Chapter 31:

27 Days After Spring’s Beginning

289 Days After The Ra’tok Attack Amia Village

Rua Desert, Rhia Territory

Ex.840k Soul World, Designation: Amia

I take a deep breath, looking at Amia’s surface. I watch as the dark clouds from massive storms slowly dissipate, but I can see that there is still a large hurricane off in the middle of the ocean.

The giant continents have been broken apart, a large majority having plummeted into the ocean. I can count about 6 large land masses, some connected by islands or land bridges that have risen up from from the ocean bottom.

My gaze turns to the second moon, its blue surface shining in the light of the sun. It’s surface has been marred by giants chunks of rock, and there is a large circular indentation like an eye it it. But the entire moon thrums with katra.

I can feel the massive reservoir inside it, and the core that resides in the center of the moon. I can also feel remnants of the umber hulk’s own foreign katra.

My brow wrinkles as I look at the last scraps of the mental like katra. Where are they going?

I follow the stream of mental katra to where it is being sucked up. The roots of the tree I planted on the surface of the moon are quickly slurping up the amber colored katra along with the Gray katra.

That can’t be good.

With a flick of my will, I send my exhausted astral body down to the surface of the moon.

Landing in a plume of blue dust, I look up at the Defender’s tree, its twisted and pointed limbs seemingly scraping the sky with its new height. Large leaves rustle in wind, the entire tree covered in a thin layer of blue dust.

The tree has gotten bigger.

I look at the mental katra again. For some reason, it hasn’t all been consumed by my own Gray katra. It swirls up through the tree and to the pod that my Defender is growing from.

There it coalesces, mixing with the Gray katra and imprinting on the Gray katra, before dissipating.

What is it doing?

I walk slowly over to the pod, which now has grown to be bigger than I am. It’s green surface has turned slightly transparent, thick roots from the tree shooting down into the ground and holding the structure up.

Stopping in front of the pod, I peer inside.

I can see a large form inside, curled into a fetal position. Its digitigrade legs are folded against its chest, and its arms are wrapped around its knees. Its tail curls around its body, and its head is tucked in towards it neck, the spiraling horns flowing out beyond its head.

I look at it morbid fascination.

I didn’t think it would grow like this. How big did I make it?

If from what I am seeing, it will stand at approximately 7 feet tall.

My eyes focus in on the mental imprinted katra that is swirling inside the pod. It is mixing in with the plant and life katra I used to make the tree and Defender.

It doesn’t seem to be harming it.

It might be prudent for me to remove the katra, but I am unsure how I would separate it from a living being. I haven’t ever tried, and I think I might just kill the Defender and tree to remove it.

So, it is too late now. Well, it should provide some interesting results.

If it ended up killing the tree and Defender, I should have more than enough katra to remake them.

My katra capacity has at least doubled. Though, I don’t know if I’m going to get any benefits other than storage from the core.

With that thought, I look at the new core in the center of the moon.

Scanning over it, I can roughly assume the rank that the umber hulk had before it died. Highsilver! How in the name of the Gods did we kill this thing?

Kamar is a Lowsilver, from what he told me before. And I am only a Lowsteel. Though I guess I can push above my weight class.

I stare at the pod a little more, and its occupant. From what I can see, my General and Defender will be fully grown any day now.

Taking a deep breath, I exhale slowly. I’ll just have to keep track from now on, so I can be there when it is done.

Turning, I flick my will and shoot off silently from the surface of the blue moon. Hovering in space, I stare at Amia bellow.

It's time I checked on these new “races” that have appeared. Then I should head back into the real world. I’m not exactly thrilled at the notion of feeling the pain from cutting myself open.

Suddenly, my mental link with Vengeance pulls taught, ‘Father, come quickly. It is the girl you blessed.’

I quickly flick my will, launching my spectral body into the atmosphere. ‘What is it? What is wrong Vengeance?’

Breaking from the stratosphere, I quickly direct myself to where Vengeance’s connection leads. Passing through a cloud, I dart towards one of the new large land masses.

‘The girl is not transforming like the rest of her family. She’s... dying.’ Vengeance convenes is solemn voice.

I calm my mind, I need a clear head. I have to run damage control on this, there’s no telling what the raw Gray katra has done.

Just my luck. I don’t think I’m going back to the real world for a while.

From what I can figure out from my time here, a hour here roughly translates to a few seconds in the real world. Which means I should have plenty of time, but I am going to have to go back soon.

I pass over a ridge of familiar mountains, their peaks jutting up in a ragged line. Even now, I can see sides of the newly formed mountains sliding down in crumbling avalanches.

Those used to be smaller.

Moving down, I quickly fly into the valley that the human tribe had sequestered themselves in. I can see the giant Grayish rock that was at the center of the village, and feel the massive pool of Gray katra that reside in it.

That must be a katra well.

Many of the once erect tents have fallen over, people laying on the ground unmoving. Are they dead?

Landing softly in the middle of the village, I crouch to look at one of the people on the ground. He is face down in the dirt, arms splayed to his sides. The fur of his jerkin rises and falls slowly.

Still alive, just unconscious.

Looking at the exposed skin of his arm, I can see a gray tinge to it. Grabbing his torso, I flip him over with a heave.

Well, this must be what a Grayling looks like.

There are tufts of dark hair on his chin, and his features look sharp. His ears stick out from his hair, ending in a point. His skin has a gray pallor to it, but does not look unhealthy. From his clothes, I can tell he has grown rather quickly in height. His body is well muscled and lithe.

Feeling the katra inside him, I can feel what seems to be a empty pool. A trickle of Gray katra slowing fills it, drawn from the surroundings. It is pushed through his veins, and slowly purified. It’s almost like…

Like he has an internal katra cycle. And that he is cycling.

Standing up, I pull the mind link I have with Vengeance taught, turning to near the center of the village.

Running, I follow the link past collapses tents and over unconscious graylings.

I slow down as I see Vengeance’s back. He has head bowed and his hands folded before him. I can hear him mumbling words, a cloud of cold fog puffing out from his dark hood. Is he praying?

In front of the wraith is a little girl, withering on the ground. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. Vel sits next to her, the panthers tail curled around its legs and its head bowed in silence.

Walking up beside Vengeance, I look down on Thana, ignoring the praying Ruler of Chains and baby panther.

I can sense the gray katra inside her, and it is in a perpetual cycle of absorption and creation. The Gray katra is eating up the imprints in her body, and forming pure Gray katra, which is then used by the imprinted katra to make more of itself.

This must have happened because she already had Gray katra inside herself, throwing her own newly created cycle out of whack.

I’m going to have to stabilize it. But much like with the Defender, I don’t think I can separate the katra from her. It’s already bonded with her body, and caught inside this strange “cycle”.

So how do I stop this before it tears her apart?

Thana’s arm flails about, smacking into my astral tail. My tail snaps back at the touch, and a shiver runs up my spine.

That’s it!

If I can’t remove the Gray katra, perhaps I can burn it up, using it to fuel some changes.

The tingling at the base of my skull starts up as I touch that Gray katra inside the girl.

What do I change about her?

My tail flicks in the air behind me and I decide.

Using the katra mixed in with the girl’s body, I lengthen her tail bone till she has a tail about 2 feet long. Changing the muscles in her back and spine to compensate, giving her better balance.

The buzzing in my skull intensifies, whispers in the back of my mind helping guide my hands.

I start on her joints and muscles, changing them and reinforcing her bones. I give her extra flexibility like myself, but reinforce her bones and strengthen her muscles to give her greater strength, speed and agility.

That’s still not enough to use up everything.

I’m starting to realize that this little girl had a massive amount of Gray katra in her body.

Going back to work, I flip her now still form over. I form bones in her back, over her shoulder blades and connecting them with tendons. Then I start working on a framework of bone.

I always wanted to fly.

I work meticulously on the wings, forming blood vessels and veins through them. Stretching a layer of skin over the framework and covering it in soft gray feathers.

Making sure the muscles are strong, and that the wings can fold up against the girl’s back, I can feel the massive amount of pure katra that was in her body dwindling.

I finish up, making sure to have reinforced her entire skeletal system.

Taking a breath, I stand up, looking down at my handy work.

Thana, much like the rest of the people in the village, has gray tinged skin. Her ears form points now, and her body is lithe. But her tail has been covered in a layer of gray feathers, and it should help her in flight.

Her wings stretch out several feet on either side of her, covered in a layer of soft feathers.

Her height has gone up several inches, but being a child, I can guess that she will grow taller. Her muscles are now incredibly strong, and capable of quite a bit of explosive force.

I blink, realizing what I have done. I made her body into that of a warrior.

I dread the idea of a child with this kind of power, but it is far too late to turn back now.

Carefully, I fold up her wings and pick her up in my arms. She is now quite heavy, with the addition of the wings.

I look down at her now calm, sleeping face. There is a slight smile on her lips.

Unable to help smiling in relief, I scan over her form for anything else.

Would this count as a new race?

From the brief descriptions I got of the 3 new races that had formed, I would say I have ended up mixing them a bit altogether into Thana. The wings of the Kal, the strength of the Brev and the abilities of the Graylings.

She kind of looks like… well, a Valkyrie.

It’s said that the winged beings are the warriors and messengers of the certain gods.

Well, I’ll call her a Valkyrie for now.

I look up at Vengeance, who has unfolded his hands. A something rubs up against my leg, and I look down at Vel. She sends feelings of happiness through our link.

Looking at Vengeance, the wraith stares back.

“Take care of her till her parents wake up, please,” I say as I gently hand over Thana to Vengeance.

He bows his head, “As you will, Father.”

I turn and flick my will, launching myself into the sky. Time to go run damage control and see how everything else is running.