I rushed forward, pushing through the brush to where I could feel my wolf's heart racing. My own heart was heavy with worry, that pained yip sounding again and again. I crashed through the waist-high grasses without a care in the world, my spear gripped tightly in my hand as I searched for Rosie. I found her a few seconds later in a small clearing, crouching over a bundle of dead sticks. The grasses around her were flattened and bloody, like a fight had recently happened here. The yips came from the sticks constantly and Rosie gave me a concerned look when I arrived. She whimpered and her azure eyes kept darting from me to the pile under her paw. I slowed to a walk, approaching carefully.
"Rosie? What's up?" I crouched next to her and she lifted her paw then slammed it down again as a tiny little creature dashed away. It yipped again and I sighed, having found the source of the noise.
The creature was small, no bigger than my palm. It had brown-ish, sharp fur/hair reminiscent of spiders back home. Thankfully, this creature wasn't a spider. It did, however, have two legs, an oblong body akin to a horse with small nubs for arms, a cat-like head, and tusks. The thing was weird, but as I looked at it, I couldn't help but feel a stirring of puppy love. It was fucking adorable and I sighed, my heart reaching out for the creature. It chirped again, struggling under Rosie's paw, fear flashing in its auburn eyes. They turned to me and my heart melted even further.
"Hey, buddy." I coo'ed, reaching out and stroking the creature's feline head. Its hair was surprisingly smooth despite its seeming roughness and it shrunk from my hand. I pet it gently as Rosie took her paw off of it. The creature was shaking, its tiny body trembling as it rose to its feet and tried to run away again, but failed. I saw that one of its back legs was hurt and it turned gleaming, feline eyes on me, tusks glinting in the moonlight. Its face strongly resembled a smilodon from the North American Pleistocene but its body did not. Like most of the predators I had come across on Carminal, the creature's body plan seemed to be that of a theropod; strong, thick legs with an equally thick tail for balance (only this one's tail was smaller than its legs and lither, looking more like a snake than a thick limb), a strong body with the potential for power lying within the tiny muscles, arms that were proportionally shorter than the rest of the body, and a thick neck. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, eh?
The creature fit the description of a theropod, though its arms and tail did not. The tail, as described earlier, was thinner than the rest of the body and somewhat shorter, seemingly more for speed than balance. The arms appeared to have been severed by something, the flesh red and clearly not ending how it was supposed too. It chirped and cuddled into my hand, rubbing its head against my palm. I sighed, another ache of love leaving my heart. The creature was creepy as fuck but there was a part of me that wanted to hug it. Its adorableness was shooting me in the heart even as my brain cringed at its form. I coo'ed and cuddled the creature, holding it close to my heart.
"You're okay," I whispered as I pet it. "you're okay, I've got you." I felt something leave my Core and four golden coins formed in my sight. The four coins moved towards the creature, two going to the right front limb and two to the left. The arms began to glow a bright gold akin to my Spark and the creature yip'ed more and more, its pain seeming to increase for a moment. It cried and whined pathetically, and then its breathing slowed, its hands coming into the physical world. The nubs it had previously glowed with a golden light and they extended to about the length of the legs. The golden light burst apart into shards, revealing newly formed limbs. The creature panted and cried, its tiny voice pinging at my heart strings. "Oh, you poor thing." I stroked the creature's feline head and marveled at the returned appendages. They were thinner than its legs but tipped with vicious looking claws that could disembowel me in a heartbeat, even at their current size. The arms were no longer than my forearm, yet those claws gleamed with a teal light. It looked kind of like the light that shone from Anthony back in the meeting room, but I was too tired to think about that. Rosie sniffed the creature gently, azure eyes flicking between me and it. The creature's breathing slowed and its amber eyes closed as it slipped into sleep, and a message popped up.
New Bond!
Unnamed Cerintino
Would you like to name your new Bond?
I thought for a moment, wondering what best to name the creature as I stood. A few came to mind; Babe, Killer, Cowboy, Jackie, Ky- my thoughts were interrupted by a growl, but not from Rosie. I felt my Shadow Wolf tense at the sound, her head snapping to the right. I followed her gaze and found three sets of eyes watching us from the grasses. They must have smelled the blood. I crouched slightly and clutched the Cerintino closer to my chest, tightening my grip on my spear.
"Rosie," I said, not taking my eyes from the creatures watching us. Adrenaline began to pump through my exhausted body, bringing me a little more alertness. "Get ready." I stood and readied myself, Rosie doing the same. A low growl rose from her and she shifted from foot to foot. The eyes advanced slowly and revealed the bodies they were attached to. Three feline creatures exited the low brush, their yellow fur surprisingly camouflaged in the grasses.
"Shit." I swore, my heart rate picking up as my body readied for action. My eyes bounced between the three predators as they began to circle us. Rosie broke the stalemate, disappearing into the shadows around us. That seemed to be the starting horn as one of the big cats launched itself forward frighteningly fast. It reached me in just under the blink of an eye--which I was somehow able to track, even in my exhausted state--and leaped into the air, claws and jaws extended, aiming for the young one in my arms. I snarled, my Spark igniting in response. Agony tore through me as my power was pushed past the red-line for the fourth time that day. I gritted my teeth and bared it, the desire to protect the tiny creature in my arms and Rosie more than enough to keep me going.
With a considerably larger mental push than the one it took to get my knife going, I finally got my power to enter into the spear. It was like I was trying to push a sled by myself. Doable, but not very fun. I was left gasping and sweating, but my spear was glowing gold. I grinned and thrust the spear into the leaping cat's chest, my grin falling away as the wooden shaft of the spear snapped in twain. The cat continued past me, crashing into the brush behind me.
Killed Level Twenty-Seven (27) Smillin
I scoffed. Smillin. That's a stupid name for a stupid cat.
The spear shaft in my hand was still glowing gold, though far less than it had been just a moment ago. I readjusted the Cerintino in my arms, making sure it was held securely. The second and third cats watched us wearily, waiting with wide, slavering jaws open. The third cat, the one that had started the attack on the rightmost side of me, continued further to the right, doing its best to get behind me. I circled as well, trying to keep both predators in my sight. It didn't work and I was forced to pick one to focus on. I chose the one that hadn't moved, figuring the one that was circling me was a distraction and the non-mover was the real threat. It seemed I was right as I saw that the cat I had chosen was bracing itself to pounce. I faced it fully, holding my broken spear in front of me. The cat's face broke into a smile and I felt my own contort into a snarl. I moved forward, the cat doing the same, its teeth and claws against my broken spear and exhausted Spark. I knew my fate was sealed when the cat's claws ignited with a burning red the color of magma.
"Fuck."
I heard the mixture of a Klaxon alarm and a bell and dodged to the right on instinct, the cat behind me sailing by and missing by an inch. That was way too close. I pivoted, protecting the juvenile in my arms and keeping the danger in view. The cats circled me again, going for the same strategy. Damn, these things were smart. The prowler kept moving, circling around me as the other one recovered and moved in the other direction. Exhaustion began to take over and I felt my hold on my Spark slip slightly. I watched as the glow in my spear petered out, the cats laughing in high pitched yips as I stumbled, trying to stay on my feet. I brought my spear up reactively, doing my best at looking intimidating, but I don't think it worked. I blinked and something shunk'ed into me. I opened my eyes to find a cat impaled on the pointy end of my spear, clearly red blood leaking from the hole in its chest. It spasmed slightly before lying still. My science brain took over and I began to analyze the red blood, pitting it against the shadow blood from the Nevind. The cat's blood was evidently real, the coppery stench overpowering everything else. The Nevind's blood, however, had no smell to it at all. I frowned, the difference startling now that I had a comparison. Was the Nevind alive when I fought it? Or had it really been dead the whole time?
I pushed the thoughts aside and refocused on the battle. There was still one cat left to deal with. I readied myself, pulling my broken spear from the second cat and looking for the last one. I found it to my right, its eyes flicking between me and the dead cat on the ground. Deciding that I wasn't worth it, the final cat turned and disappeared into the brush. I went to give chase but my body rejected that thought, sending me to my knees the moment I took a step. It didn't matter, though, as I heard a yowl of pain and a pair of azure eyes appeared from the darkness around me. Rosie exited the gloom, coming into my sight. Her muzzle was covered in blood and she came up to me, sniffing and licking my face.
"Thank you, Rosie." I said through my laughter. With an exhausted sigh, I stood with her assistance. I leaned heavily on my broken spear, using it as a walking stick as we began the long trip home. I kept the Cerintino close to my chest, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. Rosie led me back to the road and we turned towards the walls, slowly making our way back. I talked to Rosie while we walked, not really paying attention to what I was saying. I told her about my family, how Kathrine was the greatest sister in the world and how wrecked I was when she died. I told her about Dad and his tendencies, how he would whip me bloody if there were any pinecones in the driveway when he came home, how he never laid a hand on Mom but Kathrine and I were free game. I told her how I fell in love with Jennifer, how she was the only person to actually care about what I had to say, how I felt heard and seen when I was with her. I blinked, unsure wether it was tears or sweat in my eyes and trying to focus on the stone path under me.
"She never loved me." I told my wolf. "It was all lies. Why? Why did she lie to me?" I pushed open the door to the Guild Hall and stumbled for the stairs, leaning on the railing. I found my room and fell through the door onto the bed, closing my eyes.
I woke in a daze, unsure of where I was. I blinked and sat up, trying to fight through the pain in my abs. My vision swam and I groaned, lying back down. Fuck it, I'm not getting up. I felt something move next to me and looked over to find a waterfall of wine settling on my chest. A warm feeling began to spread from my chest and I smiled, taking a deep, satisfied breath. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and closed my eyes, slipping back into sleep.
The room was bright when I woke next. I felt slow and sleepy, but I knew I had to get up. I sat up with ease this time, only a little pain in my side. Groaning, I stretched my arms above my head, lavishing in their quivering. I lowered them and smacked my lips, my mouth dry, and looked around the room. It was empty and bright with noonday sun, but I did see a tan thing curled up in the middle of the bed. It was asleep and as I looked at it, I felt a connection between us similar to the one Rosie and I had, but lesser. Not in importance, but in power. I had to look for the connection with the creature on the bed, whereas the one with Rosie felt like an extension of me. I smiled, grabbing onto the connection and following it. I ran into a wall again, but that was alright. Just the knowledge that there was something on the other side was enough for me right now. The creature snorted, jerking awake. Its amber eyes searched the room in fear until they landed on me. The creature seemed confused but stood and approached me on two legs, the claws on its hands nearly touching the sheets. I smiled down at it, a feeling of cuteness taking over. I waited for the creature to get to me until I reached down and pet the top of its head gently. It jerked away in surprise but returned soon after once it realized I hadn't hurt it.
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New Bond!
Unnamed Cerintino
Would you like to name your new Bond?
I blinked the message away and looked down at the cat-thing.
"I have no idea what the fuck you are, but you seem sweet, so I'mma call you Diego." I said, thinking of the saber-tooth cat from Ice Age. Diego purred and shivered, its tan coat turning a bright white like that of the sheets under it. It quickly turned back to its normal color but I knew what I had seen. "Holy shit, you can camouflage." I chuckled and pet it a little harder. A black tongue snuck out of its mouth and licked the palm of my hand, scrapping against my skin like that of a cat's. I shivered, its tongue completely different than Rosie's. I spent the next half hour sitting on the bed and petting Diego, enjoying the feeling of my new companion in my arms. Soon, though, my stomach began to growl, angry that I hadn't fed it in over twenty hours. I had also expended a whole lot of energy yesterday and last night, and I needed to refuel.
I picked Diego up, cradling it against my chest and exited the room after ensuring I was properly dressed this time. I could feel Rosie downstairs and followed her, but as soon as I stepped down onto the last step, a massive roar broke out from the gathered crowd. It seemed that every Hunter in the city had crammed themselves into the Guild Hall and were hiding behind the walls, tables, and even the chairs. Granted, those behind the chairs and tables weren't that well hidden, but I was still surprised. I felt a self-conscious blush enter my cheeks and I ducked my head slightly, unsure of why they were cheering and making a bee-line for where I could feel Rosie's presence. She was somewhere to the left of me, further into the Guild. People cheered and clapped me on the back/arm as I passed, since they couldn't reach my shoulders. There was only one Hunter who was able to clap me on the shoulder like they were aiming for, and even then he was a head shorter than me. Their cheering made me uncomfortable and there was only so much space to go around, making me extremely claustrophobic. Diego, it seemed, disliked the noise just as much as I did and its fur went the same tan as my clothes. It wasn't that different from the Cerintino's normal fur, but it was a perfect match to my clothes.
The cheers finally began to fade as I stepped into the room where I could feel Rosie, and stopped dead. Rosie was in the middle of what appeared to be training. The room we were in had a dirt floor, weapons on one wall and targets on another. It was a large room, almost as large as the Guild Hall itself, with vaulted, wooden ceilings and a surprising amount of natural lighting. There were windows above us and on the ceiling, letting in the sunlight. I could also see more of the Light Scales from the Chief's house embedded into the ceiling, only these were dark and dormant. What really drew my eye, though, was the large, black Shadow Wolf prowling around a scared young man with a spear in his hands and an even scared-er young woman hiding behind him with a bow. Rosie leaped forward and swiped at the man, knocking the spear form his hands. He scrambled back and tripped over the girl, sending them both to the ground. Rosie snarled and pounced, placing her paw on the man's chest without puncturing it as I knew she was capable of. I swear to God the wolf laughed as she let the two up, reseting her position. The man growled and scrambled to his feet, grabbing the spear again. The woman stayed down, shaking. I scoffed. Of course she's too much of a bitch to fight when there's actual danger.
"Rosie, if you want that cunt to listen to you, you're gonna need to step it up." I said, approaching the woman on the ground. I grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her to her feet, staring into her deep, blue eyes. "She won't do something if she doesn't want to." I left Jen and turned back to my wolf, smiling at her. "In other, better news, Diego seems to be doing just fine." I opened my arms and allowed the juvenile Cerintino to leave them, except, it didn't. Diego's six-inch claws latched onto my shirt and my chest by proxy, causing me to bend over in pain as it found purchase and kept itself from falling. "Ah, fuck!" I cursed, taking the creature's weight in my arms again. "Alright, you don't have to if you don't want to."
"Prescott, what the fuck is going on?" Harper asked, a not-so-kind look on his face. I ignored him, continuing over to Rosie.
"Heya, Rosie." I said, reaching out with my left hand and stroking her soft fur. "How'd you sleep?" Her azure eyes smiled up at me and she wagged her tail, panting joyously. "Good. So, what's goin' on in here? Giving some pointers to the new guys?" Her smile fell and she nodded sagely. "They're not very cooperative, are they?" A shake of the head was her response. "Yeah, that tracks. Harper over there responds well to constructive criticism, such as how he did well to keep his composure but needs to work on his grip. Loose your weapon and you loose your life." I said, staring at the man. He scowled at me. "The woman, though, feel free to be as rough as you want with her. It's wrong for a man to hit a woman, but training is a different thing and you're female, so go all out with her, okay?" Rosie nodded, a concerning look in her eyes. They gleamed with a joy I could only describe as nasty. "Good girl. Thank you for your help last night. Would you like to meet Diego?" I crouched in front of the wolf and she came closer, sniffing at my chest. The Cerintino was still camouflaged against me, but it raised its head when Rosie approached. It chirped once and de-camo'ed, allowing the wolf to see it. Rosie sniffed it cautiously then licked its head. Diego hopped out of my arms and ran around under her legs, clearly excited about something. It turned the color of the dirt and chirped loudly, its voice echoing around the empty room. Rosie growled softly and it ran back to me, chirping in distress. I chuckled and walked over to the weapons rack, grabbing a sword for myself and Diego following close behind. My Spark reacted to the weapon in my hand, entering it with ease, a grin spreading over my face as I advanced on the pair.
"Hey, Harper," I began, walking forward slowly. It twirled my sword in my hand, my grin spreading even wider. "Remember last night, when I said we would be having a different conversation?" I dashed to his right, imbuing my Spark into my legs and increasing my speed. I swung the sword down on Harper's head, stopping just before I hit him. "Well, now's the time. Get ready, fuckface." When I swung my sword this time I didn't stop, dragging the point down across his chest. I felt a portion of my power leave me and a red line appeared on his chest, blood dripping from the wound. It wasn't deep--I didn't want to kill the man--but I certainly wanted to hurt him. Harper cried out, grabbing his chest and pulling away a hand covered in blood. His eyes went wide and I attacked again, landing a slap on his non-throwing arm. More blood flowed from the new wound and he tried to defend himself, but I was already within his guard, landing more and more hits on him. My power continued to dwindle until I felt I was around 75% of my max before I slowed and allowed him to recover. Harper was panting heavily, almost as heavily I had been my first week of training. I scoffed.
"Damn, boy, you have no stamina." I sighed, clicking my tongue. "Oh, well. There's no better time to learn than now."
"Fuck. You." he said between panting breaths. "How... are... you... doing that?" I chuckled again, prowling around him like the cats had me last night. I stepped one foot over the other, keeping my eyes on him and my weapon at the ready.
"Summon your Spark." I said.
"What?"
"Your Spark. Your power."
"What power? What are you talking about?"
"That blue glow that came from you when that dude dressed in a blue suit appeared behind you." I said, stopping my advancement. "Didn't you see the glow coming from both of you?"
"No." I sighed in disappointment.
"Figures. You never did see everything, especially on the field. Those linebackers were always your downfall, Mr. Starter. My Spark is golden and feels like a warm summer day, as does Lia's. Your's was the color of the ocean, deep and entrancing. The whore's is the color of the jungle, full of life." I gestured to Jennifer, who was not very happy, it seemed. She was dirty and bedraggled, her hair all sorts of tangled. Her blue eyes were wide and kept glancing between Rosie and Diego, only occasionally flicking to me. Every time they did, though, I felt a stirring in my chest. Those eyes were the same one's she gave me when we first started dating, sultry and entrancing.
"Is that why your sword is glowing gold?" Harper asked, standing up straight. His wounds were already closing, visibly healing as I watched.
"That's awesome." I said, pointing at his chest and ignoring Jennifer. "Your Spark heals you." He looked down at his chest and frowned, then looked at his arms and the rest of his body.
"Well, I'll be." he said, his country coming out. "How 'bout that?"
"This world is fuckin' cool." I said, raising my sword. "It's also incredibly dangerous. I've nearly died twice to the creatures here and have died once. At least, I'm pretty sure I did."
"What?"
"Yeah, apparently my Spark heals as well, but at a cost. I broke my neck when I leaped a fifteen-foot tall wall running from a pack of Terrors."
"It's true." a high voice said from the entrance. I felt her presence wash over me and a hand laid itself on my shoulder long before she reached me. I felt her power leave my shoulder as her hand took mine. "That's how he got the scar on his neck."
"And it looks fuckin' sick." I said, turning to my Lady. "Good morning, Lia. How'd you sleep?" She smiled up at me softly, the sunrise just beginning to peek over the delta.
"I slept wonderfully, my Champion. Once I managed to get you into the bed, that is. Only your top half hit the bed and you were asleep by the time you hit the floor. I had to have Rosie and the Chief help me pick you up." I felt my face blush in embarrassment as she spoke.
"I'm sorry about that. I should have been better than to pass out on the floor." I said, rubbing the back of my head. Lia's smile was a bright ray of sunshine, burning away my embarrassment.
"Why are you sorry?" she asked gently. "You should have passed out when those two entered the room and you used your Spark. Instead, you held a conversation, went on a hunt where I presume you actually used your exhausted Spark, and tamed a new beast. You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, you should be proud. Not many can claim such a feat." Lia laid her hand on my bicep and squeezed it gently as she spoke. The latter of her speech was aimed at Jen, my Lady glaring at the the other woman.
"Don't coddle him." Jen said, turning her normal look on me. When she looked at me, the look I had grown so accustomed to was gone and I saw distain instead of love in her eyes. Did she always feel this way? "He's better than that."
"Yes, he is." Lia agreed, wrapping her arm around mine. "He certainly deserves better than you." I pulled my arm close to my chest, pinning her arm between my own arm and my torso. "My Champion is magnificent, one of the few willing to face a Tyrib. Is your man willing to do that?" Jen's eyes narrowed as they focused on Lia and she walked to my other side.
"Yes, he is." she said, wrapping her arm around my free one. "Marshall is my husband, not your's." I removed my arm from Jen's and slammed my fist on into her solar plexus. She gagged, her eyes going wide as she doubled over in pain.
"NO." I said, my Big Man voice echoing around the training field. "You are not my fiancé and I am not your husband. My fiancé wouldn't fuck another man less than a week before our wedding." My sight turned on Harper as he gripped his spear, a familiar grin tugging at my lips. He adjusted his grip on his spear as he looked at me, fear in his eyes. I circled him, the wooden sword held before me in what I believed to be a defensive stance. The golden glow emitting from the blade ebbed and flowed as I breathed, though I was sure I was the only one to see it. I could feel my Spark breathing, for lack of a better word. As I breathed in, the glowing grew brighter. Breathing out, the sword dimmed just slightly.
Lia watched us with her arms crossed and occasionally made noises of discontent, like she was angry at something. I caught sight of her shaking her head at me as I swiped across Harper's chest for the fourth time. Blood seeped from his wounds and he gasped for breath, clearly tired from our 'fight'. It couldn't even be called a fight as he had yet to land a hit on me.
"Come on, Star Quarterback," I taunted, mocking the man. I dropped my sword to my side, leaving my own chest wide open. "hit me." Harper started, clearly not knowing how to react. "Hit me!" I cried, charging forward. I dropped the sword and slammed my fist into his solar plexus, causing Harper to fold in half. He coughed and spluttered, his head moving down with his body where it hit my left fist as it rose into a fighting position. That one wasn't my fault. He just so happened to put his face where my fist was going and his nose just so happened to meet with my middle knuckle, shattering the cartilage.
A sour feeling welled from my soul, recognizing the grin my lips naturally settled into. His grin. I shuddered, memories replaying in my head even as I fought them off, remembering Lia's words and smell. Anger and frustration swirled within me and I fought them back under the red-line. I am not my father. I am better. I am kinder. I do not hurt people.
Opening my eyes, I was faced with my new reality. Both Jen and Harper were on the ground in pain, and I was happy for it. Harper groaned, holding his stomach and rolling on the ground. Jen was crying quietly, also curled in the fetal position. Dad's smile widened further as I looked at what I had done, at the discipline I had dealt out. I understand now. He wasn't punishing us; it was discipline. He was preparing me for this. He was preparing me to kill.
I blinked and found myself kneeling on Harper's chest, golden hands around his throat and laughter in my throat. Terrified, green eyes looked up into mine as I squeezed, the face going purple. I felt the laughter in my chest and on my face. I knew I could pop his head like a grape, it would take no effort at all. Just a little bit harder and his neck would shatter like that cup, bloody wine spreading over my hands deliciously.
"You're gonna fuck my wife?!" I screamed, removing one of my hands and slamming it into his face, continuing to squeeze with the other. "And try to apologize?! Fuck you!" A primal scream tore itself from my throat, my heart pumping hard and my breathing ragged. I was all out of whack but didn't care. I was going to kill this man. Harper's face had gone blue by this point, his eyes unfocused as he struggled to breathe. I squeezed harder and felt something crack under my hand. I stared into his eyes, wanting him to know who took his life. "Now you get to die!"
