I needed time and space to think. I'm so fucking pissed that if anyone even stumbles around me, I might knock their head off. I scoop up my darling I?a into my arms and unfurl my wings, using them to boost my not insubstantial jump height.
I soar through the air with I?a cradled in my arms. My beloved mumbles against my chest as we glide above Astera, the wind whistling past our ears.
I?a stirs and nuzzles her head into the crook of my neck. "My love," she murmurs. "Where are we going?"
I smile down at her, my anger dissipating. "Somewhere we can be alone," I reply, angling us towards the dense forests beyond the town's walls.
We touch down in a secluded gde, the canopy of leaves overhead filtering the sunlight into dappled patches on the mossy ground. A stream babbles nearby, the gentle sound calming my infmed nerves.
I set I?a down gently, mindful of our unhatched young still nestled against her. She smiles up at me, emerald eyes shining, and I'm struck by her beauty all over again.
I?a slowly unwraps the children from her sling and makes a bundle for them to y on, and I let out a contented sigh as I?a gently ys our unhatched children on the soft moss. Their smooth shells glint in the speckled sunlight, filled with promise and potential.
I?a stands, stepping into my embrace. I wrap my arms around her, relishing her warmth against me. Here, away from prying eyes, we can simply be.
"I was so worried about you," I murmur, nuzzling the top of her head. She hums softly, tilting her face up to meet my gaze.
"As was I. But we're together now - that's all that matters." Her words fill me with tenderness and I lean down to capture her lips in a slow, sweet kiss. She gives a contented little grunt before she stumbles back when we part, though I have her in my arms. "You should rest, darling." I say so softly to her, letting her y back on the soft moss. The sight of her being so vulnerable stirs me, but I control myself. She's just gone through a hefty ordeal and I don't want to rush into anything already. Besides, I have some shit to work through.
I go to the other end of the gde, not too far away from her should I need to help her.
So. I've been here for what feels like a little over two months? Honestly, with how I've lost myself to a feeding frenzy, twice, the passage of time is a little funky. Not to mention I've noticed some things that seem odd?
I know I'm not on earth any more. To be honest, this should be obvious to me. There's no way that the people here are human. Those weapons must weight a ton, not to mention the heights I've seen them fall from and just get back up from? Which brings me to, well, me. Do I still consider myself as human? I don't look like one that's for sure. I don't act like one. Sometimes I find myself acting on knee-jerk reactions. Sometimes there's a deep urge to simply do something.
Like with Markos. I wanted to fight him. I wanted to test myself against him and grow because of it. It's... Strange. He was worthy. He was strong. God, thinking about him even now has my purring. Literally. I want him.
The knowledge startles me.
I've never been attracted to men before, but this man is...different?
No, he's not - It's me that's different. I don't think I'm romantically attracted to him, no. It's more. Primal. He's worthy of me.
I allow the satisfied smirk to spread across my face, before the Systems annoying notifications draw me back to it.
Oh, yeah, that's right. It's been a while since I checked this. Before I killed that Tobi-Kadachi and had that weird buff cat cook it for me.
Traits Strong Body
?
Rank: 6
In which the user has spent bioenergy to enhance their body
Sharp Cws
?
Rank: 4
In which the user has spent bioenergy to enhance the fingernails into sharp cws.
Poison Sac
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has spent bioenergy to mutate a venom gnd within the body.
Stun Sac?Rank: 4In which the Host has spent bioenergy to mutate a paralytic gnd in the body.Fire Sac
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated an organ that houses a combustible fluid within the body.
Thunder Horn?Rank: 1In which the host has mutated a horn that allows for the host to control all Thunder in the area of or below the same rank.Gunk Sac?Rank: 4In which the host has mutated an organ that allows for the high velocity expulsion of thick, slimy water.Bioenergy Control?Rank: 1In which the host has gained a mysterious power to control the bioenergy of self and others.Frost Sac?Rank: 1In which the host has mutated a gnd that creates ice on exposure to the air.Sleep Sac?Rank: 1 In which the host has mutated a gnd that houses an anaesthetic gas in the bodyArmoured Scales
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated thick armoured pte scales over their body.
Wings
?
Rank: 7
In which the host has mutated flight-capable wings on their body.
Fire Breath
?
Rank 4:
In which the host has mutated expulsion tracts from their Fire Sac to their throat, allowing them to breathe fire.
Poison Breath
?
Rank 4:
In which the Host has mutated expulsion tracts from their Poison Sac to the throat, allowing them to breathe poisonous smog.
Fsh
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated high-energy photophores that cause a fsh of blinding light. Unranked traits are exponentially less effective the more they're used.
Alpha Aura
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated a special organ within the brain that allows one to project their physical power as an oppressive aura.
Tail
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated a tail.
Mm. There's a lot of information here, isn't there? I have a horn apparently?
A quick touch to my forehead has indicated that I do, indeed have a horn. It grows out from the top of my forehead, growing straight upward, and it crackled with thunder. But I frowned. I also had the Cathode Barbs? Do I really need, like, half of these?
I begin using bioenergy control, feeling all the different gnds and tracts leading to them and my throat. Stirring up my newest power I start to see about consolidating my various elemental abilities.
Starting with the gnds, I can feel the different sacs and organs within me. Fire Sac, Poison Sac, Frost Sac, Stun Sac, Sleep Sac – all specialized to give me diverse abilities. But it’s cumbersome, inefficient. I need to streamline.
I focus on the Fire Sac first, merging it with the Poison Sac. Bioenergy flows through me, melding the two into a single, more potent organ. I test it out with a small expulsion: a burst of fme ced with a toxic edge. Effective.
Next, I turn my attention to the Stun Sac and Sleep Sac. Combining them takes more effort, but eventually, I create a gnd capable of both paralytic and sedative effects. A cloud of gas emerges as I breathe out, capable of putting enemies to sleep or rendering them immobile.
The Frost Sac is next, merging it with the new fire-poison gnd. The result is a multi-elemental sac, enabling me to produce fmes, poison, and frost. Testing it, I unleash a stream of fire that turns icy at will, with a hint of toxic fumes.
But even this wasn't enough. Taking inspiration from my new horn, I use Bioenergy Control to break these sacs and tracts down and grow new horns, one for each ability.
God, does it hurt. A pained roar escapes me as my ability to breathe fire, water, frost, poison and the rest simply fade, new horns growing painfully from my head at even intervals. Even worse than the pain is the euphoria of it all. Evolving feels so fucking good, I'm tempted to forgo sex for it.
I can feel my body spasming, my limbs thrashing and tearing up the ground. My blood pours from my scalp and I give a hoarse, pained grunt as it slowly ebbs away. Remembering, I feel I also don't need Cathode Barbs any more if I can just control lightning with my horns, so I just break that down into bioenergy. After it's all said and done, I look back at my Traits.
TraitsStrong Body
?
Rank: 6
In which the user has spent bioenergy to enhance their body
Sharp Cws
?
Rank: 4
In which the user has spent bioenergy to enhance the fingernails into sharp cws.
Bioenergy Control?Rank: 1In which the host has gained a mysterious power to control the bioenergy of self and others.Armoured Scales
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated thick armoured pte scales over their body.
Wings
?
Rank: 7
In which the host has mutated flight-capable wings on their body.
Fsh
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated high-energy photophores that cause a fsh of blinding light. Unranked traits are exponentially less effective the more they're used.
Alpha Aura
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated a special organ within the brain that allows one to project their physical power as an oppressive aura.
Tail
?
Rank: 4
In which the host has mutated a tail.
Crown of Dominance (7/11)
?Rank: 4 In which the host has mutated horns that allow for the controlling of all elements and status causing effects of the same rank or lower within the vicinity. Current Elements and Statuses: Fire, Water, Thunder, Ice, Poison, Sleep, and Paralysis.
Now that's what I'm talking about. I reach up and touch my new crown of horns, cooing at how sensitive they are. Damn, now I want to test this all out. Seeing that I have a mere one hundred years worth of Bioenergy left gives me all the excuse I need to go hunting.
