Beast of Xeriel Read online

  “Fei will make a great leader. Peaceful?” She chuckled. “No. But A land void of intolerance, hate and poor? Precisely. But that’s just it. How can one achieve true peace without forcing its opposition into submission?” She questioned.

  Lale softly stroked the child’s blond hair. “I would suggest a leaderless world. No Sovereign, no army, no God. Just people of compassion.” Lale leaned back in her seat, exhaling a sigh, complimentary to her stressful train of thought.

  Her eyes closed. “Everyone influenced by our existing realities must be eradicated. Only then will a land of true peace be able to exist without a need for a ruler.” Lale checked her personal biological screens via her bracelet. Her frown returned.

  It was moments like these where Fei was exactly what she needed. His calm and pragmatism often effectively combated her emotions. Lale missed him and at the same time wished for more space. She loved Fei for everything he was and is to her.

  But sometimes disliked how much work it took just to be with him. Knowing the truth about herself, Lale understood there was no one she would rather deal with than him. He would gladly give his life for her. Which if someone could actually kill Fei, perhaps she didn’t stand a chance either.

  Lale shook of the bottomless train of thought as she remembers a task, she had set for herself. “Rose, bring up schematics from the heat signature a month ago. Give me characteristics of the object.” Lale sat in her pilot’s chair and examined the results.

  She easily defined the results much to her surprise. “Human? Vanakan perhaps? But how would that be possible if he died?” Lale asked rhetorically to herself. She began to dive into the information Rose could provide.

  ∆

  Fei had returned shortly after his first training exercise with the Sentry. For the better part of a month he interviewed each citizen about their role in the city, with specific time dedicated to the elders.

  Fei observed their day to day tasks, their eating habits and critical thinking patterns. He decided today he would begin assisting with improving their small city, an easy way to earn their trust. Working collectively to reinforce structures such as the city walls and entrance gate, which had looked as if constructed by a truly ignorant engineer.

  The small dome dissolved around Fei as he exited his hut to rejoin the citizens for another day’s work. A few kneeled after his presence greeting him with a meaningful “My Lord” as he strolled by. Most simply continued to work. Fei politely nodded to address those who acknowledged him.

  Secretly their lack of respect annoyed him. Lale’s absence also beginning to take a toll on him. He felt unbalanced when she was not around. Lale’s tutelage in empathy had been missed. Fei was allowing the continuous lack of the respect he felt he deserved to get under his skin. Unfortunately, he wasn’t emotionally aware how to cope with these feelings properly.

  Fei observed a young man providing instructions to a small group. Fei called the young man over. “Ton? Right?” He attempted to confirm with the young man. “Yes, my liege.” Ton responded with a respectful bow.

  “What is to be the tasks for the day?” Fei asked realizing the others had already began working. “We’re rebuilding the Protector my liege.” Fei nodded in response, watching as the many people contributed in what he deemed pathetic ways. “Tell me the purpose of this development.” Fei requested. Ton pointed to the sky. “The Aella and Eira. They are annual storms and snow for this hemisphere.” Ton explained.

  “Every year they completely obliterate our shelter and border walls. We spend months preparing for them and repairing the damage.” Ton continued as he pointed out the specifics to his Sovereign. Fei saw the careful attention to detail they were putting into their work.

  Even the children were bringing in materials to aid in the process. After a bow, Ton returned to his work. “Why not move to a safer location?” Fei asked, following Ton to his station. “These storms stretch far and wide my liege. By the time we would make enough progress moving the stones from the city structures, one of the storms would already be upon us.” Ton answered.

  Fei continued to observe for a while longer. The citizens were struggling. It was clear to him; they simply lacked the technology and knowledge base to increase their ingenuity. At first, he pitied them, before his pity transformed into disappointment.

  If these were to be his people, they must exude the very same strength and will that he possessed to create a new world order. Meanwhile, as he contemplated his emotions and rationale, a group of citizens both men and women struggled to lift an enormous portion of stone.

  They managed to maneuver it onto a pulley attached to the highest point of the Protector. The citizens argued and bickered as to the best plan of action. From atop the structure, multiple men and women were pulling to hoist it to their location. The commotion of their arguing began to cause confusion. As it reached higher heights, the pulley began to strain.

  Everyone vying for attention to give orders on how to prevent further complications. The rock snapped the placeholder. It began to tumble down the structure creating immense damage to the Protector, which took them nearly all year to rebuild.

  Fei’s body increased, and his muscles swelled. His body almost instantly changed into his feral form. With one leap he traversed the distance from his current location to the protector as the chunk of stone came plummeting down. Arms extended; Fei effortlessly caught the rock.

  Exhaling a vicious roar, he dropped the heavy boulder beside him. The city was silent. Unsure what they had witnessed. The citizens of Tetcht backed away from their Sovereign. Fei’s feral form was quite daunting to behold, his power and strength even more frightening than before.

  In this form Fei stood above the crowd, before shrinking back down to his normal size. “Fear not, my beloved citizens. I am the least of you. Together we will rebuild the Protector. Quarrels are not productive and are vehemently discouraged.” Fei consulted.

  He pointed to Ton, who also stood watch at his Sovereigns’ amazing feat of strength. “Behold. Your Royal Architect. He will oversee the efforts both now and forever. Even I, your sovereign will heed his instruction.” Fei proclaimed. The citizens gave a haughty applause for the new appointment as well as celebrated collectively Fei’s astonishing powers.

  After several minutes of celebration, the work on rebuilding the protector resumed along with Fei’s help. The day moved on but not as usual, the Protector’s rebuilding progress increased dramatically with a more structured approach. The citizens worked together cohesively under their new leadership.

  Chapter Four

  L ale stood on the mountain peak. The harsh wind and snow combined for a sharp sensation on her face’s perfect skin. She meditated calmly sitting in the snow. Ignoring the pain and numbness that over time seeped through her armor and touched her nerves.

  She thought of Pratham. Lale’s fist clinch, jaw tighten. Scowling at the horrors she witnessed as a child. The screams filling her head. It was constantly with her. She carried the pain always. It was her ultimate weapon. She reminisced over the sight of the planet from a far. Allowing the emotions to fill up her mind.

  Lale stood to her feet ready to resume her training. She practiced her martial forms, the treacherous climate increasing the difficulty. Each step in the deep snow felt like someone was attempting to hold her legs in place.

  The wind so strong, it nearly restricted her movements. Just standing still was a vigorous chore, controlled movements would be nearly impossible for someone of lesser discipline. So many things flooded her mind. Between the elements and her thoughts, it became difficult to focus. But she persevered.

  Every step, block and movement were precise and deliberate. Her posture perfect. She never lost her balance despite the weathers commanding efforts. Lale propelled herself into the air. Her skills were unparalleled when incorporating acrobatics into her forms.

  After a twirling flip she landed flawlessly without one small puff in the snow. “Vanakan must have given
the child the red Iku.” She thought, slowly sweeping her leg through the heavy snow. Lale came up quickly, serving two punches to the air. “No one has ever survived the blending. Especially a child. I’ve killed her.” She thought, trying to remain focused on her form.

  Her heart ached at the thought of Dara never waking up. “I can’t tell him the truth. He will figure out how much I’ve been hiding.” Lale continued to contemplate her next move while extrapolating the discourse she had created between Fei and herself.

  She knew Fei would without a doubt react negatively. “If Dara survives, he’ll kill her. I can’t let him do that. But she would be and uncontrollable risk in our future plans. He would be right to fear her potential. I can’t confess how much I’ve kept from him.” Lale thought aloud. “The mission, the raw Iku, Dara. It will all be too much.” She said.

  As she maneuvered through the thick snow, she noticed the air becoming unnaturally warmer. She rested for a moment. Breathing heavily through her armor’s adjusted mask, ensuring the altitude would not hinder her training.

  Taking notice of her surroundings, Lale could sense something different in the air. It wasn’t just the temperature increase, something was changing. The sun reappeared, peering through the shroud the clouds provided. She hadn’t seen Tetcht’s sun since she arrived at the mountain over a month ago.

  Still, it would be highly unlikely for the sun’s heat to penetrate this storm so easily. The wind began to pick up causing Lale to lose her footing. She withdrew her crescent shaped sword and plunged the blade into the ground.

  Shiny shadowy jewels lining the hilt peeking through her fingers as she gripped it tightly. She kneeled, wrenching her hands tighter to avoid getting blown over. The wind prevented her from holding her head up to see before her.

  “Help Me!!!!” A small voice shrieked. She was unable to see where the origin of the scream was coming from. Blinding light breaking through, causing Lale to cover her eyes. A small figure approached, most likely producing the illumination and the overcast of the storm.

  The brightness even rivaling that of the sun. Lale concluded it must be responsible for the dramatic temperature change. Still she could not get a solid view of the object nor the individual crying out for aid.

  The heat emanating from the host began to melt her armor. Her mask’s protection dripping away exposing her face to the contradictory elements. The voice continued to request aide.

  Begging for someone to provide rescue. “Ugh!” Lale screamed in frustration, unable to move or even protect her own wellbeing. The air around her began to grow thin and whisked in the direction of the presence as if being called.

  Retracting the elements to its will. Finally, the scene became instantly still. Lale looked up for only one second to recognize the figure. With no time to react, a powerful blast of scorching red energy released.

  Lale was blown from atop the mountain into the uncertainty of the storm. The wind swirled around the figure, screaming in agony, as the blast sent a shockwave across the planet and reverberated the chilling sounds with it.

  ∆

  In the city, the citizens continued to work. The exterior of the Protector had been reformed and reinforced. Most of the people inside preparing for the impending seasonal storm.

  Fei too inside, singing a song taught to him days ago by one of the children. Fei’s armor instantly materialized. Communicat-ing to his senses to become heightened. Fei reached out through his link to feel Lale in immediate danger. He couldn’t hear her voice calling out.

  Or identify any signs causing her distress. He could only feel the heat. Finally, their link cut out. The power of the blast arrived. The initial quakes subtle until the gale of wind and scorching heat followed. Citizens outside were blown around, their skin burned. The Protector withstood the initial blast, but many citizens were harmed from the violent push.

  Materials were flung around, as everyone ducked for cover. As the event subsided, Fei tried again to reach out to Lale. The citizens rushing inside the Protector fearing the worst was yet to come. Fei was slightly in a daze.

  Slowly regrouping he could feel the power of its echo heading their way. “Brace for impact!” He warned. The citizens scrambled to a safe place inside. Those outside desperately praying the cover they chose was resilient enough to protect them, afraid they didn’t have time to run for the safety of the Protector.

  “Seal the door behind me!” He ordered to the nearest citizen. Fei’s armor dissipated as he exited the Protector. Once outside he witnessed the final remnants of the city scurrying to safety.

  His body grew rapidly, limbs stretching and popping into an abnormal arrangement. His teeth lengthened. This trans-formation was different. More ferocious. Long razor-sharp nails dug into the ground as four paws landed on the surface.

  His hair becoming course taking the style of a mane. Mouth becoming slightly elongated. A tail protruded just above his rear end. His body grew reaching heights above the wall, leveling out at around 25 feet high. Strong build and golden fur. Fei roared as his primal form transformation was complete.

  In his most powerful form, he would lose many of his more sophisticated sentient thoughts. A majestic lion, the size the citizens had never imagine possible. His senses would take the forefront of what would be his decision making.

  Fei leaped over the walls and out of the city, speeding toward the incoming blast. He could cover 10’s of miles in one stride. His fear of what may have happened to Lale fueling each step. A distance that would take days in their ships, condensed into minutes in this form. Up ahead Fei could see the second wall of wind and fiery energy accompanying it.

  As the blast finally reached him, Fei was launched into the air and thrown several feet. After the initial force, there was only silence a is continued on its course until it would ultimately fade out. Fei shook off the confusion and returned to his mission.

  His pace quickened, dashing toward the last direction Lale’s link led him. Finally, he reached the colossal mountain penetrating the clouds. He made short work of scaling the mountain. Fei approached the top, reducing himself into his less animalistic feral form. In this size he could reform his armor.

  The mountain was quiet. The snow melted away, rocks singed and only a sizzling sound all around him. A thick layer of smoke covered the area. Fei silently stalked about. His eyes unable to see through the smoke.

  His senses heightened. Any movement other than his, he was prepared to strike a deadly blow. A twitch caught his ears. Through the smoke he could only make out a small frame getting up from the ground. Fei took One step at a time not producing a sound. His large body silent as if his feet never met the ground.

  Fei drew closer, able to see the figure more clearly. Her blond hair exposed through black gases. “Dara?” He questioned the familiar figure. The little girl’s eyes met his face. She smiled wirily, before the smile faded into fear.

  Tears of blood leaked from her eyes. Fire engulfed her eyes and hair. Her body began to take on the blinding light. Fei felt her heartbeat dramatically increase. Excitement exploded into terror. “Please help me!” She cried out. Fei’s armor began to melt. He protected his eyes from the sight of her. His mind quickly remembered the feeling back inside the city.

  Acting on instinct Fei lunged forward and struck a blow to Dara’s abdomen. Her winded body fell into his arms, gasping for air as she was rendered unconscious. Fei held her close, as the two slowly stooped to the ground. Her skin was hot to the touch.

  The amount of energy he had exerted from his race to the mountain left him exhausted. Cradling Dara, he looked around. “Lale? Lale?!......Lale!?” No response followed. Looking down at the child trying to piece together what transpired. “Lalen!.........Lalen!” Fei called out.

  Holding Dara close, he gathered to his feet. “Lale, please answer me!” He reached out through their link. Still no response. Fei couldn’t feel her connection anymore. Only himself, only the heat radiating from Dara’s body.

&n
bsp; Trying again he, attempted to hone his senses to feel for Lale. Fei pushed his senses to the limit. He could smell the storm brewing in the distance, the sizzling of the ground, the power emanating from Dara. But nothing from Lale.

  His face twitching, teeth lengthening, tears welling in his eyes. Fearing he would wake Dara, he refrained from allowing his emotions to get the better of him. Suppressing his anger and anxiety. Fei started down the mountain to seek shelter from the storm. The wind picked up, with heavy rain shortly after.

  In his feral form he was sure footed, making it nearly impossible for him to slip. The torrential downpour making his descent more of a nuisance than difficult. Finally, he found a hollow opening in the mountain.

  His feline eyes transitioning to make the dark areas visible, accompanied by his senses to protect him from any falls or jagged edges that could put Dara at risk. Fei sat with his back against the chilling stone, deactivating his armor and slowly allowing his body to return to his normal form.

  Fatigue set in. His hands and arms still strongly holding Dara as she remained unconscious. He thought of Lale. Is she alright? Where did she go? Why isn’t she responding to his call or the fact he couldn’t feel her presence anymore? The thunder penetrated the cave’s seclusion.