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Valentina Batanero prowled through the jungle, scanning for signs that they were being pursued after capturing the wrinkly toad that had lagged behind.

Sixteen years old, she’d grown up around the jungle and loved to play in it, which she assumed was why she’d turned into a Beastkin Tiger.  In her opinion, the assassin addition was a bit much; sure, she liked to help the adults trap nearby predators, but did that make her an assassin?

Of course, much had changed after cat ears, a tail, and fur grew out of various places on her body.  At first, hair sprouted all over her chest, legs, and if she were being frank, other areas she’d rather not mention, causing her and her parents to panic—what girl would love to suddenly grow hair in those places?  She, however, didn’t have much time to ponder her transformation once alien toad people had jumped out of crystals and started murdering everyone.

Trying to put some of those thoughts out of her mind, she crawled around the large tree to peer through the dense foliage at her companions; they huddled in a flat area, hidden by a wall of vines and strange flowers Nicole had crafted to keep them hidden.

A long stream of air passed through her nose, and not sensing anything dangerous nearby, Valentina sat against the trunk to look back on the past three weeks, finally having some time to herself.

Ears twitching a bit while adjusting to the sounds of the darkening skies, she smiled while reflecting on the snow that had fallen on them not too long ago—her first time experiencing it outside of movies—it was insane that it snowed in the jungle.  It sure made many of the animals they passed anxious, but it could have been a load of other things, too; this world was so exotic and odd.

A shiver ran through her as Valentina let the feel of the jungle in; the last three weeks had been anything but kind to them, and they’d been forced to fight off many things, including an ungodly amount of ravenous, big-eyed birds that sent them into one of Nicole’s little animal friend’s burrows until they passed.

What should I do?

Ever since she’d become a tiger girl, her mind and emotions had been altering; it was slow, but she could definitely feel it.  She liked the solitude now; it gave her time to clear her head; her parents’ deaths had affected her—how would it not—still, it was less than she thought it would.  She kept telling herself, the jungle was harsh; she had to adapt.

Not everyone in her party saw it that way, and Nicole, the twelve-year-old Fae Wood Dryad, seemed to hate violence, hiding whenever trouble arose.  She’d been invaluable during the last few weeks though, using her powers to cover their tracks.

Valentina found little reserve in killing or fighting the toads, unlike most of her party that squirmed at the thought of conflict.  Rafael and Yago had been okay—she used to think Yago was kind of a creep—she’d been right, considering he turned into an Aberrantkin Skin Crawler.  Too bad he died; she was getting used to him.

Chatoyant gemstone eyes lingering on Nicole, she frowned while studying the brown-skinned girl with leaf-like hair; she huddled in the corner of their little camp and away from the prisoner.

Nicole was from the U.S. and didn’t speak Spanish, so there was a language gap between them that made her skittish around the others, yet for some reason, Valentina was an exception.

She and Nicole were the only girls left in the party after Vega died, which was pretty early on, yet Cristian couldn’t leave anyone’s bodies behind.  Nicole had the two wrapped corpses in the back of their hidden dome of vines and branches.

Valentina was worried animals, and possibly their enemies would be able to follow the scent they left while rotting, yet the Dryad had covered them in large leaves so form-fitting that the smell was entirely contained, curbing her concerns.

The U.S. girl was pretty dependable and earnest enough to pull her weight; she probably thought they’d abandon her otherwise.  Yet, here Valentina was, considering that very thought; this wasn’t her crusade.  She was a little surprised how calm and collected she’d become; it was a little concerning, she had to admit.

Pulling around her long striped tail, a low pur-like hum rumbled in her throat, and she scratched her fur-covered shoulder.

Seeing her parents die had been horrifying, but that was weeks ago, and she had to move on.  Plus, she was able to kill one of the toad people before they’d hogtied her; they were way faster and smarter than she first thought.

After that, the first several hours were a whirlwind, but after nearly nineteen days in this world, she’d come to accept it, again, unlike the others, and if she wanted to survive, that mindstate would get her killed.

This place was practically made for her, and she’d never felt more alive than splitting off from the group to explore her new playground.  Valentina needed to break away if she was ever going to better understand the territory and learn where best to carve out her own little place in this world.

Tail falling to her side, Valentina’s lips tightened as she glared at the barely visible party; if she could see them, others could.  Then again, she could jump down and tell Nicole where to strengthen and thicken her hedges, but how many more times would she need to do that.

Rafael currently acted as their leader; he may speak Spanish, but he didn’t come from their small town.  Eighteen years old, he and his girlfriend had eloped, falsifying their identities and using the humanitarian aid trip to get out of the U.S.—he didn’t elaborate too much on that part.

The young man was a decent dude but was obsessed with getting his girlfriend back, which she’d confirmed by scent was now with thousands of toad people; it was suicide, but he was in love.  They were dancing with the devil in this utterly unknown territory where any random bug could kill them in their sleep.

It wasn’t like she could complain, though; no one else had any idea what to do when they’d been captured, and Rafael had come up with a plan using their talents—it got some people killed—but it worked, sort of.

She glanced down at her fur-covered chest, frowning at the small patch of scar tissue on the inside of her right breast.  She’d discarded the wrap on her left arm and her clothes in the big, furry ferret burrow they’d stayed in; there wasn’t much to be embarrassed about when fighting for your life, and it didn’t feel right against her fur.

Valentina’s thoughts returned to that stormy night, wondering if there was anything she could have done without the others—looking for a reason to tell them she was going her own way.

Tied up from head to foot and gagged, she was ready to be served up on a silver platter while being bounced around on the stick she was strapped to—she’d been tossed against trees, stones, and roots—every chance the toads got, she swore they laughed while she bounced on that stick as they walked.

It took a day, but eventually, Rafael learned about the others with powers and had made a plan; Yago was the one thing that allowed it to happen, taking over one of their captor’s bodies, which allowed them more leeway.

Gorka, a rather shrewd fifteen-year-old before their capture, could store things in a personal dimensional pocket.  It wasn’t that big at first but grew as he used it throughout the day, allowing Yago and Cristian, the bodysnatcher’s only friend, to smuggle goods they could use from the supply wagon behind them.

Cristian had gravity powers that sounded cool but wasn’t all that impressive; he basically floated things, and he couldn’t let his best friend rot, so he’d been carrying him along their travels with his power—a waste in Valentina’s opinion, but he could do what he wanted.

Vega was a somewhat standoffish girl near her own age that didn’t like to socialize; she was known in their small school as a ‘tinkerer’ and loved to take people’s old mechanical devices and repurpose them to random things she’d envisioned.

Valentina was a little impressed when she managed to take the scraps of metal Gorka had stockpiled to shape into a shortsword for Rafael to use; she didn’t know what the girl’s ‘title’ or ‘powers’ were called because, during the toads’ confrontation, they’d made a break for it.

The resulting chaos?  She’d had the air knocked out of her for a moment as, what she later discovered was black thorns, hit her dead in the chest; they were deadly shots, hitting the same spot and breaking past her skin but not her bones—it still left a nasty scar—she kind of liked how it looked now, and the fur was growing back in.

She struggled with one of the other toad warriors on their escape and almost died had not Yago jumped in front of an insanely fast toad that used a knife to cut clear through him before making three nasty gashes across her arm and side.

Oddly, the attackers stopped soon after, when the storm took a turn for the worse, allowing them to escape with a few other people—Vega didn’t make it either.  Cristian hoped Yago’s new bodysnatcher powers would mean he was fine, but that didn’t turn out to be the case.

Her lips fell a tad as the memories returned, and she rocked back and forth, pondering what she should do; killing the toad people was all well and good, yet she didn’t have any family left, and this was obviously stupid.

Valentina’s instincts had told her in an instant that the toad she’d barely escaped was far stronger than her; it had been a miracle that they’d made it out of that.  At least on their escape, she’d managed to kill the other toad that had murdered her family—she memorized his scent during the incident.

Now, what was she supposed to do?  As of right now, the only thing keeping her here was the kindness Nicole had shown her in treating the wound on her chest, side, and arms.

The twelve-year-old Faekin Wood Nymph had been latched onto her whenever they slept; Valentina liked to be up at night, though.  She could live on only a few hours of sleep for three days before needing to rest longer.

Why did Rafael even want us to capture this green toad … We haven’t even been questioning him?  Is it because he looks like the toads that took us?  Revenge?  

Golden eyes closing as she thought back on their journey, she tried to make up her mind on what she should do; the teens Valentina found herself with were all good guys, but she didn’t want to die.  Stupidity versus loyalty was a no-brainer, but she needed to know if it really was stupidity or if he’d actually thought of a plan.

Mmh … One way to find out.

Jumping onto the top of their dense dome of foliage, Valentina slipped through the winding path Nicole had made for her to go in and out; the second the girl noticed her, she smiled and raised her hand in a silent greeting and closed the opening.

“How was it out there?”  Gorka whispered, rubbing his forehead from the heat of the humid jungle and scanning the ground for anything that might bite him.  “Did they notice we took him?”

“How do you know it’s a guy?”  Rafael grinned, trying to add a bit of humor that made Christian and Gorka chuckle.  “Seriously, though, anything bad?”

Sliding her fingers behind her head to play with her tight ponytail, Valentina took a casual posture, vision drifting to the silent toad; Nicole had him tightly bound by the vines in the area, keeping him pinned against a big root.

“Nope, and I only hear the normal animals around us.”

Gorka breathed a sigh of relief, fanning his face; on closer look, she noticed he’d lost a bit of weight since coming here, although all of them had.  “Man, I was worried.”

“Yeah,” Cristian nodded, taking a seat from his pacing position.  “Umm, so have you smelled anything like that really dangerous scent since yesterday?”

“Nu-uh.  I think when the toads came through here, they pretty much got rid of most of the dangerous stuff.”

Rafael rubbed the fuzz on his face, glaring at the gagged toad.  “We’re catching up, though … How soon do you think it’ll be?”

“I’m not a bloodhound,” Valentina growled, crossing her arms.  “My hearing is the best, followed by touch—I can feel my environment out, even in the dark—I do have good night vision, though.”

Cristian forced a smile.  “Yeah, I was a bit surprised when you said things didn’t taste different.”

“You could tell before, though?”  Rafael asked, eyebrows furrowing.  “Why is it hard now … Eh, you seem kind of agitated … What’s up?”

Her ears folded back, tail swishing with agitation.  “Look, I’ll tell you but first, tell me why you had us go after this toad dude.”

Rafael’s face turned sober while following her gaze.  “Because I need to know how to kill them better … We have vital spots, and they should have some, too.”

Valentia’s sharp teeth clapped together at his answer, arms tightening under her bust.  “Mmgm … I know where their vitals are if you would have sat down and talked to us about it—I know instinctively where to best attack them.”

“Really?  Oh, uh … I suppose I did kind of rush us into it, but he was such an easy target, and you didn’t see anyone watching him.”

“Mgmmm,” her low, cat-like growls caused the other two boys to chuckle nervously and drew Nicole’s worried glowing green eyes.

“What?”  Rafael sighed, scratching his unwashed messy black hair.  “I’m trying to find solutions here … You can show us on a real toad now.  Isn’t that important?”

She closed her eyes, agitation rising.  “Rafael … I’m going to be blunt—you’re going to get us all killed.”

“Woah, where’d that come from?”  he asked.

Cristian's hard swallow snatched her ears. “Yeah, uh... We have powers—we can help the people caught!  Gorka, c’mon, you think so, too… Uh, right?”

“Wait … Do you want to be the leader?”

Valentina’s golden eyes opened narrowly, staring up at Rafael's hardening face; he was nearly two meters tall and stood at least seventeen centimeters above her.  She was never intimidated by size, though.

“Did I say I wanted to be the leader?  No.  I’m not delusional.  I’ve sat back because I was hurt and recovering; I didn’t know a thing about this place, and I was scared.  Now, I’ve learned a lot, and what I know is that the way you’re taking us—we’re all going to end up like Vega and Yago.”

“Hey!  Don’t say that about Yago—he saved you!”  Cristian snapped, getting defensive for his dead friend.  “Yago saved all of us!”

He flinched as her gaze went to him, and she saw Nicole becoming a little upset at the sudden argument unfolding.  “Great—so what—should I just march to my death again because his friend says so?”

“You’re being spoiled,” Rafael muttered, meeting her eyes.  “We took care of you when you were bleeding out—Nicole dressed your wounds—you used a lot of our supplies, too, but that’s fine because we’re a team.  We need to stick together.”

“A team?”  Valentina snorted.  “You’ve made all the decisions until now because face it, you’re scared if we stop to think for a minute, we’ll choose to not go after your girlfriend.”

“Mmgm … So do you want to make decisions … Do you want to fight over it?”  he challenged, hand going to the short sword hilt on the makeshift belt Nicole had given him.  “I’m only doing what I think is best.”

“For you,” Valentina shot back, putting a hand on her hip.  “And no, I told you, I don’t care about being your little leader—that is childish.  If these guys wanna follow you to their graves, then it’s their own choice, but I’m not going to run in and fight an entire army of creatures for someone I don’t even know when one was enough to almost kill me.  You’re not thinking with your head.”

“What, I should abandon her—all those other teenage girls that you grew up with?  You know those guys took almost all the children and teenage girls!”  he hotly argued.

Valentina rolled her eyes.  “Again, you’re thinking with your heart, idiot!  I—ugh, Nicole…”

Roots grew out of the ground between them, causing a two-meter separation as she looked at them and mumbled something in English to Rafael, trembling a little.

“No, it’s not my fault—she’s the one that wants to leave!”

Gorka rubbed his arms, glancing toward the toad.  “W-Where would you even go, Valentina?”

“I—mmg-ugh—again, Nicole…”  she muttered as the girl started to cry and ran to her, latching around her shoulders, probably in an attempt to keep her from leaving.  “Look, I don’t know, but I’m not like all of you—I don’t believe there’s a way back home … We’re stuck.”

“Even if that’s true, we can’t abandon Shayla and all those others; we got these powers for a reason—we need to protect people—we have a responsibility!”

“Responsibility?”  Valentina’s ears twitched with agitation as she looked down at the shaking twelve-year-old girl, who was burying her face in her chest and hiccuping.  “I don’t give a damn about your responsibility—I’m responsible for myself, and I’m not going to walk to certain death because some guy feels guilty he couldn’t protect his girl.”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm … Well, I didn’t think I’d find you on the verge of collapse.”

Valentina’s ears went on high alert as a low chuckle reverberated from above them, too low for anyone to hear but her, and she noticed mist creeping into their shelter; she hadn’t heard anyone getting close.  “Smoke!  Someone’s close by!”

“What?  Get behind me—”  he swapped to English, but Nicole was petrified, hugging Valentina closer.

C’mon … I can’t fight if you’re hanging onto me … Why is everyone so emotional…

The fog was only growing thicker, making Nicole latch on tighter.

 

* * *

 

Mist floated around the area as Garu hung in a low-hanging branch, a small smile on his lips while watching the panicking teens; he’d been observing them for several minutes after finally catching up to them.

This Valentina human is more intelligent than the others.  Interesting.

The girl had been debating something since he arrived, and judging by their conversation, she was the best tracker and scout they had; still, they had a Plant Caller in their party, by the looks of things, and they were a deadly opponent.

Garu couldn’t be sure how powerful human Plant Callers were, yet now the jungle's unusual feel made sense.  Something unnatural pulsed out of the small girl with leaves and vines as hair.  He’d never seen a human like her, yet she did have a similar scent.

They have potential … I couldn’t detect the two they have wrapped up; this Plant Caller is far more proficient than she knows.

He eased to the left to peer through the small gaps, spotting the elderly Clanless Ri’bot, at least he assumed the man was Clanless; in his day, any Ri’bot with splotched, discolored skin had been thrown out for fraternizing outside of the clan—purity was critical for preserving a Clan’s ancient powers—most had stepped outside that guiding principle over the decades.

Of course, few but the Ethereal knew the truth since the others had fallen into their false worshiping ways of their ‘One Above All’ and Supreme Ones, hazing the facts in oral traditions.  The Ethereal had sacred texts and records, showing precisely the method to tap into their ancestors' powers.

Perhaps this Clanless could tell him something about his people since he’d likely been a child during the time of the war.  He lifted his right hand to stare at the gem-encrusted bracelet he wore, and the knife held against his forearm—Garu had gone back to the site of his death to dig through the mud to find his sacred tools.

Many of his ancestors’ ways had been lost, even to the Ethereal, yet the use of the gems of power was not something the Quen’Talrat had known until their gigantic leader had gone to the north; they weren’t nearly as skilled or advanced in their tactics until their emperor made that war conquest.

He made some noise to alert the human girl that had characteristics of a Ragnlar, and sure enough, her hearing seemed to be keen.

“W-Who’s out there—is it the toad people?”

Toad people … Why do they give us such strange names?  They’re like overgrown, hairless Yaltha'ma with two eyes.

 “Please, don’t leave me, Valentina,” Nicole cried.  “I—I don’t want you to get hurt again!”

“Mmgm, tell her I can’t fight if she’s clinging to me!”

“Nicole,” Rafael growled, “calm down a little—Nicole?”

Plant Callers…

“N-No one will get in—I promise!  J-Just tell her not to go—please, Valentina!  Tell her, Rafael!”

“Rafael—I’m trying to push the smoke out, b-but it just keeps coming!”

“It’s not smoke—it’s water—fog,” Valentina shot back.  “Nicole…”

Garu hummed, rubbing his chin.  “If I was here to kill you, you’d be long dead, Valentina.”

“W-What … He spoke Spanish!”

“What—is it someone else with powers?!  Hello?  Are you friendly?”  Rafael called out.  “Did you escape?  Are you hurt?”

Hopping out of the tree to slow his fall with the gravitational repulsion released by his flashing blue spots, Garu touched down and walked to their dome; unlike the Quen’Talrat’s unique symbol technology, these humans had nothing to stop an Ethereal.

Garu carefully pulled the bag Tiffany had given him from his shoulders and sat it against a root where it would remain dry and dispersed into mist.  He wasn’t the most proficient at the technique when alive and his consciousness weaving like the waves of the river as he drifted inside and collected again; now, the process was easier after becoming undead and didn’t make him nauseous.

His eyes opened, and a small smile lit his lips as he sat on one of the branches the Plant Caller had risen to use for sitting on, testing to see how proficient she was at manipulating the jungle.  It seemed she was far too flustered to do anything more than tighten the vines in the prison she’d fashioned for them.

“My name is Garu; I’ve come here to rescue you.  If I didn’t show up, that old man would have killed all of you in the next few minutes.”

“W-What?  No, but … Where is this fog coming from—I can’t see anything?  Is it your power?”

Garu’s smirk lifted as he leaned back, following the shifts in the waves he used to determine bodily positions in the haze; Valentina had finally gotten Nicole off and had jumped to the ceiling, crawling toward him.  She has good instincts in following my voice.

The Clanless had grown anxious, making Garu’s long tongue slide out to glaze across his lips and the three teeth on either side of his mouth; he knew the signs of an Ethereal.  Good.  I might get answers.

“I said I’m here to take you to safety, but you seem to have a direction already…”

“He’s not human!”  Valentina roared, jumping from above to pounce on him.  “He’s here—gah!”

Garu calmly leaned back and snatched her outstretched, clawed hand to flip the stunned girl around to land on her butt, forcing her to bite her tongue in shock as her own weight landed on her tail; long legs wrapping around hers, he put her into a hold as she coughed and sputtered, tears coming to her eyes while struggling and fighting through the pain.

“Don’t be rude.  I’m here to support you.”

“Valentina!  W-Where are you!  I can’t find—”

Dispersing the fog, Garu’s outline became clear to them, showing his hold over the beast girl.

“A—You’re a toad?!”

“W-Wait, Rafael!”  Cristian gasped.  “He has Valentina!”

“L-Let me go…”  she whimpered, still trying to suppress the pain of landing on her butt and tail.

“Hmm…”  Garu’s vision narrowed upon feeling a mild sense of danger coming from Nicole as she looked in mild shock.  Unwinding around the beast human, he forced her up, dodging her back elbow, and shoved her forward.  “How many times do I need to repeat myself?  You attacked me.”

“V-Valentina!”  Nicole cried, running forward and spreading her fingers to wrap vines around him.  “I-I got him!”

“Nice!”  Cristian grinned.

Rafael jumped forward, blade raised.  “It’s not over!”

“Really…”  Vanishing into the fog, Garu appeared behind the boy and shoved him to the ground, dagger flipping around his wrist to fit into his hand, gems shimmering as a tongue-barb shot out of the mist to slice his and the boy’s neck.

Deflecting it, Garu walked past the stumbling human, unaccustomed to fighting on uneven ground, and lazily swatted the following projectiles out of the way.  “An odd fighting style for a Clanless—hehe, you wouldn’t happen to be from the Roxim tribe?”

“W-Why … Why is an Ethereal helping these creatures … I thought you were all dead!”

Fog dispersing, Garu flicked his knife around his fingers to rest against his forearm again to smile at the elder while stopping in front of him.  “I’m more interested in discovering why you allowed yourself to be captured, old man … Were you a former Xaria?  Rare for you to survive all these years in such a duty.”

“Y-You saved me?”  Rafael mumbled in disbelief.

“Dude, he just—no, man—he turned into mist!”  Gorka muttered, shaking his head and backing away.  “We’re screwed, dude!”

“N-No, we can…”

“Idiot!  We should run!”  Valentina hissed, backing away with Nicole.  “He’s way stronger than the other ones we fought!”

“You won’t go anywhere I can’t follow,” Garu commented, shifting to look at them.  “So, why don’t you calm down so we can talk … Heh, I just have a few questions for our former Xaria.”

Blue irises drifting back to the shaking Ri’bot, Garu’s tongue slid across his left teeth before making a popping sound that made the prisoner flinch.  “Hehe, you do understand the old warrior tongue; at least your Clan hasn’t completely forgotten the old ways.”

The man’s gaze fell, frustration taking the place of his fear.  “They have … My former Chief has all but abandoned the ways we were taught … I cannot be a part of what he plots.”

“Oh, do tell,” Garu mused, happy the humans were clustering and mumbling to one another; Valentina had all but given up on escape after his words, showing how smart she was.  “You abandoned your Clan—as a former Xaria?  Help me understand—if you were in your youth, the speed of those thorns would have been a little impressive for a lower clan.”

His jaw locked, now meeting his gaze with the grit his past life would have instilled.  “Ethereal pride … You must be one of the risen dead that Fennel spoke of … Why do you serve such a creature?”

“I’m sure you’ll discover that answer soon enough,” Garu chuckled.  “The Empress is absolute … You don’t understand in the faintest what power she holds and the forces she commands.  What is your name, former Xaria?”

“I … am nameless; now that I have left my Clan … I will fight for what I know to be true!”

Smile falling, Garu felt an itch from his past rise to the surface.  “I see … the Ethereal respect resolve.”

Blade flipping to his hand, he positioned his fingers to activate the proper combination, instantly heating the blade; the red edge passed through the bonds holding the disgraced Ri’bot, freeing him.

“W-What are you doing?”  Rafael shouted, holding up his sword.

Gorka backed into the wall behind him.  “Weren’t you going to help us?”

Nicole opened a way for them to escape and tugged at Valentina’s arm.  “Please—run!  Run with me!”

“No!”  Valentina growled.  “He’ll catch us—I just know it … I only feel threatened when I attack him … He’s not trying to hurt us.”

“Still, why did he release him!”  Cristian rambled in fright.

Garu held out his hand in an upward gesture, showing his respect.  “Your name?”

“Why … I am Clanless…”

“You hold true to your beliefs, misguided or not, you follow what you believe to be correct, and that is worthy of a proper end.  Is it not?”

The elder’s face hardened, accepting his hand, and Garu helped him to his feet.

“My name was … Xaria Polko, of the Roxim.” 

“Good.  Rafael, your weapon.”

“Wha—No!”

“Do it, Rafael!”  Valentina snapped.  “If he’s here to help, maybe he’ll help you get your girlfriend back—don’t get all of us killed!”

“Hehehe.  I said I was here to help … Don’t misunderstand, though; I will tie you up and force you to return to the Empire with me if necessary.  Your sword.”

“Ugmmg…”

“Rafael…”  Gorka mumbled.  

“O-Only if you can take it!”

Palko laughed, having trouble standing with his decayed muscle after being bound for so long.  “Is … the creature challenging you?”

“He seems to be a stubborn one … I understand, though; he has something he’s trying to protect with his limited power.”

“I—I’ll save Shayla!  I swear!”

“Hmm … Didn’t you ask Valentina to fight you for leadership?  He-he-he, fine.  Let’s make that bet.  I win; you follow my lead.  You win, I swear by my ancestors, I will save your woman.”

“Giving the creature hope?”  Palko sighed, rubbing his arms and stretching out for what he knew would come.  “Isn’t that too cruel … He faces an Ethereal, after all.”

“Some lessons are best learned through combat.”

“Heh … I can’t argue there, young warrior…”

“Me?”  Garu snickered.  “I am a four-year-old Scout of my Clan—if I were a warrior…”

A shiver ran through Palko’s frame.  “I see … Our fears were justified in the past.  Such a foolish old man, I’ve been … I will see my punishment soon enough.”

“You are not dead yet, Palko,” Garu said, moving to stand in front of a defiant Rafael as the others backed away.  “Don’t worry, Nicole, I won’t kill him, and even if I did, the Empress could bring him back.”

Valentina’s folded back ears rose, and something seemed to click in her mind.  “Bring him back … Empress … That girl that raised all those bodies to fight for her?”

“Hmm, so you did see a small portion of the Empress’ power?  Still, let’s not waste time.”

“My thoughts exactly!”

Rafael launched forward at surprising speed for a human; he could likely match Valentina.  Waiting for him to come near and swing his short sword in an unpracticed way, Garu sidestepped it, testing the strength of his swing; in fascination, he saw the boy’s speed drop significantly once putting his weight into his swing.

The power he generated was far superior to what it should have been as he deflected the strike, letting it slide along his blade’s side.  Unfortunately, he stumbled and rolled across the ground from his own attack.

“Ugh … Stop—dodging … Why aren’t you fighting back!  Don’t mock me!”

Sighing, Garu dodged around his lunges.  “You’re a baby, swinging around a lump of metal … You’ll never hit anything like that—I suspect you were only able to kill anything by simply surprising them with your sudden strength, but…”

“Rafael!”  Nicole cried, hands shaking in Valentina’s as her other was clutched at her breast.  “S-Stop—you’ll die!  Please, don’t leave me like my mom and dad!”

Is that her trauma?

Garu pressed in as he accelerated, and just as he suspected, his finger strength was nearly non-existent in his advance.  Snatching the hilt out of his hand, Garu promptly flipped it around and tossed it to Palko, who observed the sad exchange.

“Welp, looks like I’m the leader.”

“Wha—n-no!  I—I can still…”

Moving out of his wild lunge, Garu flipped the blade around to hold at his neck, making him go stiff, and the others gasped in fright.  “It’s over … Don’t make me embarrass you further, boy.”

“No … No, I need to rescue her…”  he cried, starting to quake.  “I have powers—I can save her…”

“Idiot…”  Valentina hissed, Garka and Cristian running over to help him back to the only exit.

“Rafael … W-What should we do?”

“I don’t want to die…”

Garu left him to collapse on the ground and break down with the others; the stress of the weeks in unfamiliar territory seemed to be getting to them after feeling utterly helpless against him.

“Are you ready, Palko?”

Valentina listened carefully, trying to understand anything she could to survive; she had impressed Garu throughout this exchange, but it could be simply because of her bestial instincts.  Nicole was paralyzed after her vines didn’t work against him while the others debated running.

A long stream of air passed through the former Xaria’s nose while swinging around the unfamiliar weapon, testing the grip and weight.  “Heh … I never expected this when I left.  An Ethereal, huh?  I don’t know what will come after this … Still, your honor makes me feel shame at my own Clan and Chief’s decision.  Perhaps … I am but a relic of the past.”

A slight smirk lifted Garu’s eyes at the shaky frame of the old man.  “We’ll have to spar again once you’re restored to your youth, but until then … Show me your conviction as a warrior … No one can take that away from you.”

“He-he-he, I wish I could have fought beside you in the Fire Wars, Ethereal.  Your name?”

“Garu, of the Ethereal.  Tell me one thing before we start … What happened to my Clan?  What did the Quen’Talrat Black King do to my people?”

“Hmm … I can sympathize with the pain you feel … Roxim was originally the collection of many collapsed Clans; my grandfather was the last of his … I would give you more information if I could, but all I can offer are rumors.”

“Anything could help.”

“Mmh … Word spread of an explosion to the southwest—you know the terrifying weapons of the Quen’Talrat—after that, no message came from the Ethereal.”

Garu’s undead heart skipped a beat, mind chilling.  “Southwest … Where, exactly?”

“Just beyond the valley—the Outer Territory—we suspected the Ethereal must have made Crown Mountain their home.”

No … How did he know?  No other Clan knew of our exact location.

“Were there any survivors?”

“Sadly, I’ve heard nothing, and … I’ve heard from other Clans, Crown Mountain is gone … Only a massive crater is left.”

“The Black King?”

“He returned victorious to find his leader dead—the nightmare of the caverns were everywhere—most of the allied nations lost much of their armies in the flood of Quen’Talrat and ravenous nightmares.  After the eight-legged shadows went east, the Fire Wars started—the Avana came after … So many deaths.”

Garu’s fingers tightened around his knife as it flipped into his hand.  “I see … For glory.”

“For glory.”

Launching forward, Palko found one last sprint in him before Garu deflected his slash and used his own tongue to block the former Xaria’s that revealed a hidden spike, expecting such tactics from a Xaria of the mixed clan, he maneuvered his organ around it, locking it in place.

He had good form, yet his age betrayed him, and Garu’s blade penetrated his belly, sliding up to his throat and spilling his guts across the muddy ground.

The teens watched in disbelief, probably unable to follow their sudden acceleration; Nicole was closing her eyes, turned away, and started crying as Valentina bent down to comfort her, but she kept her Ragnlar-like golden irises on him.

“Y-You just—you gutted him…”  Gorka mumbled, falling to his knees.  “You really killed him.”

Reaching down to take the weapon from Palko’s dead hands, Garu smiled; he’d held onto it until the end, which was necessary for the religious Clans—it was more symbolic for the Ethereal.

“You’ll be able to talk to him again and have a proper introduction when we get back to the Empire.”

“W-What about Shayla?”  Rafael hiccuped.  “I have to save her—who knows what they’re doing to her.”

“It’s impossible!”  Valentina hissed.  “There are thousands of those toads—you just saw and heard that—he was supposed to be a super old one!  We caught an old man, and he could have killed us if he wanted to—I couldn’t even sense it.”

Garu tossed Rafael his blood-soaked weapon.  “You misunderstand me.  Sit, let’s talk for a bit and get to know each other; the High Lady wanted me to find and collect you, but the Empress’ orders supersede all, and she has sent me here on another task.”

 “Huh … W-Who is this Empress person?”  Gorka asked.  “A-And, this High Lady?”

Rafael’s shakes and tone had steadied while reading between the lines; wiping his face with his arm, he picked up his short sword and cleared his throat.  “I—I think I know her … Elinor, right—the goth girl?  Shayla talked with her for a bit at a stop.  She has powers?”

Garu’s eyes narrowed.  “Do not take a familiar tone when speaking of the Empress … She is the only protection you have and is the current ruler of the valley you just left; she has subjugated all Clans within, made dealings with the southern kingdom, and sits on a council of mighty creatures from other worlds.  While you’ve been struggling and crawling in the mud, she has risen an empire.”

“H-He didn’t mean a-any disrespect,” Gorka stammered.  “We don’t know anything!”

Garu put a finger to his mouth, making his jaw snap shut.

“You humans are such noisy creatures when you speak … Come, sit.”

They hesitantly gathered around, and Garu explained the state of his Empress’ empire, expressing her desire to save the humans and punish the Ri’bot.  He spent some time getting to know their individual abilities and memorizing every word and action they took to report to High Lady Tiffany when they returned.

As he’d expected, Valentina wasn’t against helping her fellow humans but didn’t want to be caught up in certain death.  She was to a great extent independent yet could realize when something was a waste of energy or a stupid pursuit.

She was perfectly willing to follow his lead after he’d explained he served Empress Elinor, who she considered to be on their side.  Garu wouldn’t have gone that far, but she could believe what she wanted; he couldn’t deny or confirm it since he had no idea what the Empress’ plans were for the humans.

Gorka and Cristian were more or less followers; they had trouble thinking and doing things for themselves, which was why they clung to Rafael.  Cristian was both excited and a little nervous at the prospect that his friend could be brought back.

As Valentina expressed, their former leader had a one-track mind for his lover.

Nicole was of the most interest, though; the twelve-year-old had a similar feel to Aileen, the young human Maid of the Empress, yet was far less outgoing and vocal.  She hid behind Rafael and Valentina; the girl had excellent potential—he’d seen what Plant Callers could do, and they were a dangerous opponent.

Unfortunately, this Dryad, as they called her, was terrified of conflict, and clearly, she had abandonment issues.  Still, he could work with the group’s abilities.

“Hmm … Understand, I am not here to save the humans—I am strong, but I cannot handle an entire Clan myself.  I am here to scout and report, but … if you follow my instructions, we may be able to accomplish something unexpected.  Are you willing to put your trust in me?”

Valentina answered with a strained smile, tail flicking to the side.  “It’s not like we have much choice … You’re at least smarter than Rafael, and you know how they operate.”

“I’m not stupid, Valentina.”

“No, you’re desperate, which is just as bad.”

“I got us this far.”

She turned away, her long bound hair flicking at the motion.  “Not really, and Nicole found us animals that would welcome us into their burrows.”

Cristian forced a smile.  “Eh, he did set everything up to get us out—and now Yago and Vega can be revived … I’m so happy—thank you, Garu!”

“Put your faith in the Empress, not me,” he muttered.  “Now, I’ll ask again.  Are you willing to follow my plan without deviation?  You aren’t skilled enough to adapt to a situation like this—a trained watch will be keeping guard.”

“So long as we’re going to save Shayla—I don’t care if I die—if it’s safe in this Nethermore, if you get her there, that’s all that matters.”

Valentina’s nose creased.  “Idiot … I’m sure she’d love that.”

“I just want her safe.”

Garu sighed.  “If you’re going to live through this, Valentina, Rafael, you’ll need to work together.  Nicole … You are the most important part.”

“B-But I don’t know how to do so many things,” she cried, hugging herself while leaning against Valentina.  “What if the animals won’t listen to me—some aren't nice—some are really mean.”

“I don’t know how Plant Callers use their powers, Nicole, but you are the most important piece in this plan.”

“Please, Nicole,” Rafael pleaded.  “I know you can do it!”

“I … I don’t know … Valentina…”

“Ugh … I can’t understand you, girl … Eh, translate for me,” she growled at Rafael, bending down to hug the trembling teenager.  “Hey, you’ve been really strong—do you want to save a bunch of people?”

Nicole’s big eyes went to Rafael, quickly shaking her head.  “W-What if my mom and dad are there … W-What if they get scared and run away again.  Is it because I look like this now?  Why do I have wood-like skin and stupid leaf hair … I hate it!”  she cried, pulling at the vines and leaves for them to grow back.  “I can’t get rid of it!”

“Hey—hey, it’s okay, Nicole … You’re cute.  You’re not scary.”

“Mmgm … My mom and dad ran away—b-because I’m a monster plant girl now … I don’t want to be a plant girl, Valentina … I want to be a normal girl!”

Tears were falling down Rafael’s eyes as he rubbed her back and translated; the others were becoming emotional, as well.  “No … You’re not a monster, Nicole … We couldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

Letting it go on for a bit, Garu looked up at the dark sky; night had fallen, and only Nicole and Valentina could navigate at this hour.  He had a plan for that, though.

“If Nicole can’t do it, then we can’t save your woman, Rafael.  It’s as simple as that.  I will give you twenty minutes before I go myself; that’s all the time I can give you.”

Jumping into the trees, Garu did a quick scan of their perimeter; they’d catch up to the escaping Clan soon, but by the path they were heading, trouble was ahead.

Valentina and Gorka managed to bolster the Nymph’s confidence enough to attempt her part, and Garu prepared them to head out.  Valentina would carry Cristian, who would levitate the others so they could navigate in the jungle; the levitation boy couldn’t keep it up forever, but it was time-based, so the faster they moved, the less stress would be on the resource he called ‘mana.’

Passing through the loud jungle, Garu led them to an ancient site through a shortcut, passing through a mountain range, and as he feared, the old forward-base for the United Clans was being used, and more than one group was present.

From his high vantage point, Garu had to modify his plan.  The Komath and Roxim have their entire Clans, but how did four other Clan representatives from nearby territories get here so quickly?  Xaria Runners?  To focus more on spreading the information than their Clan’s safety, hmm?

His gaze fixated on the tents in the distance, lights brightening the tents; it was an odd hue of light blue.  The Morseng and Polsan Great Clans of the Lowlands had their tent colors shown, but two oddly shaped shelters reminded him of the Ques’ká during the Great War, and only one answer came to his mind.

Desert Ri’bot from beyond Ques’ká territory?  They only have ten men at most … Ranking members of their military, most likely, and at this site?  Are they introducing them into the United War Council … Is this what Palko couldn’t accept?  I don’t know anything about the far east; this could be more troublesome than I thought.

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