“Prep all you want. When things come, it will still surprise you.”

#Quote - Shamanistic Wisdom - Passed from Shaman to Shaman.

 

*

 

Central Continent - Southern Forest - Survival Tribe

Inside the Badg’Er territory, a female Badg’Er made her way home. 

 

With slow steps she traversed the grounds, avoiding the trees and branches. There was nothing exceptional about her at first glance, but when one looked behind her, and saw a White Flame in the form of a Honey Badger, at least its upper body, any normality would be instantly forgotten.

 

However, if one looked even closer they would notice that this partial form of a Honey Badger made from White Flames dragged another Badg’Er. Specifically, it held the Badg’Er by its legs and dragged it over the ground leaving behind a distinct mark of the deed.

 

Tina, Head Shaman of her Tribe, with her manifested Partial Primal Form could obviously carry Alexander, her Son, without any trouble, yet her choice was to drag him.

 

Whenever Tina had to traverse over some roots and drop back down to the level ground, a THUD would echo behind her she ignored wilfully.

 

Surprisingly, despite being dragged, and experiencing THUDs from time to time, Alexander remained unconscious. 

 

That being the case, one reason for a Mother’s punishment could be imagined.

 

Yet, despite everything she was doing, or not doing, her mind was somewhere else. Her thoughts were about the connection between shattered and sharp rockets and her Son, who made them in the first place. 

 

After some thinking, she realized a simple thing. Right now, Alexander could shatter the stone, but in the future, after he has trained and learned to use it better, he would be able to increase his precision.

 

It was that precision that Tina’s Intuition sought. For what reason? She was unsure but…

 

RIP

 

Two Badg’Er and one flame apparition instantly ceased to move any further. In fact, they completely stood still, as if something locked them in place.

 

Tina, for the first time, ever, in her life as a Badg’Er, and Shaman of her Tribe, felt something rip into her mind. It ignored her innate mental defenses as it penetrated into her mind, and yet not one tiny bit of hostility manifested as a result.

 

Instead, what happened was an unfolding of something completely new. When it was done unfolding, an invasive sense reached the deepest recess of her mind. 

 

Only this invasive feeling stemmed not from her. 

 

No, the invasive feeling was shared from something outside her, yet still possessed a connection to her. A connection she knew not she possessed. Or maybe she was not ready for the connection, as Tina realized she had trouble understanding everything being shared with her, minus the emotions that stood out the most.

 

For moments, Tina stood there not moving a single muscle, but those keeping her alive like her Heart and Lungs. Only after enough time passed, and her mind processed everything shared with her, had the true message revealed itself to her. 

 

Still, it had taken some time because everything passed on to her, was utterly strange to her. It was as if something no Badg’Er entered her mind.

 

Nevertheless, the message was simple once her mind understood.

 

Something small, yet dangerous, had invaded something big, yet vulnerable.

At the same time, Tina regained awareness of the world outside of her mind. 

 

Only this time, Tina was sensing something else layered into the world. 

 

It was there, and yet not. 

 

It covered everything, yet it was invisible to the naked eye. 

 

The only reason she knew it was so, was because of the contrast between before and after the sharing.

 

When Tina’s mind correlated everything she sensed, and everything she knew, a realization came to her. This contrast was familiar to her.  After all, it occurred every time she left the Tribal Territory, only now it was much more apparent to her. 

 

Then things clicked for Tina.

 

The Tribe Spirit had sensed something invading its territory. 

 

It had sensed something dangerous to its existence, and therefore to every Badg’Er living in the Tribe.

 

Once everything clicked for Tina, things began to change and not just for her but for the Tribal Spirit which had forced the connection to its Head Shaman.

 

With the connection in place, Tina felt the twisting happening. 

 

Things sensed by the Tribal Spirit got shared with Tina, who tried her best to understand everything The Tribal Spirit sensed and perceived. Nonetheless, it was the strange and unfathomable way its thoughts worked that was beyond Tina, at least for the moment, as currently, it was the scale making everything harder for her.

 

Yet, contrary to what Tina felt from the scale of the Tribal Spirit, it was the Individuality of the Badg’Er that had a greater impact on the Tribal Spirit. Because in this very moment, the vastness of thought met Individuality of thought. 

 

One helped one expand to a higher state and one helped one contract down to a smaller state.

 

It was this mutual acknowledgment of existence and coexistence that made the Tribal Spirit adopt aspects of the Badg’Er. 

 

What the Tribal Spirit adopted Tina had no idea. Neither did she understand her own gains. However, at this moment what mattered was that everything was nearing its end.

 

Final clicks of everything settling down occurred and Tina was truly returned to the here and now, with but a headache telling her of things occurring once. 

 

At least that was before something very familiar manifested in Tina’s mind.

 

DING!!!

---

System Alert!!! - Event in Progress

 

Type; 

Spiritual Awakening

 

Description;

 

External elements have forced Tribal Spirit; Sur’Vi’Val to accelerate its own Spiritual Awakening.

 

Unfortunately, for all involved, once the process has begun, it can not be interrupted. Hence, Emergency Protocol; Don't worry, my Little Spirit, Goldy has your Back! is engaged.

 

Time until Summoning; 

 

720 seconds → 729, 728, 727…

---

Yet as if that was not the end, another DING!!! came right after.

---

System Alert!!! - Event in Progress

 

Type; 

Tribe Defense

 

Description;

 

Help is on the way. 

Protect the Tribe and the Tribal Spirit till Grand Observer and Librarian of Dreams has arrived.

 

Conditions;

Spirit Awakening Completed

Enemy Eliminated

 

Reward;

???

 

Failure;

Tribal Totem Destroyed

Tribal Members Dead

---

So many unknowns flipped into Tina’s mind from the System Alerts. 

 

Many of the things she did not know about, yet her mind focused on what she understood enough. 

 

Instantly, her Partial Primal Form floating behind her lifted Alexander, as now was not the time for punishments. 

 

Then, Tina began sprinting back to Tribal Clearing.

 

Luckily for her, she was very close to it, so it took but moments for her to reach it. Once she did, her eyes immediately noticed the very obvious. Badg’Er stepped out of their Dens, all while flexing their bodies to get rid of the rigidness caused by excessive sleeping.

 

The first thing her mind thought of was everybody receiving the same sharing she did. However, as her eyes gazed at her fellow Badg’Er, with the distinct black and white fur only they possessed, there was more confusion on their faces than an understanding of something intruding into their territory.

 

Whatever the case was, Tina ignored everybody for a moment in favor of reaching her own Den. Once inside, she saw her Mate, Scar stretch his body. There was a grim face on him telling her, her Mate had an inkling of what was going on.

 

“Intruder, Ready, Every, Hunter, Shaman,” Tina said before her Partial Primal Form of a Honey Badger threw Alexander to the side. Noticing, Scar's gaze turned to their Son, Tina urgently explained. “Alexander, Fine, He, Stupid, Practice, Exhausted.”

 

Hearing his Mate, Scar nodded with relief and made his way outside their family Den. 

Once outside, he saw everybody who needed to be there. 

 

However, he also noticed a shimmering field manifesting before the Tribal Totem. Specifically, it was right before the small stone platform on which every Badg’Er kneeled at least once in their life.

 

“Ignore, That.” Scar heard his Mate order. “Find, Intruder?”

 

Recognizing his priorities, Scar faced his fellow Hunters. “Egie, Tebec, Manbie, Judgu… Take, One, Side, Of, Tribal Clearing… Find, Intruder… If, Find, Growl, Loudly… Then, Come, Back.”

 

Hearing the order from their Chief, all four individuals long used to listening to his orders, took one side each and sprinted in search of the enemy coming on their doorsteps.

 

“Other, Hunters, Make, Teams… Find, Good, Position, And, Wait.” Scar ordered, and his Hunters obeyed. And they did it especially quickly because of the practice they'd been having lately.

 

Scar was extremely pleased when everybody listened. Every time it happened there was a fluttering feeling inside him. As if something was gestating inside him, not that he would know what that feels like, seeing as he was no female. 

 

Ignoring it, Scar turned to the females, the Shamans. “Shamans, Position, Around, Tribal Totem, Protect, It.” Then all that was left was to address the few cubs that he could see.

 

Scar was unsure why it was, but after becoming Badg’Er, it was much harder for them to have Cubs. When they did, it took so much time and effort for them to grow up. With those factors combined, currently, there were only four cubs in the Tribe.

 

“Tina… Take, Cubs, To, Our, Den… Hide, Them, Inside.” With the order given, Tina had the cubs follow her. 

 

It took a bit of persuasion, but not too much, as her whole body radiated follow or face pain. Once the Cubs were in her Den, out of inspiration, she had the only female of the four cubs, sit beside her unconscious Son. 

 

Still, Tina’s inner thoughts and plans for the female aside, the moment she was outside her Den again, she noticed every Shaman had taken a relative distance from each other in order to protect the Tribal Totem.  

 

There they stood still and waited for something to happen. There were only two possibilities, the Hunters sent out, find the enemy, or the enemy finds them.

 

However, as the silence and readiness went on, no Badg’Er could take his or her eyes away from the colorful shimmering occurring before the Tribal Totem. 

 

With every moment that passed, it gained in viscosity, as if something would soon pop out of it. What it was, Tina, Scar, and the Hunter and Shamans, defending their Tribe for the first time, would soon find out, but it would not be before its time had come. 

 

Then, Khry-ya-ya-ya echoed from the Forest. It was weak due to the distance, but it had enough strength to reach everybody gathered, and the other three Hunters in the Forest. 

 

Thus, all of them made their way back urgently.

 

Once the sound reached, every Badg’Er focused on the southern side of the Tribal Clearing. However, when Scar heard the growl and recognized the direction from which it came, a suspicion emerged inside him. 

 

It told him of a possible enemy. Yet, deep inside, Scar knew things were different this time. How exactly? He did not know, but it was different from anything his Tribe had ever faced.

A few moments passed. 

 

From the Forest, Tebec ran with all his might.

 

Scar registered a strange expression on his face, but did not give it too much thought. Right now everything was strange to him. 

 

When Tebec reached Scar, and Tina, his breath, while erratic from the exertion, was still steady enough to talk.

 

“Humanoid, Black, Many, Legs. But…” Tebec said, yet the frown of uncertainty on his face told of his confusion. “Its, Black Scales, Covered, With, Something… Don't, Know, What… But, Looks, Hard.”

 

“Hard?” Scar inquired.

 

“Yes, Looks, Solid, Hard.” Tebec replied.

 

“Hmm, Wait, For, Others… Then, Form, Team, With, Me.” With that said, silence ensued for a few moments before three more Badg’Er came back. A short conversation ensued between them. Then the four of them plus Tina settled themselves between the Tribal Clearing and the Forest.

 

Two more Hunter teams stayed nearby.

 

After waiting for a few moments, the first signs of something coming towards them occurred. 

 

At first, it was light footsteps. Then what followed was a faint sound of something clicking as it neared. It was as if something kept constantly hitting something else. 

 

After that, every Badg’Er saw the swaying of branches as the Intruder neared their Tribal Clearing. Moments after that, the Intruder exposed itself completely.

 

Just like Tebec had told them, it was humanoid. 

 

The thing that piqued their interest was the thing that it had on its body. It was gray and it covered almost all of its body. From its feet to its legs, to its torso, neck, and arms. Even the top and back of its head was covered. 

 

Thus the only thing visible, and the only thing identifying it as belonging to the Black Manny Legs was the face.

 

The contrast between what they knew, and what they were seeing, displayed something completely unknown to them. Thus those combinations made every Badg’Er feel eerily threatened. 

The humanoid covered in gray stepped forth a few more steps before stopping. 

 

Completely black eyes gazed upon the gathered humanoid creators before It. 

 

This was actually the first time It was seeing this species. Actually, It had never even heard of them before. So to It, everything was new. However, knowing what to look for, a blue shine manifested deep in Its eyes. 

 

When the blue glow appeared, every single creature before It shivered for a moment, as Its Mana Sight examined them. To the creature from the depths, however, that fact was completely normal, as Mana Sight was a Spell that penetrated most Magical Perceptional Protections. 

 

Much less of what It was seeing right this moment, a bunch of 3ed Stage Ascendency creatures who were of no threat to It, at all. 

 

Not only was their Mana weak in its flow, but also in its depth of character. 

 

Even right this moment, with an enemy reaching their doorstep, there were no active Spells on them. 

 

The only thing special about them was the passive existence of Mana. Nonetheless, any 3ed Stage Ascended creature possessed Mana. At least, the species appeared like that if It ignored the White Claws, the males had manifested, or the beastly apparition, the females have manifested.

 

The worst part was no armor or weapons existed on their bodies, or anywhere nearby for him to notice.

 

Seeing it all, the creature from the depths, had no choice but to admit it's lacking luck. 

 

It had come to the surface seeking combat in glory and ecstasy. Especially, when the report It received, detailed many farmers dying to them. Yet no attacker was reported dying. 

 

This fact had brought it hope. 

 

Hope to finally find itself a worthy enemy, by which to grow Its name, instead of remaining a warden of the most remote place possible. 

 

Only it seemed disappointment was what awaited it.

 

Observing the creatures before It, It took a better glance at their physicality, hoping something would make this even remotely fun. 

Being from the depths did not mean it was unfamiliar to those that lived on the surface. 

 

Yet, as It observed the creatures,  It was sure, a species like this one had never been mentioned before.

 

Not that it mattered that much at this moment. 

 

Still, from the long History records of the Cent’Pi Pantheon, Its people have found one peculiarity of Ascension. 

 

The more a species resembled its Primal Form the less potential it contained. 

 

If It followed that ancient record, the species before It should follow that hypothesis. At least if It ignored the almost perfect, if a bit hunched forward, proportions of their humanoid form.

 

Ignoring that fact for the moment, It focused on their heads. 

 

The eyes were relatively close to what every 3ed Stage Ascendent had. Everything else, however, was more primal. The snout protruding out of their faces was the biggest indicator of their origin. 

 

They also did not possess any ears, from what It was seeing. Still, thanks to their incredibly short fur, It was able to notice ear canals on the upper sides of their heads.

 

The males were stronger and bigger physically, and the female had milk producers like every other female humanoid. However, the greatest interest to It was the short black fur covering most of their body, with white only appearing on the back of their heads, back, and tail.

 

Noticing nothing else special, the creature from the depths sighed in disappointment. 

 

Then its mind reminded It of something. The fur would become an excellent rug for Its home, as it possessed a weird and interesting colored tone when compared to everything living in the depths.

Moments later, as Its gaze glided over the gathered creatures, probably thinking about protecting themselves from It, It saw a shimmer in the center of the tiny village. 

 

Beside the shimmer, a strange black pole protruded out of the ground. It was covered in golden lines depicting something. The creature from the depths could not see what it was, as despite pouring Mana into its eyesight, living in the depths made it so their eyes lacked clarity for long-distance viewing.

 

Still, Its opinion of these creatures grew slightly. 

 

The black pole looked fairly sophisticated to It. However, whatever it was, and whatever it depicted, the true curiosity was the shimmer.

 

Focusing Its Mana Sight on the shimmer, the creature from the depths recognized something extraordinary occurring. However, the recognition came not from the information delivered by its Mana Sight but from the absence of Mana.

 

“Hmph. Maybe this was not a wasted trip after all.”