Evolve

by Derek Belfield

  Thinking this through, Slate found a mutation that would give his tongue an anticoagulant effect. If it worked, Slate figured he could find a source of biomass that wouldn't have to result in the source's death. Slate mentally selected Anticoagulant Tongue I. He hoped it would change everything. He would need to make sure the practice was started quickly in his new domain so that it became standard practice.

  Anticoagulant Tongue: This mutation evolved the tongue and creates salivary glands within the tongue itself. When activated, these glands produce hirudin, a compound that prevents the blood from clotting. This evolution can be further evolved to create wounds that won't naturally heal, increase the biomass density of blood, act as an antiseptic, and more.

  He decided to leave the rest of his biomass for another time. He had already made a host of changes to his body, and he wanted to test their efficacy before he decided to add more. Dismissing his status screen, he smiled. "Alright, NOW let's go."

  Chapter 12: What it Means to be a Guardian

  The trio ascended the white marble steps together—Shale at his left side and Merus at his right. The symbolism felt right to Slate. Once they climbed these steps, their world would change forever. Slate would finally have a people, and he would forge those people to his purpose.

  It was a heavy feeling for him. Sure, he had run campaigns and talked about being a representative of the people. In truth, he had been little more than a figurehead for bureaucratic practices that had been established long before him and would continue long after him.

  Before this moment, the best Slate could have aspired to was incremental change at the margins of government. There was no incentive to do what was right for the people and to be honest, Slate had cared little for their opinion anyway. The power and prestige were what drove him to the lengths he had to win. He wanted to be the best in the room, and he wanted people to know it. This though was something different. Forget the gods, forget the Scourge, for the first time in his life he would have a people that would live or die by the decisions he made.

  The realization made him feel like he was back in the military again. He had missed the way it felt like every day actually mattered and that every moment no matter how small could be significant. Slate felt like he was best when he was against the odds and victory or defeat was balanced upon the edge of a knife or the crack of a rifle.

  They reached the top and came out to an unadorned white marble wall. Each brick was so finely placed and polished that Slate could not make out the location of where each block met. Craning his neck up, he could see that the wall turned into the plane of a ziggurat-style pyramid about ten feet from the ground. The most fascinating thing was that the marble striations were made from glowing white light instead of the typical gray. The effect was beautiful and otherworldly.

  Merus gently coughed and gestured to his right. "This way, my Lord Heritor. The staircase lets out from a plinth beneath the statue."

  Slate didn't ask what Merus meant, and inside turned to observe the architecture himself. The stairs did indeed ascend from a giant marble plinth. Looking up, he saw a huge golden statue that was tall enough to almost touch the top of the ceiling. He could see the bright lights from the other side of the icon, but he couldn't determine their source.

  Following Merus around the side of the statue, Slate saw that the lights were from two sources. The golden statue was a figure of the Lord of Light with arms upraised and palms facing skyward in a position of supplication. In each hand, a bright light nestled. In her right hand, a white flame burned steadily, and in the left, a star shone brilliantly.

  Slate could feel that there was something significant about the positioning, but he wasn't versed well enough in Lucidus' particular brand of religion to know what it was. He could feel through the Scourgemind a sense of awe and veneration coming from Shale. He agreed with her wholeheartedly.

  The statue of Lucidus was dressed, in the same manner as when she had appeared before him. Two winding shawls made of silver wrapped around her body like a double helix. The clothing, if it could be called that, covered her breasts and her groin but little else. The sight left a peculiar duality in the mind of the observer. From one aspect, she was the picture of chaste purity. The fire and the star were a representation of her sanctifying light.

  However, the choice of clothing and the predatory smile on her face gave her an air of sultry seduction. Her tail, an exact clone of Slate's own, descended from her perfectly shaped buttocks and was held at the ready. Slate was intimately familiar with the position as he held it there right before he was prepared to strike the killing blow. This was a statue that spoke of a deity that was life and death—purity and sin.

  Merus seemed to sense both Shale and Slate's fascination with the statue. The first time he had seen it, he had been much the same. Then again, they hadn't seen anything yet. The whole village outside had been transformed. This was just the beginning of the tour. He waited patiently for the two leaders to tear their gaze away from the enchanting sight.

  Once Slate was able to look away, he surveyed the rest of the temple. Marble pillars, identical to the ones in the chamber below, stretched on either side of the path leading to the exit. The columns did not fully extend to the ceiling. Instead, they were precisely the same height, and burning braziers of white fire crowned the top of them. The light cast the center of the temple in bright relief and cast a shadow on the ceiling above.

  Slate studied the stonework on the ground. The striations in the marble were more substantial but the light more muted. It wasn't possible, but it looked to him as if the entire floor were one giant slab. Besides stone, light, and fire, there wasn't anything else that decorated the temple. It seemed to represent the Lord of Light perfectly. This wasn't a place that someone would casually visit. This was a purpose-built shrine to Lucidus, and only those who found comfort in her cleansing light would find succor here.

  "Beautiful. However, it is time to meet our Guardians." Shale said quietly. Slate snapped out of his maudlin observations of the temple. "You're right," he said. "Please lead the way, Merus."

  Merus gave a slight bow, and they followed him towards the end of the temple. The way out was barred by a set of ornate doors that featured figures carved from silver, gold, and opal. Pausing, Slate and Shale looked to Merus to see how he would open them. "Simply think about exiting my Lord and Lady, and the temple will assent."

  He raised his arm to demonstrate, and a white-gray light covered his palms. Immediately the doors made a grinding sound and instead of swinging forward or backward as Slate expected, they opened by sliding into recessions into the wall. Sunlight poured into the temple and lit up marble around them. It was almost too bright as all three of them thinned their eyes in response. They were met with yet another staircase and Slate noticed that this one ascended to ground level.

  He hadn't realized that the temple and the subsequent floors, many of which he hadn't yet explored, were underground. The only part that rose from the ground was the actual pyramid. Slate supposed that it was a practical choice to protect the leadership beneath. He would have to ask Merus later about the other floors.

  They came out into the light and saw the entire village had gathered around them. The gathered Guardians watched silently with metallic colored eyes. They were a variety of colors, but they all seemed to have an inner luster that Slate had never seen anywhere else. Slate hadn't noticed Merus' significantly improved figure. It was a complete departure from a typical wood elf, but Slate had gotten used to Merus looking different since he had occupied the body himself. It hadn't occurred to that the village wouldn't be wood elves. He had figured Merus was an anomaly because of Slate's parasitic infestation of him.

  Looking at the crowd watching him with bated breath, he realized that the entire village had been transformed to approximate Merus with little variation. He took a breath to compose himself.

  "Merus, why don't you explain to me how the Guardians have changed?" Slate sounded
more confused than angry. Merus smiled and slightly bowed in assent.

  "My Lord Heritor," Merus spoke loudly enough for the crowd around them to hear. "We have redefined what it means to be a Guardian." He paused for dramatic effect. "We are destined to become protectors of the Scourge instead of protectors of trees."

  He gestured to the crowd. "The protectors have grown from eight to two hundred and thirty-five able-bodied warriors." Many in the crowd smiled and few whistled their approval. "The Scourge has made us equal in the eyes of the Lord of Light." Some in the crowd looked uncomfortable at his latest statement.

  "As a result," he continued, either oblivious or uncaring. "We have been transformed. We are stronger, faster, and better than before. We can see mana, throw white fire from our palms, summon binding chains of light, and form a perfectly symbiotic relationship with a budding Scourgling." He finished by smiling at Slate and Shale.

  Slate made a show of looking impressed. He intentionally decided not to ask any follow-up questions because that would ruin the image that Merus was obviously trying to project although he could feel Shale's confusion at the man's display.

  He smoothly took over, old habits resurfacing as he played to the crowd and employed every trick in the book he knew. "I guess that means these new Guardians are wondering what their purpose is?" He saw most of the crowd nod their heads with suspicious glances thrown at Shale and himself.

  "The Lord of Light has gifted us with a purpose." He spoke softly and slowly. The crowd unintentionally crowded forward so they could hear what he said. "We have been made in her image so that we can spread the Scourge to every corner of Somnium," he paused and looked around the crowd.

  "For too long, idle Gods have treated mortals as playthings and entertainment. You know this to be yourselves. The elders clutched to their secrets, uplifted only those who were personally loyal to them, and only shared their power with a lucky few." What Slate was saying wasn't exactly honest, but there were no elders to counteract his claims. He needed to get them all on one side; his side.

  "But now, you have seen the power of the Lord of Light. In a single night, I slew the Protectors. I ended their lives and consumed their essence because the Lord sent me to free you from your unknowing oppression. The elders lied about the outside world and kept you ensconced within the forest." Slate could see the wheels turning in the mind of the crowd. They had never really thought about what had happened outside of their subsistence life, and the narrative that Slate was spinning was compelling enough to be possible.

  Slate didn't need them to wholly believe what he was saying, not now at least. He merely required them to believe it was possible. Soon, the story itself would take life in the minds of the people. Some of them would come forward to present imagined wrongs that the elders had done to them if only for the sake of the attention they would garner. Eventually, the population would reach a tipping point, and the history of the elder would be erased. All that would remain would be Lucidus and her envoys, the Scourge.

  "We—" he gestured to Shale, "have come to set you free." His voice rose with emotion, and he could feel the excitement in the crowd rise also. "You have always deserved this." He used his arms to gesture to the glowing marble buildings that surrounded the pyramid. The treetop domiciles had obviously been replaced by elegant structures of stone and light. This is what the system had meant when it said the buildings had been converted.

  "More so," he continued. "You have—always—deserved this blessing being bestowed upon you." This time he gestured to an ambiguous distance. "We will purify the world in the light of our Lord. We are going to build great cities of stone and splendor. We're will become the center of the world—a beacon of hope for the down-trodden and oppressed. We're going to do for the world what I have done for you."

  He paused to let the tension in the crowd build. He had them right where he needed them. He lowered his voice again, and the silence was deafening. "If we're going to save the world, then I'm going to need Guardians." He looked around and began to see determined glances on the faces around him. No one had clapped or cheered. It wasn't time for that yet.

  "Will you, Guardians, help me save the world?" He asked softly.

  A person in the middle of the crowd yelled, "Yes, Heritor!" Right after him, another voice screamed the same affirmation. Then another and another. Soon the whole crowd was yelling their affirmation and adulation. They began to chant.

  "Her-i-TOR! Her-i-TOR! Her-i-TOR!"

  Slate grinned and waved his hand as the crowd cheered. After a few moments, Slate sensed it was time to leave, and wordlessly, he turned back to enter the temple. Merus and Shale followed--the sounds of the crowd drowned out any possible conversation.

  When descended down the stairs and past the door, Slate gestured, and the door began to close. It thudded close after a few moments and completely shut out the sound from the other side. He turned and met the shocked gazes of Shale and Merus. Shale was the first to speak.

  "How did you do that?" She asked, awe in her voice. Merus simply nodded his head to show that he had the same question.

  Slate chuckled at the question. "Practice," he shrugged. "Hey, Merus is there somewhere comfortable here where we can all talk? I don't really want to sit in the throne room, and we need to discuss what we will do next."

  Merus looked at Slate as if he didn't believe what he said and Shale shared the same suspicious look. Merus decided to drop it. "Yeah, Slate," he said, the pretense of formality gone. "This building came equipped with a full royal suite below the throne room. There's a sitting room at the entrance."

  Slate smiled. "Perfect."

  They made their way down to flights of stairs to reach the sitting room that Merus spoke about. It was richly appointed and looked supremely comfortable. The room itself was still carved from the smooth marble, but the floors were covered in luxurious carpets that softened the space. Bookshelves filled with leatherbound books had been cut into the stone around the entire room, and both walls that didn't have an entrance had a fireplace with small flames nestled within. The fire looked to be smokeless, which made sense since it would be challenging to get ventilation in the room.

  The cream-colored seating in the room was both plentiful and plush. Slate found an oversized chair that built for his frame and settled into it with a sigh. He drew a cushioned footrest closer to him and crossed his ankles over it. Merus and Shale both found places nearby and waited for Slate to speak.

  "Alright, Merus," he said. "What kind of threats do we have around us?"

  Merus looked at him dumbly before replying. "Slate, you know I don't know that."

  Slate sighed. "Oh yeah," Slate sighed, "I forgot. It's been a weird couple of days." He said tiredly. "Alright, who will know then." Merus gave him a deadpan expression. "The other Guardians," Merus replied. "They're dead." Slate asserted, who else?"

  This time, Shale answered with a streak of humor. "The elders." Slate shot her an annoyed look. He could feel her amusement through the Scourgemind. "They're dead also," He said testily. "Who else?"

  Merus remained blank-faced. "My Lord Heritor," he said formally. "You killed anyone who could give you the information you need."

  Slate blinked. "Fuck."

  Both Merus and Shale laughed aloud while Slate placed his face in his hands--claws--whatever. After a few moments of laughter, the pair grew serious again.

  "To be honest," Shale supplied, "the elders and protectors wouldn't have known much anyway. The perimeter trees were as much a barrier to us as they were to the outside world. We don't know about the entities that border us."

  Merus tugged on his chin, a habit that he had developed while Slate had been within his body. "So, no matter what we're going to need to scout out our surroundings." He said pensively.

  Slate grinned, baring his fangs. "That means we're going to get to kill things."

  Merus look startled as he stammered a reply. "Slate, you're probably going to need to stay here to get this place u
p and running instead of murdering your way through the countryside."