The afterlife was rather…cold? When Warren last closed his eyes, it was to welcome death. Now that he opened them, he saw a place unlike any he had ever seen. He stood under a cloudy sky near the peak of a small mountain, and looked below to see an endless, snow-covered landscape.
It was covered with trees and vegetation made from ice so clear that it could easily be mistaken for glass. An enormous, series of carefully crafted steps made of polished black stone went from the icy forest all the way up the mountain, leading into an incredible palace of slate-grey stone and silver metal.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, a work of art that transcended the pure beauty of nature and the creative genius of man. Yet for all its beauty, it had coldness around it. It was more than just the climate that was cold, the world itself seemed lonely.
“How quickly you cut to the heart of the matter.” Warren didn’t even sense her presence, until Yana made herself known. She appeared before him, seemingly out of thin air.
“So is this heaven or hell?”
“Neither. This is the place that I call home. Come, walk with me. We have much to discuss, after which I promise to discuss your situation.” Yana led him up the last few steps, and through the stone arches that led into her palace. The black steps had turned into flat tiles that covered the ground. They walked over them and went to the heart of her home. It wasn’t built like a traditional European castle.
Instead, there was a giant courtyard past the walls, which gave access to the open walls and sliding doors of her home. It had the design of a giant Buddhist monastery, built into the side of the mountain. Yet unlike a monastery, it wasn’t uniform in design. There was a giant tower on the west side of the palace, and an enormous metal spire in the centre that reached up into the clouds.
Fortunately, she didn’t make Warren climb either one of these structures, and instead led him behind all the other structures into a smaller, circular courtyard that was sealed by glass. Yana raised a hand, and a table and chairs formed out of the ground from ice crystals. A teapot and two cups formed afterwards, the pot steaming with hot tea. Like the trees he saw, this ice was polished and clear, and to his surprise, it wasn’t cold.
When they took a seat, Yana poured them both a cup before she started talking. “I imagine you have many questions about what happened to you, and why Kiyalah did it.”
“You mean why she sold me out and had another of her followers, who I was told wasn’t even supposed to exist, stab me in the heart? Yeah, I have some questions. But then again, I was worried something like this would happen when I first agreed to this deal. I should have known better than to trust a goddess or wrath and vengeance.”
Yana grimaced. “The fact that she found a way to circumvent the rules and have followers surprised me as well. But Warren, you shouldn’t blame yourself for trusting her. I believed her as well, and I’ve known her for a lot longer than you. I can’t help but feel responsible for this whole affair. I’ve lived for eons, and bore witness to the creation of the mortal world itself. It’s laughable how well she had me fooled.”
Hearing that, Warren couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “So you don’t know why she did this either?”
“On the contrary, I know exactly why she did it. I’ve known for several millennia as to what she felt, because I’ve felt much the same myself.” She looked out past the windows, lost in the memories of a thousand lifetimes. “You do not know what it’s like to be one of us. To be defined by the nature of your birth. While the other gods and goddesses were born from joyful and vital elements, we were born from that which is feared and despised. It was harder for Kiyalah I think. The mortal race would venerate even a god of warfare, so why then would they shun her so?
But the worst part was that she wasn’t completely hated. There were some among the humans that understood her nature, and cried out for it. And yet, no matter what she tried, she could not answer their pleas or be loved by them the way the other deities were loved by their chosen ones.
It was a small thing that was denied her, simply because of what she represented. Her power was one that wouldn’t mix with humans under normal circumstances. And so she lived up to her name. She hated and she despised the other deities, not for anything they did to her, but for what they had that she didn’t. It was an envy that I thought she had dealt with.”
Warren tried to understand that but found that he was unable to. The concept of millennia just living like that was unfathomable to him. “And what about your reasons for empathizing with her?”
Yana gave him a small wry smile. “Unlike what Kiyalah might have said, I am not actively hated by my brethren any more than Kiyalah is. They simply do not like being in our presence because of what we represent. In that I have a great deal in common with her. Most mortals fear me and hate to even mention my name, and more often than not, the ones that don’t are sick and twisted. Our lives are very lonely ones. Even Kiyalah, who I was on good terms with, would visit no more than once every hundred years or so. More so than what we represented, it was our loneliness that defined us.
The only difference is that where Kiyalah responded with hate and fury, I responded by detaching myself from feeling anything at all.” She laughed bitterly at her own self-pity. “Did you know that these personal realms gods and goddesses create are manifestations of our own immortal souls? I’ve been to Kiyalah’s. Unlike mine it was filled with erupting volcanoes and rivers of fire. There were rough stones and deserts of ash and dust. But just like mine, there wasn’t a single living being in all that space.”
Warren considered what he was about to say, and chose his words carefully. “Not to be rude or anything, but why would you possibly think that a clinically depressed goddess with anger management issues would suddenly be alright after meeting me, and adding to that, why would you suddenly be alright, given your own situation?”
Instead of being offended, Yana’s cool demeanor shattered as she burst into laughter. As she did so, the clouds overhead melted away and let sunlight stream onto the mountain. “It’s quite alright for you to be as direct as you want with me, it’s been an eternity since I’ve had a good conversation like this. I admit that it was a bit naïve to think that everything would be okay. However, when I saw you, I didn’t know of Kiyalah’s previous activities and long-laid plans. I thought that she merely felt what I felt.”
“And what was that exactly?”
Yana smiled at his question, but this time, it was with warmth. “Come, let me show you.” She got up from her chair, and led Warren through her house to another set of steps. They took the steps to the very peak of the mountain. Warren saw that while the side they were walking up on wasn’t sloped too severely, the other side dropped away sharply, to a straight drop down. It was really more like half a mountain in design.
They stopped about twenty metres away from the very edge. Warren looked around him, but didn’t find anything noteworthy. “So what did you want to show me exactly?”
“Look down.”
Warren did as she asked, and saw what she was referring to. A small, brown branch rose from the snow. It was tiny, barely more than a foot tall, but it was still the start of a tree. In this entire realm of ice, snow and stone, it was the one thing that was alive. “Is this…?”
“Yes. That’s you, or a representation of you in this realm. Now I hope you understand why I believed Kiyalah would have a change of heart. After so long, I’ve been given a chance to feel again. You brought warmth into this cold world of mine, and I hoped that you would bring colour into Kiyalah’s darkness.”
Warren understood now. By bringing him into her realm, Yana bared her soul to him. Unlike Kiyalah, Warren knew that he could trust her. After the whole debacle with Kiyalah, most would consider it strange to trust anyone at all, but something deep inside Warren just felt that this was right.
“Well, I may have brought warmth to you, but I didn’t succeed with Kiyalah. I don’t know what she has planned, or even if I can do anything, since I don’t even know if I’m alive or not.”
“Unfortunately I don’t fully know Kiyalah’s plans either. As for the state of your body, I can tell you that you’re not dead yet. Right now you’re at the boundary between life and death. What happens next is up to you. You can go back and try to fight against a goddess, or you can let things go and find peace in the afterlife. But I suspect I already know what your choice is.”
“I’m not one to let a measly stab wound kill me, I’ve got too much to do in the world to die just yet.”
Yana chuckled. “Very well then. Now to the next issue. When Kiyalah drained her power from you, it left you in a very unstable and vulnerable position. This is because even though Kiyalah took her power out of you, she couldn’t take out mine. This leaves your body very unbalanced. Even if you go back to your body, your body will quickly break down. To combat that, there are two things that I can do. I can make you mine entirely, or I can take it away and leave you entirely human. If you so desire, I can leave a mark on you to shield you from other gods, or you can try your luck with them.”
This was a critical juncture for Warren. If he wanted to be human and free from the interference of gods and goddesses, this was the only chance he had. Or he could go all in and pledge his loyalty to Yana. Warren looked down at the desolate realm he was in, and at the tree that was newly born, and his decision was made.
“I didn’t really know Kiyalah when I accepted her offer. I just knew that I needed her help to survive in this world. From what you told me, I don’t need a goddess’ help anymore, since I know the language, and can blend in just fine. The real question is, can I entrust my life to you, and I think that I can. I’ll accept your power and act in your name.”
It wasn’t a decision he made lightly. True he did trust Yana, and while he didn’t think she would act as Kiyalah had, it was still somewhat of a risk to accept her offer. However, that small risk was offset by the responsibility he had to the world, and the need he had for power. The cold hard truth was that while Kiyalah was the one that was planning to bring chaos and devastation to the land, he was the catalyst that made it all possible.
He was an outsider, and interloper to this world. In all the history lessons he had in school, the one thing that was always true was that outsiders always brought trouble. Whether it was by plaque or war, explorers from other lands brought about strife on a national scale. So then, what could a traveller from another world bring about?
While Warren was grim and determined, Yana was joyful and relieved. She let herself feel happy for but a moment, before composing herself. “Alright then. You should know that this will bring about certain changes in your body. I’ll attempt to minimize them as best I can, but remember, even if you look human on the outside, you won’t be on the inside. You’ll be given certain abilities, some racial, and others from my mark. Unlike Kiyalah, I don’t want you to stay weak and vulnerable, so I’ll give you the basic knowledge to use your abilities.”
“While we’re on the subject, I was hoping you could explain a bit more about the races that were made by gods and goddesses, and being marked by one. I have a feeling that it strongly relates to what Kiyalah has planned.”
“Very well, perhaps it’s best that I explain to you the nature of this world. To do that, we will have to go back to the very beginning, before the first human was born. Before we ascended to godhood.”
“Ascended to godhood? Do you mean to say that at one point you were something else?”
“Yes. The people of this world may never grasp that concept, but I suspect you can. Unlike what the masses may think, we did not create the world and everything in it. In fact it was the other way around. When this world was born, so too were we.”
With a flick of her finger, a three-dimensional image formed in the air between them. It showed a snap-shot of creation, where everything was dust and fire. The image seemed to glow with a blue light that washed over everything, but was stronger and more concentrated in certain areas. “At that time we were nothing more than masses of energy, a representation of the physical nature of the world. This energy has now come to be known as Mana. Unlike fire or lightning, it is many thousand times more powerful and more complex. It permeates everything in creation and is one of the types of thread in the fabric of this world. At that time, the energy did not do much of anything at all. We didn’t even have what would be called a consciousness or an awareness of ourselves. In that aspect, we were newborns.”
The three-dimensional image then accelerated in time, with billions of years passing in a single heartbeat. Warren saw as dust and gas gathered together to form this world. First a barren heap of slag, the world transformed into solid rock, water and greenery. The blue light slowly condensed and permeated the physical matter of the universe, becoming a more integral part of the world. “Then the first creatures were born. They, even with their primitive minds, were the sparks that triggered the great event. For some reason, while Mana on its own did nothing, it had a curious reaction to the conscious mind. Suddenly, what was once a benign, invisible energy that was mostly separate from the world, transformed and became bound to the physical plane.”
As life on the planet grew more complex, from simple algae into fish, and then into mammals, the masses of blue energy pulled away from the rest of the energy and took on forms of their own, resembling the animals of the world. “As it changed, so too did we. At first we could do nothing, but as time went on, and the creatures grew in number and awareness, so too did we. Eventually we became like your distant ancestors, and then we transcended them.”
By this time, the world in the image had come close to the world of the present. Apes had evolved and nearly stood on two legs, forming more complex societies and increasing in intelligence. As if mirroring that, the energy around the word condensed even further and took on a physical form. What were once masses of untold energy had transformed into bodies that were identical to human men and women. “We grew in strength and gained knowledge far beyond your capabilities. But more than that, because we came from Mana, and it was a part of everything in this world, we gained some control and dominion over our respective elements. So you see, the humans shouldn’t revere us, we should revere them. Without them, we would be little more than mindless beasts that floated in nothingness.”
What Yana said was shocking, something that turned the world on its head. When Warren first arrived in the world, he was drawn to the fantastical aspects of it. It was something that seemed so far-fetched and out of the bounds of science and reality, that he accepted it as such. He was chagrined to admit that he had been caught up in the fantasy of some paranormal or divine answers to what made this world work. Now here was Yana, a being who he thought was a goddess, who just told him otherwise.
She continued with her story. Warren continued to watch as the gods and goddesses roamed the land, watching over the growth of the human race. Yet no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t make contact with them. Because they weren’t fully of the physical plane, they couldn’t be seen by the humans. “After sufficient time as watchers, the gods and goddesses wanted more. We wanted to interact with the humans, because they fascinated us. While a human’s life is over in a blink of an eye, they shined brighter in that short period than we ever could. Being the gatekeeper to the afterlife, at that time, I was closer to the humans than any other god or goddess, but they didn’t want the kind of contact I had, they wanted to be part of their lives, not their death.”
The humans in the image had formed primitive villages, and fought with wood and stone. Then all of a sudden, they were awash in power. The gods and goddesses were above them, and they poured their power into the humans. Curiously, Warren didn’t see Yana or Kiyalah anywhere in the picture. “This led to my brethren’s’ first grand rite. Every god and goddess, save Kiyalah and I, gave a tiny spark of divinity over to the human race. Because of what we represented, our power wouldn’t mix in with the humans. It turned out that this rite not only let humans see and hear them, it also let humans manipulate Mana like we could, but of course on a vastly smaller scale.”
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Time passed and great cites were formed. Temples were raised to worship at, and the human race grew in both knowledge and ability. “For a few thousand years, the world was at peace. Gods and goddesses had everything they ever wanted, and the humans gained knowledge and instruction. It was a sight that Kiyalah and I envied. But nothing lasts forever. When things changed, it wasn’t immediate, it was small things at first. Human factions always had friction between them, but they escalated, each side wanting to prove their superiority. It was an amusement for the gods and goddesses, until they got caught up in it as well. They spent eternity as the greatest beings under creation, now they wanted to find out which was the greatest one.”
The idyllic scene changed from great works of architecture and artistry, to great strongholds and fortresses. Peaceful farmers took up arms, and joyful worship turned to fanaticism. “From then on, war took over the land. It was a furious race to see who could conquer the world before the other, and who reigned as king or queen. For hundreds of years, this long, bloody war tore down kingdoms and took the lives of millions. Eventually, with no end in sight and such death and devastation committed in their name, the gods and goddesses came to an agreement. They decided on peace, and to step down as rulers of the world to return to their position as watchers once more, at least for a time.”
Eventually, the world healed. Warren didn’t see any great buildings anymore, and there were significantly fewer people, but the scars on the earth and hearts of humankind faded away. Of course society was thrown back into a less civilized age, with so much knowledge lost to them. The gods and goddesses didn’t interfere too much, so the world didn’t advance as quickly as it once had. “Although the gods and goddesses stepped back slightly, they didn’t want to give up all their enjoyment. They wanted to compete against one another, to show off their power and be adored unconditionally. And so they created the other races of man.”
After society had grown once more, the gods and goddesses returned from their long absence. It had been a few hundred years, and humans had all but forgotten about them. Warren saw the gods and goddesses gather humans of their choosing, and giving more of their power to them. “The first to be created were the dragons. Most of the power came from the Sky god, but all the other gods and goddesses gave a small piece of their power as well. And so a human became a being that could shape shift and fly through the sky. Stone and Fire then came together to change humans into a dwarves who lived in mountains and worked with fire and metal. Light and Nature made the tall, beautiful elves who listened to the soul of the forest. War created the orcs, creatures who lived according to his instincts. Water created the mermaids, elegant beings who could turn half their bodies into a fish. After these races were formed, the left-over power infused other humans, transforming them into the demi-human beastmen, goblins, trolls, and a whole host of other beings.”
As Yana spoke, the image of the world changed as well. The new races bred with humans to create more of them, and expanded their populations rapidly. They were stronger, smarter, or more gifted than humans, so they flourished and created kingdoms that rivalled the humans. “These races already had abilities that were considerably greater than humans, but the select few that truly impressed the gods and goddesses received an additional gift. My brethren learned that since they gave some of their power to create their races, a link was created between them and every member of their race. They could strengthen that link and create a mark that not only heightened that god’s initial blessing, it expanded upon it, giving them further abilities. The only caveat to this, was that only one mark can be given out by each god or goddess at any one time, and it was up to the mortal whether or not to accept it. Yet while there could only be one such champion, it almost always ensured that they became more powerful than a hundred men. The gods have settled upon using champions in place of armies, and using them to perform great deeds so that they could boast of them to their brethren.”
With the world all caught up, Yana dismissed the image and concluded her speech. It gave Warren a lot to think about. Now the only question that remained was about Kiyalah. “Okay so I get all that, basically all the gods and goddesses are selfish dicks, now what does Kiyalah plan to do with the power she took out of me, and where does Camilla’s creepy glowing eyes fit in to all this?”
“That’s still one mystery I haven’t solved just yet. All I know is that Camilla took in a small amount of that power to almost artificially change herself into Kiyalah’s creature, yet she still has so much left over.”
“That’s the part I’m lost at. If Kiyalah took it from me, shouldn’t there only be enough for one transformation?”
“It is strange, but I’m willing to bet that it isn’t a full transformation, but a partial one. This is nothing I’ve ever seen before, so these are all guesses. However even if she gathers enough followers, the partial transformation will wear off, so I don’t know what she’s thinking. I’ll need to gather more information from the siblings I have a reasonably good relationship with.”
“Alright, but while you’re gathering information, what should I do?”
“You need to get stronger and gain allies. I’ll give you the knowledge to use and train your new abilities. As for allies, travel due west and join the White Crow guild in the first settlement you see.”
“The White Crow guild? What is that, and do I even need to join a guild in the first place? It seems like a bit of a risk.”
“Guilds are places where strange foreigners aren’t under suspicion. I do not know what guilds are like in your world, but here they have two major functions, combat and non-combat. The non-combat guilds are either crafting or profession guilds, which manage and set certain rules and laws for its registered members. Combat guilds on the other hand are not governing bodies, but rather serve as a combination of contracted soldiers for the nation they reside in and general mercenaries to the public. The White Crow guild is one example of that. I chose them because even with your exotic abilities, you should be able to blend in quite well. They are also quite capable fighters, so you can be at ease with them at your back.”
A lot of what she said made sense and Warren was willing to listen to her advice, but he still had one last question. “You said that the guild members were like soldiers, does that mean that the human countries have a regular army in addition to the guilds?”
“No. It does seem strange and inefficient to an outsider. The reason lies in magical ability. Unlike the other races which have a relatively even distribution of power, in humans it’s highly skewed. Perhaps only five percent of the total population have any great ability with magic, and each one of them is several times stronger than a normal person. Conscripting those normal people would serve no purpose but to use them as meat shields or cannon fodder. Instead the nations began to use the magically talented humans as soldiers. However when they tried to make a centralized army, they ran in to several problems with infighting and internal divisions. With a higher magical ability comes a much stronger personality. They could never be turned into soldiers who were cut from the same cloth, so they came up with guilds instead.”
It still seemed horribly ineffective and mismanaged, but Warren had no right to criticize a system of which he knew nothing about. It seemed to work in this world so he would just have to accept it. “Alright then, if that’s all then why don’t we get me back into my body?”
“Very well. To do that, all you need to do is pass through the gate.”
“And where exactly would this gate be?”
“Down there,” Yana said, pointing down the sudden drop of the small mountain to a small vortex of energy.
“Ah, I see… Would there perhaps be another slightly less terrifying way to get back?”
“I’m afraid not. Now Warren, I need you to remember something. The ends do justify the means. Do not hesitate to do something terrible if it’s the only option available.”
Quizzical at her strange statement, he turned towards her. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
Yana merely smiled sadly and lifted up a palm that held a floating silver mass of energy. “You’ll know what I mean.” She flicked her wrist and shot the energy into him. It burned like molten lava in his veins, and the shock and impact pushed him back and over the edge of the peak.
He didn’t have time to scream, as he plummeted down the side of the mountain. The pain kept his vocal cords paralyzed, as he continued to fall. As he got closer to the vortex of energy, his body began to warp and twist, fortunately it was only a spiritual representation of his body, and on the actual thing, and otherwise he would have dies getting twisted up into a pretzel.
In a blinding flash of light, he disappeared into the vortex, and suddenly emerged in his own body. His body was still in bad shape, but blood no longer pumped out of the hole in his chest. It merely oozed slowly out of it. As remarkable as it may have seemed, he was no longer sliding towards death. Instead he was hovering at the edge of it.
Of course this would quickly change if he made any sudden moves. He couldn’t wait several hours to heal up enough to start moving, so he wracked his brain trying to come up with an idea. While he did so, he sensed another presence nearby. It was weak like his was. He didn’t sense any movement, so he noted to position and went back to trying to come up with a solution.
Fortunately, he had some new options now. Like what happened when he learned the language of this world, Yana had given him the basic information about his new skills. Among his new abilities, there was one that he could use to get out of this quandary.
He reached into himself, into a place similar to where he drew his Mana from. He focused this energy and spread it around him like a blanket. It was in the form of a pale blue, translucent flame, flickering hungrily and diving into the grass. It only extended a couple of centimetres away from his body, but it was enough for his purpose.
Wherever the fire touched the ground, the grass would wither up and die, with small green lights drawn up through the cold, unnatural fire and into his body. Although it appeared in the form of a purely offensive ability, it was instead primarily a healing ability that sucked the life from any living thing it could touch.
However, as it was at the moment, it lacked both range and power. All he got were tiny drops of life energy that slowly healed him up. He had to carefully move his limbs about to gather more energy. He did this for several minutes, until he was at a state where he could slowly inch himself along the ground.
He made his way to one of the wagons. It was where he sensed the other presence. As he turned around its corner and looked on the other side, he was shocked to see one of the women there. Since Camilla’s power wasn’t fully controlled, she must not have killed everyone immediately.
Unlike the other women who turned to ash, this one was covered in hideous burns, and had a massive hole through her stomach. The terrible power of Camilla’s lightning nearly killed her, but since it cauterized her wounds at the same time, she had a few additional moments of life left.
As the state she was in, Warren was unable to save her. Her death was a certainty, but it didn’t need to be meaningless. Warren recalled Yana’s words of doing something terrible if it was necessary. It seemed she was talking about this moment.
Warren felt sick when he considered what he was about to do. He wanted to save these women, but now he was in a position where he was about to kill one of them and take her life energy for his own. Although bile rose up his throat, he hardened his heart for what he was about to do.
He raised one hand and gently cupped her cheek. Her eyes were half open, but he didn’t know if she was even aware of what was happening. There was only a dim spark of consciousness deep in her eyes. Regardless of this fact, Warren still felt he had to say something. He opened his mouth to try to explain why he was doing this, and why he couldn’t save her, but found that no words would come to him. There was no explanation for this. Nothing he could say would have any meaning.
“I’m sorry.” They were the only words he could say to her, but even as he said them, he knew that they were useless. There was no forgiveness for what he was doing. It may be justified. It may be practical. It may even be necessary, but that still didn’t make it right.
Warren watched as her body slumped and weakened. The only silver lining was the fact that the ability was painless. It wasn’t a violent grab, but a slow drain that sapped the victim of strength and killed them quietly. As her eyes closed shut for the final time, Warren had but one thing to say to her. “Thank you.”
Even after her heart had stopped, Warren pulled out every last drop of life energy. He may not have been the one to deliver the mortal blow, but he was the one that finished her off. He had a duty to see that it wasn’t for naught, to live on for the sake of this innocent woman.
Once he was finished, the woman was nothing more than a mound of dust, and his wound had closed up well. He said a prayer for the woman he killed, and then forced the whole affair out of his mind. It was terrible to be sure, but dwelling on it wouldn’t change things or help him survive. Instead he took stock of his body and was relieved to not that he was full healed.
All that remained of the wound was a pale scar that cut through his marking. The marking itself had changed dramatically. It was now a circular pattern of small lines that looked like frost on a windowpane. Although the scar cut through it, the ‘ink’ in the pattern was still unbroken, and showed over top of the scar.
Warren took out one of the flat, polished swords from a wagon and used it as a rudimentary mirror. Whatever Yana did to make him fully his, it had some startling effects. His skin had paled significantly becoming an almost translucent shade of white. It went well with his new hair, which was similarly pale.
Unlike an old man’s hair it wasn’t thin and uniformly white. His hair was thick and lustrous, with hues of pale silver and white gold mixed amongst the strands of white, which gave it a considerably more appealing and exotic look. His eyes were also different. His irises were no longer violet, but were rather completely jet-black, as were the whites of his eyes.
The one good piece of news was that his ears were back to normal. If he covered up his eyes, then he could pass for a human, albeit a very strange looking one. He would have to find some kind of visor or see-through blindfold to mask his eerie eyes. He supposed that with time and the help of his magical constructs, he could cope without sight, but that would take time that he didn’t have.
He decided that he would worry about that later, and instead rummaged around the wagons for a shirt that wasn’t stained with blood. After finding one and putting it on, he stilled and looked towards the forest.
He sensed three beings there. He could feel their hunger as they crept towards him, and could make out their glowing red eyes. As they padded closer towards him, he could see them under the light. They looked feline, but they were bigger than mountain lions and had black mottled fur.
Saliva dripped from their open jaws and their yellow teeth glinted at him. “Well, it seems I have an opportunity to test out my new skills.”
Like before, he drew out another form of energy and channeled it into his body. It concentrated in his hands and feet and chilled the air around him. Water droplets crystallized around him, as he summoned the cold touch of death.
The beasts didn’t know what he could do, since if they did, they would have run away with their tails between their legs. Instead they leaped towards him, roaring and hissing. For his part, Warren merely waited, the promise of death in his eyes and two spears of ice forming in his hands.
This wasn't a hunt or a battle, it was mere target practice. One of the beasts seemed to sense his power when it got in range, and tried to pull back, but at that point it was already too late.