Author's note: I'd like to thank Peanuckle for the suggestions; some will be coming into play this chapter. Hope you enjoy.
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Gramkel's Life
Chapter 4: Rage
By the time Gramkel had returned, U-Mos had already seen and learned of what had happened through the Sentinel Crystals. "I see that you have found the sacred whips of the first inhabitants of this planet. By going to Agon Wastes, however, do you realize that you have made the Ing fully aware that you are still on this planet?" Gramkel, as he listened, hung his head at first, but then tried to comprehend what his foster-father had said. "What do you mean when you say 'still'?" U-Mos took a breath and turned to Gramkel, oddly calm. "Perhaps I should not have erased that horrid day from the darkest space of your mind. It is time I told you exactly what happened that day 2.6 deca-cycles ago."
U-Mos told Gramkel of all that had happened when had been found on the planet; how his parents had ruthlessly been murdered by the Ing, how U-Mos had taken him in before putting the other Luminoth into a Stasis 5 cycles later. By the time he was done, Gramkel was fighting to stop tears from flowing from his eyes. U-Mos comforted him and Gramkel eventually regained his composure. "Why didn't you tell me this before? Why wasn't I treated as an outsider rather than one of the Luminoth? How could you find it in your hearts to take in a human infant?" Gramkel was becoming angry under his cool, disciplined exterior.
"I felt that you were not entirely ready to bear the pain, I did not expect you to disobey and find those ancient whips. I take it you saw the statue behind them though?" Gramkel could not speak, his mouth was dry; he simply nodded. "That statue sealed an ancient beast that was regarded as the creator of this planet. The ancients feared its terrible power and laid the whips it carried as a seal in front of it. Anyone who was not chosen by that creature to wield its whips would lose their arms trying to remove them. By taking the whips, you have proven that you are the chosen host of the beast that we have dubbed 'Rage'." Gramkel stood up, showing himself in true light for the first time that day. He stood to about 6 and a half feet, his hair was cut short, to about 1/20th of a millimeter, his arms were long, but he was flexible. He was also very skinny, U-Mos was often concerned about how much or how little he was eating.
"Soon the beast will arrive, and it will come for you; do not fear, however, with your efforts, we can end this war. You will have to find a way of transporting the Energy Transfer Module, though." Gramkel contemplated and then spoke his thoughts. "If the Energy Transfer Module requires Luminoth or Chozo Technology, how am I to carry it?" U-Mos looked up at him. "How do you know of the Chozo?" "I read what I could from the holo-projectors scattered about the grounds, I learned of how the Chozo shared a similar intelligence level with the Luminoth, so I assumed that their technology is similar to yours."
Before U-Mos could say anything further, they both turned and saw the creature that Gramkel had thought to be a demon when he had read the books. He now recognized it as the statue he had seen in the Undertemple in Agon Wastes. As it spoke, Gramkel looked over its features. Six of its eight hands were similar, they were all clawed, but its second pair of arms looked oddly reminiscent of crab claws. They were curved into circles, but the lower half was shorter, and there were only two fingers. Gramkel assumed that they were used to grab creatures more easily.
"You have been deemed worthy of playing host to the awesome force that wrought this planet from nothing. Should you accept, however, you shall house this power for the rest of your life." Gramkel grinned, he was highly tempted by the power he would be able to control if he accepted, but did he really want to spend his life acting as a host to such a terrible power? "Ah, screw it, if it'll end this war and I can go farther than the Temple Grounds and Agon Wastes, I'll do it." Gramkel unintentionally thought aloud. The creature's eyes began to glow an even deeper shade of green. "So be it, prepare yourself; but note that you shall still be in control most of the time, but I shall assist whenever necessary or whenever you require council."
The creature turned into a foul-looking green vapor, which then became a brilliant white, and then it turned to purple, then to a deep red-orange, and then slowly advanced towards Gramkel. U-Mos half expected it to appear on the other side, but rather, it stayed inside Gramkel's body. At that point, Gramkel felt an astonishing amount of pain surging all through his body, but he resisted screaming with only the utmost self-control. As he felt the pain, he realized he was bleeding at his sides. He watched, horrified, as the last six arms of the creature grew out, including the crab claws. His arms changed and the pain subsided. He now had the eight arms of Rage, but he still had control over all his motions.
"Gramkel, are you alright?" Gramkel thought it was U-Mos who was speaking to him, but then realized that the voice was different. He was still groggy from the pain he had just endured. "Rage?" "Yes, thank you for using my proper title. Eventually, you shall come to understand why I am called such." This time, U-Mos spoke "Gramkel, how do you feel?" "I'm alright, but I don't understand how or why I have eight arms. I thought that most victims of possession were controlled by the creature that lodged itself in their bodies, I didn't know that they took on the physical traits of whatever possessed them."
Rage spoke again, but Gramkel's eyes began to glow the same color as Rage's eyes. "Most often, this does not occur, but as I am not a demon, that does not apply." "Well, what are you?" Gramkel's now green eyes went blank. "I never thought I would be asked that question; to be perfectly honest, I am not even sure what I am, but that is all irrelevant."
"What is relevant?" U-Mos asked. "Gramkel cannot house both the Energy Transfer Module and I, another must take control of it." "What will we do, I cannot leave this temple as the Sentinel." "Do not worry, I sense that another has approached the planet's atmosphere, but my question is, how is Gramkel able to breath on this planet?" "As his foster-father, I did a scan when I found him and learned that he has an unnaturally strong oxygen filtration system running through his body, as if it were biogenetically placed there." "I think I remember something like that. Before my parents were killed, they took me to a medical station and had an oxygenator placed right in my system, as if they were planning for a trip into space and onto other planets."
Rage decided to cut the small talk short and get straight to what had to be done. "Regardless, Gramkel will need to learn what he can do now that I am settled into his body. U-Mos, Gramkel will need to travel across Aether, starting with Agon Wastes; he will also need to traverse Dark Aether." "Very well, I just wish to have one last word." Rage grunted. "So long as it is quick." "Gramkel, just promise me that you will return occasionally to assure me that you are still alive." Gramkel's eyes were now the same as they had been prior to his possession: deep brown with a hint of green and blue. "I will, don't worry." Gramkel bowed before U-Mos, and U-Mos did the same. "May the Light of Aether shine on you." Gramkel left after U-Mos had finished the traditional wish of luck.
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I'd like to clarify a few things:
Gramkel's parents had an atmospheric filter put into his trachea so that he could survive on most treacherous atmospheres.
Rage is inside of Gramkel, but he doesn't have full control of his conscience or his brain, he exists as something of a voice of reason.
Other than that, Rage can sense anything coming near Aether, I made him as something of the manifestation of the planet's unharvested energy, that is, before he was sealed away and before the Luminoth came to settle on Aether. R&R please