'Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig' Zhan sat in a creekside staring at the Gygax in his possession. They reminded him of the few that Wu Hai had collected as a child. He put the Zodiac Gygax away and grabbed the other.
'Mouse, Moose, Lion, Ferret, Jiao, Centuari, Turtle, sloth, sparrow, Saberwolf, Hippo' Zhan read them off in his head. 'I dont understand the meaning behind this thing, why so many?' The words couldn't escape his head, he was slightly embarrassed.
-{"The Pellos. It is rumored, Even I didn't think it existed. I once ran across the Hippo God in the wetlands of the south. Perhaps your fate will change afterall, this is a good thing."} Ferser seemed confident.
Zhan tossed the Gygax in his hands, more and more he felt the urge to try it out. He tossed it, like he had seen Wu Hai do so many times before. The change was over in a matter of moments, his body warped, he grew a tough hide, fur and teeth. They stuck from his lips gently, turning his head, he saw the tail at his back. It plumed a bit.
Zhan pulled the Zodiac Gygax out and studied it side by side with the Pellos. He tossed the Zodiac Gygax. Another change started. His fur along his stomach started to retract, his abdomen grew scales, his eyes adjusted to lower light levels and his teeth retracted a bit, hiding themselves. The Claws all but lost their fur, replaced with strong talons. He had changed in body and form, his Bastet-Snain Hybrid body pulsed with energy, he was warm, very warm.
-{"Interesting, A Duel transformation. However will you get back to being human again? Kuwahahahat."} Ferser touched a subject that didn't even register originally in Zhan's mind.
"So what. For my Daughter, for my family.. I would become the great destroyer." Zhan wondered if he could really do it, live as another race. He put the thought to the back of his mind and started playing with the transformations. He was determined to find something more comfortable.
-{"Tomorrow we start the next objective of the mission. With Mers on the loose, they will never expect someone attacking them in their homes."}
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
Blood pools flowed along a central channel, sacrifices were made on a regular interval. A book of magic sat atop the lap of a Vampire, as he spoke, drizzles of the blood intermingled and small creatures took form. Minions, the expendable faction of the Vampires. Usually they were used to monitor, but lately they had been used to scout for new food sources. The population of Beastkin had dropped considerably over the past ten years.
"^!!%()$%!#)$&!#$" Another passage came out, if the Onmyoji were present they would cringe, a devil was emerging from the pool of blood.
It spoke. {"Why have you not found the one responsible for the deaths along the mountain? Four great houses have fallen, do not disappoint me again. Eddingar, you are but a toy. Hurry now before I break you."}
The pool of blood exploded in the room. Bloodstains were everywhere, it dripped from Eddingar's face. He licked it from his lips, a vile taste, he spit it out. "Soon my love, I will have what I need soon." In the back of the room, a girl was standing quietly. She had been warned about speaking, whenever Eddingar spoke, she listened. It was either listen, or get thrown into the darkness.
She preferred to hear the thoughts of the living, but while she stood in the corner she only wished to speak to her sister, her mother, father, uncles, aunts and friends, to her, everyone she knew was dead.
"Darling Xue, you will be a perfect bride. Delicate, obedient.. powerful." Eddingar traced her face with his tongue.
Xue's face was still plump, at the age of six, she was just now getting to know what grief was. Her sister murdered in front of her, kidnapped and now she was being experimented on.
"Drink this, your role as Queen and as my personal reagent will be fulfilled. Your vessel, It never belonged to you." Eddingar held her face and poured the mixture down her throat. She resisted.
He hit her in the stomach a little bit, as she gasped, he forced more of it down her throat. Finished, he checked her eyes then studied her skin. 'Hmm.. another failure?' Lord Eddingar slapped her a few times to see if he could get her panicked. It worked, her face bruised and battered, she started to cry. Her screaming fit fueled the change.
Her skin changed colors, going a pale white. Her eyes went black and her body grew older and into maturity. Xue's personality was still in tact, but her body was sending her into mental shock. Eddingar walked up to her emaciated body and bit down on her neck. She squirmed, then collapsed against the wall. She was in a trance.
"When you awake, you'll never care for the living again. The Suns will no longer bring you life a meaning. The night, you will rule the night by my side." Eddingar started channeling another spell, there was a corpse laid out on a table. Covered with a delicate cloth, he directed an outgoing spirit into Xue's body, it filled, her skinny frame filled out. The sunken cheeks puffed back out and her eyes turned a blood red, the pupils burned like primal fire.
"Fantastic. Tell me, beloved. Do you like your new body?" Eddingar smiled, his grin exposed his fangs that still dripped with the child's blood.
{"Don't you know the difference between talking and thinking, you're so easy to read its pathetic. But be glad you are my concubine. Eddingar, you have done well with this one. I am pleased. Such power, my fingers feel like they've never seen hard work. Its boundless, I feel the blood of the Creator! You realize that the Guardians will not rest if they learn of this."} Xue looked over at the shackles that held her, they unlocked with her gaze.
Stepping forward, Eddingar held out her robes. "Our legion will follow the Queen anywhere."