Nathanial Ark
I startle awake scrapping uncomfortably against hard pebbles and sticking roots.
"Easy, it’s far off, easy," an urgent whisper says placatingly only startling me further.
My blade is bared out and already in hand I realise calming my racing heart. I take a breath, tucking it back under where I lie having taken inprompt rest. there dull continous throbbing all over my body from the running and concussive force of the struggle between the powers in the sky. My teeth hurt, everything hurts.
Someone close by is lowly whimpering unpleasantly, grating on my frayed nerves in time with my building headache not to mention how terrible a sound it is. The sound of people shuffling as they change positions is stark in the otherwise unnatural silence of the forest, a forest filled with people fleeing the burning, all quiet besides the intermittent weeping. A huge number of us ended up running in groups though it is every man for himself.
The person behind me shifts making me more uncomfortable that I already am.
The sky rumbles, the ground trembles, the trees all around quake, the forest canopy thinning further to reveal an unnatural sky burning red from the titanic struggle taking place somewhere within.
[BBBRRrrrrr…..], another rumbling purring cuts through the silence left by the protesting sky. Anal sphincter clenches as tight as my grip on my gladius, blood turning cold processing the challenging call of an Ancient Libra Panther raging for blood somewhere within the forest.
No one moves, no one tries to get up or organise a defence. Even as the thought comes to me I immediately dismiss it as futile suicide that I will have no part in even if an Tower General ordered me directly. There is no such thing as a soldier anymore, not in me, not after all I’ve seen.
Breathes come in heavy puffs.
The silence left by the experience is deafening. The sound of a predator in a bloody mood having twisted my empty stomach into pinching knots. Sweat runs easily down the side of my ribs.
Never has there been such hopeless helplessness as I feel now. The stink of humanoid fear is repugnant in the air.
No attack comes. Neither from the burning sky nor the depths of the Panthalantta Forest though no living human has been this deep since time immemorial.
No attack comes for an unbearable amount of time. Though primed to flee I haven’t moved from my position, muscles relax slowly into rest.
I’m so tired.
The whimpering starts up again, the shifting shuffling of humanoid infested space mixes with the buzzing crackling of insects until it’s indistinguishable from the low sounds of deep nature. There is nothing natural about any of this though, there has been nothing natural since the invaders came and burnt the sky.
I shift trying to get comfortable between the rooted twings, scrapping the ants off my sweaty arm before they fill my armour wholesale. I shift side on, pissing through an old soldier trick that will have me itching unpleasantly in another day or two.
The scent of water reminds me I’m parched, no one gets up. I raise my head opening one eye gauging the distance.
I try to get comfortable where I am, feeling my aching intensely.
There are people all over the forest floor. Bloody, filthy people from all walks of life scattered under cover of the dark Panthalantta canopy trembling in fear.
[KA-BOOM, TLRA-TRA!]
The sky explodes and ruptures sharply.
I am flattened harshly into the forest floor by a giant foot, the weight fracturing my bones as I sink through root and earth as through dough. Breath is impossible, thought a wheezing greyness that’s a coping unconsciousness I blink awake from as the pressure disappears as suddenly as it appeared.
Ants bite the insides of my veins as blood rushes back through passages it was squeezed out. The silent deafness turns into a deafening ringing, sensory numbness.
When sight does re-engage I notice half my face is embedded in the dirt, it’s a while before I can move but with trembling arms, I extract myself from the indentation.
The ground trembles as something crashes loudly somewhere in the South.
[KKKREEEEEEE!]
A keening wail blasts all coherent thought from my mind laying me on my back. Glistering motes of shifting lights fall from the sky in a collage of greens, reds, orange colours that dance under the gaze of Rigel's rays.
That’s beautiful.
Someone steps on my chest-plate running past, blinking I lift my head. The shifting lights are the leaves of the ancient trees sliced to so many pieces falling from the canopy. I get up as quickly as I can noticing those that can still move going further into the woods, I don’t hesitate to follow.
There is no shelter amongst the now naked trees from the horrors of the burning sky.
I step on soft mud, soft flesh pushing against tree trunks to keep upright following the exodus of refugees hoping the outpace the slowest.
This armour is stifling.
Leaning against a tree to catch a breath, between my bruised cracked ribs I cut the straps holding my armour up. Too tired for anything else in this rush to survive a battle taking place beyond my comprehension. Armour can do nothing but slow me down now. I touch it once feeling the sigil curved there depicting my station and connection to the army.
No time to be nostalgic, as it falls on the ground I stumble forward. Stepping as carefully as I can amongst the uneven soil, gnarled roots and bodies; moving like a drunk through the market on Bell-sing Day.
Head down to watch at my footing I breathe, each step a struggle, I breathe.
Passing some, being overtaken by others but leaving many more crushed underfoot dead or trapped unable to move. I breath, one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. I breathe.
The sky thunders unnaturally, eliciting prey instincts coursing through my spine whipping me faster forward than I thought it possible for me to move.
Rain splashes down boiling hot, sizzling flesh as it lands on my back. The forest sways in protest, trees moving unnaturally under some unseen influence. I run faster, there is no hiding, there is no shelter.
I burn, gritting my teeth not looking back amongst the few strong or unlucky enough to still be alive.
People are wailing as they run or squirm, finding no cover against the burning liquid raining from above.
I don’t look back, there is nothing to look back to. The greatest army assembled in the history of Morocco was dessimated in an afternoon, Helia is a pile of rubble from the collateral damage of the fight still taking place up above. Every creature with an ounce of sense is either fled or fleeing far from the epicenter. There is nothing to look back to.
The hot rain stops falling. Thank the gods!
My stiff shoulders unknot from the whipping I took. My entire back is hot with pain like an open wound exposed to harsh elements, my legs are weary of holding up my weight but they keep catching me as I propel myself forward.
I breathe, one step at a time. I breathe, survival is the only mission now.
* * *
Zero Six-Six
I pause mid-step as a creature steps into my path from the foliage, I cock my head studying it already ready for a fight.
Feline humanoid, lean yet broad at the same time. The fur shimmers distractingly, the reason I didn’t see it probably but I already know this is no simple creature to be able to hide from my detection till so close. It’s paws are big, it’s build one of agility and power but it’s not directly threatening me yet.
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I am in it’s territory I presume, I wonder what the etiquette of passing through without fighting is. A good fight would be nice honestly but I’m still too close to the family portal that’s somewhere up north to freely let loose.
Even the thought of a chance encounter with my cousin’s has me cringing internally.
"Hello," what else to say?
It cocks it’s own head slightly sideways, the manna around it completely still, in it’s control. I tingle with the excitement of a prospective contest, fighting another manna user of this calibre would be as fun as fighting the last territorial creature I came across on this world. The mountain deer-man creature.
"You have to speak so my tongue-formation can analyse your speech, your mind is blocked from me." I mime as I speak hoping it comprehends meaning behind my actions.
Slitted golden blue eyes gaze at me lightly, it’s tail previously still swishes through the air. The distance separating us is less than 200m, in a blink I could cross it and I have no doubt my challenger could reach me almost as quickly.
"Msmdjfjfjdjd, sjdkdkdmkdjd, sjdkdkdmkdjd."
It speaks gibberish in a rolling tumbling kind of language, my tongue-formation quickly making short work at deciphering it bringing understanding to my mind.
"You closed the portal to the other world."
A statement not a question but one I confirm with a slight nod.
It’s gaze turns slightly as though looking through the thick forest and the kilometres that separate us to land on Napa where he treads, making his way towards me, oblivious. It turns back giving me it’s full attention.
"Why?"
A simple question but one I wasn’t prepared for.
"Why not?"
To fight or not to fight? I weigh my options, manna already tingling in my blood. The elements around me at my beck and call, my established spells well used synaptic pathways in my mind’s eye.
I pull the surrounding manna in, feeling resistance about halfway towards my challenger where it’s own domain has priority over me. A grin blooms spontaneously on my face, this is an opponent worthy of my time. A manna user on which I could sharpen myself against, an opponent I-
"Come," it says and walks away from me. Nothing threatening in its posture.
I blink in confusion.
It stops and turns looking at me directly, "the Ancients await your presence." It says with gravity as though that’s supposed to mean something to me, then starts running at breakneck pace disappearing from sight.
Trap? Opportunity?
It takes a moment to decide but a moment later I Blink thrice and am running close behind keeping it within sight. It increases its pace, a full smile blooms on my face.
Dangerous, but this could be fun.
I leave a clear trail for Napa to follow, no matter how much I think I’ve got the measure of the being here having backup is always the smart move in unknowns. It moves easily through the forest as though nothing is an obstacle even at these speeds, impressive agility.
I Blink when the foliage gets to thick for me, running and flying but keeping pace no matter it’s speed.
The land dips abruptly and I find myself flying downwards feet first, dodging boulders and trees.
Landing on soft earth lightly I take a breath of the thicker ether permeating the place. No visible threats to speak off but my hair’s stand on end with unease.
The feline lands silently on its feet not far off transitioning into all fours smoothly and bearing its neck like an obedient house cat eager for a back-rub.
Which it gets as some of the thick shadows of this deeper forest reaches out in the shape of dark claws to enfold the creature wholesale.
[Ppprrrrrrr…]
The purring is deep and heartfelt conveying contented pleasure and heartfelt satisfaction, the scene is amusing but also obscene in a way I have never before experienced. How can such a powerful creature be so suddenly infantile?
The shadows detach, clearing into a man that stands unclothed but anything but naked as he gazes at me with deep black orbs for eyes. I feel nothing from him, not his manna, not what level of evolution he might be, nothing.
"Fmdhdndjfj."
I check my exit strategies, feel the manna around me testing how much influence I have over my surroundings.
Not a good idea coming here, not a smart idea at all.
"I do not understand," I say buying myself time as my formation makes sense of the androgynous voice whispering lightly into my ears.
Mental pressure shoots towards me and I dodged it creating a mental shield pulling the surrounding manna to me.
With a wave of its hand the shadow man dislodged my control, plant roots going back to rest, soil settling back down, the air I was coalescing dispersing easily as though it was never mine to influence to begin with.
*Silence.
I take a step back reassessing.
"Welcome," the tongue formation eventually catches up with the shadow being’s first words to me.
Why did that take so long?
"mdkfjfjjfif- the others are waiting," the words are easily translated now.
He attacked me didn’t he, now he expects me to follow him deeper between the shady trees?
This part of the forest is clearly different than the rest, my senses don’t go further than a few hundred metres and that’s if I’m focused.
The feline gazes at me, brushing itself against the shadow being’s legs playfully like a pet. If that thing I thought would be fun to fight is a pet then I’m probably out of my league here.
Fuck it, what do I have to lose anyway? I’m a Bantu-jin with my own pride, no risks no rewards.
They sense my decision, the feline rushing deeper under the shadowy forest first. I’m annoyed at being so easily read but I follow as the shadowy being leads.
The distance shifts and twists strangely, the light of the sun barely touching the forest floor before me.
The shadowy being stays solid and visible but there is an insubstantial quality about him that makes me want to shoot a Nature’s Call through him to see if he’s really where he seems to be.
We reach the edge of a clearing deep within the dark woods dense with ether, a very large tree in the centre spreading its canopy blocking out most of the sky.
The air stirs, a transparent silk scarf twisting dancing with the wind turns into a woman that lands not far from where I stand.
"Welcome otherworldler," she says with the voice of the wind. Smiling playfully, carefree with deep agelessness permeating off of her.
A large owl on a branch on the large tree stares at me as only an owl could. Two large wolves saunter into the clearing, one standing upright as it turns into a barrel-chested heavyset man. Lycanthropes?
A large lean white-furred apeman more beautiful than some of most beautiful women I’ve ever seen floats from the tree's canopy sitting cross-legged on thin air. A flamboyant dressed white-furred part man part satyr figure stomps into the clearing on silent hoofs, resting on a chair of roots that grows below him as it sits.
Others I don’t spot, but there are a number of more eyes on me than I can spot. All of them at least 6th tier but most I can’t sense at all.
"I’m happy to be invited to the party," what the fuck is going on here? "What’s the occasion?"
"You are an offworlder, yet you closed an offworlder portal, why?"
I look around at the gathered creatures, if Napa makes it quick I could have a chance escaping but that’s if I make it to the sky. I don’t think I’d survive a scuffle with these within the forest.
"What’s it to you?" I respond to the question, not sure from whom it came from even.
"You are an off-worlder, yet your energy is not completely foreign to us as that of other off-worlders, how?"
The ageless beauty looking to blow away with the wind asks gazing at me.
Maybe the sky won’t be so easy to escape from either but the woman is close enough to neutralize quickly. If I can defeat or delay her all the good, if I can’t then there’s no point trying to escape at all. Why not answer the questions instead of being obstinate before shit gets out of hand though?
"Most from my area of the world use chi, I mainly rely on manna for my strength."
"Chi, we are unfamiliar with this word, tell us of it."
Ahhhh…, there is no chi on this world and they suddenly find themselves with enemies they can’t understand.
"Perhaps we could be of benefit to each other. I am an off worlder as you say, but I seek to make a permanent place for myself here, and benefit from peace with my neighbours where ever I find to settle."
I want to learn the secrets of this world, I want to learn how mortals here without Cores use chi in their techniques.
"There are many unclaimed lands on the face of Gaia, many territories where you’d have no neighbours at all if you so desired." The wolfman says in a rumbling voice, arms bulging crossed across his large chest. "But the scent of you tells me you already call a territory here home, so what is it that you truly desire for information that could help us rid of your kind?"
The aura of threat in the air is palpable.
I’m an unknown off-world invader to them but I’m also a potential ally by my actions closing the portal and apparently I smell like I belong. I can also play out the debate that went on before I was summoned here, with the wolfman clearly more interesting in tearing me apart than cooperating with me.
"What I say is what I mean," I say holding up my open hands. "I come here unarmed under your invitation as a guest and you would call me a liar?"
Get them on the defensive, get them to feel embarrassed in their unwarranted aggression whilst claiming guest rights for myself while at it.
"Hardly a welcomed guest that comes unannounced with reavers and war-mongers a people you call your own."
"The lands beyond the gates are vast, none of these to be found in this forest I count amongst my people."
"Yet your blood sings a similar song as those up North ravaging the Hito settlements," the satyr rebuts catching my eye then huffing to himself playing with a marble.
"You think yourself clever but this is our home under our custodianship, we see more than you could ever imagine, Luthando."
I bolt to full attention power surging through me Fire Bolt ready to launch.
The leaves of the big tree rustle loudly to an unfelt wind. Its aura is suddenly immense, whole encompassing, stifling movement with it’s living example of stillness. The tree is unbelievably old, it’s roots digging deep and spreading wide into the forest. Deep under the bottom bedrock, drinking below the underground lakes scattered around the entire forest.
It’s the tree, the tree is the custodian of this territory I suddenly realise. The tree is the one that decides the outcome of this meeting.
I calm myself, "that name has been put aside, I am now an exile from my people. Call me Zero."
"His words ring true," the ageless woman says to no one in particular. I do not like being here anymore, I need to get as far off this continent and away from all who knew me as quickly as possible.
"Then I apologize friend Zero, for speaking a name not to be spoken." The satyr man stands gesturing in front of his lips. Something happens but for the life of me I can’t tell what.
"It shall not be easily spoken in your presence again."
Whatever.
"Where do we go from here?" Having felt the power of that tree I know I can’t leave this forest unless permitted. What kind of power is that anyway, is that a manna evolution, is the tree evolved?
"We seek to learn our enemies, and understand the tools they wield against us." A voice I now identify to be coming from the owl says bringing my attention to the large bird.
I pull out a sharp short blade looted from one of the mortal warriors I now know to be called Hito up north. "The power wielded against you is the same power locked in such weapons, if you want to defeat Chi Cultivators you have to forge more of these."
I levitate it, sticking it into a root not far from the tree. No one moves, no one says anything for a stretch looking at the weapon.
This could be how I get myself one of these.
I’ll show you Uncle Kolisa, a weapon is more than just my fists.