coming down on Kamar’s armor with sparks.
I watch in horror as it starts prying parts of his armor off his body, tearing shards of metal katra from Kamar’s body.
I feebly crawl forward, feeling my already low katra creeping towards nothing. No, no, not like this.
My mind flashes back to how helpless I felt when Vicar sacrificed himself, killing the controller chimera and saving me and Tarna.
I can’t let this happen! I dig my fingers into the stone, pulling myself forward and trying to stand, but immeasurable pain flares in my back and I fall back down.
Then Karla’s screams echo through my mind, her pleas as she was consumed by the Talnar.
Not again! This can’t be happening!
Fear.
My emotions fly in turmoil and my heart wrenches as I watch the umber hulk pry the jaw piece of Kamar’s armor from his head, gouging his chin with its claws. He sits there, unmoving and unflinching, his eyes glazed and unseeing.
Surrow.
I need more power! I can’t still be this weak!
I pull myself a foot closer, crawling as fast as I can, dragging my legs behind me.
Pain.
The base of my skull starts tingling, energy crackling up and down my spine.
Gritting my teeth, I haul myself closer. The umber hulk prys open Kamar’s chest piece, exposing his stomach.
I can’t be weak! I refuse to let this happen again!
Helplessness.
I grit my teeth. No, no, no!
The umber hulk reaches with its left arm, its claws twitching and dripping blood, moving ot gore Kamar.
The tingling in the base of my skull gets more intense, and time seems to slow as I watch the hulk preparing to disembowel my friend.
I REFUSE TO LET THIS HAPPEN!
Anger.
Quiet whispers fill my ears. They are so many that I can only make out snippets of words. One voice stands out from them all.
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‘Invoke my name.’
It is feminine, and insistent, repeating the phrase over and over again.
My eyes are locked on the umber hulk, time having seemingly slowed to a crawl, the hulk reaching towards Kamar as if moving through molasses.
‘Invoke my name!’
The voice keeps getting louder, more insistent.
Name? What name?
The voice keeps repeating the phrase, not answering.
The voice sounds oddly familiar, but I can’t place it.
‘INVOKE MY NAME!’
Then it snaps in my mind, and sorrow in my mind spirals along with the rage into a void.
I find myself floating outside that void, and can see something inside. It emanates power, and the voice is coming from it.
I reach out towards it, stretching my right arm as far as it can go. My shoulder can get past the swirling hole into the abyss, but I keep reaching, splaying my fingers out in desperation.
I REFUSE TO LET KAMAR DIE!
Then my fingers brush against the Origin, and I can feel something there. It isn’t power, but the promise of power.
My arm somehow reaches further and I grip the Origin in my hand, accepting it, letting it permeate me. I accept it into my embrace.
It becomes me and I become it. We become one.
I know your name.
My eyes snap open, and I find myself once again on the stone floor, the hulk’s claws starting to slowly puncture Kamar’s skin, as it starts to rake open his stomach in slow motion.
My lips twitch and I invoke the name, “Involcrus.”
Reality seems to ripple with its name.
I know it’s old tongue and it means… Burden.
A message form the system flashes before my eyes, but I ignore it. I can feel it under my skin, and I reach towards it with my mind, activating it.
The stone under me darkens, graying. It then crumbles, turning to a fine dust of Gray. It spreads through the ground, expanding around me.
Power rushes into me, and I let it flow through me and into my core, but I can also feel that it is taking something from me, yet I don’t have enough time to care.
I reach into my Soul Space, down to the surface of Amia. I can feel her, my connection to Vel helping me locate her. I pluck her from Amia, moving her into my channels and through them.
Pushing myself up, I continue to convert the ground under my feet into Gray katra. I push Vel into my hand, and a blossom of Gray katra ribbons forms in my palm. They twist around each other, forming the shaft of a spear, then a spearhead. They quickly become more detailed and solidify.
In my hands I hold a spear made of bone, the interlocking pieces clicked together to form a sturdy shaft. The head of the spear is sharp and curved, designed to slash, and one eye stares at me, pulsing with gray katra.
I stand to my feet slowly, brandishing Vel. Her whip like form snaps into place into a solid shaft of bone, the bones twisting and locking together. The black cloth tentacles from my right arm wrap around her forming, whipping at the air.
Time seems to speed back up, and the umber hulk looks up at my movement. It chitters, standing up to its full height and facing me.
I grit my teeth, and push the converted Gray katra into my gauntlet. Milky white liquid bone pushes itself from my pores and through the fibers of my clothes, solidifying on the outside.
I quickly become encased in a exoskeleton of bone, my fingers tipped with claws. I need a helmet.
My mind flashes back to my fight with 303.
I focus on the need for a helmet and the idea of bone, of a monster.
Adapt.
I can feel bone forming around my head, encasing it in a layer of small plates of interlocking bone. It covers my lips, forming along my jaw. Sharp points form, becoming a row of teeth.
The bone forms a helmet around my head, spikes radiating out from the back. Two large eye holes jut out, forming what looks like a shark toothed skull.
I grin, and the sharp toothed mask that has become my face smiles with me.
Pain ripples through me, and I know its origin is form the skill I am using.
I am ankle deep in Gray dust, the remnants of what was once the floor. It spreads across the ground, eating away at the petrified wood and limestone, converting it ot Gray katra.
I glare at the umber hulk, looking it straight in the eyes. I crouch down, spreading my feet wide and bringing Vel to bare.
Come at me.
The umber hulk’s eyes flash golden, and I can feel it trying to control my mind. I push its flimsy attack away, roaring.
I fly forward in a burst of speed, feeding the crystal constructs an exorbitant amount of Gray katra, and enhancing my strength and speed.
My spear flashes, and it collides with the massive umber hulk’s shoulder, cutting through the carapace like butter.
I can feel glee being transmitted from my link to Vel, her lust for blood mixing with my anger.
The hulk roars, and it swiftly bats away my next attack, striking me while I am off balance. It’s claws shear into my shoulder, cutting through the bone and into my flesh underneath.
I am thrown over the now brightly glowing circle of golden runes.
Adapt.
I can feel my innards shifting, my tail bone lengthening and forming into a tail. It sticks out from the base of my spine, the bone armor forming around it and creating armor around the tail, tipping it with a small spike.
I twist my body, using my new tail to land gracefully on my feet.
I grit my teeth as pain ebs into my body from the skill that is converting matter into katra. I can feel it trying to convert the circle under my feet, but it is unable to, so I shift its focus on the air.
The oxygen is quickly used up as it is converted to more katra.
Adapt.
I can feel my lungs expanding, becoming better at holding in air. I take a gulp of oxygen, inhaling as much as I can, then I use my Skill to convert the remaining in the air to katra. I can see that the air is rippling with gaseous Gray katra, streaming into my body..
The umber hulk charges forward, shrieking. It crosses the threshold of the circle, leaping into the air at me.
I spin, twisting with my enhanced balance out of its way.
The monster lands in the center of the golden rune circle, but the runes somehow reist its ground shattering impact. The creature roars in rage, turning to face me.
I twirling Vel over my shoulders, using momentum to slash her across the hulk’s face, spraying dark blood into the air.
My shoulder aches along with the pain from deep within me, but I ignore all of it, focusing on killing this monster.
The umber hulk screeches a ear piercing shriek, and I wince at the sound. Adapt.
I can feel the pain of the bones in my ear shifting around, reforming themselves to better handle loud noises.
The umber hulk charges me again, and I dance out of the way, slashing at its ankles. The blade of my spear sinks deep into the carapace, cutting through its left ankle and crippling it.
I spin out of its reach, avoiding the swipe that it twisted itself around to do. I use my momentum to move around to the other side of the swing, and stab forward into the monster’s armpit.
Vel penetrates deeply, slicing with glee at the monster’s flesh.
The umber hulk grabs Vel’s shaft, shrieking in pain and rage.
My grin widens.
Vel unlocks form her spear form and I let go of her, the black tentacles untangling themselves, and I leap back.
I watch as Vel twists herself around, wrapping herself around the umber hulk’s arm and pulling it with strength towards it’s own body. The monster screeches in rage, fighting against the spear, but its arm is twisted backward, and it doesn't have enough pressure to escape Vel’s crushing grip.
I leap forward, drawing even more on the converted katra, the golden light from below coloring my bone armor clad form.
My tail lashes out behind me, and my claws clink together as I spin in the air, pouncing on the crippled umber hulk. My claws dig into its carapace, leaving furrows in it.
I worm them deep, swinging myself onto the monster’s back. It reaches a claw at me with its free arm, moving around its shoulder.
I am unable to dodge it in time, and can feel it sink into my shoulder, through the bone armor and into my flesh, hooking itself there. The hulk tries to rip me from its back, but I hold myself there.
Gritting my teeth, I scream in pain and rage, bringing my right hand back, the black cloth tendrils whipping the air. Then I bring it down on the creature’s head, plunging my clawed fingertips into its remaining large eye, and further down, the black tendrils of cloth wrapping around its head.
My tail lashes out, striking the umber hulk’s claw that has embedded itself in my flesh, cutting deeply into the bone.
The umber hulk lets out a screech of pain and fear, screaming inhumanly and desperately trying to pull me off it.
I roar in response, worming my fingers deeper and reaching into its skull, tearing into its brain.
The monster thrashes, collapsing onto the golden circle with a tremoundus crash.
It thrashes for a bit, its claws retracting from my flesh and its arm landing on the ground with a thump, twitching about.
I twist my hand around, and something inside the umber hulk’s skull snaps, and it falls still.
My breathing is heavy, and tremendous waves of pain that I have been suppressing crash into my mind.
I pull my hand from the hulk’s skull with a sicking squelch, my hand coming out covered in dark blood. I collapse, rolling off the umber hulk’s corpse and into the center of the golden circle.
I turn off my skill, no longer converting the air into katra. Oxygen comes rushing back, and I take several blissful gulps of it. I release the bone armor and adaptations.
I can feel the bone armor liquify, flowing back into my pores and dissipating. The adaptations quickly revert to my body’s previous form, my dark vision going with it.
I see out of he corner of my eye Vel burst into strands of Katra, which stream back into my arm, flowing through my channels and back into my Soul Space.
I look over to where Kamar lays, stunned. I can see him blinking, coming back to his senses.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I look up at the stalactite covered petrified ceiling. Everything hurts and I want to close my eyes, but I ignore the urge to sleep.
There is a strange pressure at the base of my spine, and I look over my heaving chest to see if I can find the source.
I blink as a tail whips up from my legs, tipped with a tuft of gray hair.
Well, gods…
I sigh again, and let my head fall back down, not even caring anymore.
My gaze focuses on the system message I had dismissed.
Congratulations!
You have successfully invoked your Bond’s name, unlocking its specialised Skill!
[Siphon]
You can convert matter into usable Gray Katra. You sacrifice your own body to help stabilize the process. Warning! Leaving this skill active too long can cause permanent, irreparable harm to you body!
Ranked: [?]
I start laughing, tears stream down my face and I accept the sweet embrace of sleep, escaping from my pain.
***
Thana woke up to the sound of rumbling. She threw off her furs, getting up from her bed.
She looks around for Vel, but can’t find her.
“Maybe she went outside..” She mutters, turning to the exit of the tent.
Thana chews at her lip worriedly as she moves to the entrance of her tent, stepping out into the cold night air. She finds both her mother and father already outside, staring at something off to the left.
Walking slowly up behind them, her eyes widen at what she sees.
The rock in the center of their camp has changed, streamers of gray energy twisting up to the heavens and down into it, coming out of the rock. They are incoperale and radiate power.
It almost looks like someone is pulling the streams from the rock and also shoving them into it at the same time.
Thana murmurs quietly, “It's kind of pretty…”
She feels a hand on her shoulder and she looks over, startled.
A woman crouches next to her, staring up at the Gray ribbons silently. Her hair is a rich, dark brown color, her eyes the same hue as her hair. Her skin is tanned from many days in the sun, toned muscles making up her figure.
Her smile is sparkling and white, dimples on both her cheeks.
Thana can sense power radiating from this individual, not unlike the specter’s.
She asks timidly, “Who are you?”
The woman turns to look at her, her girn widening even more, yet staying comforting and happy. Her eyes twinkle with the light form the strange Gray ribbons. She whispers into Thana’s ear, “You can call me... Karla.”
The woman puts a finger up to her lips, shushing Thana quietly and winking. Then she bursts into the same ribbons that flow from the rock, and they twist playfully around Thana.
Thana giggles a little as one taps her on the nose, then they all speed away, joining the flow of other ribbons.
Thana traces their path upwards, past the clouds and high into the sky with her eyes, a smile on her lips.
She blinks as a large swaths of Gray ribbons pull themselves off from the twisting and shifting cord that stretches to the heavens. She watches in wonder as they twist and turn in the air, swirling down to the many people in the village.
Thana takes a step back as two of the ribbons flow down to her parents, who gaps and take several steps back. But the ribbons are faster, and quickly wrap around her parent’s, tightening around them.
The little girl’s eyes widen as a ribbon flows around her, wrapping itself completely around her. It sinks into her skin, freeing her a few seconds later.
She holds up her hands, watching as they slowly start to change.
Thana can sense the power being exerted here, and she can’t help but freeze in wonder at the complex nature of what is being changed about her physiology.
She laughs at the tingling and tickly feeling as her body slowly changes, shifting.
***
Three thri-kreen stand on top of a hill, looking out at a scorched and flaming wasteland. One leans heavily on a staff, swathed in a gray robe. The second one stands tall, wearing specially fitted armor that is made of tarrasque scales. The third wears a yellow sash, and it chitters in worry.
Smoke drifts up from the burning craters in the sunrise, the air rippling with unthinkably hot air. Dark glass glints in the rising sun, hardened after being heated.
“The Queen is dead!” Resh, the armor wearing thri-kreen with the two headed spear clutched in his hand, says in a panic. “What could have destroyed the Hive?”
Chant, the enchanter, clicks, his antenna swiveling around, “Mush katra was expended during this battle, one is the Fire aspect katra of the tarrasque. The other… I am unsure. It was powerful though, so powerful that I dare call it a… God.”
Elder nods slowly, and he chitters, “God does no justice for this destruction.”
Resh click worriedly, looking at the elder thri-kreen, “The Queen is dead and the Hive destroyed, what are we to do now? Die?”
Elder cocks his head, his antenna twitching as he thinks. He scratches his chitin plated cheek in a human like gesture. Then he stills, nodding slowly, “Yes… The Queen is dead, but there was one she thought worthy enough to join the Hive. The boy.”
Chant clicks a question, “What do you mean?”
Elder looks at the enchanter thri-kreen, clicking solemnly. “She saw him worth her time. Our last order from her was to protect them and make sure they got to Parasan, but we were unable to complete our mission. Though, now, we must carry out her order, even if she is dead. So we go and find the boy and ape, and protect them.”
Resh nods slowly, digging his double headed spear into the ground, “Yes, carry out the Queen’s last order.”
Chant shakes his head, “I do not like it, but I agree. We must carry out the Queen’s order to the best of our abilities, even in death.”
The three thri-kreen turn away from the wasteland of destruction, heading back the way they came, their hearts set on finding and protecting one boy.
***
Palmz tossed the clear orb in his hand into the air, catching it. He chuckles as he looks at the power source of the 35th conversion center. His nsout twisted into a grin as he looks at the blue orb in his hand.
“My seeds have started to bloom, I see.” He leans against the pillar, and looks up as a shadow moves to his right. He looks at it, saying, “Hiding does not beguile you, Rascal.”
Rascal drops down from the wall, the blood construct claws on his hand clinking together as he crouches on the floor, looking up at Palmz. “I have seen to it that it has properly nested, and it will be but a bit of time before it fully matures. This swamp is a great environment for it to grow in, too!”
The Raavasta chuckles, “Well done. Now, you may go and hunt. Return to me when you have finished, and I take you back to Parasan.”
Rascal giggles with glee, leaping back onto the roof of the building and scampering away into the night.
Palmz looks at the clear orb in his hand, whispering, “Soon, very soon.”
***
Cereus reads over the report he had been sent by Venel and can only shake his head. Everything seemed to being going well.
The dragon had accepted his request, but had also asked for something else. It wanted it’s “apostle” to join it, and os had set out to go and look for whoever it had chosen to represent it in the world.
Venel and his parents had also gone after the dragon. Supposedly the dragon, once it found it’s apostle, would then come here to prepare for the imminent fight with the Githyanki.
Cereus sighs, rubbing his head. He looks out over the vast army of undead arrayed before him, giant creatures clothed in night farther off, waiting obedintly for his order.
“Things are going too well in fact… I’m missing something.” Cereus could only see parts of the machine that was ticking under this mystery, and he couldn’t determine what was happening. He grumbles, “Fine, I will make sure the contingency plan is in place.”
The Dark Swordsman swipes the report away, turning back to his work.
***
Mora, Dagger Tooth Mountains
Xanax(Ruins), Temple of Ice
7 Days Before The Ra’tok Attack Amia Village
Fenrir coughs, crimson specking his lips. He glared up, at his killer.
Lars grinned down at him, snow falling through the broken roof of the decrepit temple. The light clouds silhoutied the traitor, his white grin the only thing standing out in the shadow.
Fenrir gritted his teeth, coughing up more blood from his punctured lung, he speaks in an exhausted and angry tone, “Traitor… I’ll get you... for this.”
Lars chuckled, his cut covered face twisted in triumph. “You try, but I doubt you’ll get a chance.”
The traitor, who is wearing dented, bloody and ripped armor and furs twists the sword he shoved in Fenrir’s stomach. He pulls it out with a sicking squelch. The bloody man brings the sword back down, piercing Fenrir’s heart.
Fenrir gasps in pain, but his gaze remains locked with the one he once thought of as a friend. He spits out between blood stained lips, “I’ll find you… in the four hells.”
Then Fenrir lets out his breath, his tensed body relaxing as his eyes drain of life. His head falls back on the ice crusted floor with a dull thunk.
Lars pulls out his blade, stumbling back. He grimaces, clutching his broken ribs. He spits on Fenrir’s corpse and kicks it viscously.
Lars frowns down at Fenrir, “You can’t get me now, not ever you bastard. I’ll rule all of Mora now, I’ll be the immortal Ice Emperor!”
He stretches his arms out, dropping his bloodied sword to the cold stone with the clatter of metal. A crazed laughter pushes its way out of Lars’s throat and it echoes off the cold temple walls.
The howling of the blizzard picks up outside and a flurry of now comes down from the cracked roof. White snowflakes flutter down on Fenrir’s body, melting against his rapidly cooling corpse.
Lars stumbles towards the dias in the center of the temple, dragging his broken leg behind him and leaving a smeared trail of bloody snow behind him.
He grins madly, his eyes reflecting what rests atop the dias. A helmet sits on the head of a mannequin at the top of the dias. It is made with a light blue metal, curved, the entire back is covered in long, snow white fur, as if the helmet had hair. Two ebony, curved horns stick out from the top, the ice crystals that cover it glinting in the dim daylight.
Lars reaches out his gloved hands, stumbling up the snow covered dias. He falls to his knees before the helmet, reaching out shaky hands.
His bloodied gloves grab the sides of the helmet, gently lifting it off the wooden mannequin head. His fingers smear blood on the sides, his shaking hands jiggling the fragile ice crystals off the helmet.
Lars holds it up to the shattered ceiling, to the gray sky, saying in a astonished and happy voice, “Finally! I shall rule all of Mora, then the rest of Auren, I shall cover the land in eternal winter! All will be mine!”
He shakily turns the helmet around, his cut up face grinning in victory. He slowly places the helmet on his head.
The cold metal cradles his head gently, the helmet seeming to reform itself to fit on his head. Lars closes his eyes, savouring the feeling as a connection is formed between him and the Artifact.
A rush of power floods from the helmet into Lars and he gasps as it rushes through him. His back arcs from the power flowing from the helmet through him.
He laughs loudly, his arms raised to the dim gray sky.
“I can feel it! All of it!” His new sense made him aware of all the cold around him, and he knew he could bend it to his will if he wanted.
Then pains enters the small of his back, and he coughs in shock, blood spewing from his mouth.
Then there is another jolt of pain, this time in the back of his neck. He gasps one last breath, falling forward. His lips move, sputtering quietly, “No… How? I… can’t… c-curse… you.”
His body is dead as he hits the dias, sprawled halfway across it. Blood seeps from his neck, covering the white alter in crimson. His own blade sticking out of his back.
Fenrir gasps for air, his hand over his heart, icey blood crusting the wound. He glares down at Lars, gritting his teeth in pain.
Good thing I can slow my blood flow. Fenrir’s many wounds are covered in jagged ice katra, a light blue mixed with his red blood all over his clothes and body.
He uncorks a bottle from his belt, tipping it with a shaky hand into his mouth, drinking up the healing potion. He gups down all its contents, steering the healing katra to his many wounds and dropping the leather bagged potion onto the floor, watching it bounce away.
Fenrir reaches out his quickly blue turning and shaking hands, gripping the helmet of blue and pure white on Lars’s corpse’s head.
He pulls it off, and slowly slips it over his head.
Power rushes through Fenrir, and he gasps, his fists clenching. He looks up at the cold winter sky, and embraces the cold power flooding into his body.
He blinks, tears forming in his brown eyes as he feels a spike of pain in his irises. He closes his eyes, accepting the icy power.
Fenrir sighs, and stumbles shakily back from the body of Lars. He looks up at the gray sky and the fat snowflakes drifting down from it.
Fenrir opens his icy blue eyes, looking up at the gray sky, he laughs in pain and misery, tears streaming down and freezing on his cheeks.
Fenrir weeps for all those he has lost to get here, all the death and pain that he inflicted on so many. The icy katra inside his body explodes out, and the temple is consumed in the Ice Emperor’s cold misery.