POV - The Monarch
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Human screams caressed the Monarch’s ears like that of a lullaby. Her most recent acquisition to the family was having the time of its existence. Rushing after the pathetic excuse for resistance the humans had managed to muster. Not that it would have mattered, her children had led countless subjects to their walls and even a good many that weren't. They were surrounded and with no way to escape, they would pop like an overripe pimple.
Gunfire and grenades came her way but nothing got past her baby’s protective instinct. Causing her to smile as it ripped into the lines of soldiers in retaliation.
Such was her joy, that when her firstborn called to her through the connection she embraced him to see what he wanted.
His shock was quickly replaced by contentment and then hesitation.
‘Monarch, I have secured the main objective safely and killed the holder of the crest… Unfortunately, I was unable to acquire it for you.’
The Monarch knew she should berate the child for daring to leave when he didn’t have everything she wanted, but she was in a good mood.
It’s alright, you did fine. Without the ability to flee, the crest is trapped in the city. Bring me my prize and then gather my subjects. Have them follow the scent, I shall head there when I’m done.'
‘Understood, Monarch.’
Excitement and hunger burned in the Monarch’s mind. Her beloved little human was coming back to her. Punishment would be doled out, but then, she would raise him out of the muck of humanity and place him directly under her, where he belonged. They could rule over her entire empire together, as they had done in the last life.
***
Mark took a short rapid breath as his mind refocused, blinking away the flashes and hazy shape blocking his vision. He must have passed out because he was still lying where he had collapsed earlier, but it could not have been for more than ten minutes because the ground was still hot to the touch.
Prana flushed through his head waking him up and he was surprised by how good he felt. Climbing to his feet Mark glanced around but the area was still eerily quiet and empty. Chloe's actions came to the forefront of his mind and he searched the area for signs of her, but when none were immediately apparent he rose into the air. He didn’t have time to go over the betrayal right now, but the next time they met they were going to have a long talk, that would probably at least involve a fist in her gut.
With plenty of energy at his disposal, Mark tore into the sky, [Telekinetic control] pushing him faster than he had ever gone before. The trip back to their territory would take some time and Mark didn’t have the patience to check his prompts right now, so he took out the radio Sam had given him.
“Hello, home base, come in. This is Mark Young, I need an update on the situation there.”
The was a pause that lasted way too long for Mark's liking before a familiar reassuring voice came through.
“Mark this is Karter, the base is secure but a short while ago we sent out heavy hitters to deal with a group of Corrupted humans and I haven’t heard back from them since. Regroup at the clinic, I’m sending a team there now.”
Mark didn’t remember if he responded or not, just putting on a burst of fresh speed, pushing himself to get there just a bit faster.
When their territory came into sight, he immediately noticed the widespread destruction. Countless small pockets of fires dotted the landscape, amidst broken buildings and falling rubble. It was evident that numerous skirmishes had occurred, leaving the area in a state of fresh ruin. Despite this Mark spotted their fighters holding a weakened line at the edge of their territory.
Mark kept moving at his full speed but several flyers rose to block him. As he got into range Mark slowed just enough for them to see it was him, before shooting on ahead, without stopping to talk. Even a second could mean the difference between life and death.
Mark knew exactly where to go, but even if he hadn’t, the mass of smoke would have been all the indication he needed to tell something was wrong.
Rushing towards it, Mark began his descent through the grey choking cloud. Fresh air temporarily cutting a hole through the smog.
When the ground came into view Mark spotted a decent number of bodies moving through the area, but his heart fell when he saw the state the clinic was in. Most of it was either collapsed, melted, or on fire. Probably only ten percent of it still looked salvageable, and that was near the front entrance. Mark noticed someone had extinguished the flames with ice, making a terrifying row of ice statues in the process.
Mark’s spirit dropped another rung when he realized his people must have been trapped in there.
Mark’s eyes found Ethel’s just as he touched down.
When she saw him coming it seemed to wake her up and she stopped petting Boe wistfully and shot up.
“Mark…”
This woman, that always seemed to know what to do next. That always seemed to have a plan just seemed at a loss for words. Her eyes held so much pain and so many things she wanted to say but she seemed incapable of saying anything.
“Who is it? where are they?” Mark asked as steadily as he could.
Ethel searched his face and then just pointed towards the entrance of the clinic.
Growing dread was building on his shoulders and his feet started moving before his brain caught up. As he passed he took the radio off his belt and handed it to Ethel so she could get in contact with Karter.
The entryway was dark but lit from within by a gentle blue light.
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Moving under the frozen creature warped like an archway, Mark entered the building with no one but his little [Animated mind] for company. The smell of copper and old panic smacked into the back of his throat, carrying a dark air of desperation.
The evening had set in so the source of glow in the room became apparent. Several small orbs of fire floated aimlessly through the room, leading deeper into the building.
Tools, cots, trays, paperwork, and more were scattered about the place. Overturned debris littered the room that had once been an ER. A path had been cleared through the disorder, leading down the hall. Mark followed it and came to an open door at the end of the passage. It led to a small examination room he had barely glanced at before.
When he stepped inside Mark saw two beds had been rightened while the rest of the room was still in disarray. Both beds were occupied and Sam sat clutching at one of their hands. Jonathan was directly behind her but his body was awash with bruises and blood, but even that was unable to cover the lichtenberg scars covering just about every inch of his body.
Frost had surrounded Sam making her pale, going so far as to freeze the tears on her cheeks, yet none of it collected on the smaller hand clutched in hers.
Cara lay still on the mattress, a much larger lichtenberg pattern stretched out from beneath her clothes.
Jonathan had heard him enter and tapped her on the shoulder, making her look up. When Sam saw him Equal parts hope and resignation were drawn on her face.
Mark understood, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the second cot. A small shacking began in his hand and spread throughout his body, but he ignored it, and took another step into the room.
Daphne lay on the cot with a large wound through her windpipe that no longer wept blood. A [Sculpt mana] expanded from Mark pressing into every corner of the room. Mark was almost too hesitant to trigger [Prana pulse], but he did in the end.
Neither of them responded, their lives had slipped away a while ago.
Mark swallowed through a closing throat and stepped up beside their beds.
This wasn’t happening, Mark had seen her less than an hour ago, she had been alive minutes ago. The Prana rushing from Mark returned, telling him there was nothing it could hold onto. As far as it was concerned this was an inanimate object. Mark rested a shaking hand on her forehead, her body was still warm.
Mark couldn’t accept this, he outright refused. He had to help her, she was slipping away.
Gathering his Prana once more, Mark called his [Animated mind] to his side and tilted her head back.
Then with a forceful exhale of breath, he channeled a stream of power into her body. Immediately, the Prana rushed in. When it couldn’t find anything to fix, it wanted to return to him, but he held it at arm's length. Insisting it fix her, all while he channeled more power through their connected lips. The Prana was confused and when it tried to leave her body he chased it back, demanding it start her heart.
Energy began to build up in the room and Mark continued to call up more. The orb hovering over his shoulder flickered as it faded but Mark just kept pulling power from it until it winked out of existence. The little [Animated mind] had been full when Mark left the Guardian, and yet even with over seven hundred Prana flooding her system nothing was happening.
Mark still had more so he tapped his main reserves too. Adding power to the growing reserves, he had no idea what he was doing, only that he needed the Prana to heal her. He needed Daphne to wake up.
Power was coming off her skin now, and Mark was straining to keep all the Prana in a place it didn’t want to be. Violet lightning flickered below her skin and Mark saw the wound on her neck begin to close. Taking that as a good sign he increased the flow. There was movement in the room, but Mark ignored it, she was all that mattered now.
Suddenly Mark felt a chime going off beside his ear.
The User is currently attempting a scenario deemed impossible during the first rite, abort actions.
Limiters being overwhelmed.
Logging user violation
Mark saw those words and pushed even more power in, if the system knew what he wanted to do, and there was a way, then why would he stop now? He had less than thirty percent Prana left but he didn’t let the light headeness stop him, when he was down to twenty percent he felt something change.
Limiters breached!
...
Searching for appropriate compatible skills from the database.
1 130 671 [Revival] skills found, searching for the highest degree of compatibility with the user.
Spell acquired: [Breath of life]
Targeting: Daphne Colt
Mark’s strength went down to ten percent, then five. Mark felt something inside himself, chipping like obsidian, but he could bear it, he had to. Another ping bounced in his ear.
The last of Mark’s power fled into her, leaving him feeling like a hollow shell, but he held onto consciousness and lifted his face to look at Daphne. Searching for the barest hint of movement from her.
The room was bathed in the most gentle, heartbreaking light, bouncing violet off every wall as though it were reflecting off a pool of water. Power caressed the room and one final prompt came from the system.
Searching for user: Daphne Colt
The user’s core does not meet the minimum requirements for [Revival].
Returning gathered shards of [Daphne Colt] as compensation.
Spell failed.
Mark stared at the prompt before he felt all the power he’d channeled into Daphne's body return all at once, with only the smallest amount missing. The pain he’d felt earlier returned now, but with twice the intensity. Something else rushed in that was akin to breathing in glass.
It lodged itself in his chest and fixed itself there, contentment glowing from them. Mark didn’t know why, but he felt such love from them that he didn’t notice his Prana was rushing back with twice the capacity that he could normally hold. The power compacted in, creating a massive feedback loop as it all crashed down on him simultaneously.
The overload sent his body retching and his veins coiling like living worms in his body. Muscles twitched, expanded, and then died, all while skin peeled and then regrew. Mark cells were submerged in so much energy that they ran rampant like a cancer.
Without time to create an [Animated Mind] Mark turned to Jonathan and Sam, holding out a hand.
They were already there, watching, waiting.
Jonathan took it without a pause and Mark channeled the excess through him and into Sam through their connected arms.
Prana splashed down into the three of them.
It probably would have gone to fixing their wounds anyway, Jonathan’s body especially, soaked the power up like sunbaked soil.
When the current subsided Mark's body felt as though he had sunburns on his insides, but the agony was entirely eclipsed by another less physical pain.
Mark took his hand back, placing it on Daphne's cooling cheek, he’d failed her again. The Prana that had been in her system had closed the very wounds that had killed her, but nothing more.
The shaking in his chest became the only sound in the room, and for a while that was all there was.
Then the sorrow began to morph into something darker.
Mark needed to know if whatever did this was still alive because, for the first time in his life, he was ready to kill something in the most painful way he could manage.