Book 6: Eternal

BOOK FOUR:ETERNAL

                  BOOK 6

ETERNAL

I watched as they took off. Wren and Spots walked off proudly, followed by a new addition, a brown and white wolf Beastling, to go and find Clous, who, according to Spots, was now alive again. But that wasn't my problem. Not right now. Right now, I had a different problem. A panicky wolf. I sat down and listened carefully as he recalled the story "These Legacy automaton abominations have been searching the forest, and killing whatever they find!" The Beastling explained, voice high-pitched, almost a whine. I held up one massive, color-changing claw "Where is this, and have you already evacuated everyone that you could?" I asked calmly. He shrunk back slightly "Y-yes. We already got everyone out. But-" "Bring them to Pyrinas" The Goulek would like that. Guarding large amounts of forest dwellers. He glanced between me and Twosouls nervously. She nodded encouragingly "Go on. Is there more?" She asked. He shook his head. "Ah, good. Well, I suggest you go and get assistance from the elementals in Pyrinas. They'll help you there. And I heard a new batch of Goulek were made there recently" Codiath said. The nervous wolf nodded quickly, made a quick bow, and loped off in the direction of the forest boundary. Twosouls turned to me, tilting her head "I wasn't aware you gave advice" She said smoothly. I shrugged "I suppose everyone has their secrets" She grinned, and glanced behind her "Nice of those bats to drop me off here. I can't say I enjoyed the flight, but still, it's good to see you" She said, draping an arm around my shoulders. Nightshade stiffened, almost imperceptibly. "So, we have a hideout or something around here?" She asked. I shook my head "I think we're just going to camp out for now. I'll get a fire cooking if you want to go hunt" I offered. She nodded, standing. I watched her lope off into the forest gracefully, with only a small limp. It was good to see her, although now I had another person to worry about. She seemed mostly healed, thanks to Doctor Phil. "Is... She... Mate?" Nightshade asked suddenly. I snorted "A Tai'cho and a shifter? No. We're just friends" I answered, rising. She rose with me, glancing at the forest. "You... Want... Her?" She asked. I glanced at her. Her ears were drooping, and her tail slowly swished behind her. I knew this kind of expression. Disappointment. "What's wrong?" I asked, starting down the small rolling hill. She followed me as we reached the edge of the forest. I broke off a few large branches, and dragged them back to our little spot, just by the gate to the caverns of the Kindred. I dropped down, and put the branches together, then made a small torch out of the small branches. I walked over, and scraped my claws down the gate. The gate sparked, but didn't light the torch. I tried again, successfully, this time. I carried the brand back, and had the fire going at a good blaze before she replied "I... Am not... Used to... Being free" She confessed. "Trust me. You haven't gained much" I assured her. She tilted her head. "In fact, I'm kind of envious of the life you've lived, to an extent. Away from everyone, among those that understand you, and have possibly done worse, or are worse? I'd never be called a monster, or a freak if I'd lived the life you have" I said. Her eyes widened "They... Call you... A monster?" She asked. I nodded "When I... When I was turned into a Tai'cho, there was some sort of mistake, or something. I ended up like this. Twisted" I held up a color-shifting claw for her to see "I was called a freak, and a monster, and worse. They tried to punish me, to beat me down. So I hid and I fled. If they saw me now, they'd probably do a lot worse" I said, thinking. Did you know that Elena was innocent? She thought you were assassins! I shook my head "I murdered someone, Nightshade. I wasn't alone, but it was still me. I murdered them. I killed a Choedan, and then I watched and didn't stop it as it's master was killed" I said miserably. Nightshade said nothing, just considered me thoughtfully. I dropped my head, memories flooding back in. Our desperate fight with Elena and Nero. Codiath jumping to my rescue, and nearly dying because of it. My ripping Nero in half, then watching Clous hang Elena. That had been the first day that I had ever really wanted to hurt someone, really wanted to kill someone. When I had been human, I had been that one person who would sit down in the grass, a bunch of nuts sitting on my chest, and watch as birds or squirrels would run over, snatch a nut, and run away. My parents had approved. And then Michael had ruined it all. He had killed me, killed my family, and burnt our little home to the ground. A warmth touched my shoulder, and I looked up, surprised. Nightshade was pressed up against my shoulder, with her rough paw-like hand on my back. I closed my eyes, and leaned into the touch. I could allow this moment of weakness. "What did you do to depress Alexus?" Codiath demanded. My eyes flew open. I hadn't even sensed her approach. She must have come up so slowly I didn't notice. "Nothing. Just... Memories" I answered for her, rising slowly. I gestured to the fire "I got us a blaze" I said. She nodded, and held up her kill. A good-sized deer hung from her hands, with it's head missing. My stomach churned as another memory rose. Clous ripping off heads during our fight with the assassins. I turned away from it, and focused on the fire instead. Codiath extended short claws on her hands, and began skinning the deer "Food, water, warmth. Yep. I think we've got everything" Codiath remarked, still skinning the deer. I nodded absently. I ranged out my senses, seeking out the lifelights that were my friends, and frowned. They were out of my range already? How had they moved so fast? There was a sharp crack as Codiath broke a branch, and quickly sharpened it enough to impale through the deer's body. She held it over the fire, with Nightshade watching curiously. "So, what's the next step for us?" Codiath was the first to break the silence. "I think we should go out, find out what state the world is in" I said, watching the fire closely. It danced and wreathed lively. Curious, I closed my eyes, and searched out lifelights. I found one immediately. The fire? The fire itself was alive? Interesting. "Yeah. You guys were gone for a month. I was getting so tired of eating whatever food the bats brought me" Codiath muttered, pulling out the meat stick and checking it, then putting it back it. My eyes snapped open "What do you mean? We were only in there for a day, if not less" I said. She snorted "that must have been one looooong day, then. 'Cause out here, a month passed" She glanced at Nightshade "Is time different in there?" She asked. Nightshade nodded, and I whirled on her "What?" She shrunk back, and I calmed my tone "Sorry. I mean, what?" I amended. "Strange things will happen in a place like that" Codiath commented wryly. "Time... Is different... Flows... Faster... Or slower" Nightshade explained. Ah. That explained why the entire forest was being combed by Legacy automatons that hadn't been on Earth before. Speaking of which... I sensed large lifeforms that signified humans, just on the edge of my range. But it would take them hours to get close enough to be a danger to us. So I said nothing. Codiath yawned "Hu-huh. I think ima just pass out. Again. Go figure. I sleep for a week, and still wake up tired" She joked, dropping onto the ground next to me. I watched, too surprised to do anything, and she laid her head down in my lap, and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, her breathing became slow and even, and her lifelight dimmed, showing that she was asleep. I glanced at Nightshade helplessly. "Not... Mate?" She asked accusingly.