Chase and Kimiko crashed into the web of branches, the multiple impacts loosening her python grip on Chase allowing him to finally get free. As the branches slowed his descent to the forest floor, he reached out to grab anything but the hungering crystals consumed anything he touched. He was going to have to figure this out soon before he hurt someone he didn't mean too. He tried to deactivate them but they were out of control, he could feel them, the hunger… it was bottomless.

Pain rang out through his body, as a branch folded him in half. The respite from falling was short lived as the twisted form of his friend plowed through branches, its clawed hand grabbing his cape,yanking him towards the earth.

For a brief moment, he could see a flash of orange light spill from the top of the building, followed by a loud explosion. He prayed Tilly was alright. She had no idea what she was walking into but Chase had faith in her… When he met her she was being tortured, used as fuel, powering a Slaver's primitive energy supply. After freeing her, Hu and Chase gave her the chance to join their rag tag group, to help end the horrors she had to endure in the Harshlands. Her righteous flames blazed the path to where they were now, New Eidolon, the home they built together with Hu and folks like Kimiko wouldn't be the same without them.

THUD!

The creature slams into the ground, bones snap, air rushes out of it in a wretched wail.

Chase puts an arm out towards the ground. He had to time it perfectly but if he could expel a burst from his hand at the moment his crystals consumed the earth he could break his fall. The problem was, his crystals weren't listening.

He feels the quick sensation of satisfaction as a chunk of the ground vanishes, he tries to force out a burst of energy. He can feel it rush out from the deep, normally he could expel enough energy to knock someone back a few feet, it helped him with some movement too but this..

His arm crackled with power as a wave of chaotic energy burst from his hand. The ground indented, debris and dirt flew everywhere. Anything or anyone not tied down went flying. Kimiko's limp body was blown into a tree trunk, snapping even more bones.

Chase flipped about in the air until his body whipped onto the forest floor. Another pang shot out from the base of his skull, it felt like a dam's wall cracking, power surging through his body. The crystals ached with hunger pains, he tried getting up but he collapsed into a newly carved hole. He had to figure this out, he had to hold off the hunger. He focused, summoning the will to not devour.

The Crystals ate, but barely, allowing him to get up.

The world spun as he stood up, blood dripped from his wounds, ticking like a metronome. The Sourcer encampment stirred in confusion, their attention drawn to the battered stranger who just fell from the canopy. From inside the building the Sourcer leader bellowed out her siren like scream.

"Intruders! Kill on site!"

"It's him! Get him!" A sourcer shouted, the voices rising into a bloodthirsty excitement.

The creature that was once Kimiko rose from the ground, its form more grotesque and monstrous each passing minute. It let out a haunting roar from its alien vocal chords, the sound unlike anything he had heard before.

He slid into a fighting stance, no way he was getting through this, his arms grew heavy.

"You wanna eat? Then let's eat!" He said, looking into the swirling abyss of energy living in his crystal arms.

Suddenly a flaming ball of flesh crashed through the trees, landing in the soon to be battlefield. It moans as it slowly rises to its feet, rotten flesh melting and popping in the flames that cover its body.

Tilly flies down and circles Chase. She looks him up and down and takes position at his back.

"You look like shit." She says to him, trying to hide the worry on her face.

"What the actual fuck is going on? This is the weirdest shit I have ever seen. What's up with your crystal thingys?"

Chase coughs, droplets of blood sprinkle his lips, she had great timing, solo he wasn't making it far but together they could make an escape path and get the hell out of here.

"We make a path and get the hell out of here… the scout team, Kimiko... they are gone. The Sourcers are headed for New Eidolon, We gotta warn them. These things… They call them the Chosen. I think they were dead or at least close to it.`` He looks around, the crowd of Sourcers begin encroaching on them. The two abominations begin to rise, the giant one's charred skin still smoldering from Tilly's flames.

"Is that? Is that Kimiko?" Tilly's heart sank as the creature lumbered towards them. Dragging Its one arm that now resembled a large twisted club. It snarls at them as black blood dribbles from its mouth.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Was…" Chase said with a lump in his throat. He could feel the temperature rapidly rise, the air became hard to breathe.

"I am going to enjoy frying these creeps." She said through clenched teeth, her tears sizzling out as they rolled down her cheeks.

"We can't leave her like this.."

Chase nods in agreement, bolts of energy and other projectiles zing past them, the ring of foes collapsing in on them. They rush towards the chosen first, if they finish off the vile form of their friend fast they could escape into the forest. They had to get back home, they had to warn them of the approaching danger.

Tilly dodges a slow but crushing swing from the Titan, blasting it in the back with a beam of blue flame cauterizing a crevasse into its shoulder. It staggers forward, Chase maneuvers into striking range, throwing a punch into its torso, releasing a pulse of energy through his fist. The blow removed a sizable amount of flesh from the Titan's midsection. The pulse of energy ripped through its body, black fluid spraying from multiple points on its body. It slid across the ground never losing its balance. It didn't show any signs of pain, and the damage inflicted on it didn't seem to slow it down.

A group of Sourcers ran past the wounded creature, charging to attack Chase. The Titan snatched one up and took a massive bite out of the back of their neck. Chase watched in awe as its wounds slowly crept away, its body began shifting, its hulking form growing.

Tilly kept her distance from Kimiko, dancing around her attacks like a humming bird. Chase told her she was gone, but she still had to try. She pleaded with her friend, begged for any sign of her old self. The creature snarled and spit black liquid from its mouth, its black eyes were soulless. A few Sourcers found their way into her showdown with Kimiko, she made them pay for their audacity and now they were just piles of carbon, smoldering in the dirt.

"Once last chance Kimi…" she said, working up her courage. She looked over towards Chase. She must have scared the Sourcers away from her, they had begun converging on him instead. She didn't know what was going on with his powers, but when she was near him she felt something was off. Not evil or dark, but menacing. She could also tell he was hurt. She needed to finish this and go bail him out for the hundredth time.

Kimiko swung her mutated arm at Tilly and she dodged with ease.

"Good bye Kimi." She said, flying behind her wrapping her arms around her tumor ridden body. The dark forest floor was washed over with blinding light, the flames turning her into nothing but ash. Tilly's scream bounced off the ancient buildings and trees, as the light of her flame faded away.

Chase clawed at a Sourcers face, he was rushing at him with some kind of electric powers. Most of these cultists had mediocre to weak powers, but they sure were tenacious. His face vanished, blood and gray matter splattered everywhere. They came at him like lemmings, hoping one would land a lucky blow. He had training, his uncle made him fight groups with much stronger abilities then these scrubs, and that was before his powers had awakened.

He was starting to gain control of them, the hunger was there but he could temper it, hold back the amount they consumed.

He watched as Tilly ended the nightmare that was once Kimiko. It broke his heart, but it had to be done. None of his people would be used as monstrosities for the Sourcers. More Sourcers poured out of the ancient structure joining the fray. They wouldn't last much longer. A flame like that from Tilly must have taken a lot out of her and he was beaten to shit. He fought his way to Tilly's position, his hungry claws feeding off the Sourcers in his way. Tilly moved to meet him halfway, clearing a path for him.

"Head for the…" Chase's words are cut short. He looked down to see a twisted claw piercing his abdomen, his eyes widened as he looked into the face of his assailant.

"Victor..?" Chase managed to spit out along with a glob of blood. He went to move his arms but they were so heavy. The chosen Victor sneered at Chase, locking its black eyes onto his neck.

"CHAAAASE!"

Tilly screamed out as the creature moved to take a bite out of Chase. He burst towards them, but she wasn't going to make it in time.

WOOH, WOOH, WOOH, WOOH, SPLICH!

A blade spins out from the darkness, severing Victor's arm. Chase falls to his knees as Victor's jaw snapped, missing the nape of his neck by millimeters. Jontha came crashing down from above, landing between Chase and Victor. He grabs his blade and slices at the creature, but cuts nothing but air. Victor was now standing next to the Titan. He was fast before, but his new movement bordered on teleportation. It seemed to be studying its transformation, it held its severed stump up and matter stretched and twisted forming a curved sharp appendage.

"Tilly! Get him out of here! You have to get him home." He gave Chase's raging crystals a worrisome look. "Time is running out!" He shouts, guarding Chase with brutally elegant swings of his blade.

Tilly flew up to Chase, she scorched the earth around them creating a ring of fire, stopping the onslaught of mad cultists from attacking.

She grabbed Chase, she could feel his arms pulling hers in.

"No!" Chase choked out before going limp. Tilly couldn't feel their pull anymore as the rapid faded away. Tilly lifts Chase up and looks at Jontha.

"What about you?" Tilly asks Jontha.

He ponders for a second, then takes his blade and cuts off his hand. He wraps it and his blade in Chase's cape.

"Make it hot enough... it will take some time, but it will work." He says bracing himself for ultimate pain.

Tilly nods, flames erupt from under her feet. She lifts off from the ground, aims her feet at Jontha and flies away. The blue jets of fire burning him, Jontha collapses into the burning ground.

She flies as fast and hard as she can, pushing past her limits, as blasts from the Sourcers zip past her. She blasts through the canopy as branches grab and tear at her until she finally breaks free from the trees out into the open night sky. She uses the light of the shattered moon to find her way back to the outpost. It would take days to reach New Eidolon. She looks at her unconscious friend, a lump formed in her throat.

"Hang in there your Highness…. Hu will patch you up no problem.."