Joroboros

Chapter 127: Letty

“Should we have left like that?” I ask, laying my head into the sharp feathers of his neck.

“Probably not.” His chest rumbles beneath me as he speaks.

Even if we should have stayed, I’m glad Grímr listened to me. I’m glad I don’t have to be near that mage again. If I had to be around him any more, I would have burnt him to a crisp, even if the insane bastard enjoyed it.

Sharing our flame, or Kindling, is a private thing. Intimate even. It is done between famil...

Chapter 126: Fire Mage

It felt good to use my spear. It might have been possible to wipe the Forvaal if I’d let loose a firestorm, but with so many allies nearby, it would have been too dangerous.

I’m really glad the mermineae are so easy for me to deal with. Some mercenaries are strong, almost to my team’s level, but still struggle when fighting too many of the standard mermineae. I’m fortunate in the sense that no matter how many come at me, as long as they burn, they cannot touch me.

Grímr i...

Chapter 125: War

Grímr and I fly north, descending the Alps as we go. Well, we intend to. That is, after we backtrack south to cross the crevasse over the bridge left in the Titan’s wake. Grímr adamantly refuses to flying over the chasm.

I know the wind is strong, but he’s a big bird; more relevantly, he’s a heavy bird. He should plummet as long as he closes his wings; it’s not the Euroclydon’s gust, after all. But he is determined to take the safe path.

I wonder if the mermineae attem...

Chapter 124: Return

There was no way for us to remain hidden during our journey, both because of the pace we kept and Spenne’s complete disregard for subtlety. While running past thousands of mermineae we pretended not to notice, I’d once asked him why he didn’t control his electricity. He’d looked at me like I’d grown a second head. Apparently, áinfean are much like the Agni tribes in that they don’t bother controlling their bodies.

Luckily for the mermineae, they freeze whenever they notice ...

Chapter 123: PoV - Doe

Doe opened the set of double doors with a calm poise which poorly reflected her inner turmoil. The commandeered town hall was an old, rickety wooden building that was closer to a cabin than the command post it had become.

She wasn’t happy to be this close to the war-zone, but she’d been given orders — with no uncertain terms — that she was required to be here. Why? She did not know.

Ever since the team under her management went missing, she’d been stuck in a limbo of pap...

Chapter 122: Fortified

The breeze through my feathers is amazing. I’ve been too hesitant to just spread my wings and fly lately. It’s mainly because of the threat of those giant birds that could be anywhere, but I really should have tried flying in proximity to Grímr’s huge form earlier.

My friend is keeping his word about finding me a magnesium deposit. I’m not sure exactly how he can tell where to look, but he says it’s like having a third eye; there are some colours he can see that his past bodi...

Chapter 121: An Easy Fight II

Despite their losses, the mermineae continue to throw themselves against the centzon’s defensive wall. Their efforts often in vain as either the wall itself tears apart them apart or the slingshot ram ploughs through them.

I’m not sure how that massive piston works, as the wall still appears fully intact whenever it rolls away. Then again, I don’t really understand how any of their machinery works.

Several mermineae jump over the wall, bypassing the defence entirely, but are...

Chapter 120: An Easy Fight I

A few weeks have passed since I’d regained full autonomy. I don’t feel much different. Even as I think about travelling through the Alps again, I can’t stop the shudder that runs down my back. The idea of being stuck beneath a mountain of stone I cannot melt through fills me with dread.

If I was given another chance to join my team, would I? Do I have the nerve to put myself through that again?

I can’t say for sure. Without the enforced fear and manipulations of the knots,...

Chapter 119: Boxed-In

The rapid expansion of distorted air quickly obscures the Euroclydon before the ground lurches out beneath me and I lose my footing. I slam on my back and twist to regain my feet, but find the surface continuing to slide away from me. The tower is tilting. We’re falling, but the blast hasn’t even hit yet. How?

“Hold on!” Atl shouts as several handholds jut out of the stone floor.

I clutch at the closest to me as the grinding and creaking of the tower mixes with the blaring...

Chapter 118: PoV - Caavaa

Despondence was the usual state for mermineae.

It was the frustrating, terrible, hopeless state of the world they were forced to live that birthed nothing but cynicism. Mermineae feared each day would be their last. Death was so common amongst the race that by the time one was an adult, they would be numb to the pain of loss.

Caavaa had lost so many close to him, and yet he still felt dismay in his chest at the demise of his two most recent partners. He’d known they would die. H...

Chapter 117: Recognition

The revontulet is, without a doubt, the same fox I saw back in the Void Fog.

I don’t know if this is the exact same one I saw back then. If each revontulet look similar enough, then it probably isn’t. Still, it’s an incredible surprise to see a creature I’d glimpsed back across the Alps.

If there was any doubt the Fog ignored the logic of distance, it has now departed. There is the possibility one found their way to our side, but I find it unlikely. Somehow, the idea that ...

Chapter 116: Regna

I follow Eztli into another elevator as I poke at the new patch of my outfit.

The first place they took me was their textile workshop. In return for letting the centzon gush over the alien cloth, they fixed up the holes their traps had torn in my outfit. The quality of their work was far lower than Jav’s. I doubt their work would do anything to block the flow of water.

It’s not all bad though. They took it upon themselves to sew a layer of mermineae fur over the top. I was res...

Chapter 115: Curiosity

I’ve found that keeping finger like claws on the end of my wings to be incredibly helpful. Particularly in moments like this. While one of my talons is busy holding my bag and spear, I have both wing-tip digits dug into Grímr’s feathers. I might be a bit hot for him too; the metal warps beneath my claws.

I should have killed them all when I had the chance. Why did I have to crumble at the thought of making Grímr disappointed?

We wade through the last of the water before the ...

Chapter 114: Centzon

The centzon scramble to escape the flames, but there’s no avoiding it this time. The blaze spreads astonishingly quickly. What distance they had is swallowed in seconds, leaving them with nowhere to escape. 

Their camouflage coats burn off their backs as the centzon attempt to flee. I now realise it is a cloth made from mermineae fur rather than their own hide.

I relish in the feeling of jest letting go for once. Fire is meant to spread and burn. Holding back for the sake o...

Chapter 113: Minefield

It took a while of flying, but finally we’re getting close. I’m sure of it. 

Once we reached the Dead Forest again, Grímr and I head to the north. We had no idea exactly where they might be other than the general direction, but neither of us could think of a better idea. 

We definitely had plenty of thoughts on what might go wrong, though. They might attack without so much as a greeting; maybe they’ll listen to us but do nothing other than waste our time; or even ...

Chapter 112: Pivot

It’s troubling, but there was never any lie about the threat of mass migration. The first mermineae are far closer to reaching the tunnel than we were told; only a day’s travel at most. The only respite was how split they travel. 

Grímr flies low, keeping the ground just within the range of my thermal sense. The mermineae hold an almost constant fifty metre separation from one another as they travel. At first, I thought this was a good thing; if they aren’t densely packed, t...

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Chapter 111: Viisin

The headless merminea walks out from the remains of the wall. A gash through the land shows exactly where Spenne sent him flying. As I watch, the dusty silhouette of its head regrows. It starts as a nub and slowly regenerates into the pointed snout shape unique to the merminea.

I thought flesh creatures had brains in their head which they couldn’t live without. Or was that just a few races? Each of Grímr’s possessed bodies has been like that, but maybe the mermineae are ...

Chapter 110: Thunderstorm

The clergy have something terrifyingly strong rushing around outside our walled area. Every few seconds, a plume of dust rises through the air. Whatever is causing all that damage, they are quick. One moment, a cloud of dust forms in front of us, the next, behind us.

The majority of mermineae seem completely unfazed by our presence. They either rush toward whatever it is they are fighting, or flee. Most flee.

I’m surprised the clergy is even holding up their end of the deal. It�...

Chapter 109: PoV - Tetsu

Tetsu lunged forward, her falchion piercing the neck of her opponent. She twisted and jerked the blade out as her body flowed forward. In her other hand, a second blade swung through the chest of a merminea scrambling at the flames scorching its fur. 

She didn’t like to admit it, but the dual short-swords have always been her best weapons. It just allowed for so much freedom in a fight. Of course, the downsides often made them unusable, especially in contests of strength, but whe...

Chapter 108: Siege

The third Beith location was a bust. They were long gone by the time we arrived and so were any of the tails meant to be following them. We spent a week to search, but by then it was already falling far too close to our deadline.

It would have been great if we’d found a few more, but it can’t be helped. Spenne is strong enough that we probably won’t need to worry about any of the mermineae getting in our way. Preferably, we would have had more strength backing us in case Spenne pr...

Chapter 107: Áinfean

“Hey, can we skip this one?” I ask. “I’m sure we’ll be fine with whatever Beith we find at the next search point.”

As we approach the expanse of water, I lose my nerve. Just the sight of it is enough to make me want to run. The water sways back and forth. Waves crash against the shore, climbing a dozen metres across the earth before receding.

“Come now, there’s hardly anything to fea—” Remus cuts himself off before reconsidering. “Alright, you, Grímr and Jav...

Chapter 106: Euroclydon

Okay, so Imiha is the child of the previous leader of the Meja Matriarchy. Turns out, in Meja, being the daughter of the previous ruler meant you would be the one to lead. Or, at least, that’s how it used to be.

The leader of áed tribes were usually the oldest or strongest, but not always. Elder Cyrus was both, and everyone trusted his judgement. There were other tribes that the leader was neither, but the tribe trusted them enough to make decisions. 

Though, comparing the...

Chapter 105: New Weapons

Our first target was last seen to the west, near what was described as a dead forest. The information given by the Forvaal clergy is dated. We’d be lucky if it’s within two months old. The mermineae who’d followed the Beith mercs would have had to run near a month to reach the Forvaal we’ve associated. That’s assuming the ones who collected the information didn’t go somewhere else to share, as is more likely.

It has taken us two weeks of flight to make the distance, so it’...

Chapter 104: Heavy-Handed Diplomacy

“Come on, please? It’s not like it hurts you.” Imiha follows me as I run off.

“No!” why doesn’t she just leave me alone?

She’s only been with us for half an hour, but I’m already sick of her attention. It was fine to start off with, being nothing more than the curiosity Leal had with what I could do. Very quickly, that harmless curiosity has grown to a dangerous fascination. 

She chases me now with a knife she grew from the ground, intent to cut me open ...

Chapter 103: Imiha

“You’re going to leave us after all we’ve done for you?” Hëki sneers. “We’ve given you priority on all hunts for years and now you’re just going to leave? We had a deal.”

“Our deal never incorporated leaving my people defenceless. I’m not about to abandon them.”

Hëki lets out a short sharp laugh. “Your people already abandoned you. They didn’t care when they cast you out, so why do you?”

A rush of amber light spreads through Imiha’s markings a...

Chapter 102: Beith

When the four mermineae finally arrive, they run in from the west. I guess they aren’t even trying to hide that they went somewhere. 

“Come.” Taanoraa announces their presence without visibly showing himself. “We have no time to delay.”

And just like that, the four of them run off again, this time heading south. Would saying ‘hi’ hurt?

We all mount Grímr once more and head after the hurrying Forvaal. They are quick enough to escape the range of my sense b...

Chapter 101: Pointless Games

Remus and Taanoraa, the scarred mermineae, keep most of the discussion between themselves. Once a common ground had been determined, they moved onto confirming the lesser important terms of our cooperation and information trade. 

I don’t believe for a second they are being entirely open with us, but it isn’t something I can do anything about.

The other elder, Saad, has backed off from the talks, grunting only a few times at comments of his fellow. The mermineae is even le...

Chapter 100: Tense Alliance

Woo chap 100. perfect number to start Book 3. Also reach 250k words with this chap. 

Anyway, please enjoy. If book 2 was the buildup, this will be the payoff. :)

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I hate rain. It’s impossible to avoid, makes the air hard to breathe and worst of all, it hurts no matter the energy I have. 

Regardless of the strength I’ve gained, water is still as terrifying as it was when I was a child, fr...

Chapter 99: Reunion

“Ah, so it wasn’t you we were supposed to wait for?”

“No,” I say. “The plan was for you three to not attract any attention until Grímr could swoop in and pull you out.” Now that I think about it, we’re lucky he was quick to realise what was happening when he came crashing down. “Good job Grímr. How’d you time your attack so perfectly? I didn’t think you could see through my flames.”

“Attack?” Grímr tilts his still deformed head back. “Oh right, yea...