The powerful mind hung above the planet, unable to move too far away but able to watch what happened beyond the crisp blue barrier. It vaguely remembered having been here and watching for a long time. At first, it couldn't think, but at some moment, a ripple had come from its body, and conscious thought flickered into being once more.

--

What? Where am I? Solus?

A disembodied mental scream tore through the cold space as Tirella woke. Her mind was like a cloud, spread across a fast area, and it terrified her for a moment. But only for a moment. Then the memories surged forward, and with it the knowledge of what was happening. She was awake, but her body was still asleep.

Now that she had calmed down, she felt her body linger far below near the core of the world. There was also something else, her connection to Solus. But it was dull, and there was no response from it.

He must be asleep, she thought, stretching her mental body.

With a bit of effort, she pulled it together, creating a tiny representation of herself. As she waved her transparent arms around, she grinned. It wasn't really necessary, but having even a fake body made her feel better. Not that she felt bad. She felt free! Able to fly around as she saw fit.

With little effort, she surged along the barrier, staring at the sparse clouds that covered the muddy grey ball below her. Jagged black lines ran across one side, stopping far from where she sensed her body to be. As she scanned the rest of the world below her, she saw a dim blue area.

Blue? Curious and enthusiastic, she shot down like a miniature bolt of light, heading towards the blue surface at what was currently the daytime side of the planet. Although she had nobody, she sensed the temperature increase the lower she got. The wind howled around her, but she was unhindered by it. The blue below was light and shiny, and the closer she got, the more obvious it was there were layers of rock and dust covering it.

Ice.

The word bubbled up together with images and sensations. As she inspected them, a soft smile covered her face.

Thanks, Viridi, she thought as she shot lower towards the crackling surface below.

Something seemed to be moving below the surface, dark shadow things that sprawled as far as she could see. When she reached a small hill of white snow, she stared down. The ice layer was immensely thick and so clear she could see almost fully through. Shadowy blurs moved below the ice, moving at incredible speed.

Now, what are you? Tirella thought, and with a wide grin, she shot through the ice as if it wasn't there. As before, she could perceive the cold. It just didn't do anything to her.

It took longer than she had imagined passing through the ice, and it became much darker as she sank deeper. When she finally shot out of the icy and into the blurry blackness below, she could only see shadowy movements. Far above, a dull light shone through the ice. Tirella frowned to herself, then recalled something else Viridi had gifted her. With a snap, the ebb and flow of the water were lit up by clouds and trails of green and blue glowing mana particles.

A black maw surged forward, opening around Tirella, and she started, shooting back, then up and into the layer of ice. A shadowy shape slammed into the ice, and with the mana-particles glowing on it, she saw an elongated, short-limbed undead swim away slowly. Its back was covered in thick dark hide that turned to ribbed bone ridges that covered its chest. Long fins sat on what looked like short arms and legs, and as it moved, she saw black tar-like mana ooze from it and disperse in the freezing water around it.

Knowledge from Viridi bubbled up in Tirella's mind.

A Zerich…

With the name came some knowledge, and she knew they were a form of undead that could exist both below the water and above. They were also fairly powerful, being a three-time evolution, meaning they only lacked mana-core's to evolve further.

All around the Zerich that had attacked her, and as far as she could see below, more of them swam. The shadowy forms became larger the deeper she looked, and within moments she witnessed them devouring each other and tearing each other to pieces.

After watching them for a while, Tirella shot back up and hovered above the ice, looking down with a frown. All around her, she saw ice, and she flew higher to see where the edges were. Eventually, she was above the clouds and found that the ice sheet covered a fourth of this side of the planet, bordering the black lines that seemed to block it. The ice stretched further away into the currently dark part, and after a moment, she flew forward and up, determined to see how far it would stretch.

--

"Rest and sleep… sleep and rest," Laron groaned as he pushed himself up.

He still talks like that? Solus thought with a frown. How was that possible after how much he had changed?

"Changes!" Laron shouted, shooting upright and waving his arms around.

After a moment, he raised one of his hands in front of his eyes, spreading his dark, purple striped fingers. For minutes he gazed at his fingers, seemingly hypnotized by the lit and fleshy appendages. When he finally stopped, it was to raise them to his face and begin exploring. When he reached his eyes, he stabbed his finger in one, and Solus winced in sympathy at the howl in pain that echoed through the hollow skull.

"Not good, no, no! Why does it burn?" Laron moaned as he rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand. The other eye, a bright, burning purple, searched around and up until it noticed Solus and then pinned him with a stare.

"You! What did flying undead, little undead do to me? I feel… something!" Laron shouted, jabbing his other hand up and through Solus.

Laron had turned into a black, fleshy undead with thin purple stripes along his arms and legs and wider ones across his sides that curled around his back into a cloud pattern. His face was sharp, with a wide expressive mouth and two bright purple eyes that glowed slightly from the inside.

Solus sniffed as he ignored the black and purple hand that was waving through him as if he was a cloud of dust to wipe away. He took one more look at the much thicker cable of energy that connected him to Laron, hoping it wouldn't cause any trouble, then he pulled up Laron's status screen.

Name: Laron

Age: 52

Sex: Male-ERROR

Race: Asimalarin

Type: special

Class: Warrior

Strength: 2/12

Constitution: 8/21

Dexterity: 4/16

Endurance: 20

Intelligence: 1/ERROR

Wisdom: 1/8

Charisma: 7/7

Mana-field: 112/900

Physical density: 370/1200

Skills: 0

Inscriptions: 1/6

Mana generation: 8

Endurance, that's going to be a problem, he thought. He'd forgotten that only skeletons had infinite endurance. Now he would need to take into account Laron's need for rest and sleep. Beyond that, the intelligence hadn't changed, which confused him. Did that mean the error didn't come from the previously broken inscription?

"Flying undead, undead! What did you do?" Laron hissed as he cupped two hands around Solus as if to catch him.

I'll figure that out later, Solus thought. It just meant he'd have to work around Laron's peculiarities.

"Laron, do you know those inscription pillars in the small building?" Solus asked.

"Yes, yes, but not important! What did you do?" Laron said, his lips a pursed line.

"I'm the one who put those there," Solus said.

This time Laron stepped back and scrutinized Solus for a bit. Then he shook his head in denial, the corners of his lips curling down.

"No. The Awakener? You are not!"

The Awakener? That's how they call me now? Solus thought. He tried to recall if he had given these awoken Sigmitons his name before he left but couldn't really recall. He'd been preoccupied with Scathia and the mana-core back then. As he remembered the evil undead that had tried to become the ruler of everything, he was glad she was out of his hair.

"I am Solus," he said.

"You are not!" Laron stated, stomping his feet on the ground. His gaze snapped down as he looked at his foot. He raised his foot, standing on one, gingerly touching the soul.

"Laron, I am Solus," Solus snapped, wondering how he was going to prove who he was.

"Proof. Proof. Proof it!" Laron said as he began jumping up and down on a leg, trying to feel both feet at the same time, eventually falling on his ass and hissing in anger.

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"What do you remember of the time that awoke you?" Solus asked.

"Not you. Remember that things got clear, Laron was not Laron. The big grey, green-haired Awakener shouted, made buildings, then left! Then Ourlin named us, called me Laron. Then I was Laron." Laron was preoccupied with his feet as he spoke.

The buildings, Solus thought, and he tried to sense and shape the stone around him. He felt some connection, but it was weak as if from a great distance. It also passed through Laron somehow, and that seemed to restrict it even more. He wondered if he could use his abilities if he was hovering above the other undead. If he had time, he needed to try, although he wasn't going to risk it with Sig. The connection was so weak that it might shatter it right away. Still, even with all of the limitations, Solus felt he might be able to create something if he was closer to stone.

"Laron. If I make a building from stone, will you believe me?" Solus asked.

Laron cocked his head to the side, poking his feet, then nodded. "Believe, yes! Make Laron a house. Then."

It took Solus a few moments to understand the undead's speech, then he grinned. "Alright. Go back out, so we get closer to the stone."

Laron scrambled up and headed back out, stopping every few steps to stomp his feet. Slowly a wide smile crept on his face, and he began walking faster and with more surety. As he jumped around and landed heavily on the ground, his muscles became more pronounced, and when he reached the bottom of the skull that led to the opening, he jumped forward, hurtling through the eye socket at breakneck speed. When he landed, his bulging muscles had reverted to their previous state.

He can harness the impact energy when he lands, Solus thought. Ideas on how this could help him get Laron to Sig played through his head.

"Stone, stone. Make the house," Laron said before humming.

Solus focused on the here and now and, with great effort, managed to connect to the rock below Laron's feet. It took all his effort to manipulate it, but eventually, a flat area of dust shook, and a square piece of stone rose from the ground. It wasn't much taller than Laron but had an entrance and a small window.

Laron stood, staring at it with his mouth agape, rows of flat teeth gleaming reddish in the last light of the day.

"The Awakener? Small! Why are you small?" Laron said as he looked up at Solus floating above his head.

"I'm not really here, only my mind," Solus said. The small shaping had left him weary, but he grinned nonetheless.

A soft shout came from the other side of the big building behind which the skull graveyard was.

"Let's go back inside your skull before they find us," Solus said.

Laron shook his head, frowning. "Why? Tell Ourlin the Awakener is here! I will."

Footsteps got closer, and Solus grimaced. He had no idea what to expect of the others, and the only one he could talk to was Laron. If they somehow got upset and ended him, he would be left with nothing.

"Laron, you have changed. They might not recognize you and attack. Go inside for now!"

The purple undead looked at the building, the skulls, and the house. Solus thought he would ignore his words for a moment, then he sighed and trudged back into the wyrm skull. He managed to get out of sight before dozens of stomping feet came around the building.

"You are sure you heard someone cry?" A voice asked, dulled by the skulls that separated them from Solus.

"Yes, Ourlin! An unfamiliar one too, it sounded… like those zombies that came here long ago!"

Solus tried to listen to what was being said, but Laron ran further into the skull, and soon he couldn't make out the words.

When Laron reached his small home again, he sat down and stared at Solus. The sounds from outside had all but died down.

"The Awakener, Awakener. Why are you here?"

His words were clearer than before, and Solus frowned as he pulled up Laron's status again.

Intelligence: 2/ERROR

His intelligence increased? How does that work if it has an error?

Confused, Solus scanned for additional changes, but found none, then looked at Laron. Perhaps if he spoke with the undead, he would eventually become smarter? It was worth a try.

"I am here to help one of my friends," Solus said, wondering what he should tell Laron. The undead had never been outside of this massive city. Would he even want to help him?

"Friend?" Laron muttered, then slowly, recognition surfaced on his face. "Friend!" Laron said, pointing at Solus.

Does he know what a friend is? As far he knew, Sigmitons weren't that much smarter than awoken skeletons, and besides Galg, he had never met an undead that knew things before. Only AI knew things. He also seemed to think Solus was his friend, which suited Solus just fine.

"Yes, a friend. He is in trouble, far away, and I need your help to save him," Solus said.

Laron frowned. "Away? Far away? How far away?"

Detecting the others' worry, Solus waved his hands to soothe him. "Not that far. Just a bit outside of the city," he said.

"No! Ourlin says, we don't leave the city! City leaving means ended!" Laron said. He lay down on his back.

"Has Ourlin been outside the city?" Solus asked, careful not to upset the undead more.

"Yes! Ourlin, Ourlin, he knows! He left for long, found the new pattern, like Awakener. Came back. Brought the pattern back."

A new pattern? He remembered seeing this Ourlin before, and he had looked different from the others. If he recalled correctly, it was another basic form, based on an old pattern that Drys had made.

"When Ourlin left, was he strong?"

Laron blinked, then shook his head. "Yes, but not. Not like a strong wyrm or Kaots! Weaker strong!"

"Kaots," Solus snapped. How did these ones know of Kaots?

"Kaots," Laron said. "Come for the Giant One. Make him angry! Not good…"

Remembering the massive wyrm in the center of the city that had spoken with the voice of the sphere, Solus nodded. Angering that would probably not be a good idea. He wondered if he, in his new form, could handle that. As he imagined it, for a moment, he felt the hidden, slumbering power in his still changing body and knew he could. Easily. But that helped little now, as it would be an incredibly long time before his full form would wake again.

"No, angering him seems like a bad idea," Solus agreed. "But you are much, much stronger than Ourlin was," he continued.

Laron pushed himself up on his elbows, a look of awe on his face. "More power than Ourlin?"

"Yes. The pattern I gave you is superior to what he has. His new pattern isn't a true step forward either, so you are probably more powerful than he is now," Solus said, hoping it would soothe Laron.

It did, but not like he had imagined. "Laron is strong! Stronger. Stronger than Ourlin! Me proof it!" The undead said as he pushed himself up and ran across the small platform. Before Solus could call for him to stop, he jumped from the ledge and began bounding back down.

"Laron, don't!" Solus shouted, but Laron ignored him and kept running. With every impact, his muscles bulged slightly, and when he ran out of the wyrm, his body was much more massive than it had been before.

A group of six skeletal warriors and a mage stood in front of the building Solus had made, and Ourlin was with them. They had been speaking, but when Laron exited the building, they turned to him and spread out.

"A Kaot! Get ready," Ourlin shouted, and he raised his bone club. The wyrm-shaped pauldrons on his shoulders began glowing with a dull white light.

"No Kaot! Laron no Kaot! Laron, Laron. Laron strong!" Laron shouted as he stomped towards the group, heedless of any danger. As he spoke, the undead stopped.

Ourlin straightened.

“Laron? How can you be Laron?”

"He speaks like Laron," the mage muttered.

"I can hear that," Ourlin snapped as he turned to the incoming black and purple striped undead.

"Laron?"

Laron stopped and bobbed his head up and down. "I stronger than Ourlin now! Little Awakener said! Stronger!"

Solus grimaced, keeping his eyes on the different undead. Although they had stopped moving forward, he could sense that they were on edge. He also felt something else from two of them, a dull, weary sensation, as if they didn't really care what was happening. Ourlin stepped forward, his club raised.

"How did you get a new pattern," he asked carefully.

"Awakener gave!"

The undead began muttering at each other, pointing at the small stone building. Ourlin looked at it too, then at the undead.

"Quiet!" he snapped, then turned to Laron.

"Where is the awakener?" he asked.

"Laron, don't!" Solus shouted, but it was too late. A purple finger pointed straight at him.

This can't end well, Solus thought.

Ourlin might have been skeptical before, but now he just straightened. "Laron, there is nothing there," he said. "Where did you get the pattern, and who made this building," he asked, his voice turning dangerously calm.

"I explain, explain, explained!" Laron said, and his eyes narrowed. "No more explaining. I leave!"

Ourlin motioned the other skeletons forward, and they began to spread out again.

"You know you can't leave here. It's too dangerous, and you will lead more Kaots to us," Ourlin said. "Come with us and wait in the holy pattern building while we find out what is wrong with you."

Laron shook his head and began jumping up and down. Every time he landed, his muscled bulged a fraction.

Solus knew- felt Laron get ready to fight. There was a sense of finality to it as if he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. Solus couldn't detect why, but it had something to do with when Ourlin had left. Was it the reason for the error in his pattern? He wasn't sure, but he knew that if Laron fought the group head-on, he might not win. Not without help.

"Laron, listen to me carefully. There are too many of them, and you can't win if you just barge in," Solus said.

Laron laughed, a wide grin spreading across his face, and he shot forward towards Ourlin. The mage stopped, and a red ball of crackling energy grew on his outstretched hand. Ourlin stopped and raised his club. The pauldrons on his shoulders began glowing dully again, the glow spreading across the plate armor he wore until he was a gleaming beacon in the encroaching darkness.

"I not fight," Laron shouted, and with a dull boom, he jumped from the center of the group up and over Ourlin. The skeleton jumped up, reaching with his free hand to grab at Laron's ankle, but failed. Laron landed on a skull not too far away, his muscles back to normal, but he kept running, jumping down from the skull and running towards the wall.

Solus was hovering above his head, dragged along for the ride. He was surprised that Laron hadn't fought because it had felt like he wanted to. He could feel the desire was still there but ebbing away now.

"Stop him," Ourlin roared, but he was too late.

Bounding a few more times from skulls, Laron gathered enough power and leaped to the top of the wall. He barely made it, grasping the edge and pulling himself up. Without stopping, he hopped down the other side, and when he landed, his muscles bulged, but he also groaned.

"Pain? Why?" he muttered as he began running away from the camp. Shouting came from behind them, but Solus had the feeling that the other undead probably wouldn't catch up to Laron.

"It hurts because you jumped from too high," Solus said. His mind was spinning, and he was still wondering why what he felt from Laron and what Laron did weren't the same.

"I leave city. Leave camp. Leave, leave! No more listening to Ourlin!" Laron shouted.

That sounds like a great idea, Solus thought. Now he only needed to point Laron in the correct direction. He focused a bit and managed to create a small bit of stone glow. "Go that way. I will lead us to where my friend is," he said.

Laron didn't reply but continued on, not changing directions.

"Laron?" Solus asked, getting a bad feeling.

"I not help! Help, help! Last time I helped…" Laron's voice faltered, and for a moment, a strong sense of dread and pain wafted away from Laron's mind. It was so strong that Solus could almost taste the despair.

"Help hurts," the purple undead whispered.

"Then where are you going?" Solus asked.

"To place filled with zombies."

"Skulltown?" Solus asked, confused how Laron knew about it.

"No. Zombra."