I think that something sought the Pure Energy stream and dug a tunnel to access it directly. For one such as I, that would be a long project, but not an impossible one, Kalanthia offers casually.

“I thought you said that Pure Energy was dangerous to all but the most powerful of beasts?” I interject in confusion.

It is.

“Then why would one want to access it directly?”

Touching Pure Energy is dangerous; being in its vicinity is not. I narrow my eyes at that.

“I was poisoned when I was near it,” I argue.

Because you have a Core but are terribly weak, she responds with hurtful nonchalance. I puff up, wanting to refute her words but struggling to find a way that doesn’t leave me sounding like a child. She clearly notices my affront. It is not meant as an insult, merely a statement of fact. Why do you think so many creatures used to be drawn to you and driven to attack? My metaphorical hackles lay back down a little at her even tone and question.

“I don’t know. I thought it was just something about this place,” I admit. “Though I’ve wondered at their lack of survival instinct.”

It is because you had a Core at a level of weakness which no Beast would ever have. Even those Beasts born with one have so many natural advantages that they would still be stronger than you were when we first met. And even then they are closely guarded by their parents until they can easily defend themselves. To gain a Core, we must fight and kill many, many creatures. Your aura is stronger now, but when we first met, your aura was weak, and yet you had a Core. Any Beast which had not yet reached the Core stage would have seen you as easy prey.

“I understand,” I say, actually a little happy to finally have the answer to a question which had been bugging me for ages – why so many creatures attacked me when their downfall was almost guaranteed. If they thought I was easy prey for some reason, it makes more sense. “And now?”

Now your aura is more similar in strength to any other with a fairly new Core. As a result, those without a Core will be more cautious about attacking you. Hmm, maybe that’s why we didn’t get attacked on our way back to the cave? Or maybe it was the whole group that was the deterrent. Although to Beasts in the Core stage, the damage your Core has sustained is the equivalent of a bleeding wound in the side of a fragile and vulnerable prey-beast – while your aura is much stronger, it is clear to those at the Core stage or beyond that your physical strength is still very poor.

“So...I’m now not on the menu for creatures below Core stage, but for creatures at Core stage, I’m now their favourite appetiser?”

Essentially, she replies with amusement. I wish I could share her light-heartedness, but hearing that I’ve exchanged being constantly attacked by creatures for being attacked by more powerful creatures is more depressing than funny.

“Actually,” I start quickly as a thought occurs. “You mentioned gaining a Core from killing many beasts? Is that what you call evolution? River seemed to think that it was possible from absorbing Energy-Hearts. Or are they Cores? Either way, how does all that work? And am I going to evolve?”

So many questions, Kalanthia comments with amusement. Well, I suppose this all falls under my promise to offer you knowledge of this world that I gave the first time you saved Lathani. She yawns and stretches, revealing razor-sharp teeth. First, your final question. That actually doesn’t fall under the purview of this world. So unless you wish to use your boon to extend your possible questions…? I shake my head.

“Not now, anyway,” I qualify my answer. Perhaps I’ll change my mind later but I’ve still got ideas for what I want to use Kalanthia’s boon for. More exciting ideas than just getting a bit more information.

Very well. Now, for Beasts. What your Bound calls Energy-Hearts, and what I call Cores are similar in essence, though not entirely the same in practicality. Energy-Hearts offer Energy which is far...purer than those of Cores. While this might seem like only a benefit, it is possible to have too much of a good thing – as you experienced with the stream of Pure Energy.

“Are they dangerous to use?” I ask, feeling a little alarmed.

Not in moderation. As long as you do not rely on them exclusively, or spend many sun cycles of continual constant Energy absorption from them, you and your Bound should be fine. That’s a relief.

“And Cores from beasts? Are they better or worse to use?”

Cores are formed from Energy that has already been processed by a Beast’s body and soul. As such, it is already...aligned by the Beast’s strengths and weaknesses. Using the wrong kind of Core can do damage, but using the right kind will be highly beneficial. For Beasts – I know not whether this applies to humans.

“I see,” I respond thoughtfully, my mind racing with the implications. I’m still holding onto the salamander’s Core – I was planning on giving it to Bastet since she’d suffered so much in the fight. With what I now know, I worry that it might actually put her in danger again. I’ll need to think on this. For now, though… “Are all beasts born with Cores, then?” I ask, focusing on Kalanthia again.

The majority of Beasts are not born with Cores. As I mentioned before, only the most powerful of races are born with a Core, and it gives them a significant advantage. I’d forgotten she’d said that. For the rest of us, we must absorb Energy in great quantities, most easily done through killing and absorbing Energy from our opponent.

There are other ways which don’t require the death of the other, and there are a variety of natural methods too, however they all have the same purpose. Like water trickling down a rock-face, bit by bit, the Energy rushing through us makes an impression and forms channels. Where these channels meet, the pressure builds until, in a single moment of transition, a Core is formed and the Beast enters the Core Stage.

It is small at first; as before, Energy is required to help it to grow until the next transition point is reached. Being as they are condensed Energy, Cores, whether internally or externally formed, are the most efficient way of working towards Core formation. Beasts which have not yet reached the transition point sense this, and hunger for any Core they can find. As far as I am aware, there are few differences between Beast and Human Cores; the key one is that Human Cores are not naturally gained like a Beast’s.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“What’s the next Stage?” I ask, fascinated. Kalanthia huffs again, this time in amusement.

A long way off, little cub, she tells me. Your Core is still far too small to be concerned about what comes next. I cross my arms, a bit irritated with her dismissal.

“You said yourself – humans are different. Maybe we reach the next stage quicker than you do.”

Or maybe you will never reach it, she counters. With how unnatural it is, I would not be at all surprised.

“Fine,” I concede before trying another tack. “But what about my Bound? I imagine they will have to go through this process.”

Indeed, she agrees, but as none of them as yet even has a Core, they do not need to know the next step yet. I give up – for now. Clearly she’s not wanting to tell me, but maybe she will once one of my Bound reaches the next stage. Actually, on that point…

“Can you tell?” I ask her curiously. She tilts her head to one side questioningly. “How close my companions are to the Core stage?”

Your larnatis is the closest. I can sense that she is almost ready, Kalanthia tells me. Larnatis… I wrack my brains, finally remembering that that is her name for the raptorcats. As for the others… She pauses, her gaze going distant. The lizard-kin is the next closest, but is still a good distance from his threshold. I did not pay much attention to your rocas or alvan, but I do not believe they are very close.

“Uh, the alvan runs and has a good sense of smell and the rocas flies?” I venture, using process of elimination.

No, the other way around.

“OK, gotcha,” I say making a mental note. Interesting that Kalanthia can tell with a reasonable degree of accuracy according to what my Bound tab tells me about my companions. “And what happens when a creature gains a Core?” Kalanthia shifts in her version of a shrug.

It very much depends on the Beast. Some grow significantly in strength, others in intelligence. Some gain an ability to affect the world around them – I gained my ability to manipulate the earth as a result of my Core forming. Some may become faster, or more impervious to harm. Some even transform physically, like I would guess that fire-breathing lizard you fought did.

“Wait,” I stop her. “You don’t think that the salamander gained an ability to breathe fire from Core formation, then?”

Growth doesn’t stop with Core formation, Markus Wolfe. Given the great number of fire-aspected Cores the lizard had access to, and the sheer density of Energy in the area, it would not be surprising if it entered a small, mundane lizard, and came out a large fire-breathing one.

“OK, so in short,” I start, wanting to summarise. “Gaining a Core is your version of levelling up. Beasts gain a Core by absorbing Energy, either through killing or absorbing Cores.” I frown. “Wait, how does the fire-aspect come in? You seemed to indicate that you didn’t think this was from the salamander gaining a Core.”

What do you know of how Cores form externally to the body?

“Apart from what you said earlier about them being purer Energy, nothing,” I answer immediately, though my brow furrows as I think through information I’d gained, my increased Intelligence helping me make links. “However, if I had to guess...you said that Cores inside the body are created by a number of channels putting pressure on a single spot, right?” Kalanthia sends a wave of confirmation at me. Frankly, the process sounds fairly similar to the creation of a star, only with actual channels rather than just gas condensing. “So what if the same conditions were created outside the body? A high Energy-density in an area causing enough pressure to create Cores.”

Well reasoned, Kalanthia praises. Indeed, Cores, or what your Bound would call Energy-Hearts, are found in areas of extremely high Energy-density. Normally, close to where Pure Energy is confined. My eyes go wide.

“So that’s why there were so many Cores in the cavern…” Then I frown. “But wait, that doesn’t make sense. There were many Cores in that cavern, but none in the tunnel leading from it, and none in the tunnel with the actual stream of Pure Energy.”

Though I doubt that the pressure of Energy ever became powerful enough to form them in the tunnel leading to the surface, I do not believe that there were never Cores in the tunnel with the Pure Energy itself. My eyebrows lift.

“You think that whatever created the tunnel harvested a whole load of Cores?

That is my guess. I muse over the idea, something seeming wrong with it. Kalanthia’s theory seems to be that a creature somehow detected the Pure Energy stream, burrowed down to it, harvested the Cores, and then, what, went away? When there were loads more in the section of the other tunnel? And who – or what – created the other tunnel? It just doesn’t quite make sense to me.

“You said before that I suffered from Energy poisoning because I was weak,” I say slowly, my mind ticking over it all.

Yes, Kalanthia answers shortly, her mental tone curious and slightly amused.

“The corollary of that is that others, who are stronger, wouldn’t suffer from Energy poisoning. Is that right?”

It is.

“So you believe whatever created the tunnel to be weak? Only coming to briefly grab what resources it could and then disappearing?” Kalanthia hesitates.

No, she answers slowly. Although I would be able to garner more from being there in person, the tunnel seemed like the work of a strong Earth-shaper. Either that, or they took many, many cycles to do it. Earth, and stone in particular, does not like to be hurried and requires a great deal of mana to make it move quickly.

“Then why would the creature not have stayed longer and benefited from the excellent Energy-absorption rates there? Or can Beasts not absorb Energy like that?” I ask before immediately correcting myself. “Except that you mentioned about beasts down in the valley preferring to stay near the lakes rather than kill each other.”

Below the Core stage, Energy-absorption is significantly less effective, Kalanthia admits. Killing creatures is by far the most effective way of forming a Core as the greater the quantity, the quicker it is to create channels and apply the necessary pressure to form the Core. However, a constant Energy-absorption at the level you have described would be even more effective than killing the beasts around here.

It makes no sense for the creature’s aim to be the Cores, then. It must have had some other aim. I put that question on the backburner to try to figure out later as I deal with another of the issues.

“But why would the beast have consumed the Cores in the tunnel, but have left the ones in the cavern untouched?”

Perhaps it did not know they were there, suggests Kalanthia.

“But how could it not have known they were there when it tunneled up past them? And why did it tunnel up when it already had a perfectly good tunnel? And why create such a long, relatively gentle slope in one tunnel, and then create a bigger, far steeper other tunnel?” I feel like pulling my hair out.

I believe there is a much simpler explanation, Kalanthia offered.

“I’m listening,” I tell her, feeling frustrated.

The beast which created the tunnel down to the Pure Energy stream was not the one to create the tunnel out of it.