Chapter 24: The First Trigger

Important note:

"()" Thoughts

("") Ancient Egyptian language translation.

Author's Note: Whew, another action packed chapter and well...things escalate and a long deserved pounding of the face is going to occur not to long after you start reading. Its crazy to be at this point of the story. You wouldn't believe the number of scenarios that played through my head, different events, different characters, and some things played out differently. But ultimately the way how this story progresses only barely has some of the ideas that I thought of. Its like writing rough drafts in your head only and writing out the final product. Something I would not recommend for newer writers, but something you may develop in one form or another. As the year closes, I am glad that I committed to this story as long as I did. So umm...for my readers out there, thank you for sparing some of your time for this story.

This is TheFoolOfTheNoon signing off!

/

Ankha's P.O.V.

I…I couldn't believe it…after all these years…I…

"Ankha! Ankha! Snap out of it!"

Isabelle shook me lucid, driving off my stupor as I came back to earth, "S-Sorry, I…that…what Nacho said…was that? Really him?"

"Really who Ankha? What's wrong?"

I struggle to find my words. The more I attempted to speak the more I felt my throat close, stopping me from speaking my mind. I needed water…something to drink! I grasped my throat as I heard Isabelle shout to get me some water. Adofo, despite his injuries helped up a shell-shocked Ser-Ka and snapped her out of her stupor to search for some water. Isabelle, reliable Isa, stay by my side and was holding me close in order for me to calm down. I didn't even realize I was crying until my canine lover pointed it out.

Isabelle may not understand it now, but I know fully well what happened to Nacho. I recalled Azhum's words, soul remnants and the bodies raised from the dead after the soul reincarnated. What Nacho held in his hand was those, soul remnants and they reacted to him. Flowed into him, as if they were waiting for him. That can only happen…if the reincarnated soul reclaimed the remnants. Even then…I still couldn't believe it…but those things he said as he shouted at Aten…sounded personal with details only Bladeius could have known.

There is no other conclusion…Nacho is Bladeius reincarnated once more, reincarnated from Ohkan as far as I am aware. All this time…I been with Nacho and worried about meeting Bladeius reincarnated life…I prepared myself to let him go as I loved my relationship with Nacho and Isabelle. Instead, life reminded me I was never prepared in the first place. There was no need to let go because he never left my side. Ever since I met him back in Mellow…Nacho…was him and I never knew.

My tears slowly dried as Adofo and Ser-Ka returned with a canteen full of water from one of our bags that got thrown around in the battle. Isabelle took the canteen and told me to drink, I did not protest and opened my mouth and she slowly pour the life-giving liquid into my mouth. I took slow gulps and felt my throat open up more. I knew drinking water helped calm the nerves, but it felt like the effect was doubled as my breathing slowed and became more normal. Eventually I stopped drinking and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you…I really needed that."

Isabelle kissed my cheek, "You had me worried for a moment. What happened Ankha?"

"Forgive me love, you can say I was emotionally distraught and for good reason. Let me explain…"

I told them everything I knew about the soul remnants and what happened to Nacho. They all reacted as I thought they would, surprise and shock. Ser-Ka more so, as she already had an idea what was happening. It was a hard to swallow pill, but everyone understood what was going on now. Isabelle began healing Adofo and Olemach.

("I thought so…Bladeius did indeed return to us. In a way we never expected…")

("Yes…now he is who knows where fighting Aten by himself. There is so much I want to say to Nacho, and I wonder what is going on through his mind. He must have some questions or things to say.")

("Indeed…but do you think he will remember me? If I recall the undead Bladeius didn't remember me.")

I gave her a warm smile, ("I wouldn't doubt that Ser-Ka, you had an impact in his life. I'm sure that the memories fully restored themselves when they came back to him.")

("Perhaps, because there are things I wanted to say to him as well.")

("We'll ask him when he returns, but first we need to get back to Sub-Solla and explain to everyone what happened. I'm sure Olemach has some things he wants to confess.")

We both nodded as Isabelle gave a sigh of relief, "Phew…that took most of my magic but both of them are healed of their wounds. Olemach will still be out cold though. His wounds looked really serious, so Aten must have done a number on him. I still can't believe he was the one who ordered the theft of Bladeius's body. He seemed so nice."

"Well grudges can do that to a person Isa, I just didn't think he would go that far. Still in the end he did try to do the right thing but what I don't get is that if he wanted Bladeius's body then why was Ser-Ka was almost assassinated? He wouldn't get any benefit from her death."

As I was pondering Adofo spoke up, "Mrs. Ser-Ka's death was a design orchestrated by my…master."

("W-What?! Why? What does Aten hope to gain from my death?")

I saw the lion's face grimace before speaking, ("He…wanted not just you dead, but your children too. Why, for one reason only. To create a power vacuum and create a foot hold for the cult of Apep.")

("The cult of Apep?! The evil god of darkness?!")

("The same, unfortunately Ser-Ka even if your death did not come to pass my master's plan continued forward. As we speak, cult members are hidden all over Egyptapia and even the lands back on our world. I don't have trouble speaking this as I know Aten will not be focused on my thoughts. Still, the cult of Apep is very strong and too numerous. Even if we took out the bases here, it wouldn't stop Aten's grand plan.")

"Ragnarök, Bastet and the other gods that believed her made me and their chosen have a higher potential to get stronger and gain more of their godly power just so we can stop the first trigger."

"The Beast of Calamity, yes I am aware. Unfortunately, so does Aten and he is looking for the beast. If he hadn't lost his mind before I am certain he did now, as he has turned himself into a Chimera like your lover Nacho. Believing that if such great power exists then the beast would be drawn to it."

"That mad man! We need to stop him some how!"

"There is nothing we can do right now Lady Ankha, for now you must return to Sub-Solla and prepare for whatever may come next."

I sighed, "You're right, but what about you? What are you going to do?"

"I will return to one of my master's bases and wait for him there. No doubt once the battle is over, he will look for me or would expect me to look for him. I appreciate the healing but me being around you is too dangerous. However, nothing is stopping me from…giving this…"

Adofo reached into a bag he had on him and pulled out some documents and handed them to me. I gave them a look over and realized that they are a map of the bases in Mythcia. There was numerous bases all over the place, solidifying Adofo's point that we cannot take them all ourselves, "So many bases…has Aten been planning this for years?"

"Longer than any of us have been aware. The cult of Apep stands well over millions strong. Still…even the smallest hinderance is still a hinderance, so any allies you know that can deal with this then maybe we can slow Aten's design. Until then, as far as my master is aware, you stole those documents from me."

I smiled at him and nodded as he returns the gesture before running off into the jungle. I looked at the documents in hand and wondered how much damage we can do with this information alone. It was going to be a long walk back to Sub-Solla, or at least that is what I thought initially until I noticed a portal open and a familiar rag tag group of people jumped out of it. We certainly got a lot of explaining to do.

"Nacho…please come back safe."

/

Nacho's P.O.V.

I felt the rough sand grind against my face as I hit it from the force of Aten's punch. My anger swelled and my determination to not lose kept rising. It has been a few minutes since our battle began and Aten is proving to be stronger than I anticipated. I gave him a couple good hits here and there, but it was clear he had more tricks up his sleeves. He blew me backwards with tornados that would pick up the sand and whip my body from all sides. Turn invisible during the attack blasted me with blast powder and assaulted me with his magic.

Needless to say, he was the aggressor here and I needed a plan fast, "What's wrong Bladeius? I thought you were going to make me regret messing with you claimed lovers? Or was that just bravado talking!"

I heard him charge up another powerful spell and quickly got up to see him throw a large sphere of darkness at me. Quickly I got out of the way in a flash of lightning as the sphere exploded and left a crater in the ground while blowing sand everywhere. I growled as I stopped to get a hold of my surroundings. My frenzy senses are going wild but they have a hard time pinpointing the source. Its like he is constantly appearing and disappearing…is he doing this on purpose just to throw me off?

"(I have to concentrate…the earth…if he is moving on land then…that's it!)"

Putting my hand to the ground and closing my eyes, I began to look for vibrations in the earth. It was a bit hard because of the looseness of the sand and some of the aftershocks of the previous attack but then I was able to make out some consistent movement with the moments of feeling the virus in his body.

After a few seconds I felt he stopped behind me and I immediately reacted by swinging a fist into him. He was surprised at my sudden reaction as my fist exploded into his face and sent him tumbling backwards. Following up, I ran at the speed of lightning and tackled him into the sand began pounding his face. My rage being let out as I clocked him left and right with both fists as slime is left behind. Before I could smash his face with all my fists, he quickly phased away from me in a shadow mist form. My fists connected with the sand and immediately I flipped around only to be blasted by a beam of draconic energy by him along with a salvo of shadow bolts which did some serious damage as they exploded on my body.

My body sting a bit from the aftermath, but I was still standing. I shook off the pain and fired off a frenzy blast the exploded in a chain in three different directions in front of me. Aten easily dodged this and created shadow tendrils that erupted from the ground and grabbed me from the legs and began slamming me around the sand. My anger grew as I felt each heavy impact hit my back and face. Eventually I felt him fling me into the air before suddenly I felt something impale me from my back. I roared with pain as I saw the tendril poking out from my belly.

"It's over Bladeius! I am the superior! I have the power, the magic and the skill! You cannot beat me!"

"Fuck, that!"

Clenching my fist until the green slime turn red, I gave the tendrils a massive punch which exploded and destroyed them. Despite the injury I landed the fall much to the surprised look on Aten.

"What?!"

"It's not over until it's over…"

In my critical state, I felt a surge of power well up inside of me and I knew fully well what it was, Apex mode. My rage and bloodlust grew as I saw this guy as nothing but prey. I wanted to tear him apart and eat his heart. I let out a proud roar that would made a Tigerex blush as I charged at him more erratically. He didn't have time to register my movements as I grabbed him by the face and began dragging it through the sand at high speeds. As I ran I rose up a stone wall and broke through it with his face. I repeated this a couple of times before throwing him into a stone wall and breaking it as the slime on his face final exploded from the force.

With another roar I coated my body in ice as I ran towards his body and pounced on him as I started attacking his chest. Trying to break through his metal scaled chest, the ice on my nails breaking from my attempts before I started punching again and firing point blank fire blasts. However, for my efforts I was blasted in the face with venomous mist from his own mouth and blinded me temporary as I tried to adjust to the sudden loss of my vision. However, Aten took this chance to magically charge his claws with darkness as I suddenly felt as he slashed at me from the front and behind?!

The attack was doubled as I felt his assault from the back and the front which only confused my senses. I wasn't sure how he was doing it, but I didn't care, I wasn't going to lose no matter what. Using my crush claw wings and used both of them to grab him and the other being attacking me by the head and slammed them together. I felt the other being disappear and was left with Aten. With a smile I squeezed his head before slamming it on the ground dragged him around in a circle before throwing him up into the air and punching his body with my crush claw and my explosive fist.

With him out of the way temporarily I managed to clean my eyes and restore my vision, only to be met with pure darkness. I tried to blink a couple of times, but it did nothing to remove the darkness. It was only then I realized I was trapped inside some kind of dark prison as I felt a wall. I began punching as Aten laughed, cracking the magic wall but was punished for this when dark spikes penetrated my body in all directions. In my rage I broke the spikes and continued my attempt to break out.

"It's too late! Behold the power I wield!"

His laughter made me angrier as I kept cracking the dark prison, by the time I broke up the prison. I was met with a large meteor in my face and was forced to react by grabbing the large rock and attempting to slow it down. My determination and strength managed to slow it down, but that didn't matter in the end as Aten made one more declaration.

"Its been fun, but once again I am your superior! Die!"

My eyes widen as I heard the familiar charge up of the Gogmazio's beam and stuck as I am holding back the meteor I couldn't get out of the way. The next thing I knew was the massive rock exploding and the beaming hitting me and nearly consuming me. All I saw was the flash before finding myself face in the sand and my energy all but gone.

"G-Grrr…I can't give up now! They're waiting for me!"

"Heh heh ha ha! It's over now, you can barely stand. There is no way you can win Bladeius, you have been a thorn to my side long enough and this time I will make sure you will never come back to interrupt my plans again!"

I growled in defiance as I managed to get on my knees. He only scoffed as he prepared another spell to finish me off. However, somehow conveniently, the heart of the volcannondon rolled next to me. Still beating and full of power…my mind was telling me to eat the heart. Eat the heart and gain its power, both the beast and the mana. However, the more rational part of my mind is reminded of Azhum's words of warning. It took me all of three seconds to go for the heart as I remember Ankha and Isabelle. I didn't want to leave them, I promised Ankha I wouldn't die, and I will make true on that promise no matter what.

Aten eyes widen as he saw me grab the heart. He tried to stop me, but it was too late. The moment I bit into the heart I felt my body being rushed with fire mana violently as it invaded my body. It was a new feeling of pain that ignored as I ate the entire heart. I was both being energized and being hit with ferocious pain as the mana struggled to settle within my body. All the while my body grew hotter until I burst into flames. Aten did nothing but stand in horror and awe as my body began to change and adapt to the new DNA. I felt new organic plates began forming on my being, my already scaly flesh growing tougher.

Eventually the pain subsided, and the fire that engulfed me burnt out. I stood tall and proud before Aten as I clenched my fists and a whirl of fire surrounded them.

"Im-Impossible…you shouldn't have been able to survive that!"

I said nothing as I planted my feet and gave out a proud roar. This man is prey to me and seem to be weighing his options as I slowly stepped towards him. I did not know what was going on in his head, but it would seem out of pure desperation he opened up a portal and ran through it. Of course, a coward is a coward, and I gave chase as I will not let my prey escape.

As I chased him through, I ended up in a jungle…a familiar one but not in the jungle near Sub-Solla. This was made more apparent when I saw a few Jaggi scurrying away at the sight of me. It wasn't long until I heard a loud howl and came face to face with a Zinogre. I cracked my neck and gave a low growl, "You aren't getting in my way prey!"

/

Ankha's P.O.V.

With Azhum's help we managed to return to Sub-Solla fast and very quickly there was a mess once we showed up. With Lucky carrying Olemach's unconscious form his brother quickly came and asked us what was going on. We told him we will explain at the palace as out here within the public eye isn't a good idea. They aren't ready to hear the truth just yet and its pretty late into the night to deal with this. Taimolche understood and ushered us all into the palace and away from prying eyes. We were led into a private room as the ruler told the guards that he is not to be disturbed with his guests. They understood and stood watch as we got settled.

Isabelle, Ser-Ka and I finally just let everything out. Explaining everything that had occurred in what I assume was nearly an hour ago. Most importantly the ill-fated deal his brother made with Aten. That part hit him the most, a look of betrayal marred his face as he held his head with a hand. Both of frustration and disbelief.

["I always knew my brother had issues with humes. I tried to keep him from acting on his rage and his grudge from long ago. From under my nose he has been acting on his own, I never would have thought that he would betray my faith in him. I am glad, in the end he tried to do the right thing. The irony that what he hated most turned his mind around. Ser-Ka, on behalf of me and my brother I owe you many apologies for taking Bladeius's body."]

("You have no fault in this Taimolche, if anything you were as much victim as I was. I cannot speak for your brother, but if he was willing to go against the deal he made with Aten. Then I must say he was feeling guilty himself. I will wait for him to wake so he can apologize of his own accord. I want to hear it from him, and I assume he would have it the same way.")

Taimolche breathed a sigh of relief, ["If that is what you wish, then it shall be arranged. Still there is the other issue we have to deal with."]

He points to the corpse of Bladeius being carried by Lucky gently. That is when I stepped up, "It is pretty clear what we should do. His body must be returned to the tomb where he once laid. He died in the land of Egyptapia and there he shall remain."

["Then an escort shall be arranged as soon as possible. No doubt, you will be attending Ser-Ka?"]

("I must, as my people will be more welcoming when their former queen comes back with the body of their old hero. It's strange having the body now, knowing that I met his reincarnation. Still, the body must be treated with respect.")

I put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile as she put her hand on mine and slowly gripped it. Through that grip I can feel the raw emotion she is doing so hard to suppress and not show on her face. No doubt she had plenty of practice to learn to stay professional when she needs to. I been down that road myself, so I can empathize with her fully. Conversations lasted a while, talking about transportation and the like. Eventually we were dismissed and told to get some sleep as it was late into night.

I couldn't agree more, so after some goodbyes/ goodnights me and Isabelle returned to our apartment in the kingdom and essentially face planted into bed. Our bodies tired from all the fighting and the emotional trauma.

"*Sigh* Ankha do you think Nacho is going to be okay?"

"That is a question I should be asking you, hehe. Either way it's kinda a rhetorical question now isn't it?"

"Hehe, yeah. I hope he gives Aten a good wallop to the face! Wham! With one of his exploding fists!"

Isabelle playfully gestured by swinging her fists into the empty air. I couldn't help but giggle as it was simply adorable to watch, "What I wouldn't give to see that. Heh, wouldn't I give to do that myself. Corrupted or not, after all he did, I want to give that smug face a divine smack that only I can give."

"Well I'm sure when the chance comes that it will be glorious."

"Oh please, anything less than glorious is beneath me," I joked as I faked a haughty voice. Isabelle giggled as she rolled over to hug me and give me a kiss on the cheek.

"*Mwah!* That's the Ankha I know and love."

"Mmm…thank you Isabelle. Still looks like we have another night without Nacho."

"Yeah, but knowing him. He probably wants nothing else but to cuddle up after everything."

"Heh, yes he would. To think a mayor like him would be a formidable warrior."

"I think that just makes him more attractive to me. Strong, powerful, and dominant wrapped around with a kind and caring personality!"

"You clearly have a type Isa, hehe. You can be dominant yourself though, do not deny it. Little miss submissive likes to put the mayor under her thumb. Nacho told me what you did to him back in the office."

Isabelle gave a look of surprise before turning red and looking away from me while playing with her fingers, "I was a bad girl during that time. I couldn't help myself."

I held her close and petted her head and gave it a few caresses before kissing her forehead, "Now now, there is nothing wrong with that. Anyway that's enough talk of intimacy, lets sleep so we can be ready for tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe Nacho will return in the next day?"

"I would love that very much."

"As would I."

We both gave each other a kiss goodnight before drifting off to sleep. Hopeful for the next day.

/

Nacho's P.O.V.

Dusk fell over the jungle I was in, knowing time was different here I was way past my resting time. But I cannot rest now, Aten…he is still here. I can feel it, he is not far…I can smell his fear. The coward is hiding somewhere around here, hiding while invisible to keep me from pinpointing his exact location. He is holding still not to make any movements that I can quickly sense. Predator and prey, a scared prey fearing for his life. Not like that last Prey, that…Zinogre. Faced me head on and died for it, left me hungry and he became food.

I looked down and stared at my bloodied body, the Zinogre's blood. I ate what I needed and left the rest for the scavengers. I remember eating its heart and felt something…change with me. I got stronger…my body showed this as I adopted some of its spikes. I even howled like the prey. This felt good, not the same as eating that burning heart but still welcoming. The thunder bugs…they do not run from me they want to be near me. I juice them up and they share some of their power. Its how I was able to keep going longer without the need for sleep.

I sat by a nearby stream, both to clean my scales and fur and to lure Aten out in a false sense of security. If I looked distracted, then maybe he might grow bold enough to try and leave. I scooped up and handful of stream water and washed off the blood from my body and face. The water grew red from the amount I washed off before being swept away. I could barely see my own reflection within its murky waters.

("Come on…snape out of it! We already won! Aten's on the run scared of us! Isn't that enough?")

"No…he needs to suffer…so he won't bother them anymore!"

("Idiot! Look at us! We're washing blood off our body! We just made a Zinogre's insides outsides! Do you think Ankha and Isabelle will want to get near us if they saw that?!")

"I…I…mates…did this…"

I tried to defend my actions against myself, shaking my head as I felt a sharp pain inside my brain. I endured the pain as I heard the opening of a portal. My rage reignited as my turned in the direction of the sound and ran towards the now open magic entrance as I saw Aten running into it. I managed to jump inside in time and found myself in the warm environment.

This place…I was not familiar with. It was warm due to volcanic activity but there was something else. They crystals that made up part of this environment was filled with energy from the life of other beings. Elder Dragon energy…I can feel it bathing me, but nothing is happening. Seeing that I decided to ignore it as I look for Aten.

"Where are you coward!" I roared as I unintentionally gained the attention of two familiar monsters. A Tigrex and a Glavenus wandered in and immediately took offensive stances as they saw me. They did not fear me, and I am more than ready to show them that they should. I howling which caused to my surprise caused small portals to open and thunder bugs flying out of them and surrounding me.

As soon as a sizable swarm was surrounding me and charging me with electricity. A thunder cloud appeared above me and sent out a bolt of lightning that struck my horn. A small explosion of electricity erupted from my body as I was energized like a squirrel high on caffeine. My body crackled with electric energy as my spikes grew fiercer and my claws glowed with power. The thunder bugs, turned into Fulgur Bugs, began orbiting around me like sentinels. The Tigrex was just angry at my display charged head long at me, but even before it can reach me, I was already on it is back and gave the beast a thunderous kick to the spine almost like a bolt of lightning.

Aiding my attack is the fulgur bugs which fired off lightning bolts themselves. The attack immediately stopped the Tigrex cold and knocking the wind out of it. Immediately after, I turned to see the Glavenus sharpening its blade tail. It saw me looking at it and swings its tail at me, I smiled as I stayed in place and much to the monster's surprise, I stopped it is attack even with its heated tail blade. It tried to wiggle out of my grasp and as a result I poured some of my electric charge into its tail and shocking the brute wyvern as it traveled up it is tail and into its body.

It roared and whined with pain as its big scaly body convulsed with the electricity. With a grin I brought an arm up and broke the still heated Glavenus tail. The monster fell forward as it still twitched and moaned from the electricity coursing through its body.

Taking the blade into my hands, I leapt off the Tigrex with the blade and stabbed the brute wyvern through the neck in a flash. The beast groaned its last breath before I twist the blade and severing the spine. Another fine meal to the table in my eyes, but there was still one more. I looked to the side to see the Tigrex getting up and becoming enraged as shown by its glowing blood vessels.

"Hehe…just a cornered rat."

It charged at me with its mouth open. Like that there is my opening to end this quickly. I hopped into its mouth as it moved in quickly. It tried to snap its jaw shut but I held it in place with my strength. The beast struggled and swung its head around to dislodge me and eat me. In kind I shocked it with my electricity which caused the Tigrex to freeze up as its muscles became stiff from the prolonged exposure to the jolts I was giving. I began to smell something cooking before breaking its jaw with a hard push and kick.

Before hopping out I shot a fully charged fireball down its gullet that exploded in its throat. The damage done made the monster unable to roar or scream as it still tried to swipe at me. I was too fast for the monster and my remaining fulgur bugs zapped it a few more times as I charged up my fist and unleashed a haymaker with both my exploding fist and my crush claw. The resulting explosion broke the monster's neck and nearly tore its head from its shoulders. Despite the damage the Tigrex tried to attack me once more, running on its adrenaline but it missed me, and the body went limp afterwards.

I smiled; it was time for lunch.

One by one I dug in and ripped out and devoured their hearts. I felt their beating cease as I bit into them and with it, I felt my power grow and my body change. My claws stronger and my lungs improve from the Tigrex DNA and my tail having the ability to become bladed thanks to the Glavenus DNA along with new fire projectiles to be fired from my mouth. My energy was rejuvenated even for a bit longer. I can feel lethargy trying to catch up with me and I needed to finish Aten until then.

I heard another portal open up and on pure instinct I shot towards the direction I heard the noise. As I thought, it was Aten opening the portal and hopping in. I followed in after him and I ended up in another unfamiliar location. I got up from all fours and looked around to see I was in some kind of cave surrounded by water. Looking at my feet I noticed I was moving on top of bone, so much bone. I cursed under my breath as I couldn't feel Aten's presence anymore, but I can feel something large in the area with me. No sooner I felt it, two heads erupted from the bone pile along with a body. A skeletal dragon of some kind stared back at me and roared.

I coldly stared at it and felt the rest of the creature hiding underneath. They will not live to see the end of the day.

/

Bastet's P.O.V.

("Oh no…that was it wasn't it?")

That dreaded presence, I felt it drop into range of my magic senses. A dark growing presence filling up with calamitous power. The same described in the prophecy I read oh so long ago. My thoughts drifted to my chosen, Ankha. She and her lovers are in another world while this monster is growing in another. They will have to make the trip back in order to stop it from fully growing.

("Bastet? You looked worried,") I turned around and came face to face with Anubis, looking a little weathered after regaining some of his power after Aten broke their bond tethering them together as god and chosen.

("I am worried Anubis, I…can feel it growing. The monster in the prophecy, its…not too far from awakening.")

The Jackal eyes turned serious, ("What? The Beast? Can you pinpoint where it is located?")

("I can try but it's a bit out of my reach, it's in a world sitting next to ours. Someplace called the Oldworld, Ankha has been there before.")

("Ah, I know where you are referring to. I was summoned there once myself, but any specific location?")

("Umm…hold on…") I did my best to focus on the feeling of darkness, that aura but the closer I got the more blurred the image in my head became, ("Argh…I can't get close enough, the beast's aura is distorting my vision. All I know from what I can see is that the beast is located inside this cave that is entered through a large mouth opening from the top. I can see some bones down there but that's it.")

("Good enough, I think I can recall the place you are seeing, the locals at that land call it, Wyvern's End. Dangerous place, but if the beast is there then we must strike while it is still trying to gather power.")

("Yes, we must, but my chosen is still in Mythcia and I am not sure she is fully ready to fight the beast.")

("I doubt any of our chosen are, as far as we know we only heard what it is capable of should it awaken. We don't need worldwide devastation, I shall ask the others if they have power to spare to give Ankha a portal, but as it stands the time to strike is now.")

("Agreed, I shall inform Ankha as soon as I can.")

("As the mortals say these days, 'no time to get cold feet' I have full confidence we will win.")

I smiled as I nodded as he left. I turned my focus to Ankha, my chosen, and the closest I had to a daughter. Its amazing to think she was a small kitten over a thousand years ago and scared and alone when traveling on her lonesome. I did my best to aid her during those trying times and spoke to her when she needed me. She really has grown into a strong woman in her own right and got wonderful lovers too. It warms my heart to see her happy and I will do anything to help preserve that joy.

A smile came across my face as I felt her sleeping in a dream, seeing my chance. I entered her dream, hoping to reach her before she waked. The whole world is at stake after all and I must do what I can to preserve it.

/

Nacho's P.O.V.

My battle rages on as the beast revealed itself, a cuttlefish looking monster I remembered reading about. The Narkakos, an ambush predator that feast on the weak, dying or young. However, they are known to be territorial and that it is why it won't back down, even after I constantly tore off its boney armor. However, it quickly replaced them and came back with new attacks using the bones of monsters that fell into its den. With stamina slowly draining from lack of much needed sleep, I fought to end this as fast as I can. Explosive punches, fierce claw strikes, fireballs, the works of what I had on me.

The creature hissed and whined from the various forms of pain that were building up on its body. A couple of times it tried to retreat under the water but each time I dragged it out by force and aggressively retaliated. I lost all track of time at this point and my inner clock almost ran out. The Narkakos was also on its last legs, beaten, burned and bloodied. In turn, it decided to charge up one last desperate attack. A powerful dragonic beam capable of wiping out groups of hunters. As it opened its mouth, I saw my chance. Charging on all fours, I jumped straight into its mouth, ignoring the searing pain of the energy glancing across my body, and worming my way deep into its innards.

I can hear the beast choke and squeal through its thick flesh as I clawed my way near its stomach and began to dig through the fleshy walls. Blood, fluids, and the like splashed on me as I began ripping and tearing to find its heart. I wanted its heart and makes its power my own. I want to feel complete, to be unstoppable. I must be…for them…

I dug and dug until finally I found it. Its still beating heart, without hesitation I reach over and sank my teeth into it. One loud screech came from the Narkakos as its life faded as I kept eating the organ. Eventually, everything became cold as I finished up. Stomach full and the heaviness of sleep upon me, I dug my way out of the monster's body. My body felt heavy, so immediately I burned a circle of ashes around me, so I had something comfortable to sleep on. Curling up into a ball, my last thoughts were of Ankha and Isabelle. My mates, I will protect you from him. Aten, once I regain my rest you will surely pay.

Closing my eyelids, I let the darkness of sleep greet me as my body changed. My brain only thought of one thing as this happened: metamorphosis.