The sound of a sporadic thumping pulled Kalyin awake. Fighting off the lethargy He blinked trying to clear his blurry vision. An orange glow surrounded the edges of his vision causing him to squint as he tried to view his surroundings. Bright spots of light flickered across in a kaleidoscope of color. He couldn’t make anything out.

Attempting to move made his head spin and that was when he realized he couldn’t feel anything. He tried to twitch a finger. Or did he? He couldn’t tell. Turning his head he found it difficult but doable. His blurry vision shifted slightly to the right. Something pushed back against him, pushing his head back into place. The glow and colors started to hurt his head so he closed his eyes. That was fine, he didn’t need them to find out where he was. But he would get to that later. Trying to ignore the dangerously slow beating of his heart Kalyin focused his attention towards his core. A steady amount of Mana was filtering into it and he grimaced inwardly. Tightening himself around it again he cut off the flow. Hopefully, he had not been unconscious long. Reaching towards his mana he paused remembering the voice he had heard as he had exited the cocoon his body had been created in. His body had felt a need and that need had been strong enough to manifest in his mind and affect his magic. That was a problem he was going to have to look into before he finalized the merge.

Kalyin took a quick second to check over his soul. Aside from the damage caused by the man on his throne and the fatigue of the summoning everything seemed in order. The fusing process with the body looked as if it had gone off without a hitch. The last connection that Kalyin needed to finalize was the connection to his new body’s core. That would anchor his soul for good and allow him to use the mana within it. A second glance told him that his new body’s innate magic hadn’t kicked in. That was not a good sign and meant that the last connection was going to be a little tricky. Innate magic was magic that the body used without being aware it was using it and always depended on the individual. It was a very tricky magic to anticipate. Eyeing the minuscule amount of mana in his core Kalyin realized it might not have been a good idea to consume as much of the excess mana as he had. The amount that had gathered would have been enough to start his Innate magic without an issue had he not been wounded. Now that he was he would need a much larger amount so his body could use the excess to heal as it changed.

In normal summoning the summoned lost a sizeable chunk of their mana in the transference between planes. This mana protected them as they traveled insuring the body and soul remained together and intact ready for whatever their summoner wanted them for. Soul summons was different. The soul emerged to a created body with no mana of its own. Once in its new home, it found itself with an empty core. That changed the second it stepped from within the cocoon. The core may have been empty but the newly created form surrounding it was charged with residual mana left from the circle and its own construction. This mana flooded inwards, filling the empty core. The core either managed to contain this mana or overflowed jumpstarting the body’s Innate magic. The severity of change to the body depended on the amount and types of materials used in its creation. It almost always resulted in the summoned losing conciseness. If the innate magic had already been activated during the body’s creation the summoned skipped a large part of the excruciatingly painful merging process but instead found themselves facing a massive amount of power ready to flood through them. This forced them to immediately use the mana or risk a burnout from attempting to contain it.

Kalyin himself had effectively halted the entire process as he emerged from the cocoon allowing him to hold off on the final step. Now he had to go through it, under unideal conditions. This was going to be painful. A wave of exhaustion washed over him and he fought back against the lethargy. Unwrapping several layers of himself from around his core he allowed mana to stream steadily into it as the darkness swallowed him and he fell asleep again.

“Would you like an update on the world my lord?” Narchis asks as he steps out of the shadows across from me. Tearing my gaze from my trembling hand give him a brief nod is I submerge it beneath the water. I really should not have shifted so soon after awakening.

“How long was I asleep for first?” I asked leaning back into the warmth of the hot springs that sit deep beneath my home.

“Eight years.”

I raise my eyebrows. “I am glad you decided to wake me rather than make that poor boy wait the remaining two years before delivering his message.”

If shadows could look guilty they would look as they were now. “The thought had crossed my mind. Narchis coughed. “My brethren and I believed you needed the rest and nothing of any significant note has happened until recently. Though after a month passed I thought it best you were woken.”

“The others did not share your opinion on waking me did they?”

The shadows shifted apologetically. “No. They believed the affair of such short-lived mortals of minor concern to you.”

I lean back closing my eyes. “And yet the last time I slept uninterrupted an entire nation rose under their noses with the ambition to conquer the world.”

I feel the shadows in the room ripple with displeasure. “To be fair that ambition is honestly impossible.”

“Oh, I quite agree with you Narchis. To conquer the entire world is quite impossible. But this plane. Their world as they know it. That is quite possible and can be done.”

Narchis sat in thought for a minute. “If you wish me to return home?”

Sighing I sit up fixing him with a stare. “It is difficult to determine what is important and what Is not when it comes to the affairs of those that we view as nothing but specks beneath our feet. This fault is strongly ingrained in your brethren, some of them more than others. Terberis would have left the boy Pawlin to sit and wait until I awoke naturally in two years. You made the right decision in waking me and if you doubt yourself know that I thank you for doing so. There is a reason I have some of your brethren overseeing the longer lived races and you overseeing my more personal holdings.”

A mixture of satisfaction and relief flits across Narchis’s features. He pulls several sheets of paper from a shadow on the wall. “Then on to current business. The recent reports from my brethren have some things of note that have happened in the past several years.” He shuffles some of the papers around. “Three years ago two small Vampir clans formed in the north near the Frost-Tipped Mountains. So far they have been keeping the accord and continue to avoid the main clans to this day.” The papers rustle as Narchis pulls another sheet to the top of the pile. The dwarves continue to advance their mining techniques and mine deeper into the mountains. They have created something they call Thundercrashpowder and it has allowed them to dig deeper and faster than they have before. As a result, they have kept to themselves, continuing to explore the depths while only maintaining the bare basics of trade with the other races..” Another rustle as a page turns. “There is not much change from the elves of the plains or the seafolk in the deep. As for recent news, however.” The bundle is deposited in the shadow and a second one is handed to him by another. Narchis flips through it for a brief second. “Ah, here it is. The Torean military went on another campaign. This time to the south. There they are bringing the beastkin tribes under their rule. As of my latest report, there were only two or three clans that have still to cede to Torean rule.”

Vanishing the papers back into the shadows Narchis Picks up my robe throwing it over my shoulders as I pull myself out of the spring. “As for the situation here in the Dark Forest. There is currently a dispute over some hunting grounds between a group of Dark elves and forest elves. I also received a report of an unknown creature roaming the forest. The fairy hives know of it but have been keeping it all a secret which is odd.”

I chuckle as I climb the stairs towards the armory hall. “Never known a fairy to keep a secret have you Narchis?”

The shadows flicker in disapproval as we walk. “ I believe that they should not be keeping secrets. Especially from the one who gives them lodging.”

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Striding into the armory I find my gear laid out on one of the benches along the wall. “You haven’t been able to find this creature yourself?” The shadows writhe in frustration and what sounds like a hiss echoed through the hall. “NO.” Narchis shakes himself and the noise fades “My apologies my lord, I have tried and failed several times to find it. I know I have come close to it but somehow it still manages to elude me.”

“its fine,” I tell Narchis running my fingers over my familiar weapons and armor. “I’ll speak to the fairies before we leave the forest.”

“Then I believe that covers everything.” Narchis states. “Other than the Torean slavers that keep testing you borders that I mentioned in the study.”

With a nod, I turn to the task of rearming myself for the mortal world. Narchis vanishes into the shadows with a slight bow. “I’ll await you at the gate then.” The shadows around the hall still as he leaves and silence surrounds me again.

The sound of splashing accompanied by playful yips and growls pulled Kalyin awake. He felt so tired. His heartbeat was so slow. Opening his mouth to call for Narchis he remembered. There was defiantly something wrong in his soul. He should not be having these flashbacks. At least not this frequently. Checking on the mana in his core he found it a little over half full. He was running out of time Kalyin unwrapped the last of himself from around his core. As mana flooded his core he decided to get a quick look at his surroundings as it filled.

There was a momentary pause as Kalyin uncoiled himself. Light and pressure surround him. Then he stretched. He saw himself or rather his mana and tasted stone. A small cavern appeared in his mind. With a sigh, he expanded. Small crystals of mana dimmed on the floor as he passed by them. The sound of splashing went silent and he felt the two small creatures freeze above him. From the sounds, they must have been playing in a small pool. Leaving them alone He expanded further the taste of stone growing stronger. He must be underground. Changing his direction he sped upwards and was quickly met with the bright glare of mana. Life, lots of it. He found a forest ripe with mana and life. Careful not to get to close, a brilliant glare in the distance suddenly caught his attention. Kalyin turned. A massive line of pure mana stretched towards the horizon in the distance. With barely a thought Kalyin traveled towards it. It was only when the line flickered that he realized what he was doing. It took only a second for him to pull himself back coiling into his soul the pressure pressure of the world around him vanishing. But that second was all it took for someone to notice him.

A hooded figure appeared in the cavern a snap white mist wafting off it from its arrival. “What is one of your kind doing on my plane?” It growled

Kalyin did not reply and reached instead for his nearly full core. He was out of time. The last connection between his new body and soul slipped into place as he tapped into the mana in his core. A surge of heat blasted out from his chest a shiver racing from his head to his toes. It coursed down his spine and legs and as the mana flooded through his body it built a mental picture in his mind. Kalyin grimaced inwardly at the wounded state of his body. Charred black flesh covered his chest from where he had been struck by the mage and his spine was broken in three places. His right leg was a twisted mess of charred flesh and muscle and his right arm was gone. HI left arm was shattered form the elbow to his finger tips.

The cloaked figure stretched a finger towards him. “I demand an Answer. How did one of your kind enter my plain?”

There was a snap as the mana went to work his spine straightening the broken pieces fusing back together. The heat turned to pain. Kalyin’s twisted against what was holding him. Pain turned to agony. Hairline cracks spread across his bones, small shards of bone flaking off and pushing upwards through his flesh. Where they flaked off dark black bone could be seen forming beneath. Suddenly Kalyin couldn’t breathe. The figure leaned forward in front of him and held out his hand. His heart stopped beating.

There was a pulling sensation and Kalyin found himself standing at the edge of a pool of water. Mana crystals flickered on its bottom. Two white pups crouched in fear staring at the opposite wall. Kalyin looked up at his body. Only His face stuck out of the wall. His eyes rolling in their sockets. As he watched blood started to leak from them as his pupils collapsed compressing until they were mere slits. His mouth hung open in a silent scream. The stone was melting around him molten drops sliding down the wall into the pool with a hiss.

The hooded figure grabbed Kalyin by the shoulder a circle of mist spinning into existence next to it. “Leave my plane at once.” It pulled him towards the circle.

There was a muffled thump as Kalyin felt his heart start again and he was wretched towards the wall, out of the figures grasp, back to the blistering pain. Seconds later he found himself next to the figure again the misty circle gone.

“Not a good look for me is it?” Kalyin said nodding towards his face as he turned to the hooded figure next to him. “Thanks for pulling me out by the way it was getting really painful in there.”

“Answer the question. How did you get on my plane?”

Kalyin looked back at his body “I was summoned of course. How else do you think? It’s not like you gods just let people pop into your planes out of nowhere. I’m surprised you weren’t here sooner. Usually, the God of Death hates it when someone throws a wild soul into the mix. Especially three of them.”

“Three!” The God of Death roared spinning on him. A wave of white mist rolled off its body across the floor and Kalyin crouched cupping his hands down around the two small white pups cowering at the edge of the pool. The mist bounced off his hands rolling away. “Careful there little ones.” Kalyin whispered to them “best go home.” He nudged one with a finger as it looked around in terror. “Go on.” The pups turned scrambling towards a small hole in a far wall squeezing through and disappearing.

Smiling as he watcjed them leave Kalyin turned back to Death with a look of disdain. “You really did not know? A mage opens an untethered gate with the assistance of a demon and the God of Death is oblivious to it. They even usde souls to power the damn thing. How could you not know?”

The white mist rolled of Death in waves climbing the walls. Death angrily pointed a finger at him. “You will wait here. You will not leave and you will refrain from doing any more of that.” Death pointed to where the White mist did not cove, curling away from a section of black stone that surrounded Kalyin’s body and spread underneath the pool. “I will be sending a chosen for you. You will listen to every word they say and they will bring you to one of my temples. We will discuss what to do with you then. Understood.”

Kalyin looked Death in the eye. “I would make that Chosen come quickly. I have my own plans to attend to.” Death let out a growl and vanished with a wave of his hand. Kalyin was jerked back to his body and burned and burned and burned.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GreyFang scented deer. Hunkering down in the tall shrubbery he froze waiting for movement. A young Buck steeped into view among the trees. A small set of antlers glowing in the fading light. The buck walked carefully through the tree towards him testing the air every several steps. It couldn’t scent him he sat upwind the buck strolled towards him until it was within striking distance.

GreyFang lunged from his hiding spot his powerful jaws locking around the buck’s throat. His sudden weight tumbling the buck down to the ground. It thrashed, its antlers glowing as it prepared to retaliate. It was too young to know that it should have done that the second it realized he was there. GreyFang clamped down locking his powerful jaws. Pulling he ripped a massive chunk out of the buck’s throat. A blast of white light blasted from the buck’s antlers blowing a chunk out of a tree as GreyFang Leapt clear. The buck thrashed on the ground wheezing. It was dead minutes later.

Quickly eating his fill he dragged the remainder of the carcass into a large group of shrubbery. It would be safe there until his mate could make it here to eat. He wanted to get back to the den as soon as possible. The return of the strange two pawed creature had him worried. He had enough problems trying to keep his territory safe from the other packs and now there was a potential threat near the den.

Grayfang trotted through the forest until he reached a small stream. Wading to its middle he trotting downstream. He kept a a close eye and nose out for other wolves. There were rumors on the scent trails of packs on the hunt for their own kind. Scenting nothing he turned and pushed out of the stream towards the base of a small hill. As he neared it a large hole opened in the ground before him. Carefully picking his way to the bottom he trotted down a smooth tunnel until he reached a fork. The smaller one led to his den. The larger one towards where the two pawed creature stayed.

Pausing at the branch he took a quick sniff. It's scent was stale so the creature stayed in its den still. It normally did that until it was ready to leave. He would be glad one it did. He would not have to worry about until reappearing until his mates next birthing season. The only reason that he had ot relocated was that the creature left them alone out of principal. In return he did the same.

Trotting down towards the den he heard scrambling from a small easily overlooked side passage. It was too small for him to fit into but he knew it led to a dead end. Greyfang let out a stern snarl as his two daughters scrambled from the passage. Something must have spooked them, the two terrified pups raced down the tunnel for the safety of their mother. Geryfang paused to scent the passage. He thought he caught a faint whiff of the stench of death but scented nothing eles other than his daughters. He would have to have a word with them once his mate returned from eating. Pups that did not follow the rules had no place leaving the den.