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Chapter 224
🕑 Added 2024-09-27 04:31:13 +0000 UTC“She just… told you to gimme this rock?”
“Yeah, and said that, eventually, you’d know what to do with it.”
Ytte shrugged. “Ain’t now. All I know now is that it’s heavier than you’d think lookin at it. Not particularly familiar with what makes a rock a rock, much less a special rock. Ain’t a bloodstain on it or anything interesting like that, so I can’t say what I might find.”
I sighed, unsurprised. “Yeah, I knew it was heavy, but I was hoping for something more. Keep trying, I guess. Try using your magic to see if you can understand it, as much as possible. That’s it–wait, also try not to break it.”
Ytte chuckled. “Goes without sayin. I’ll keep it safe.”
“Thanks.” I nodded as I walked away, leaving the first of my followers from outside my brood to her rock. She was muttering under her breath, and I heard a curious clicking of her claws on the stone as she tried to sound it out. Hopefully she would find out what to do with it sooner rather than later.
The suns had long begun their descent, the sky turning a burning hue of oranges and reds. Since [Improved Vision] had evolved to [Raptor’s Eyes], I still hadn’t used my thermal vision except for at night. Finally, my eyes rivalled and even surpassed what they had been as a human, and I could clearly see the clouds in the sky, pick out individual leaves in a tree from a distance, and, if I squinted, somehow enhance my vision in a small area.
As I watched the surroundings, I witnessed a couple of the Sunkindred stepping out of their homes, but they didn’t seem to want to have anything to do with us keelish, instead watching the suns’ final light as they disappeared over the horizon. The Sunkindred moved in obvious worship of the celestial bodies, and bowed as the last light faded to nothing. Without the light of the suns, though, I could see that many of the Sunkindred left slight afterimages behind their every movement, like the Allmother had, though none were quite so bright as hers. I idly looked around to see if I could find Teikhom, since I figured his afterimages would be brighter, but to no avail.
“You seem excited, Alpha.” Sybil’s voice shook me from my reverie. “Did you get good news?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. I know where to find another swarm and I’m sure we can force them to follow under our rule on our journey. So, while I would have preferred to still have the rest of our numbers…” I trailed off, and Sybil swiftly filled the silence.
“We can begin to be a swarm once again.”
“Exactly.”
[Fen POV]
Fen tried her hardest not to let her fear show. Varali had been angry ever since she and Fen had seen the ruins of her family, but Fen had been sure that Varali would calm down once they killed the keelish…
Maybe it was because some had gotten away? Maybe Varali was just angry right now? Maybe… maybe it was because Fen wasn’t good enough?
Fen tried not to let that last thought stick. She was trying! She missed her mother and father, but they were gone, so back to working hard. So hard, harder than she ever had when she’d been a human! She was growing and following the quests she got, and listening, and talking to Varali, and being her friend… but she felt like she still wasn’t enough.
All that Varali was doing these days was talk with that bastard “High Lord” (at least when he wasn’t working with his newest experiment) and push herself harder and harder to become a better Speaker. Whenever Fen tried to talk to her, Varali didn’t even respond. Fen was starting to feel like she was going crazy, Varali wouldn’t say anything, but always pressing at the back of Fen’s mind was a stewing, boiling rage. Fen was trying to stay as happy as always, but it was hard to feel anything other than that permanent anger.
Right now, the two humans were a little less angry, because Leialt was giving a lesson in Speaking. While Fen couldn’t use that same type of magic, she wondered if the tips and tricks he was giving could work for her, so she listened in.
“As with all Speaking, channeling emotion, like rage, sorrow, or joy, into your Phrasing will help. A steady Earthspeaker can commune with the earth around them better, an energetic Windspeaker can better mould the air to their will, and an emotionally fluid Waterspeaker and can become one with the waves. Therefore, what weak Soulspeakers think is that they need to constantly listen and learn new Phrases in order to progress in their abilities. They’re wrong. What a High Soulspeakers learns is that these new things certainly do function, but Soulspeaking is different from all the others. That’s why we’re special.
“A Soulspeaker is a guide, not the shaper of the Words as the other Speakers are. You are wiser than those under your influence, you are closer to the heavens, you are greater than those beneath you. What is the source of these emotions? You don’t need to feel a raging, burning emotion to empower yourself over others. Instead, you need to focus on the fact that you are the leader of your Bound. Their limited minds cannot understand your plans, and they cannot approach the intellectual capacity of a human. It is better that you serve as their thoughts and conscience, so that they can focus entirely on how to serve you.”
“But why should I try to change my Soul Companionship to a Binding? Fen is my companion, and even my friend!” Fen nodded along with her companion’s words and bleated her agreement at the insufferable man. He waved a hand and Fen felt her mind cloud, all her protestations dying in her mind as well as on her lips.
“The old ways of Soul Companionship allowed for greater flexibility from their companions. They could better express themselves and lead, but why would a servant need individuality? Why would the follower need to lead? You are the head of the companionship, so why would you make compromises in leadership? Does that make sense, Varali?”
Fen watched her bond slowly nod, and then, the flaming impotent rage in Varali began to subside, washed away by waves of bitter recollection, and then a steadfast resolve. Fen couldn’t see what Varali was remembering, but as the powerful feeling of belonging and love washed over her, it forced Fen’s addled mind to recollect the only time she had experienced that love herself: those feelings Fen only experienced for that brief time with her parents, those nameless Scaled Deer.
She’d thought she would again find them with Varali, but these weeks had changed her bond from the happy child she had been to a selfish, unrelenting vehicle for revenge. Quietly, Fen’s body began to shake with uncontrollable sobs as she was blown away by this unstoppable sense of loss and desolation, missing the only two creatures that had ever shown genuine affection for her, her mother, slaughtered by keelish only a month ago. Then, Varali extended a hand toward Fen, and a wave of blissful oblivion spread over her mind.
In the fog of Varali’s Speaking, Fen could see that in corner of her eye flashed a [System] message: [Evolution requirements met. Would you like to evolve to Scaled Deer Soulrender?]
Comments
inkaral
Fen is getting betrayed!
