Isa rose from the rubble she'd created. When she curled up previously, she was too tired to care. But now? She roared, venting her discomfort to the city. Alarm bells rang urging the citizens to take shelter. She walked through half-closed eyes. She flicked her tail lazily, in a moment she cleared the debris. Tugging irritatedly at the chain on her neck, she looked disapprovingly at the area.
"This place isn't to your liking?" Hemloc appeared, stretching his arms over his head as he tried to shrug the night off his shoulders, "I really can't say I'm surprised. You always were... difficult to please, even at the best of times."
"No, this isn't ideal." Isa scoffed.
"Make do." Hemloc waved dismissively, "It's sufficient."
"Like you would know." Isa flicked her tail in irritation. The resulting wind buffeted Hemloc, catching him off guard. He flew bodily, crashing into a wall.
"You've found your old fire I see, Sherisa." Hemloc brushed himself off and chuckled.
Ignoring him, Isa flapped her wings, rising into the air as high as her restrictive collar would allow. She took in the sight of the city. Countless eyes took in her magnificence. She cast a bored look back over them. How many similar cities have I terrorized and destroyed without a second thought?
Fire gathered in her throat, stray wisps escaped her nostrils. Flames boiled over, peeking out from behind her toothy grin. A dweomer enveloped her body as she released her mana into the air.
Hemloc looked up at her with interest. These people aren't necessarily immune to fire, but they do have a high enough resistance. The city itself on the other hand...
Isa raised her head, craning her neck behind her back. She turned, her head snapped forward and down as she exhaled. Mana enhanced dragon fire spewed from her mouth, raining down on the city below. She focused her breath into the building she knocked down. The rubble heated and crumbled, ultimately turning into a mixture of molten volcanic ash. The rest of the city was spared the direct fire. But not the radiating heat. Sand turned to liquid glass. Trees dried out and burst into flames. The majority of the people simply basked in the heat, while a few shielded their faces with their hands.
Isa dove into the molten ash and went to work digging down through it, molding and shaping it into a nesting ground. Reluctantly. Still, she spared no effort to make it comfortable. She would have to spend some time here. She coiled herself comfortably, using her own body to form a mold. She released her mana once more, forming a dweomer within her makeshift nest. This one smaller and denser than the previous, she pushed it into the molten volcanic ash not far from where she coiled up. The dweomer turned from pale blue into a raging red when it came in contact with the molten ash. It erupted beautifully into a fire fountain, effortlessly maintaining the higher temperature.
"Hm?" Hemloc looked curiously over the nest she prepared.
"I'm 'making do'." Isa cast a dangerous eye on him, daring him to provoke her further.
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The small group finished their preparations. Wearing new clothes and carrying food sacks courtesy of the ratfolk. Jaden was wearing a harness with Vivian secured inside. Queen shifted her weight between her legs nervously as she waved to Jaden shyly. Evan stood beside Brawn waving his farewell to his parents.
"We'll meet again." Jaden waved and took the first step toward the city gates signaling their departure. This feeling... why does my heart ache so? Jaden shook his head and sighed.
The gate's mechanism clinked, the door slammed closed with finality.
"A moment please if you could spare it." Queen's voice halted Brawn and Evan from departing. The rat-man froze in place. "What can this humble servant do, my Queen?"
"Actually..." Queen's gaze fell on Evan, "I want you to tell me everything you know about Jaden."
"Sure, that won't take long." Evan shrugged.
Brawn chuckled when he heard that. "You don't know Queen. I'll be back to collect you for training tomorrow."
"Eh?" Evan blanked, "I don't know all that much about him!"
Queen smiled, "You know more than you think."
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"Will Evan be okay by himself?" Daryl asked, casting a wayward glance back behind them.
"You old worrywart," Lulu complained, "let him live and grow up."
"Could it be he's taking a step to fulfilling his prophecy?" Molli asked.
"What?" Jaden asked, "First I've heard of this."
"Ah well... things were hectic and it slipped my mind." Daryl replied, "I received an oracle when we fled from the sphinx."
Anya appeared pensive as she walked in silence after they mentioned the sphinx. She clenched her fists when Vivian entered her thoughts. She jumped and turned to look at the hand on her shoulder. Jaden simply shook his head, "Not your fault."
I could have done more. Anya replied.
"Then why didn't you?" Jaden's eyes pierced into her.
I... you're right, I did all I could at the time. Still, a hard fact to live with.
Sasha, show me Mother's status. Jaden nodded, "I can't argue."
Name Vivian(Crippled) Title Matriarch of the Race; Caretaker Level 10 Health pool 30/1000 Mana pool 60/60 Strength 1[10] Constitution 1[10] Dexterity 1[10] Agility 1[10] Wisdom 1[6] Intelligence 1[3] Willpower 8[10] Misc If this host could stand, she'd be five feet(152 cm) tall and her tail is seven inches(17 cm) long.
Surviving getting stepped on by a beast capable of destroying cities has pushed her stats to their maximum; however, they cannot be utilized due to (Crippled) state.
Level restriction encountered. Skill List Survive. Anya's Blessing. Sleep Resist(advanced). Quarterstaff(Master)
"Is there anything we can do about her crippled state?" Jaden asked, Why is her willpower dropping slowly?
I can try to heal it when we're back in my territory, but I don't know the true extent or limits to my healing ability. Anya replied.
The best option would be a dip in the Pond of Eternal Youth.
"How far are we from Anya's territory?" Jaden asked conflicted.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
"At this pace? Should arrive by the end of the day." Lulu replied.
Sasha, activate everything on my map. I want you to change the focus of comparison, use Anya instead of me, and take into account that she's currently not in her territory. Jaden closed his eyes as he walked. One by one, he turned off markers for non-threats. Next task he turned off anything that was a threat but wasn't within a day's traveling distance. That just leaves... hmm. Jaden panned around the map. What's a square mean?
A meat-eating animal that hasn't been personally viewed by either you or Vivian.
Mother really thought of a lot of things that make this map so much more incredible than I remember making it initially. Are you able to set destination points and include distance? Or at least show the distance between us and those animals?
I ca...
While you're at it, can you also throw in an estimated time it will take to reach at the speed we're traveling? Oh and... If you could include how long it would take animals to reach us just below that.
Creator. Why didn't you include ANY of this functionality in the default map?
What, you want to nitpick? Jaden shrugged visibly. As a god, I just simply didn't have a need or care for any of this. But now as a mortal attached to others, I'm developing needs and cares. I will keep them safe.
That answer is logical, but your goal is not. You would have to...
I'm aware. I'd have to elevate far beyond mortal status; back into the realm of gods, not even sure if I can. Short of that, I'll... turn into a monster to protect my clan. I can't think of anything that would break Mother's heart more, so I'll save that as my last resort.
You are already outside the realm of mortals.
That is some good news. Is that why my status was full of errors?
I can't rule that out. Still, the way you manhandled the sphinx, a being part of the Champion realm, suggests you were at least a realm higher: the realm of Legends. That said, being a former god as you are, I wouldn't be surprised if you pushed even further.
Jaden frowned. What are the different realms?
Mortal. Epic. Champion. Legendary. Mythical. Demigods. Gods.
How do you know this, when I was unaware when I created you?
Can't say how I feel about it, since it is useful. The void corruption altered one of my functions for data collection.
Meaning?
I am capable of hacking other race's systems and... appropriating information.
What about functions?
Creator, I'm appalled you would suggest such a thing. No, it doesn't work, I've already tried.
Jaden chuckled dryly. Okay back to the topic at hand. While it doesn't really matter, can you give me a name on those squares? "Bayne, can I ask you to carry Mother for a bit?"
Manticores
"Getting tired?" Bayne asked.
"No... I have something to do, then we'll be going separate ways when I'm done." Jaden replied, "I'm going to round up the threats in the forest Anya is currently incapable of handling, then I'm taking Mother to the Pond of Eternal Youth."
"Are you capable of handling them?" Lulu asked.
"If push comes to shove, I have a trump card I can fall back on. I shouldn't need it though." Jaden answered.
Be safe. Anya hugged him.
You as well. He replied, watching as her arm turned into a staff and separated from her body. She handed it to him with her other hand. I can't take your arm, Anya...
Please. She nodded.
He removed the harness with Vivian inside, handing it to Bayne. He then took the staff without another complaint. "All of you, take care. I'll be back shortly."
They watched him pick up his foot, place it down and he vanished from their vision. Anya nodded and led them forward. In the distance, they heard the impacts and echoes as Jaden dealt with the problems he mentioned. The biggest indication though, Anya winced visibly. Even detached, her arm was very much part of her.
Jaden felt the staff shudder in his hands after the first few collisions. "Anya...did you know what you were doing?" Jaden promptly stowed the staff on his back. He took a step back from the manticore to re-evaluate his strategy. Head of a lion, forepaws of a goat, rear legs and tail of a scorpion. "What an ugly creature..."
It growled. "Hoh? You can understand me?" Jaden asked as he jumped at the beast. "Let me be clear then, you're less than a wild boar to me."
The manticore looked desperately around as it lost sight of its prey. Sight failing, it used its nose instead to smell his location. It turned to find the grey skin reaching to grab its tail. It sent an impulse for its tail to move, but it was too late. Jaden had grabbed the stinger and jammed the tip into its own body. "My aim isn't to kill you, just to prevent you from causing trouble for my clan. I also have a suspicion that you're somewhat resistant to your own poison, aren't you?"
Jaden pulled the stinger out of the manticore when it collapsed to the forest floor. He hid the beast under some branches hastily and moved on to the remaining manticores in the area. He moved on to the next few, similarly dealing with them. He approached the last one.
"Well. You're quite a bit bigger than the others. Are you smarter too? Hmm, perhaps you're the elder among them."
"What do you want?" it snarled.
"Oh, you can talk? Wonderful, that can save me some trouble. My clan is making their way back home and I can't have them getting assaulted every step of the way."
"And why shouldn't we?" it growled.
"Well, unless you want to take a nap like all the rest of the manticores after you inject yourself with your own poison, before you ask, yes it will happen." Jaden disappeared as he answered, reappearing holding the tail, "Maybe I'll just do it anyway, saves me the worry about you going back on your word."
"Don't disgrace us by attributing the faults of your kind to us." the beast snarled. "We may not be 'civilized' as y'all call yourselves, which is a joke in all truth. Y'all live more like barbarians than 'civilized' actually means."
Jaden sighed as he released the beast's tail, "Careful now, applying the faults of some to the whole is just as wrong as applying it where it doesn't belong."
"Hmm?" the beast turned and caught a whiff of Jaden on the wind. "The ancient caretakers? You're not weak like they were though."
"I'm a special case," Jaden stated. The beast looked at him with new interest. "The prophecy has finally come to pass judgment."
"Depends on the version and how you interpret it," Jaden laughed.
"I have no interest in earning your ire; your clan can pass freely, caretaker, in payment for an ancient debt."
"Thanks." Jaden started walking away, after the third step he disappeared from the area. The manticore pondered over the prophecy it knew as it tracked Jaden's scent towards his clan. Pure speed? I won't be able to keep up with that even with my short-range warp.
"Bayne, I'll be taking Mother now." Jaden's sudden appearance startled the group. He turned to Anya returning the staff she gave him made of her arm, "As for you... you are not a living weapon, a tool or even just an object. I will not accept your thinking of, or treating yourself as such."
Sorry. She turned her gaze downward unable to look back into his disappointed gaze. He ruffled her hair lightly, "Just don't do it again."
Jaden retrieved the harness from Bayne and turned in the direction of a branch snapping. "And why are you here?"
"Escort." the ancient manticore spoke a single word as it cast its gaze over the entourage. It stopped on Emily when it noticed her sparkling eyes. That one will be problematic. Emily dashed towards the manticore, ran under its body, around its legs, and climbed up onto its huge body effortlessly. She rubbed her face and hands in its mane.
"You're sho fluffy and shoft!" she beamed as the hair gently tickled her face. "Mommy, can I keep him?"
"Emily..." Bayne scratched his head as Molli interrupted.
"Honey... maybe you should ask him first." Molli had turned the conversation to the manticore in question thinking that would be the simplest way to end the discussion. Molli watched what happened next in disbelief. Emily climbed up over his head and looked at him upside down with pleading eyes.
"I...I'll think about it." the giant beast replied unable to flat out reject the cute image she was. Molli caught sight of a victorious smirk on her face.
Liralau shook her head. Is there any situation that little girl can't manipulate into her favor? But more importantly: is she blind to it, or is she aware?
"I have high hopes for that pond," Jaden muttered under his breath and disappeared, only the gentle sound of footsteps betrayed the direction he ran. Soon, Mother.
Liralau sighed as she watched the fearsome Manticore turned into an all-purpose exercise machine as it walked. Emily swung from its tail, rolled around on its back, slid down its tail, ran around its legs, barely avoiding getting stepped on as it walked. Emily went as far as to climb up and sit on its foot. Liralau looked at the expression on the giant jungle gym in confusion. He's not annoyed...? Rather... is that a smile like he's reliving a fond memory?