章 138: WM [49] They Are What We Make Them
Something in the air didn't sit right with Signe's familiar, Lillevenn. He seemed to be on alert despite nothing in particular going on. He wasn't talkative either which added to Signe's concern since he would usually ask to play or go on a walk or fly. His ears were perked, muscles tense, and his eyes constantly scanned the horizon. Signe had learned long ago to trust his instincts—he was rarely wrong.
Signe's gaze drifted over the landscape, taking in the contrast of Yuhia's natural beauty and the encroaching corruption beyond. On one side, the lush forests stretched out, serene and deceptively peaceful. On the other, the bleak expanse of corrupted land loomed. The mountains between them, with the fortified gatehouse and mountain fortress stood as a sentinel and marked the divide—a line between the glory of the Forest Father's blessings and the world beyond.
She walked across the top of the gatehouse and leaned over the battlements looking out over the scarce people walking through the checkpoint. She searched faces for something wrong, the unease she was feeling from Lillevenn making her second guess the security of the border. It was making her second guess many things that she wouldn't give herself time to process. If she had time to worry she had time to fortify.
"Lillevenn." Signe said but her voice also resonated through her familiar bond. "Go search the perimeter and tell me if you see anyone suspicious."
Lillevenn opened his wings and took off into the air with a single flap. "Okay, mom."
"Koll." Signe called out.
It took only a second for the royal knight to approach and kneel before Signe. The armored wendigo man was the immaculate pinnacle of what it meant to be a knight of the First Princess. He was the most highly decorated knight of her men, and a potential replacement for a Royal Hand should Signe or Thorfinn die in service.
"Yes, Hand Jet?" Koll said dutifully.
"Lillevenn is alerted by something, I want everyone ready for a potential monster attack." Signe said.
"Should we close the border?" Koll asked.
"No, there is no direct threat right now so having the border closed will just be disruptive." She responded with a wave of her hand. "Heightened alert for all of the royal knights. Have the border guard perform more thorough inspections especially for those entering the country."
"Of course, Hand Jet." Koll bowed.
After a few minutes the alert level of the border was increased yet, Signe still felt uneasy. It was as if she were missing something. Despite everything seeming normal there was an unsettling quality to the day. She was unsure how much her feelings were the influence of her familiar bond but that was irrelevant. She was missing something and it played on her mind.
***
Bjorn and Tanisha were both sitting across from each other in her wagon while Adelheid drove. A complex ritual circle thrummed with power on the floor of the wagon beneath them. They had only a few hours before they reached the border so they were taking the time to try communing. Bjorn and Failsafe were surprised to find out that Tanisha had gained Hydra Fire although she hadn't used it yet. Meanwhile, Bjorn hadn't unlocked a single one of his communed skills. He decided to assign his forty points of UCP and look over his menus to see what has changed. He was still going with the strategy to prepare for his larger size and increase his vitality and restoration.
Status Menu
Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
Level: 37 < 41
Vitality: 145 + 15 = 160 / 195
Restoration: 245 + 25 = 270 / 270
Constitution: 125 / 135 < 140
Strength: 90 / 130
Dexterity: 80/ 100
Stamina: 90/ 115
Aether: 70 / 70
Aetheric Regeneration: 100 / 100 (+100 from bond)
Page 1 of 3
Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Eyes of the Queen
The Queen of a Thousand Heads is watching you. Be sure to eat well and don't talk to strangers from Higher Planes!
Venomous Bite
Aether Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. Your venom becomes infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Aether Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic, creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected. Gain control over the spread and density of the Poison Cloud.
Plague Fire Breath
Aether Cost: 8
With your left head you can breathe a plume of superheated toxin, which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flames retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire.
Aetheric Breath
Aether Cost: 15
I have know idea what this is or how it works. It replaced Maya Breath, but until you use it I don't know what it will do. I recommend trying it when no one is around.
Poison Claws
Aether Cost: 2
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Venom has resistance to cleansing effects. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Delta Familiar Contract
Aether Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta-class familiar. You gain +100 to aetheric regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions through your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Intimidation Roar
Aether Cost: 1
Infuse aether into your roar to paralyze anyone that hears it. Your roar can paralyze humanoid magic constructs as long as they are connected to a magic caster. Paralysis duration depends on distance and level disparity between you and the target. Those bound to you are immune to this effect.
+ Hydra Regeneration
Aether Cost: 15
+ Enhance the natural regeneration of your body giving you an unparalleled healing factor. Increases the body's natural healing rate by 4x regeneration statistic plus 20% constitution statistic. (Head regeneration is still unknown. More information required.)
Air Claws
Commune with your master to unlock.
Aetheric Scales
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydromancy
Commune with your master to unlock.
Water Light
Commune with your master to unlock.
Hydro-breath
Commune with your master to unlock.
Page 2 of 2
Twin-Soul Core Analysis
+ Error: Twin-Soul Core
+ You have a partial soul tether to the Sage of Seiðr. This tethering will persist unless you or the Sage of Seiðr breaks this bond. This tether will persist even through death. Without a complete and permanent tethering of your souls you must commune with the Sage of Seiðr to unlock Twin Soul Core abilities.
Permanently fuse your souls and complete bond [No/No] (NOTE from P̵̫̗͗o̸̖͛̂i̴͔͐s̷͍̈o̵̯̗̓ǹ̸̘̌: Don't you even think about it, Aki'al!)
Nature Discipline
Specialties:
Venefikinesis - Creation and control of toxins, venoms and poisons.
Elemental Discipline
Specialties:
Aerokinesis - Control over air currents and atmosphere.
Hydrokinesis - Creation of and control over water.
Pyrokinesis - Creation of and control over heat, fire and thermal temperature.
Page 3 of 3
Bjorn returned his focus to Tanisha. She was breathing steadily, following the maya breathing techniques Joha had been teaching her ever since she began training under him. The mana in the air thickened as it was drawn toward her, and the Marks of Seiðr on her skin flared to life with each inhale, then dimmed with every exhale. Bjorn tried to follow along. He had seen enough of the breathing exercises to participate, though he wasn't nearly as skilled in them as she was.
His magic, after all, didn't come as naturally to him as a caster's would. Animal magic worked differently than the magic he might have wielded as a human or human-adjacent creature—or at least, that's what he'd been told by Failsafe. But why would that be the case, he wondered, if he was a True? If he were merely some beast or ordinary hydra, perhaps that would explain it, but as a True Hydra, shouldn't he possess the ability to control his magic as well as any skilled caster—no, better than any caster?
The question gnawed at him, so he decided to investigate his core. He closed all of his eyes, and turned his mind inward. His core was an intricate spellform, a puzzle he'd never quite been able to decipher. It consisted of many rings, the outermost formed from raw mana, spinning slowly through a lattice of otherworldly mathematics and calculations. As the mana refined itself as if in a crucible, it moved inward, while the impure mana was excised.
The next ring moved faster, its symbols intertwined with aether. The aether glowed with a silver-gold light, a stark contrast to the mana's pale blue. Although they flowed separately, they moved in perfect harmony. Ring after ring followed, with both aether and mana becoming purer, until they gleaned identically in gold.
At the core of his being, two orbs orbited one another, spinning all the surrounding rings. One orb was composed of pure mana, the other of pure aether. It looked no different from the other times Bjorn had examined his twin core since he had gained it. He was about to exit this introspective state when something caught his eye—something he had never noticed before.
Beneath the spinning orbs, hidden in the rapid rotation, was another void—empty, waiting to be filled. Upon closer inspection, Bjorn realized there were two voids. Instinctively, he knew the second void was linked to the maya, sealed away by his mother. But the first void?
Bjorn focused intently on the unknown void. The closer he got, the more it felt like he was on the verge of unlocking something crucial. But then, without warning, a jolt of pain surged through him. His senses shut down, and everything went dark. He floated weightlessly within the void of his own core, recognizing the sensation from before. This wasn't death—it was the mind-space where he had spoken with his mother.
Again he found himself floating in the nothingness, unable to pull himself out of the void. He felt something grab hold of him, his core and his soul. At first he thought it was his mother who came to talk to him again but something felt off. The void around Bjorn twisted and cracked, splitting like fractured glass as a low, rumbling thunder shook the mind-space. The atmosphere grew heavy, suffocating, as if the very essence of the void itself recoiled in fear. There was a presence there with him, yes, but it was primal, ancient—far beyond the cosmic presence of his mother.
The blackness shifted as something impossibly large stirred within it. Lightning flashed in the distant void, momentarily illuminating an endless silhouette. Then, with a sickening rip through the space, countless pairs of eyes—cold, venomous, and gleaming like sickly green stars—opened simultaneously, casting a baleful light. These eyes bore down on him, unblinking and relentless. Bjorn found himself afraid and tryed to escape the void before whatever had latched onto him could actually reach him.
Then, through the storm, it appeared.
A massive, undulating form pushed through the darkness, far larger than Poison had ever been, its sheer mass warping the void around it like a marble in its maw.
"You have finally done it, son." The creature hissed from uncountable voices. "It is about time we met. Brace yourself like a True Hydra, Aki'al Hashemi son of T̸̟͝ŏ̶̫̂x̴̠̋͝i̷͔͊̍ņ̷̩̈́. You now stand before the King of Serpents. In this life I am your father and I have been waiting."
The hydra heads, serpentine and endless, slithered into view, each maw dripping with a shimmering black substance, like liquid void. Their fangs gleamed with a deadly brilliance, reflecting the stormy chaos around them. Where P̴̧̤͌̆ö̸̝́i̵͔̿̒s̵͍͈̐̃ö̸̳̦n̶̯͛̈́'s presence had been awe-inspiring, the King of Serpents was suffocating—he was the storm, the embodiment of everything poisonous and consuming in the cosmos.
As the heads moved closer, the space itself seemed to shudder, the storm growing more violent with every inch of his approach. The air buzzed with a corrosive energy, and the shadows themselves curled and recoiled from his form, as if they, too, were being devoured by his mere presence. Lightning crackled, but its light was quickly swallowed by the dark void that followed him.
"It would appear we do not have much time." The King hissed his disapproval as he stopped approaching. "Even from this distance my presence is destabilizing this space. Your mother would be upset if I corroded it further."
"You are my father? King of Serpents? Mother mentioned you were in the middle of a war." Bjorn said as he regained composure.
"My name is T̸̟͝ŏ̶̫̂x̴̠̋͝i̷͔͊̍ņ̷̩̈́, son, and this is but a small fragment of me, an avatar if you will. If I truly turned by gaze to you, the Lower Plane you are on would die beneath my mere thought. Your mother had to reduce herself as well when she spoke with you, although she is far better at creating these fragments than I."
The fact that this being was only a whisper of his father's true self added to the dread gnawing at the edges of Bjorn's mind. He could not help but notice that T̸̟͝ŏ̶̫̂x̴̠̋͝i̷͔͊̍ņ̷̩̈́ avoided the topic of him fighting in some kind of war. However, if the True Hydra didn't want to talk about it Bjorn wasn't going to pry.
"The fact that I am talking to you this time, did I do something wrong?" Bjorn asked.
The void shook as T̸̟͝ŏ̶̫̂x̴̠̋͝i̷͔͊̍ņ̷̩̈́ laughed. "Wrong? No son, I am not so disciplinarian that I would come to scold my own hatchling. Look how you have grown even without the pneuma and with that inferior mana and aether. Although your mother is not happy that you nearly tied yourself to the first mortal you saw. Mortals come and go so soon, no reason to bound your soul to one."
"So… why the visit, father." Bjorn asked.
T̸̟͝ŏ̶̫̂x̴̠̋͝i̷͔͊̍ņ̷̩̈́ recoiled slightly, as if stung by the question. "To see my son," he said, the simplicity of his answer almost mocking in its obviousness. "I know you were human in your previous life, Aki'al Hashemi, but was there no concept of parental love?"
Bjorn blinked, caught off guard by the notion. "Yes-yes there was… I just thought this was more than just you coming by to say hello."
A violent shudder rippled through the void as the King of Serpents laughed again. "I have." He said after getting out all of his chuckles. "I have come to see if you are suitable for pneuma. You have been exploring your core and manage to access this void within you. It is where you would have gained access to your birthright had you not been stolen from P̵̫̗͗o̸̖͛̂i̴͔͐s̷͍̈o̵̯̗̓ǹ̸̘̌. For the humans of the Lower Plane, it is mana. For demons, it is maya. For angels it was aether. But for hydra, it is pneuma."
"Is that another Higher Plane energy?" Bjorn asked.
"Yes, it is what you should have been born with, however your physiology has changed. You are still a True Hydra, but different from any of your brothers or sisters now. That bond you have with the mortal and the memories you retained from your reincarnated soul changed you in unexpected ways."
"So... will you grant me access to pneuma?" He asked, hesitance laced his words. "What will that do to me?"
"I would have made you more like me and your mother." The King's voices spoke as one. "But no, I will not give you access. You are not ready for any more energies to mix with your current alloy. Not until you master what you have."
"Alloy?" Bjorn questioned.
"Your core is not pure mana, or aether but a mixture." The King hissed. "The mortal you evolved is the same although her alloy has the addition of maya."
Bjorn's heart pounded in his chest. "Wait-wait, I evolved? She did that on her own."
The void itself seemed to hold its breath as the King of Serpent's eyes widened, then narrowed in surprise. "Do you not know what you did to her?" His voice slithering with curiosity. "No, actually you wouldn't, you are a hatchling… a mortal can not just evolve into a greater being. It is a process that requires a True Immortal's intervention. It's not about power but birthright. Mortals are born as we make them, or they become what we turn them into. The cernunnos is your creation, which you stole from its master. You freed her from one binding and bound her to you. That is what the soul tether is, the chain you made her wear, thinking it was salvation."
Bjorn felt his world collapse around him. His breath caught in his throat, and a cold, sinking realization gripped his chest. He had changed her. The image of her collapsed in tears because she was so afraid of what she had become flashed in his mind. The fact she was afraid of her own mind, that she didn't know who or what she was. It was all his fault. He stole her identity, poisoned who she was. He did exactly what the werewolves thought he would, even if unintentional.
He remembered Tanisha apologizing to him for being different. At the time it was just because she knew she was acting slightly off from how she normally did, but it was him that turned her into something else—something other. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend the enormity of what the King of Serpents had just revealed.
"I… I didn't mean to…" Bjorn stammered.
T̸̟͝ŏ̶̫̂x̴̠̋͝i̷͔͊̍ņ̷̩̈́'s many heads circled him like a predator closing in, the storm swelling in ferocity around them both. "Intent or not, son, they are all what we make them. Our time is up, do take care of yourself and if your mother asks the void has always been this corroded. Do not fret over your mortal pet, there will be others after her and if you want more like her, be sure to find her a suitable mate."
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