Gusts of wind pushed sand further away from the desert, turning the surrounding flatlands into a struggle for biome advantage.
Hitirus gripped his stomach, feeling the severed tissues bleed. It was warm and drained of all hydration. His clothes were now stained, body mangled.
"You would've died less if you used me instead of that wretched Thawed!" one of Hitirus' Feral forms whispered into his brain. "I am of the wild, not the religious."
"What you call 'wretched' is the same thing that hunted you for pride and sport back before Legions took shape!" one of his Thawed forms replied.
They went back and forth, arguing about who was better. Leaving no space for Hitirus to think as he dragged his feet through the sandy grass.
Energy was a precious fuel he didn't have access to, leaving him to his demons trapped inside his head. Hitirus collapsed onto his knees, glaring at the orange horizon.
Strength quickly faded from his weary bones, finally giving him permission to die again. And so he did. The first to fall was his face, nose nearly broke upon impact.
Like always, he rested for a while. Letting his tissues realize what happened before they got back to work on repairing him.
When the sky turned dark and insects took flight for the night, Hitirus rose from his death. He examined his battered body, leaving not a single scar unchecked.
Once that was looked over, he studied his surroundings. The frigid temperatures of the desert matched the influx of wind from the flatlands.
Giving him a cold shiver as his body transformed, realizing he wasn't supposed to be a male Fawed. Instead, he was now a female Zesher.
Hitirus scrambled up to her feet, keeping her eyes on the distant shadow of a town. The slight grin told the story of utter domination, one he would perform as usual.
She marched towards the town, keeping her eyes fixed on the small details she could make out in the night.
-Now early morning-
Zegi emerged from their homes, ready to rally up the Ferals for another supply run in the sandy desert. Overseers prepared their troopers for the day's lessons.
While life went on as usual, nobody noticed the odd feeling of a stalking predator looming just overhead. Hitirus eyed down a group of commanders, their exposed torsos displayed their prideful muscles.
"Disgraceful creatures... let me hunt them, instead! That Yomie doesn't deserve MY right to hunt as I please," a Feral's voice whispered into Hitirus' mind.
"Yet you fall when one of us shows up and your little posse runs with their heads real nice and low," a Yomie snapped back.
Hitirus gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the voices. She jumped from the rooftop, positioning herself for a perfect pounce.
She collapsed right onto an unexpecting Zegus, dust kicked up from underneath them as they wrestled for control. Other commanders jumped in to stop the fight.
Adrenaline settled into Hitirus' bloodstream, pumping him full of Variant exclusive chemicals like nyaxophir (a Feral's slowed time perception) and carastrocel (a Zegus' disciplined rage).
In a heartbeat, Hitirus rolled off her prey. She landed on her knees, suddenly feeling her body change. Instead of waiting for it to, she stood up to fight.
The first commander came in with a straight aimed at her forehead, only for her to duck and reach an arm out. She spun around, causing the Zegus to run and lose is balance.
Another charged right at her, hoping to stick Hitirus in a strangle. Only for her to grapple onto his arm and push him aside.
Her grip was unrelenting, allowing her to deliver several jabs right at the commander's jaws. She resisted his attempts at throwing her off until another commander joined in.
This one grabbed onto her neck, and slammed her on the ground. A heavy thud knocked all air out of her lungs and strength from her muscles.
Before the attacker could follow with another attack, Hitirus fully transformed into a Crystalized Feral. Shards emerged out of her back, ready to go barreling into prey.
A sturdy neon yellow tail sprouted from Hitirus' rear, covered in the same crystal as before. She quickly shot up to her feet, then spun around to unleash a barrage of crystal fire.
Commanders backed up, hands raised to shield their faces. While those behind Hitirus knew better than to challenge something they didn't fully understand.
"Enough!" a commander thundered. "Strange creature, are you a Servant disguised as a Variant?"
Hitirus didn't respond, her eyes panned between the highly alarmed Zegi all around. She was fearless and energetic, ready to strike back at a moment's notice.
"Not much of a talker? What are you here for? Is it because your clothes are tattered and blood soaked? Tell us, creature," the commander continued.
"You talk too much," Hitirus snapped back. "I'm here to spoil myself in your resources. Stuff myself with food and water, while listening to YOUR voice feeding me information on the region."
The commander glanced at his fellow fathers, seeing if anybody disagreed. Nobody did, they realized the foreign face wouldn't stay for long.
So the commander turned to Hitirus, eyes relaxed to show no aggression. "Then you will come with me to fill yourself with my goods."
Hitirus growled as she advanced towards the commander, only for him to stop here with an open palm. She eyed him down, ready to resist an attack if needed.
"But before you learn about Coshire, just remember a crucial factor: no matter how hard you try, if the crown is what you want, you'll not stand a chance. Unless you become paranormal."
"Of course, who doesn't know that?" Hitirus thought to himself. "I'll have to first tame myself before I can secure the Heir title and eventually, King."
She glanced over her shoulder, glaring at a Zegus who smiled at her with a sinister grin. Befehlnadir. It caught up to her, but chooses not to attack.