Tharon

THARON

M y boots rang against the metal floor with each step, the strange texture under my feet more organic than anything I expected in a Temple. Dim blue-green lights cast strange shadows as we moved deeper into the maintenance tunnels, pulsing at a rhythm that set my teeth on edge.

“This way.” Niam ran her fingers along the wall, tracing patterns I couldn’t see. Her movements grew more confident with each turn, as if the pod had awakened something buried deep in her mind.

Our rag men’s disguises hung in tatters now, stained and torn from crawling through endless maintenance shafts. Not that it mattered anymore - we were well past the point where blending in would help.

“The ship crashed here centuries ago.” Niam’s voice barely carried over the constant thrumming beneath our feet. “The original colonists built Terr around it, using what technology they could salvage. But the priests...” She sighed mournfully. “They took something beautiful and twisted it.”

“How?” I steadied her arm as she stumbled over an uneven section of flooring. The metal vibrated under my enhanced senses, carrying echoes of ancient machinery still grinding away in the depths.

“The ship was designed to work with its crew, not consume them. Neural interfaces that enhanced communication, allowed true cooperation.” Her fingers brushed against scarred temples. “The priests corrupted that, turned voluntary connection into forced integration. But the original systems still exist, untouched. If I can reach them...”

I nodded, though unease crawled up my spine. We hadn't seen a single guard since entering this section. No patrols, no checkpoints. Just empty posts where occupants had clearly been recently.

“Something’s wrong.” I pulled her closer as we entered a vast chamber spanning multiple levels. Ancient machinery cast writhing shadows across curved walls. “Look at the floor.”

Boot prints marked the dust - multiple sets, all fresh.

“They knew we were coming.” The air currents shifted, carrying new scents. “They’ve opened other access points.”

My Valti clawed at its restraints, urging me to get Niam to safety. But she barely noticed, too focused on our goal.

“We’re close.” The device from the pod glowed painfully bright now, casting stark shadows across her face. “The primary control center is just ahead.”

The chamber that opened before us stretched up into darkness, its vaulted ceiling lost in shadow. A pillar of pure light dominated the center, stretching from floor to ceiling. Around it, elegant chairs formed a perfect circle - nothing like the brutal integration pods I’d seen in the Temple above.

Crystalline structures floated in defiance of gravity, casting rainbow reflections across ancient displays covered in flowing script.

“This is where it all began.” Niam’s voice held wonder and grief in equal measure. “Where the original crew guided the ship through space, working together as one mind.” She touched one of the chairs. “I need to connect here, trigger the emergency protocols. It’s the only way to shut down the Temple’s network.”

The metal floor vibrated beneath my boots, ancient machinery whining deep in the sphere’s core. The strange light from the central pillar painted her skin in shifting patterns, making me snarl at the wrongness of it.

“I need to connect.” Niam’s fingers traced delicate patterns across crystalline surfaces I barely understood. “The interface will let me access the original systems.”

My hackles rose. After what she’d told me about the Temple’s abuse of such technology, the thought of her plugging into these ancient systems made my Valti snarl in protest.

But we’d come too far to back down now.

“How long?”

“Minutes, if I can find the right protocols.” She settled into the nearest chair, which responded with a soft chime. A delicate mesh of crystal strands descended from above, hovering over her head like a crown of ice. “Whatever happens, don’t let them stop me.”

“Never.” I circled the chair as she closed her eyes, the mesh settling against her skin with tiny flashes of light. The beast inside me paced restlessly, not liking how vulnerable she looked.

A hidden panel slid open in the wall behind me.

Then another.

And another.

Temple guards emerged from the darkness, their black robes marked with the sigils of their rank. Firewhips crackled to life in their hands, casting harsh shadows across the spherical chamber. Behind them came warriors in ceremonial armor, curved swords gleaming in the strange light.

“They’re using my neural signature.” Niam’s words came slow, distant. “They knew we were coming. Let the rebellion create chaos while they waited here for us.”

The firewhips hummed with lethal promise as the guards spread out across all three levels. The familiar scent of ozone filled the air, making my nose burn.

My beast howled.

I’d been fighting it for so long - using drugs and discipline to cage my Valti nature. But now, watching these guards surround my mate while she lay helpless in that chair...

The change ripped through me. Bones cracked and reformed, muscles swelled and twisted. My disguise split at the seams as my body reshaped itself into something ancient and deadly.

The first firewhip lashed out. I caught it on my transformed arm, letting the beast’s enhanced healing take the damage. Then I was moving, faster than human eyes could track.

The nearest guard’s chest caved under my claws. I threw his body into two more, using their moment of imbalance to close the distance. My enhanced senses tracked every target, every threat to Niam.

Steel flashed as the ceremonial warriors engaged, their swordwork precise and lethal. But they couldn’t match my speed, my strength, my rage. I batted aside their blades, metal shrieking against my claws.

They tried to flank me, to separate me from the chair. I read their intent in their movements - they wanted to contain, not kill. That made them hesitate just enough.

I tore through their formation, leaving broken bodies in my wake. More poured in through the hidden doors, firewhips crackling. Burned flesh permeated the air as their attacks found purchase, but I barely felt the pain.

“Almost there.” Niam’s voice drifted from behind me. “The original protocols are accepting my access, but something’s fighting back.”

I grunted acknowledgement, too focused on the fight to form words. A sword slipped past my guard, drawing a line of fire across my chest. I grabbed the warrior’s arm and used him as a shield against his companions’ firewhips.

The strange gravity of the room worked against them, their movements slightly off as the sphere seemed to rotate around us. I used that, letting my beast’s instincts compensate while they struggled to adjust.

But they kept coming. Every guard I took down was replaced by two more. And they were learning, adapting their tactics. Working together in ways that spoke of long practice.

A firewhip wrapped around my leg, searing through muscle. Another caught my shoulder before I could recover. They were herding me away from Niam, using their numbers to force me into a smaller and smaller space.

“No!” Niam’s cry pulled at my soul. “They’re activating containment protocols!”

I spun toward her voice, but more guards blocked my path. Through gaps in their white robes I saw panels opening in the floor around her chair. Mechanical arms rose up, reaching for her with delicate precision.

My roar shook the chamber. I threw myself forward, tearing through anything in my way. But there were too many. The constant burn of firewhips and the bite of steel slowed me just enough.

The last thing I saw before they overwhelmed me was Niam being lifted from the chair, still trailing crystal strands as the mechanical arms pulled her away.

I fought harder, my beast beyond reason now. But they had the advantage of numbers and position. Firewhips lashed from all sides, each strike wearing away at my strength until even Valti healing couldn’t keep up.

The world started to go dark around the edges. My last thought was of Niam’s face, and the promise I’d failed to keep.