The first thing he did was see if the beast was edible. It wasn't because the blood burned his tongue which made Kyrexiel curse as he picked a direction and started walking.
The surroundings were a rolling mass of sand and trees. With nothing else to show for it. So he began walking in the hopes of seeing something after climbing the first big dome in the distance.
The dogstone– that was the name he gave them– stalked him, they followed him by burrowing into the sand. He knew because he could smell them and hear the sound as they gently moved the sand around.
Kyrexiel decided not to fight them because he was trying to save his energy. They also kept their distance from him. Maybe they had some intelligence in them and saw what he did to the first one that attacked him.
It might not be edible but Kyrexiel used it for something else. He cut away the fleshy part and now he was holding a part of the dogstone in his hand. The stone part. As weapon.
The small dagger was tucked away in his side but he held the dogstone part in his right hand with ease. Rashakas are strong like that.
He neared the dome and the dogstones stopped following him. Kyrexiel knew immediately because he was keeping his nose and ears out for them. He looked back and saw them swimming away in the sand.
He shrugged, thinking they got tired but he should have known that they wouldn't just given up on hunting like the. And he was right. The dogstones ran because they were in another's territory. Something stronger than them.
The creature exploded out of the sand dome, and a hand double the size of Kyrexiel slapped him away before he knew what was happening.
Pain flared as was jetted away, he slammed into the sand with a painful grunt. He dragged himself up quickly but what slapped him like a fly wasn't followed up.
Then he saw the creature and his blood ran cold. It was a mixture of three things. Flesh, sand, and stone. It was five times the size of Kyrexiel, it was almost like an ape. Power flared around it, making the air around it bend as it looked down at him as if Kyrexiel was a fly come to disturb his food.
Kyrexiel tried to measure the tier but his head swam. The air was wavering around it. No, not the air! Mana was wavering around it! 'What is happening? Why am I here? Everything about this place is wrong! Raise them by pumping Mama into the core? The thing standing before him was wearing so much power like a casual cloak!'
His thought was a mixture of excitement and fear. They rolled together as he looked up at the thing looming before him. It must be at least tier five and above.
It had been a while since Kyrexiel had seen this much power coming from one person before. He last saw it on the day his father died.
He saw it in the God's Emperor's palace and then he saw it from his mother when his body was dropped in front of her. The palace was shaken by her power as her aura crashed down like a hammer on ants' house.
It has the same oppressive feeling that stole the air from the air. Kyrexiel didn't know if it was deliberate but the thing before him had slapped him lightly. He had no broken bones and his flesh didn't break.
"What is happening...." he mumbled again.
The thing looked down, eyes like a spotlight looking at him. "Another one?" It boomed.
Kyrexiel squeaked. Shock running through him. 'It can talk!" Out loud. "You can talk!" It came out as half accusation because everything that was said about this place was slowly turning out to be wrong.
Then again. The only person who has ever truly seen it and survived that Kyrexiel knew was Malak and he told him nothing.
The creature looked offended. "Of course, I can talk. Why do they always look so surprised at that?" He–because the voice was male – brought his face closer.
Kyrexiel stumbled back from the face that now suddenly filled his vision. He wished he had not lost his stone in the commotion, he wanted something in his hand so he drew the dagger. "S..stay back!"
The creature smirked, his fangs showing, each the size of Kyrexiel's half-body. They were made of black stones. "At least you reached this place. A lot of you can't even reach me! My children will have to tear them apart!"
"Your...children?" Kyrexiel understood then. He must mean the dogstones. So they were this thing's children? He was getting more confused. "Who...what are you?"
The creature was surprised and he leaned back. "They don't tell you? It's that one that Yama snatched up the last time. He was real sneaky about it. Anyway! I'll tell you tiny Rashaka!"
"You stand before the world of the Ancients! Rejoice punny Rashaka. Here, if you are worthy then you can form a contract with one of us and have access to power you never imagined!"
Kyrexiel was shocked into silence. Ancients? Contract? What the hell is going on? It was almost as if he was transmigrated again but without any memories. But he knew he was just in the dark room only, the dark room wasn't really as it should be.
"Contract? To...you?" He asked.
The Ancient before him straightened. "Yes. Of course," dark eyes gleamed down. "Make the contract and you have access to my type of power! Isn't that marvelous!"
'No!' Kyrexiel thought. He began moving backward. One thing he has learned throughout his life is that nothing is truly free. Offering him a contract with power? That's the biggest bait he has ever seen. He wanted no part until he knew what it was about.
Then sands rose around him, far taller than him, and formed a type of barrier around him. "And it's the only way you can return to your world."