#beastie's spark grew three sizes

[shiningsilverarmor]

'For Alpha when he longs for warmth' Reads the tag on the gift.

Inside is a black fur pelt to keep him warm on even the coldest of nights, it comes with some clasps so he can turn it into a thicker cape if he needs it.

Maybe, just maybe.. it was just the pelt; claws smoothing through the smoothness, even lifting it to his derma and face, pressing in the new aroma.

Or how when in reality it was him getting, feeling... softer because of them it.

Thank you..

[tales-of-abysia]

Mind of a Madman - Draconoid

“What is it?” Azure squinted at the screen, the blurry image there. Hush sat across the table, quietly observing

“I’m not entirely sure. It appeared down in the city so I set Animus to follow it and… well, this is the last still image before it got destroyed. It is probably still gathering information but with it underwater I can’t actually receive any data. You know what’s down there.” Audio sighed and dropped the tablet onto the large table. A light went over it, centering on the tablet as the image grew larger and displayed over the whole library.

Mari was in the corner reading, but as the light basked over her pages she sighed. “Boys, the library is supposed to be quiet.”

“It never is” the two both said at once. Azure continued, “You know, this monster looks kind of familiar.”

The heavy wooden doors creaked to a close, and they turned to see Techtonica approaching. “That is no monster. It’s a beast.”

Mari perked up a brow and leaned forward on her knee. Her ruffled skirt spilled over the edge of the bench she rested on as she dropped her book with a light thud. The layer of long black lace between her skirt and stockings shimmered as the cloth moved “Is there really a difference?”

Tech stopped in his tracks for long enough to give her a bewildered look. “Hmph. Monsters are creatures that exist outside of natural order, they fit nowhere. These beasts are not like that. I crafted each of them to exist within the environment of the Bin…” He examined the form before him. It was a dragon-like creature, blue scales and three whip-like tails. The creature’s wings were webbed, as well as its feet. Fins on its back and legs revealed that it was likely a water-based beast. “But this beast has mutated. I did not make it to appear this way.”

Audio shook his head. “I don’t get it. There’s no one else even down there. Who could change things?”

Azure had his arms crossed, staring at the large holographic image. “A number of options. It could be Duske or Dawne, Crucible or one of the dark twins, Damien…” There were plenty down there. Laila still existed as well, he realized.

Hush sat up and straightened his grey clothes. “Aqua exists down there.”

Everyone turned his way. Tech spoke first. “Aqua was shattered into pieces.”

“So were you, but part of you was big enough to come back. She called through me once and then attacked Artisan. She exists down there, far past your island of beasts, correct?”

Techtonica leaned onto the table. His mind was running very quickly. “The beasts keep her at bay. Any time she got close to breaking my perimeter I made a new breed… If she has managed to conquer one and send it here, she could do it again.”

Azure stared still. “If she gets to the main part of the bin then the fragments there are in danger. Anyone who wasn’t destroyed could be used against us… or consumed.”

Hush turned his attention to Techtonica. “Luckily we didn’t take to your Folding idea. There would be more of us down there right now. Instead we need to start extracting things.”

Mari spoke up, “or we take the fight to her. Make more beasties, draw her up here and have Bastion hit her with the Red Blade.”

Techtonica turned to Mari. “Aqua is in initial fragment, one that you step from. If she gets annihilated, what happens to you?”

“I still win because she would be fucking dead. Give me the sword, I’ll go down there and do it myself.”

“Nobody gets the sword.” Azure spoke sternly. “This can’t continue though. Mari, fetch Jaxx and Bastion. I’m sending you out on a mission.

“Fucking finally, something that isn’t boring.” She picked the book off of the floor and tossed it onto a cart. It read “Intimate dreams” across the cover in red stitching. She left the room through the large doors.

Azure sighed. “How many of these did you make?”

“Beasts? Hundreds.” Tech began explaining types of creatures he classified. Amorphoids like Jaxx and Kaje, several draconoids like the one here, a variety of hybrid beasts and even spectral creatures.

Audio zoomed in on the monster's neck. “Do you guys see how dark those veins are?”

Techtonica's eyebrow rose. “Yeah I see that, it… its venomous!” His eyes widened, he turned and bolted out of the library.

___

Clora sat at the balcony, overlooking the great ocean that their world had sunken beneath. The tops of buildings raked the waves as they tried to roll over. Skeith wandered up behind her and after a moment of looking at her, turned his attention to the water. His expression was as blank as ever. “So… whatcha doin'?”

“Hey Skeith. I’m just staring out at the city. I think it's beautiful the way the water glimmers between the broken buildings.”

“Oh, I know how you get with beautiful things.”

“I just want ‘em.”

“I don’t think the ocean will fit in your pocket. Maybe get a pet fish?”

She laughed, he stared. “Maybe I will. A pretty fish with colorful scales.” She moved her gaze from Skeith back to the city. The reflections beneath seemed slightly erratic to her, the ebb and flow was to and fro. But this light reflected back and forth instead. “Hey, you see that?”

Skeith leaned over the rail. “Hm. It’s moving.” He placed a hand over one eye and it changed shape, elongating like a telescope. “Swimming. No wait, flying. It’s hard to see against the blue of the ocean. Wait! … It dove under.” He returned his body to its initial form.

“I don’t like waiting. I want to see it again.” She held out her hand and small pink sparks zapped between her fingers. They grew to be more often, a tone ringing out as they danced around her fingers. It echoed out over the ocean…

The figure burst from the water’s surface, glimmering in the sun as it flew through the sky. Skeith stared on. “Hm. I would be impressed.”

“Thank you! It is good to know how you would have felt, if it was your thing.” She smiled sweetly at him. He spared her a smile as well, and then looked over the balcony again.

“Watch out.” He spoke calmly.

“What do you m- AHHH!” Clora quickly fell backwards off of the railing and hit the metal flooring, just as the draconoid smashed through the raining with great force and into the city. Clora tried to get to her feet, but this monster turned around and with one of the tails whipped her leg out from under her. It then turned, opened its mouth wide and two long fangs began to strike down at her.

Skeith stood, an arm grew to a great size and he held it out. The Draconoid's fangs cracked the stone-like surface and slowly his pale ceramic arm began to grey. “Clora. Move.”

She nodded. Quickly getting to her feet and running round the beastie. It whipped out it's tails to hit her again, but she leapt and rolled, stopping for nothing. She bolted toward the center of the city.

Skeith held his free hand straight, his fingers together. This arm grew long and thin, and as he swiped as the creature it released his arm. He turned toward the creature and went to change the shape of his arm… to no avail. He glanced down with the same expression. “Well. Shit.” He had made himself a larger target. This creature blocked his only escape. He turned his focus to the ruined balcony. To hit the water from this height would be like impacting concrete.

Another loud tone rang out, and the draconoid whipped it’s head in pain before turning around and spotting Clora once more. A slash rang out from the wing of the creature and it turned to see Skeith had struck it, tearing the precious membrane on its left wing. It roared, wrapping the whip-like tails around Skeith’s massive arm and then took off down the road, galloping on its winged arms.

Clora closed her palm and the ringing noise stopped. She convinced herself that she totally just saved Skeith’s life. I mean, he would be dead if he was cornered, right? She reached the end of the road and turned right, making a direct sprint to the park above the Library. The draconoid slammed into the stone walls behind her.

“Ow.” Skeith said as he smashed across the ground and then into the wall. The draconoid then pulled itself from the stone and began chase again.

Clora saw the doors of the library open up, and her sister marching toward the downward stairway. “MARIII!”

Mari turned to see Clora running her way. It made her smile a little… then she saw the monster behind her, the bursting fixtures down each side of the road being bulldozed as it pursued her. Mari reached down and pressed at her skirt, causing the fabric to flow wide and glimmer once more. Clora slid as she reached her, dipping beneath the skirt and out of view. From the fabric, Mari pulled out a broadsword with runes carved down the broad side. The skirt shrank in size two times, and as the draconoid bit down to her she held the sword out before her. The creature bit down onto the blade, its sharp teeth parrying the sword.

Clora dove out from the side with a thin metal whip, which she swung at the neck of the beasty.

“What the fuck is going on down here?” Darkside walked down a stairway into the clearing.

Clora let out a large burst of her electricity, a stun directly to the neck of this thing. It roared in pain and then whipped its tail around, tossing Skeith at the girls. They dove opposite directions and the Draconoid tossed the sword to the side.

Darkside approached the Draconoid. As Skeith flew towards him, Darkside's form became dark, clouded, and finally burst around Skeith in a rush of smokey chains reforming on the far side. He continued walking to the beast. It lashed out at him, trying to bite at his chest. Darkside moved to the side, nearly being bitten as the head of his enemy went under his arm. He caught the creature by the neck and with all his force, lifted, twisted, and snapped.

Techtonia burst out of the building. ”Marian, wait!” He stopped suddenly and stared at Ds over the creature’s corpse. “Derek how.. Did you do that?”

Darkside dropped the head with a fleshy thud. “Hm? Oh, sorry about your feral pet.”

Mari stood up and brushed her skirt off. “Uh, I really prefer just Mari.” She motioned to her clothes. “My dress is filthy now! Ugh!” She brushed it off and held her hand out. The broadsword flew to her hand. “Thanks, Godsbane.” She gave the blade a quick peck and then flipped the weapon around and stabbed it into the lace, which quickly sucked it in and formed a new pattern there.

Clora wandered up and slipped her whip under her sister's skirt as well, and the trim at the bottom of the lace returned. “What was that?”

Techtonica sighed. “Someone has experimented with my beasts.”

Skeith stood up. “Aren’t they all just thoughts?” His arm dragged behind him, larger than his torso. He stretched, pulled an orange orb from the hand and then the whole thing crumbled. He replaced it at his shoulder and slowly it began to stretch back out. He had been upgraded so he wouldn’t be armless again. Not after last time.

Darkside let out a sigh. “They are, but thoughts can be dangerous. Especially depending on who is thinking them.”

Mari sighed. "I have to get some people."