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The Charred Legacy - Chapter 2 - A Child's Cry

The Therian felt their limbs freeze over almost within an instant as the haunting chill of the hollow cry echoed throughout the house piercing the Therians eardrums... Their head cocking from left to right as it tried listening to the whispers that rung through the darkness its low and quiet tone situating from outside the house, however the voice soon broke off as gentle thuds came from outside as the bushes and trees were heard being shifted around in the damaged earth they had been routed to, the dark trunks and towering branches that stretched into the air lay lifeless giving the image of the dying land the Therian had came to wake in, The trees that were once beaming with life stood carelessly as they felt as if like most of this land had lost its soul its beating heart that on lt the Therian could assume it once had...to the silence that always lingered giving the impression whatever still lived in this land was not human... creature... The Strange whispers made the react Therian as anyone would crouching low to prevent suspicion of anything that awaited outside that they were even there... the therian slowly began to head towards the front door, whatever lurked out their it wasn't in any state to tackle... its body still tender and exposed to the elements of the land, small gorges in its still healing flesh showed how vulnerable it was, to its bony like structure down to its frail legs and arms... Sneaking out was the most sensible idea at this moment and leaving this Cursed home to remain undisturbed and rot away in the darkness once again... Slowly its claws began to gently sift through the ash as it felt it build up on its foot one step after another as it lifted out to take another step, feeling its sole be pampered by the quilted soft feel the ash gave to its pads as they sunk back in, the ash had built up in the house for many years, as it piled up in the corners of the once loved family home...The Therian looked back as it walked watching its feet leave small prints imprinted delicately detailed in it similar to snow, a small thought of this being the last time this home would be home to any source of life for a long long time... perhaps forever as the hope for this place died for the Therian the moment they had awakened...soon their eyes locked back onto the door as they walked onwards... So close yet the strange noises were no longer heard as it etched ever more close to the front door before resting their claw on it and just as it used a small bit of friction to open the door a large gust of air flew overhead, almost like a hurricane had just struck from nowhere, The sound alone was terrifying as the beams and windows were pushed to their limit as the force of the wind pushed the frail family home to its limits shaking the foundations... The Beams ached and cried as they were about to give way, The fireplace crumbled over to the side as it took a small chunk of the wall with it, the chairs... table everything to the pictures shook and fell, struggling for balance the Therian fell back against the door a little as a large snapping sound was heard overhead... The Therian panicked as the red hue of the sky that shone through the windows vanished as the house interior was cast into a brief coat of darkness for a moment as something soared overhead as a large mass flew overhead... something large... something big... The Therian darted their eyes out the window to get a glimpse of a dark silhouette vanish within a flash as it made way towards the far north some beast, winged... its size was quite alarming and terrifying at first sight... something that wasn't to be trifled with.. Not now not ever... but It was gone as quickly as it appeared... and thankfully, The Therian felt it was safe again... but was it? As long as it remained on this isle would it ever be safe...No... The boat was its main priority and the hell with the spirits plan... The Therian let their guard down and stood up opening the front door to leave... the door opened making a nasty sound as it creaked as the buckled door frame proved to put up more resistance than its prior use... as the Therian looked the doorframe had snapped and collapsed on the door from the top... It gripped the handle getting ready to force it off its hinges... One? Maybe two tugs would surely be enough for the door the Therian thought before its head perked up... moving its head before picking up the sound of sadness as its ears quickly adjusted...

What was it hearing?... C... Crying? Someone alive? upset?... Their head moved to look over their shoulder scanning the house for the source only to be reminded of the dark hovel of a home left completely abandoned... and there it was again?... it turned away from the door following the sound, only to be lead closer and closer to the back door turning its gaze out towards the engulfed back garden of the home... A small form? Or silhouette could be seen kneeled down in the Ash, was it crying?... Its claw rested against the backdoor trying to listen to the being... And there... Just like the Therian had seen a haunting image from his vision, there was the source... they stood back for a moment a little shocked and refusing to believe what their eyes saw, as if seeing a ghost... There she was... The girl... kneeled down in the ash as she held her hands up to her face as ash began to fall from the air almost like snow as it slowly began to mount up on top of her dark hair... she faced away from the Therian avoiding eye contact as she faced towards the back of the garden exposing nothing more than her pale white back to the Therian her skin rather pale and sickly looking her thick dark hair hung halfway down her back as she remained still... The Therian couldn't shake the thought of how she got there... but she could be in danger... What if that thing appeared again... it would surely draw its attention if she sat there vulnerable. The Therian tried hard to open its maw and grasp any signs of audible noise but failed as its throat croaked and let out a raspy breath and quickly throbbed in pain all over again... Useless...

The Therians legs had managed to heal to an extent as their scars had been covered... soft muscle like tissue began to mend over the wounds... it had a more healthier appearance... as a soft moist pinkish red began to flourish under their scale.. A sign they were indeed coming back to life slowly... They took a deep breath as they couldn't leave her she wasn't safe out there... and neither by courage or bravery or even as far as stupidity possibly could be felt as they found themselves walking out into the thick mounds of ash, the breeze could be heard gently blowing through the trees as they towered into the air... truly a spectacle to be seen as dead and decayed this land seemed to be there was this dark beauty about it the Therian couldn't help but admire as this land even if it had been overridden by this... Sickness?... Plague?... The Therian felt the soft droplets of Ash land on their body as it fell slowly from the air, they truly felt the thickness and denseness of the ash on the ground now when their tail began to pull through the ash as their legs kicked out and struggled through the deep mounds of ash that felt it had lay here for years. The Therians Eyes watched as they slowly worked up further and further up the garden, its eyes scanning occasionally into the darkness of the deep dark forest... It was eerily dark once you entered into the treeline, That, it became apparent the Therian took a small glimpse upwards as the Trees towered high into the air... They would be able to see a boat from up there if they weren't so brittle looking as their thin branches stuck out piercing the air like dead dried lifeless fingers trying to reach to the once Blue sky... After a moment the Therian soon returned its attention to the Girl who weeped once more, her cries echoing into the trees as it seemed she was only going to get louder and louder the closer the Therian got. It seemed safe however... how could the Therian be sure?, but they couldn't leave her here... Alone.. Cold... and in the vicinity of Danger...

Soon the familiar presence was felt as a gentle voice whisper into the Therians ear drum, this time only the Therian couldn't see this Spirit that had seemed to latch close to them.

"Therian... You must turn back..."

The Therian rather insulted at the Spirits cold words whilst a child sat before them alone, They merely growled as they continued towards her.

"Therian... This Land has claimed many... Through harmful means and if not... through false Illusions... I insist you turn around your form isn't ready for combat... I sense a dark presence... something evil... I don't understand much but I beg you turn back..."

The Therian in arrogance rolled their dull coloured eyes as they looked at their body it felt it had flourished rather well and soon it would be able to see itself clearly... maybe learn who it was or what it was.. Maybe find out what happened to it.

"Fine... Don't say I didn't warn you... best you learn the hard way..."

And like that the spirits voice faded until all the therian could hear was the breeze as ash flew around them. The spirit felt a little irritating and yet annoying... yet... Why was this spirit attached to the Therian... that it couldn't fathom, but first... help the little girl... that was what the objective at hand was... the poor soul hadn't moved...She had just remained there still... not even looking over her shoulder at them... her lower torso sunk into the ash and out of view, had? She been here that long?... No marks in the ash had revealed she had simply walked there... Only disturbances in it where the tracks the Therian made to get to her... With their throat tight and still delicate communicating with her was going to be difficult...if only the Therian could've at least spoke to the girl... after a few moments they stood merely a few feet away from the girl... her cries slowly calmed down and her shoulders no longer shook and moved as the Therians shadow cast over her.

For a moment they felt relieved... the first being they could hopefully communicate in some way with... someone to possibly help the Therian guide itself to a dock or harbour... Just one ship... Just one glimpse of something beyond this damned isle... It would have to start a new... Its life before was long gone... and with No memory and no idea what it was and what it had done, made the Therian feel like a new life would be impossible... but it had to try... It had felt good to have some sort of drive for a goal since waking up in this haunting place, Whatever had occured here, whatever evil force had been at work here had won... and the Therian wasn't hanging around. They glimpsed at the girl again after scanning around... its was quiet... safe... Limited to its human communication it went to touch the girls shoulder in a small attempt to get it's attention. Their claw rested on her shoulder... something odd... She was cold... her skin felt dry and rough and the closer the Therian examined her... her veins were black like tar.

"Some... Something isn't right?..." The Therian thought to itself, as slowly the girl began to vibrate again...

"Don't cry... Not again..." The Therian thought again to itself... It felt stupid being limited to its own thoughts.

However... her voice no longer felt of sorrow... or sadness... more Amusement?... She slowly began to chuckle away to herself before her laughs merely became worrying.

The Therian slowly stepped back almost falling into the ash before looking back towards the house... soon another mound began to form in the ash as a figure began to reveal its form to the Therian... as the ash slowly ran off their head and shoulders, Before the form of a rather bare and pale woman stood down the length of the garden, Her dark red eyes slowly stared through the dark black hair at the Therian, for a moment the Therian froze... what was this?! This... wasn't right... suddenly a sound was heard from behind them as their eyes caught the girls form dive back under the ash vanishing quickly, a mound sped across the length of the garden to the woman's side before reammerging... The woman wiped her hair from her face only a more worse outcome...

"N.. No..." The Therian barely managed to grasp out of their weak throat, it was them... the ones he had watched act as a family... Being loving to one another stand before them...

The rather distinct laugh and demonic manner of their voice gave the Therian the idea the weren't here to be friends...

"Such a fine specimen you have gathered for us my dear.." The woman hissed as a snake like tongue exited her mouth slithering... her human jaw had altered showing her mouthline roll farther back into the flesh on her face as she moved and talked her mouth no longer ended like most human beings... instead her mouth ran up all the way up to her ears... allowing more space for her dangerously pointed and jagged teeth. The Therian Panicked a little as their eyes began to quickly scan for a way to escape.

"Thank you Mama... can we keep it..." The girls voice distorted from her soft and more sweet angelic tune to the vile and rather horrific tone like her mothers.

"Hmhmhmhmhmmm... That you can dear... once it joins the rest of our... Creations..." The Mother laughed before opening her jaw as a loud and deafening scream shook the garden, the trees creaked and groaned as their damaged and ancient foundations, some began to fall and topple into the garden. The therian had to brace themselves as the power of her scream tried to take them off their feet more fortunate their ears hadn't fully recovered as her strong voice tried to practically deafen them, the strong wave and clouds of Ash blowing from the garden and at the Therian began to only reveal slowly the gardens old surface... Soon the Therian could see the true nature of this once peaceful home.. Bones... rotting flesh... as Creatures... men... women and children began to lay dormant amongst what seemed like tree routes this once humble home had secretly hid away a dark graveyard to the unfortunate... its form slowly wriggling in between the remains bodies and parts only... it seemed more fleshy. It was only as the Therian looked at the mother and Daughter to show their more Grotesque form... conjoined as one... a small remembrance of their bond together... their lower torsos branched off into more fleshy tendrils and bulges as their slender forms conjoined together as one near their hips. The Therian watched as the Horror in front of them began to stretch and taunt them with their form.

"Mmmm... Do not be afraid... In death comes life...." her voice slowly taunted out as her daughter began to finish the saying almost as if they were one mind within the two bodies.

"And once we create life..." Some of their tendrils wrapped and coiled around the bodies, the sight felt quite uncomfortable to watch as one plunged deep into a bodies cranium, The Therian scanned around to see the flesh surround and pile around them, a rather old and blunt sword lay in the grip of one of the monsters fallen foes, as if trying to fend off the creature even in its dying breath. Without thinking the Therian gripped the blade and tugged it out of the rotting corpses grip taking part of the arm with it, quickly throwing it aside and preparing, strange... had it done this before?... It felt oddly familiar... another piece of its own mystery it would have to answer another time... for now eyes forward... and ready itself... The tendril pulsed a soft orange hue before something flowed through it and into the corpses old decayed brain, a gruesome sight to witness defiling the dead for this... Monstrosities cause, it wasn't long before the body began to shake a little and soon begin to change... Change?... how!.

The bodies eyes shot open as nothing more than a haunting orange glow emanated from them its gaze fixing perfectly on the Therian, The Therians grip tightened around the sword as it tried to not look a little afraid... It was terrified... this is something it never expected to witness not here... not in this world... This was indeed a nightmare...

"Hmhmhmhmhmm... Look... our new friend has a toy... we shall see if you can cope!... You can sit there... fight to you die or fight until you tire... same outcome will occur... you will fall and we will become one! Look at me!... Providing life! Creating new forms!... This is the world... I AM LADY CREATION!!!." Soon the bodies arm burst out into a flurry of shapes and sizes before finalising on a nasty large sharp edged blade... something that put the Therians sword to shame... it would fall to pieces from a clash with that.

"Go on... Try to fight like the rest... hahaha... your last desperate fight to cling to life will amuse me for so long just like all these unfortunate souls..." The mother's side hissed in the sharp and nasty toned voice she had.

"Get him mama... I need a new doll..." The Daughter laughed hysterically before the mother joined in. Soon their newly formed freak began to move to its feet, the force of its blade cutting the air could be felt as it slashed it to their side.

The Therian felt the blade a little brittle... it wasn't going to last with a clash... it needed another plan... something to tackle this creature and a way to escape... The creature that felt it had grown a little after the Mothers influence... Heavy.. Slow?... not with that blade... The Therians grip loosened as the blade of the sword swung in its grip swaying the blade from facing in front of them to behind them, a stance that felt more and more close to them than they anticipated, The Therian lowered their form more closer to the ground and let their feet dig into the pulpy mess that coated the floor and then... one breath... a mere breath as everything fell silent as the creature before the Therian lunged at them, their speed rather alarming as it flew through the air roaring a disgusting blood curdling growl, The Therian watched as its long blade like arm went to swipe for their torso, quickly with a brief leap the Therian lunged forward quickly spreading out its arms and such as the blade glided along its stomach barely as the pure force of the creatures swing could be felt passing the Therians form... Time itself slowed as the Therian watched itself come closer and closer to the ground before quickly landing and rolling into the muck and turning fixing its gaze back at the beast as it leaped into the air to slam down on the Therian... A roll to the left quickly smashing over some old bones and limbs as the Therian narrowly escaped the beasts lunge it felt the sheer mass of the beast slam into the ground near them as the ground itself buckles a little creating a small crater around it, with no time to think the Therian quickly swung and twisted their torso as they swiped the blade into the Monsters side quickly digging deep before getting lodged and stuck into its carcass.

A moment passed as the Therian tried to break the sword free only snapping it in the process leaving nothing more than a sword hilt in its claw, only being greeted by the beasts other arm feeling a swift punch slam into its gut casting the Therian into the air as it flew down the fleshy arena, it let out a pained grunt as it slammed into the ground gasping for air. The monster slowly pulling the long blade from the ground it slammed into coating itself in the rotten pulp.

"Hmhmhmhmmm... Your feeble attempts to live were gone the moment you entered this home creature... do not deny your fate..."

The beast held back as a tendril coiled around the Therians leg and hoisted their frail form up into the air as they were pulled over to be examined by the Freakish duo. They felt them move and be spun around for a few moments as the Therian hopelessly tried to move and escape but with their body still fragile and in the process of healing the pain was a little too much, as soon their body ached and bruised easily with not being fully recovered from their recent revival.

"I have great plans for you... welcome to the family..." They both chimed in tune with one another one tendril lifted and aimed straight at the Therians chest almost within reach as it hovered, the Therian panicked and struggled as a last attempt to escape began to occur.

"Relax... This.. won't hurt a bit..." She insisted almost pondering all the possibilities with her new fleshy creature as he pulled the tendril back and went to slam it straight into the Therians chest, everything slowed down... almost as if time was taunting it, allowing the Therian to realise its demise and come to terms with it before a familiar brightness emanated into view before the Tendril.

"Xy'lal!"

The Therian felt a sheer pain within its chest as it roared as a large bright pulse exploded from within casting the Therian out of the Monsters grasp as well as burning the Monstrosity along with its

pawn. The Therian flew into the trees hitting a decent amount of shrubbery and such before coming to a halt... its eyes opened little in pain... as the soft glow of this... Spirit floated into its vision.

"Your not dying today... you have many things to do..."

The ground felt weak as it crumpled under the Therian before it gave way letting the Therian fall into darkness before hitting the bottom... soon everything went black as the Therian passed out... with the odd pleasant hum of the Spirit as it eyed closely over its body the strange angelic hum almost felt peaceful... or at least familiar as the Therian fell to its injuries and lost consciousness.

"Stupid.. And Foolish..."

The Spirit said in a rather amused tone.

"Rest easy Therian... for the road ahead is one that even gods would find foolish to walk..."