Beastborne

by James T Callum

  It felt something like when he absorbed a monster’s essence, that same thrilling and burning sensation.

  “Do you mind if I help?” Besal asked.

  “By all means,” Hal answered.

  To his surprise, Hal found his left arm moving of its own accord. He relaxed the muscles and watched with great interest as Besal took control of the limb.

  Using Blades of Bone, Besal caused great claws to sprout from Hal’s fingers. Before Hal could ask what he was doing, his body twisted and he was falling off the large branch he had been sitting on.

  115

  Out lashed Hal’s hand under Besal’s control. The newly made bone claws bit deep into the wood slowing his fall into a controlled descent.

  Knowing he was about to enter battle sooner than he had hoped, he pulled up his Beastborne perks. Technically, Besal was controlling their descent down the trunk of the massive tree, freeing Hal to quickly select this perk.

  And he knew just what to get.

  With all this talk about monster correlations, Hal took the third and final Level of Deep Magic. A Beastborne ability that allowed him to imbue one or more of his currently Spliced essences into his weaponry, abilities, or - at Level 3 - his spells.

  Throughout it all Hal could tell it was taxing on Besal to use Hal’s body like that, even though he didn’t fight him on it. There was a cost for Besal to assume control of Hal’s body.

  Unlike before, when it seemed the exact opposite.

  Whether that was because of his lack of Strain or some fundamental shift in their dynamic, Hal didn’t know. At any point, he could have ripped control away from Besal.

  There had to be trust. If Hal was truly going to pursue this Dark Communion, trust was essential. He remained guarded though.

  He was no longer a fresh-faced young man without any idea of what he was getting himself into.

  “No,” Besal said with a dark chuckle. “Now you know enough to be truly dangerous, but lack the wisdom to use it properly.”

  “Fair enough,” Hal mumbled. Besal’s words were true enough.

  As they descended, the fighting grew more ferocious as the plantoids surrounded the remaining insects - large beetles by the look of it - and began to snap whip-like tendrils at the creatures, cracking their glossy black shells.

  By the time Hal’s feet touched the soft earth, there was only a pair of beetles left to contend with the four planttraps.

  Sensing a threat - likely through woodsense, Hal figured - one of the planttraps turned and snapped out a one-two combo of its vines at him.

  Up went [Emissary], picking off one then the other as Convergence powered his reactions. Stepping into the defeated attacks, Hal conjured Deep Magic, coating [Emissary’s] crystalline edge with insect essence.

  He tried not to cringe as a tiny swarm of bugs appeared in the miasma of red smoke and crackling energy from eldritch and aberration essences.

  The planttrap tried to scuttle back on supple roots, but Hal was faster. He took [Emissary] in both hands, brought it up high, and snapped all his muscles in concert to bring it across at a sharp angle against the plant creature’s bulbous bell-like body.

  Hal’s Sword Skill was decent, though nothing amazing. His eyes widened at the damage his sword did to the creature in a single strike. And it came as a massive shock when the planttrap let out a strange hissing sound and its vines began to whip erratically at the air.

  You hit the [Flytrap | Lv.40] for 328 points of damage.

  The [Flytrap | Lv.40] is intimidated.

  Hal lunged forward, stabbing the hollow bell-formed body of the Flytrap, then ripping the insect-edged blade out to the side. As he watched, the tiny cloud of insects swarming around [Emissary] detached and began to eat at the wound he made.

  The Flytrap flailed harder as its wounds widened and bled more profusely.

  Conjuring Bomb Toss while channeling Deep Magic, Hal chucked the sizzling ethereal bomb into the midst of the Flytraps and the pair of badly wounded beetles.

  At Level 3 Deep Magic, he could imbue his essence into not only his weapons, but also his magic. And as he summoned Bomb Toss, Hal focused on his insect essence.

  The bomb exploded, lighting up the middle of the clearing with a brilliant flash of heat… and clouds of devouring insects.

  Not only did the fire catch on each of the Flytraps, licking hungrily at their vulnerable bodies, but the essence-insects were on fire. The mana-conjured insects burned right through the defenses of the Flytraps.

  Each of the Flytraps glowed with shimmering embers just below their skin. Embers that moved and ate, devouring the creatures from within. It was hideously effective, and though none of the bugs touched Hal, his skin still crawled from the sight of so many insects buzzing about.

  Hal lunged forward. Using [Emissary] with one hand, he conjured another insect-essence Bomb Toss and lobbed it at the swiftly dying Flytraps. The creature in front of him glowed from within with constellations of insects burning and ravenously consuming it.

  He put it out of its misery with a slash of his blade.

  Notifications of Flytraps dying filled his vision, but he swept them aside. One of the beetles had been destroyed by the last Bomb Toss but there was one yet stubbornly clinging to life.

  It regarded Hal distrustfully.

  About the size of a large dog, the beetle-like creature came up to Hal’s mid-thigh. Its black carapace was covered in burning sap. It had what appeared to be horns on the front but one of them was broken off.

  Hal felt a twinge of sympathy for the creature. Normally, he hated bugs. It was a distinctly human emotion that he couldn’t get over.

  The beetle’s black glassy eyes watched Hal and began to backpedal away from him. He could have killed it. Part of him thought he should, but there was a surprisingly absent opinion from Besal.

  He was used to Besal offering up his opinion in raw brutal emotion urging him to keep fighting. Some of the Flytrap bodies vanished into green smoke and siphoned into Hal, burning his lungs with their essence.

  The single beetle he had killed with collateral damage turned into essence as well. Slowly moving away the lone survivor watched Hal curiously.

  “It is confused,” Besal explained. “Not only did you kill its ally, but you are both of a familiar essence and two distinctly other essences. It does not know whether you are a friend, a foe, a master, or a destroyer.”

  “It feels all that?” Hal asked aloud. The beetle clearly didn’t understand him, but it heard his voice and paused its slow retreat.

  “In a way. It is not a bright creature. Hardly a monster. More animal than monster, but close enough all things considered.”

  Hal looked at one of the bodies of the Flytraps. The essence-insects didn’t last very long. At the very least they didn’t consume the corpses. He motioned to the beetle. “Move there.”

  The beetle, still clearly confused, skittered a few steps to the side toward where Hal pointed. Hooking the toe of his boot beneath the body of one of the Flytraps, he used Convergence to kick the corpse over to the beetle.

  “Eat if you like,” he said, curious if the creature could understand his intent.

  He didn’t even know if he had to talk. But it was better than utter silence. Hal watched as the beetle nudged the body with one of its horns and then crawled over to the body and began to chew on it.

  Unsurprisingly, it sounded a lot like somebody eating a salad.

  Still freezing, Hal’s strength suddenly bled out of him and he fell to one knee. Besal stepped out of Hal, and turned to offer his hand. “An interesting decision,” he said. “You chose to aid it rather than attacking it simply for being a monster. Why?”

  Hal shrugged. “Is it really any different than a wild animal? Am I to step into two creatures fighting and slaughter them both just because I want to be on top of the totem pole?”

  “Many would, yes,” Besal answered as he hoisted Hal up to his feet. A thread of Besal’s strength seemed to coil a
round Hal’s arm and seep into him, revitalizing his strength.

  Besal’s other hand motioned to the site of the brief but bloody battle. A dark seed rose from the site of the conflict and floated toward his hand. His grip on Hal’s hand tightened.

  “My ego is not so fragile that I need to dominate every creature that I come across,” Hal said, his eyes snapping to the mote of darkness. “What is that?”

  “Our ascension,” Besal said with a hint of awe in his voice. “Push all other thoughts from your mind and focus on the sound of my voice. I will guide you through the communion. You need but heed what is in your heart.”

  Hal still didn’t fully understand, but he nodded his agreement all the same. He sheathed [Emissary] and watched as the bead of darkness made its way, inexorably slow, into Besal’s palm.

  It was still visible as Besal closed his fist of starlight and shadow around it.

  Besal turned to Hal, his red eyes filtering crimson smoke into the air. Faster than thought, Besal snapped his hand forward and pushed the seed of darkness into Hal’s chest.

  Hal stood there a moment, stunned and confused. Then everything turned black. He fell a long, long distance. It reminded him of the time he first came to Aldim through that portal just as he was falling asleep on his couch back in Seattle.

  Hal started awake, gasping in surprise at the myoclonic jerk that had disturbed his attempt to sleep. He was back in his apartment. Back in Seattle.

  116

  Hal shook his head and leaned forward. His pleather couch creaked and groaned its customary complaint. As he unsteadily gained his feet, he rubbed his backside. The springs of his couch had a bad habit of digging into him if he fell asleep there.

  It was one of the reasons he usually avoided it but last night… was it last night? He shook his head free of the dream - or whatever it was - that kept invading his thoughts.

  Last night had been particularly bad. He did know that.

  Dragging a hand across his face, Hal staggered over to the small kitchenette and scrounged around in the fridge for something to eat. He let out a profound sigh when he saw the options before him.

  A four-day-old box of Chinese food or one of three protein shakes. He didn’t remember getting them and they had the strangest names.

  The bottles of eldritch essence, aberration essence, and insect essence stared back at him. They seemed to glow slightly in the dim light of his fridge’s light.

  On a whim, Hal picked up the bottle of eldritch essence. It looked legit enough. There was some grinning shark-toothed monstrosity that resembled a beholder as the brand’s mascot with a message curled beneath the image: “Eldritch essence, it’s outta this world!”

  Shrugging away the strangeness, Hal twisted off the top and meandered over to the curtained windows as he sipped his protein shake. It wasn’t too bad. As usual, it was a pitiful attempt at strawberry but it didn’t make him sick to drink it.

  On his budget, anything he could keep down was worth having.

  One lazy arm reached out and swept aside the heavy curtains. Outside, cars moved about the late-night streets.

  A massive eldritch abomination floated by the window, shaking the glass within its frame at its rumbling, otherworldly passage. Hal stared at it dispassionately as if it was just a bird flying past.

  Down on the streets some four stories below, a fire was growing on the corner from some sort of crack in the asphalt. Unnamed horrors crawled out and began to crush the cars like they were toys.

  He saw it all, heard it all, and with a shrug of apathetic detachment turned away and continued to drink his shake.

  Somebody pounded at the door and Hal groaned. He didn’t have any friends that would visit him so late at night. And besides, he was still tired. He just wanted to go to his room and go to sleep.

  The door shook with the intensity of the pounding and try as Hal might to ignore it, the visitor was resolute in their convictions.

  Halfway to his room, he grumbled and turned back to the door. Trying to smooth his rumpled plaid shirt, Hal opened the door far enough that the chain snapped taut.

  A visitor at this hour meant it was likely somebody complaining, a drunk who had the wrong door, or something else disruptive. Hal’s shock was complete when he saw Besal standing there. He was all shadow and starlight that was, as usual, hedonistically translucent.

  The eldritch thing always flaunted his etherealness.

  “What the… how is this…” Besal shook his head. “Let me in, Hal.”

  “It’s late, Besal, go home. We’ll talk tomorrow. I had a really bad night, man.”

  “Listen this isn’t what you think it is-”

  Hal shook his head. “I know exactly what this is. Your girl kicked you out of your place - again - because you….” Hal trailed off, trying to catch his train of thought. Something about his stupid sexy translucency?

  A flash of some show he must have watched ran through his head. He saw magic being flung about, large mantis creatures nearly overwhelming the heroes.

  In that moment of confusion, Besal reached an arm through the gap and caught a fistful of Hal’s plaid shirt. “Listen to me, Hal! You have to let me in. I thought you had gone past this, but I can see that your mind is more mired in your failures than even I thought. Let me in, I can help.”

  For some reason Hal didn’t fully understand, he nodded and Besal slipped his arm back through the gap. Hal closed the door, unlatched the chain, and opened it fully. Besal strode in, bumping Hal’s shoulder.

  “What do you want to do?” Besal asked once Hal had the door closed behind him.

  “Sleep.”

  “Nothing else?” Besal asked, casting his red smoking eyes about the tiny apartment with a judgmental eye.

  “Just sleep,” Hal confirmed. He hopped over the couch and flopped awkwardly onto it. Rather than fight it, he sighed and laid there watching Besal roam like a caged animal around his apartment.

  “You don’t find anything… odd about the scenes in the street?” Besal asked.

  Hal manufactured a shrug. “Should I?”

  “This is worse than I thought.” Besal stomped over to the corner where Hal had a bunch of junk. “What’s this?” he asked, pulling out a rather beautiful sword of bone, its curved edge made of crystal that shifted between yellow and blue.

  “I dunno, dude. Some cosplay prop probably. You want it? It’s yours if that’s what it’ll take for you to go home.”

  Besal lifted it up and slammed it down on the coffee table, scattering old cups and plates to the side. “Take it,” he said.

  “I don’t want to,” Hal said stubbornly.

  “This is part of you, take it.”

  Hal rolled his eyes at Besal but a faint flicker of desire unfurled in his chest. He wanted the sword. It was important, a part of him somehow, though he didn’t understand why he felt that way.

  Just as he was reaching toward the sword, his cellphone rang. With a snort, he rolled over and reached toward his phone to see who was calling him. “Mom, of course. No doubt she wants to tell me everything that I’ve done wrong while pretending to check up on me.”

  That same curling flame of desire within his breast told him not to answer the phone, but it was overridden by something much stronger. The weight of decades pressed in on Hal and forced his hand.

  Tapping the phone on, Hal pressed it to his ear. “Hey, mom. What’s up?”

  Besal reached forward and slapped at the phone but his hand passed straight through Hal and the phone. The man’s eyes widened with fear and horror as he stared at his rapidly vanishing form.

  He looked up at Hal, staring hard at him.

  All around Hal, the walls of the apartment began to fold in. Darkness collapsed the walls as the usual words of his mom - spoken in the most polite way possible, but with just enough disappointment threaded throughout them - spoke to him.

  She wanted to know how he was doing. Did he need money again? How was his career shaping up? Question aft
er question that reminded him of each of his failures.

  He sat there, like the good little boy he was, nodding along and answering with a noncommittal reply whenever it was requested of him.

  Meanwhile, his home vanished into the darkness around him, and he hardly noticed. Hardly cared.

  Besal began to vanish in front of him. His voice came from far, far away.

  And in that darkness, a spark of light. Something his mom said set it off into a greater blaze. Not just a lone, sad little candle flicker but a roaring flame.

  Noth’s face came to him, smiling and strong. He didn’t know her, or recognize the woman but he understood the emotion he felt within his chest. More faces flashed across in the dark, friends that were unlike any he ever had before.

  “Tammy is willing to meet with you,” his mom prattled on. “She’s a friend of a friend, dear. You can’t do much better than her. And she’s more than pretty enough for you. Time is running out to have a family. You know, when your father and I were your age we already had a home.”

  Hal stood up and dropped the phone to the couch, only then noticing the strangeness of the world around him. He felt that overpowering urge to pick the phone back up again.

  It was familiar. His life was comfortably unhappy. If he just returned to it, everything else would go away. All his worries, his fears, but also his hopes and his dreams, he realized.

  Besal was almost invisible by the time Hal picked up his cellphone and chucked it into the darkness. He reached forward and grasped Besal’s extended arm.

  Only then did he realize that Besal was talking to him, his voice so far away and distant that he couldn’t make it out. A flash of heat burned his chest and as Hal grasped at it, he started to fall backward.

  Besal’s grip was steady and strong but he was so insubstantial that he couldn’t hold his feet. Hal pulled Besal along and together the pair fell into the darkness that closed in around them.

  Hal focused on the faces of his friends, and strangely enough, he realized he considered Besal among them.