Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 17: Primal

July 24, 4021 08:45 [Manzhouli- Matriarch 04 Sun Rock]

The hairs on Tengri's neck stood on edge as he watched the shadows envelop the boy's body. Ink-like liquid coiled around his broken frame, forming a dark mass that exuded a suffocating malice. An air of dread thickened the atmosphere, almost like poison. By now, the other Homunculi had come to their senses, nursing their injuries and gathering behind the instructor. Confusion and terror ran rampant through the crowd as they watched the mass pulsate and grow larger with each passing second. Whoever this boy was, Tengri knew that the danger he posed was far beyond that of a normal Homunculus. He turned to the nearest trainee, yelling, "Call for the Suppression Unit, now! Evacuate all Homunculi and personnel from the building! I'll hold it off until help arrives. Hurry!"

The Homunculus with sapphire eyes nodded quickly, staring at the compounding darkness. Black tendrils shot out of its collagenic body, writhing as they struggled to take form.

"Go!" Tengri yelled at the girl, snapping her out of her trance. She turned her attention to the frightened group, directing them to the nearest exit, calling out orders, and funneling people out of the arena. She took one last glance at the flailing mass of shadow before leaving, dragging along a protesting Homunculus with emerald eyes. Those two look familiar. Have I seen them somewhere before? Tengri shook his head. No. Must be a coincidence. Better not dwell on that right now. The Hyena brushed off his thoughts, focusing his attention on the issue at hand.

The creature lunged forward, a surging mass of darkness, overflowing with wrath, a guttural scream escaping its gaping maw. Tengri moved swiftly, deftly evading the attacks of the beast. He leapt above the monster as it thrashed about, breaking the ground with its tendrils. The instructor landed on the high-rise of the arena, effortlessly balancing on the scaffolding as he observed the blind beast's mannerisms. It swept the area in a wide arc using its tendrils, gathering its bearings. A creature in its infancy, perhaps?

He continued to observe the beast's rampage until, abruptly, it ceased its incessant thrashing. Slowly swiveling its head back and forth, it delicately turned its body, seemingly forgetting about the prior damage it had caused. Tengri raised an eyebrow; the creature's strange behavior piqued his interest. What is it searching for? He watched as the beast carefully slid its tendrils across the ridges and valleys of the arena, internalizing the topography of the land, acknowledging its surroundings. It seemed to be gaining spatial awareness. Intrigue overrode Tengri's sense of caution. It's learning! How quaint! Maybe I should show it to that sexy new researcher. She seems like the type to enjoy this stuff. Tengri grinned, licking his lips. Of course, that's only if I don't kill this kid first.

The creature continued to meander, inching its way around the arena until it stood facing the direction of the Hyena. He sensed no malice from the beast, yet a feeling of uneasiness set in, perpetuated by its silence. His muscles contracted as he gathered energy into his legs apprehensively. Two bubbling masses appeared on top of the creature's head. Cat-like ears popped out of the shifting tumors, twitching every which way, picking up sounds from all around the arena. Two more masses appeared on its face, pure white eyes breaking through the surface of its inky skin. The creature's pupilless eyes seemed to settle on Tengri. His body twitched, immediately moving as the beast reared its ears back, crouching low to the ground.

An immense pressure surrounded the creature, a suffocating atmosphere of malice filling the arena once more. Tengri's instincts screamed at him to run away as the muscles in his legs released an enormous amount of energy, propelling him into the air. The pitch-black horror let out a blood-curdling howl as beads of ink erupted from its pores, floating all around the arena. In an instant, the creature morphed into a minuscule orb, shooting through the array of ink beads, beelining towards Tengri. As it emerged from the final bead, it morphed back into its colossal form right below the instructor.