Chrysalis Read online

  I'm not sure how many hours I have been sitting here, but I can no longer feel my body. My shirt is stuck to me with blood from my burning neck, the dome occasionally heals me when my health gets low. There. I have done it, the color inside of the globe has reach a deeper bluish-purple color of plasma. Next, I form the globe into a shard.

  Ding!

  Step Two: You have conjured two Shards of the four Prime Elements.

  Water: 1/1

  Fire: 1/1

  Earth: 0/1

  Air: 0/1

  Instead of just releasing my hold on the fire shard, I exert my will on it and hurl it against the dome. The surface of the dome crackles and flashes, absorbing the power of the plasma shard. Intense heat hits me, and I feel all of the air inside of the dome burn off instantly, then the space flashes with light. The heat is gone and the air returned.

  Grinning I look down at my charred and bloody clothes. This is power. Getting trapped here is the best thing to happen to me. Before I was a bumbling child trying to use power I didn't understand. No wonder I have died so many times on this planet. I take a deep breath in, not because I need to breath, but because I can, because I am in control. Closing my eyes, I expel my breath and Meditate, until I reach Nothingness again. Air. This should be easy.

  This time I form two tiny globes of trapped air, in one I slowly fill halfway with small droplets of water and ice. Then I do the same thing in the other globe. I start the tediously slow process of applying a negative charge to one globe, and a positive charge to the other. My eyes are killing me, my neck burned again, but I continue. I will the ice and water in each globe to bump into reach other, faster and faster, until lightning forms between the two globes. Next, I form a shard of air around both globes.

  Ding!

  Step Two: You have conjured three Shards of the four Prime Elements.

  Water: 1/1

  Fire: 1/1

  Earth: 0/1

  Air: 1/1

  I hurl the lightning shard against the dome, the shard bursts, electrical energy buzzes and crackles, like fireworks. Good. I was unsure if lightning would count as an air shard. The dome flashes again and heals me, just enough to keep me conscious. I'm so close now, one more elemental shard left. Earth. There is metal all around me, but it is a strange alloy that I'm unable to affect. I could pull iron from my body, but the human body only has around four grams, and I would most likely die. Dammit. What am I supposed to use? Looking down at my charred clothes an idea pops into my head. Jumping up, I strip out of my clothes. Then I sit down nude, my bloody clothes in front of me. I begin drawing upon the small amount of power afforded to me. It takes me a few hours, or days, I'm not sure, but I encapsulate my clothes into a globe of air, floating in front of me. Next, I raise the temperature until the clothes catch fire; the ashes, soot, and smoke remain inside of the globe. Now comes the long and tedious part. I condense the air globe, smashing everything inside together.

  The next few days are a haze. I know the dome healed me a few times. As the pressure and heat rise the carbon is formed into diamond, which I move to form a paper thin hollow shard of pure diamond.

  Ding!

  Step Two: You have conjured four Shards of the four Prime Elements.

  Water: 1/1

  Fire: 1/1

  Earth: 1/1

  Air: 1/1

  Rewards: Intelligence increased by 10

  White swallows me, I float in the air and the dome cleans, and heals me. When I float down there is a steaming bath, with a side table. On the table is a pile of new clothes and a bottle of expensive pinot noir.

  My hand is a few inches away from the wine, and then I stop. "No. Take it away. I don't need it. This will only make me soft. Weak." My hand shaking. This may be the only wine on the planet.

  "Good. You are learning. It only took you two months. There may be..." The voice stops mid-sentence.

  I turn around to see Master Jiao. He is looking at me with a look of horror.

  "What have you done?" He asks me, with what sounds like fear in his voice.

  "What do you mean?" I take a step forward, plucking the Diamond Shard out of the air, where I had left it. The bath and wine disappear in a flash.

  "You cannot be permitted to leave." Jiao says with a snarl.

  "I have played your cruel games. I am done." I say as I draw power, pain blooms behind my eyes and around my neck. The Diamond Shard floats before me.

  Master Jiao makes a movement with his hand and his body is shrouded in flames. "I'm sorry." He says with genuine sorrow.

  I shatter the Diamond Shard into a hundred tiny smaller shards and hurl them at Jiao. The fire shroud surrounding him winks out. He stares at me with astonishment. "No. I'm sorry, you must have not heard me when I said I was done." I inform him of his error.

  "How...?" He asks with a whisper, blood seeps out between his lips. Then his whole body blooms red. He falls to the floor.

  The dome flashes and disappears, the collar around my neck is gone. Notifications assault me with a barrage of information. An immense amount of power, energy, and life flood me, I stagger backwards like a donkey kicked me. A thought flickers into my mind, that this the same power I had before I entered the training dome, I just grew accustomed to pulling the tiny amount of power through the collar. It is too much, overwhelming. My back arches, my neck twists back and I scream.

  Chapter Eleven: Beast Princess

  ~

  There are two Mute and one Caste, moving through the woods. Jill shivers at the sight of the Mute, their emaciated bodies and mouth-less faces are frightening. The Caste leading them has half of its face replaced with metal and one of its arms is grotesquely large and moves oddly. They stop every once in awhile and look at the ground. They are tracking. Tracking Jill's newest family members. Rage boils up into her heart.

  "Dammit. I was a lot higher level last time I met these guys and they still kicked my ass. How are we supposed to win this?" Jill asks quietly. She is crouching in a tree branch, 20 feet up, watching.

  "I do not have sufficient data to..." Alfred begins to say, a little too loudly.

  "Shh!" Jill quiets her talking gauntlet. "Where is Aurelia?" She asks herself, then out of the corner of her eye Jill catches movement. It is Thunder, the Dire Wiger that she had found in the wild and adopted. The beast looks like a tiger and a wolf had a love child. Thunder has grown quite a bit. Analyzing him she sees the Wiger is level 11. Jill grins, her little cute Dire Wiger has been busy. It looks like the beast is stalking The Caste and Mute. Then she notices something on Thunder's back. "What the hell is that?" A small hand moves and grips the fur on the neck of the beast. It's Aurelia! She has mud caked into her long brunette hair and face and she is riding on Thunder's back. Aurelia looks like 'Princess Mononoke' riding on the Wiger's back. Jill Analyzes the child.

  Name: Aurelia Tola

  Title: Beast Princess

  Level: 11

  Synthesis: 100%

  Health: 190

  Mental: 225

  Stamina: 150

  Focus: Beast Champion

  Race: Progenitor

  Skills: ????

  Loot: ????

  My god, the child is six levels higher than Jill, and she has a Focus of Beast Champion. Jill is blown away. Both the beast and Aurelia stop and become rigid. The small girl’s eyes dart around and then meet Jill. Aurelia's eyes look like saucer plates they are so wide. Jill feels her heart break into a million pieces. All the hate and anger she had been carrying since The Caste attacked, disappears. She only has love. Jill's face is wet from tears and she covers her mouth to stop any noise from the sob that rocks her body. She didn't realize how much she had grown to love and care for the small, wild child.

  Activating her Silent Step skill, Jill jumps out of the tree and quietly places each foot with deliberate care so that she doesn't make a sound. She has leveled Silent Step up to three, and is able to move faster while using the skill. Aurelia adjusts her feet onto Thunder's back and va
ults herself into the air and right into Jill's open arms. They are now both sobbing silently as the they tightly embrace each other. Wet kisses bombard Jill's face as Thunder stands on his hind legs, his front paws on Jill's side, giving her slobbery, wonderful lick-kisses. Using one of her arms she pulls the large beast into the communal embrace as Jill falls to her knees.

  "Let’s get out of here." Jill whispers.

  Aurelia pulls back and looks Jill in the eyes, her little face angry. The small girl shakes her head in disagreement, and then points in the direction of The Caste. She still has not spoken since Jill found her, hiding in some ruins, her parents murdered by The Caste. Jill stands up, takes the girl’s hand and tries to lead her away. Aurelia winces her hand away.

  "No." The fierce, mud covered child declares.

  It is the first time Jill has ever heard her voice before. She didn't think her heart could break anymore, but it does, new tears stream down Jill's face.

  Jill reaches out and places her hand on Aurelia's face, there are little ravines in the mud on the girl’s face from crying. "Sweetie, you saw what happened at the village. And...I saw what you did. I don't want you to become that." Again, Jill takes the girls hand and pulls her in the opposite direction of The Caste.

  Aurelia stomps her foot, and the ground rumbles, birds in the trees squawk loudly and take to the sky. Then one of the birds flies down and lands on Aurelia's shoulder. The small girl looks at the bird, then leans in and whispers to the strange creature. It looks like a reptilian version of a bat, with black feathers. The bird takes to the sky and all of the birds start circling.

  "She is very stubborn." Jill hears a woman’s soft voice say from behind her.

  "Nessa." Jill says, turning to look at the ethereal small fairy. "I'm glad you are safe. Can you please help me convince Aurelia to leave with us?"

  "I believe it is too late for that." The silver haired fairy says.

  Thunder growls. Aurelia mounts the Dire Wiger and then takes off.

  "No!" Jill exclaims. Then takes off after the child. There is a symphony of birds diving off in the distance, the direction Jill is chasing the reckless girl. Then there is a glint of one of the massive white swords that the Mute carry. As Jill runs she takes out a Radiant Core and draws in its power, infusing her body.

  Jill skids to a halt in front of a small clearing in the dense woods. Hundreds of the reptile bat creatures are dive booming the two Mute. Thunder is crouched low, readying to pounce, with Aurelia on his back. The small girl raises her hand and looks like she snaps her fingers, Thunder and her shimmer and the disappear. Jill scans her surroundings, looking for The Caste. "Dammit." She curses, not liking the situation. Using her infused body Jill rushes forward, gathering power into her legs and right foot, she leaps and delivers a devastating Flying Kick to one of the Mute's face. Her foot glowing with the directed power. The Mute's head snaps and leans at an unnatural angle, but only 12% of its health is gone. Jill dodges a sword swing from the monster. She notices that something presses against the skin covering its mouth, its dead white eyes rolling. The creature lunges forward, swinging vertically with its huge sword. Jill evades the attack by a hairs breath. Then pain screams at her from her back, the other Mute stabbed her from behind, landing a critical, 31% of her heath gone.

  Suddenly the Mute with its head hanging is gushing black thick blood from a missing arm. Thunder is there with the missing arm in his bloody mouth, Aurelia looking on with satisfaction from the beast's back. Jill leaps backwards, avoiding another attack, she screams out in agony. Jumping back caused immense pain from the wound on her back. Jill feels a tingling and sees tiny golden flowers bloom from her skin and then fade away, the pain from her back gone. Nessa waves to her from the tree line. Jill's health is regenerating.

  Thunder yelps out in pain, one of the Mute had sliced his leg. Aurelia's tiny voice bellows out in a battle cry, the birds swarm the Mute who had hurt the Wiger. All the black feathered creatures latch onto the Mute and then explode, causing a shock wave, knocking everything around the epicenter back. When the dust settles there is nothing left of the Mute or the birds but gore.

  "Holy shit." Jill mumbles, that kid has some crazy power.

  "Watch out!" Nessa yells.

  Jill is on the ground, a cloud of green noxious gas surrounding her. Her skin starts to blister, her eyes and lungs feel like they are on fire, Jill's health is falling rapidly. She tries to move, but her body fails her and she falls to the ground. Looking up Jill can see The Caste walking toward her with a grin on his face. He then throws a glowing red vial at her, it breaks open on the ground and the green gas bursts into flames. Jill tries to scream, but her lungs are scorched.

  The Caste moves in closer to finish off Jill but there is suddenly a large animal latched on his head. Tiny hands grip onto Jill and pull her out of the fire. Nessa casts Blooms of Life onto Jill to save her. Thunder cries out in pain as black tendrils hold him in the air and then smash him to the ground.

  "No." Aurelia says, not loud enough for anyone to hear. She places her hands on the ground and winces. Blood begins to drip out of her nose and eyes, but she maintains both hands on the soil as she casts her focus skill Hear My Plea. The ground splits open and a huge armored earthworm creature bursts through the ground to swallow whole the shocked Caste. Aurelia falls to the ground unconscious, her body glows with golden light as she levels up.

  Jill lays there, barely conscious herself, "Aurelia." She croaks.

  Nessa flutters down next to Jill, "Shh, it's okay. She just overextended herself, she will be fine." Nessa looks Jill up and down, "You on the other hand are a mess. Your beautiful hair is almost all burned. I will use Mother's Embrace, it takes me a few minutes to complete. Don't be alarmed..." Nessa's silver eyes glow as she moves her hands in the air in front of her. After a few minutes the grass grows over Jill, covering her completely, only leaving her mouth and eyes exposed.

  Jill feels herself falling asleep, her eyelids heavy and her body exhausted. She had been running nonstop for the last two days. "Wait...why...didn't I complete...the quest?" Jill tries to ask, but her voice cracks and is barely above a whisper. No one hears her, and Jill feels a moment of panic before she passes out.

  Screams. Jill startles awake, her heart racing, the taste of copper in her mouth. She is trapped. Held down. Then she realizes it is just the grass covering her. Breaking free she sits up and gasps. Blood. Everywhere. Jill's breath is caught in her throat. Aurelia, Thunder, and Nessa lay around her in pools of their own blood. Their vacant eyes stare at Jill accusingly.

  "No, no, no..." Jill sobs. "This is not happening." Jill buries her face in her hands.

  A hand grips Jill by her throat and lifts her into the air. It is Adam. He has implants like The Caste, his icy eyes meet hers and he grins. "This time I'm not going to kill you. We are going to spend a very, very long time together."

  Jill opens her eyes. She is drenched in sweat, tears wet her face, and her hands are clawed into the soil. It is dark, millions of stars greet her. Aurelia and Thunder lay on either side of her, sleeping. Nessa is snuggled into a nest of Thunder's fur. Jill remembers the panic she had right before she passed out. Quickly, she pulls up the quest to rescue Aurelia. There is 13 minutes left to finish the quest, why isn't it completed?

  Activating her Silent Step, Jill gets out of the sleeping dog pile situation and makes her way to the tallest tree she can find. Thirty seconds later she is at the top of the tree, overlooking the dense forest. Nothing. Just deep blackness of the wilderness. Crucible has no moons to provide light at night, the rings around the planet twinkle, but do not help her pierce the inky night. Jill turns around and gasps, hundreds of lights are moving in her direction. Then it all clicks. The Caste and Mute they killed were only scouts. Jill’s head rushes with panic, she nearly falls trying to get down.

  Thunder is up, his hackles up and a low growl utters from his throat. Nessa is sitting on his back, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Gently, Jill places h
er hand on Aurelia's mouth and wakes her up. The child is struggles for a moment, and then calms down, her eyes wide with concern.

  "We need to go, now." Jill picks up Aurelia and places her on Thunder's back. "Run. I will follow right behind you." Aurelia looks like she wants to protest, but then grips Thunder's fur and takes off.

  Nessa lands on Jill's shoulder, "Come. We must go, I sense something malevolent approaching." The fairy’s eyes glow silver and then her face winces with pain. "Something knows we are here. We must run."

  Not needing any encouragement, Jill takes off, pulling out her last Core and infusing her body with power. After a few moments she catches up with Thunder and together they weave through the trees. Jill shoulder checks a tree and she almost tumbles to the ground. She really wishes she had some kind of night vision. Jill mentally admonishes herself for not studying science like Jax did. He has all these amazing skills just because he understands how things work, it's not fair. Where the hell is The Watcher? He seemed highly vested in helping her and Jax. Why is he suddenly gone when they need help the most?

  "Ma'am, a creature approaches from above." Alfred says, startling Jill out of her thoughts.

  "Where?" Jill asks and signals for Aurelia to slow down.

  "Do you wish for me to highlight the creature?" Alfred asks in a chipper British accent.

  "Yes." Jill says annoyed with herself for forgetting she had this powerful Progenitor gauntlet on her wrist. Jill's vision changes to infrared and she sees an orange-red shape fly down to the ground in front of them. "Dammit. We don't have time for this." Jill says under her breath, looking at the time remaining until the quest fails, there is only ten minutes left. Rage filling her, Jill leaps and strikes the flying monster. Her fists blur as she draws the power of her infused body into her arms and hands. Strike after strike, expelling all of the Core energy she had infused her body with. The creature lays dead at her feet. "Everyone run." Jill says, ignoring the notifications of a new skill she just learned.