NOVEL NEXT Book 1: Chapter 29– “Aware” [Part 2]
The portal opened up in a blast of pure mana that reminded Alpha of home. When the three Packs charged through the opening on the Master's plan, the warped wrongness of the Usurper was exchanged for a world filled with "Life." A Primal place, filled with ancient mana and the throbbing heartbeat of the natural world, just as the Maker had intended. Each of the three Packs took to the old-growth forests in their own way.
The Loud One announced their claim to the land with a might howl, echoed by the Lesser behind him. There would be no hiding for them; ALL would know who new the rulers of this new land were.
The Calm One stood rooted, their mana seeping deep into the earth, connecting and grounding themselves to it. They were the land, and the Land was Them, a stalwart and unmoving mountain.
Alpha? Alpha slipped into the shadows of the trees, extending his scenes in all directions as he carefully observed the world around him. He was the shadows and wind, unseen and unheard, yet seeing everything. None would escape his notice, and in turn, none would know he was there... until it was too late.
When the Master finally followed the Packs through, Alpha could feel his joy and excitement, more new "emotions" flooding through their Link. Alpha still didn't fully understand who the Master was (or even WHAT), but the Titanspawn knew that he was just as trapped as they were; pulled from their home by the Usurper, surrounded by 'wrongness.' In a way, it was this kinship that resonated with Alpha. The Master hadn't simply freed them to use them, as the vile summoners of the past had. He had pulled them from their slaver and offered not chains, but a contract.
The following days were filled with the Hunt, as the Packs scoured the new lands, searching for what the Master sought. Alpha reveled in the feeling, free from the Usurper and Corruptor's magicks. Yet, the longer they stayed in this place, the more Alpha began to feel... uneasy. The vile magicks of the System's taint was light in this place, though not totally absent (even now, he could feel the Watcher's eyes on them), but that was understandable. Very few places in the 100,000 Galaxies were untouched by the taint; the Corruptors were quite thorough in their warping of the Maker's tools. It didn't help that the vast majority of Galaxies saw the taint as a necessity. Fools.
Then again, very few outside those Ancients like the 'Oneness' remembered the Truth.
No, this 'wrongness' was something different... something older... something... 'other.' The sensation stuck to Alpha's perception like a lingering stench he couldn't quite escape, yet couldn't place. Slowly but surely, Alpha's good mood began to darken. Unable to put a word or image to his frustration, he lashed out at fur-covered prey in front of him, striking faster, stronger, crueler. With little effort, the giant, sharp-clawed beast fell to his attacks, and his Pack feasted. Still, Alpha did not feel relieved.
As time passed, even the Calm One's demeanor seemed to be affected, his companion growing more restless. The Loud One, true to his nature, seemed totally oblivious, of course. If it didn't involve something to bite, Alpha sometimes questioned if that one was truly Awakened. Though he had to admit, the complex and devious plots his "Brother" devised to catch his own tail were... impressive, in their own way...
The feeling of 'wrongness' continued to grow by the day, culminating in the attack on the Loud One.
Even with Alpha's warning, the Loud One had been ambushed. Nature was cruel sometimes, and Alpha did not fault the Forest for striking back against their own assault. But as the pain, as the taint, echoed through their Link to both the Master and the 'Oneness,' Alpha knew that whatever this... thing was, it was anything but natural. As the foul energies ravaged Loud One's physical form, Alpha could taste the malice, and hatred seeped deep within it. It was not the Righteous Fury of the 'Oneness' nor the petty and cruel one of mortals. No, this was something darkener, older, filled with pride and mocking spite. In a way, it reminded him of the Usurper, but... different.
And when it looked like the Loud One would be the first of the Pack Leaders to report back of the '
Oneness,' SHE appeared. It wasn't just the fact that the strange creature bore some resemblance to the Usurper that set Alpha's on edge. Nor was it the fact that He'd been unable to sense the woman at all, not until she'd revealed herself, and yet once she did, he realized she'd been watching them this entire time, ever since they'd first stepped out of the portal. It wasn't even the fact that the gentle power of the woman's aura terrified him; the Titanspawn didn't doubt in the slightest that even the Usurper would be but a plaything to this woman, despite her much smaller size...No, what caused Alpha's instincts to sound the alarms was the slight, barely noticeable touch of something else on the woman. Something... dark. The same foul presence that seemed to permeate these lands. The same one that now sought to twist and devour his 'brother.' Only Alpha's developed senses could feel that barely-there feeling of 'wrongness' wafting off of woman; not even the Calm One or the Master seemed to notice anything past their typical suspicion of the stranger.
It also totally didn't have anything to do with the mocking smirk the woman gave the Elemental after swatting him away like a fly. No, not at all.
After the Calm One and the Master had left, racing back towards the portal and possibly the only thing that could save the Loud One, the woman turned her attention to Alpha. The Elemental stared, growling as his fur stood end on end. The woman only smirked and spoke in amusement.
"Oh? What do we have here? A little Lord in the making? Why is the Plane of Flesh working with a Seed? Is it not Taboo for your kind to pick a side in this conflict? No... something else entirely, is it? Just what is that old fool of a Reaper planning this time? The Cycle is not so easily broken."
The woman threw her head back and gave a full-bellied laugh. Alpha took the chance and again threw himself at the woman. Even with her guard down, the Elemental couldn't touch a single scale on her face. He yelped at the blow that sent him tumbling back several yards.
"Not that I am opposed to change, of course. I guess that would make me a hypocrite, would it not? Laniakea has been stagnating for far too long. The "Game" has become nothing more than that to those old Fools. A game. They sit on their thrones forged of the heart of stars, moving their pawns, pretending to be 'gods.' Yet they forget the Horrors that sleep just outside the Immense Heavens, waiting for us to lower our guards."
Alpha approached from a different angle this time, fading away into the shadows. Stalkers had a natural ability to camouflage themselves using a combination of changing skin pigment and light manipulation, but Alpha had taken this to the next limit. He was able not only to hide visually but his very presence, blending in with and becoming one with the environment. Still, even this didn't seem to be enough; the woman's tail only needed a small flick as Alpha leaped from her blind spot, this time sending him into the air and through the canopy.
When the Elemental landed, battered and broken, the woman chuckled and spoke again.
"At least you've got more fight in you than those wrinkly old geezers. Good, you'll need it, little Lord. Otherwise, 'this one' will surpass you. Sooner, rather than later."
She smirked, pointing down towards the still form of the Loud One.
"Still, you all have a long way to go, especially the Seed. War is coming, and the Cycle may not survive this time. For better or for worse. Be sure you're prepared when the time comes, little Lord."
As she spoke, the smirk slipped from her face, replaced with a frown. She turned away from the fallen Elemental and back towards the path the Calm One had carved through the forest. Alpha stood on shaking legs, growling in frustration at being beaten down then ignored. He contemplated his next move when heavy footsteps broke the silence. The sound grew louder as the seconds past, before the Calm One burst out of the forest, the Master atop his back. The Calm One fell to the ground, panting, as the Master slipped down and rushed towards the woman and the still form of the Loud One.