3. Kairos

3

KAIROS

I stand at the edge of Galmoleth, my home for centuries, and gaze down at the swirling clouds below. The pull I've felt for days grows stronger, an insistent tug at the core of my being. It's time.

My fingers trace intricate patterns in the air, weaving a complex tapestry of magical energy. Blue runes ignite across my obsidian skin, pulsing in sync with the spell. A shimmering dome of force encases me, its surface rippling like water.

"Here goes nothing," I mutter, taking a deep breath.

I step off the edge.

The wind howls around my protective barrier as I plummet through the electrical storm that perpetually shrouds Galmoleth. Lightning crackles and arcs, but my shield holds firm. The metallic flora of my home gives way to unfamiliar terrain below.

As I breach the cloud layer, Protheka's surface comes into view. My breath catches. It's more vibrant, more alive than I ever imagined. Lush forests stretch as far as the eye can see, broken by glittering rivers and towering mountain ranges.

I focus my will, channeling arcane energy through my body. The runes on my skin blaze brighter, and I feel the magic coalesce around me. In an instant, I'm no longer falling – I'm streaking towards the ground like a bolt of living lightning.

The world blurs around me as I descend at impossible speed. The air within my barrier crackles with ozone, and my hair stands on end from the raw power coursing through me. It's exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

I spot a clearing in the forest below and adjust my trajectory. The ground rushes up to meet me, and for a split second, I wonder if I've miscalculated. Then, at the last possible moment, I release a pulse of energy that slows my descent.

My feet touch down on Prothekan soil, sending up a small cloud of dust. The protective barrier dissipates, and I take my first breath of the planet's air. It's rich and heavy with unfamiliar scents – earth and vegetation so different from the metallic tang of Galmoleth.

I straighten up, my silver eyes wide as I take in my surroundings. Everything is new, strange, and utterly fascinating. The pull that brought me here thrums insistently, urging me onward.

"Well," I say to myself, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth, "let's see what secrets you're hiding, Protheka."

I take a deep breath, letting the unfamiliar air fill my lungs. The magical energy here is... different. Vibrant. Raw. It hums through the earth beneath my feet, pulses in the air around me, and thrums in the very cells of my body. On Galmoleth, magic feels like an extension of me, but this is more free flowing, something teasing the chaos magic in my veins.

My runes flare in response, drinking in the energy greedily. I close my eyes, focusing on the sensations. The magic here doesn't just flow - it surges, ebbs, and swirls in complex patterns I've never encountered before. It's intoxicating.

I open my eyes, taking in the dense forest around me. The trees tower overhead, their canopies blocking out most of the sunlight. What little filters through casts dappled shadows on the forest floor. The vegetation is lush, almost oppressively so. Vines as thick as my arm snake up tree trunks, and ferns larger than any I've seen before carpet the ground.

A sound catches my attention - a low, rhythmic pulsing that seems to come from the earth itself. I kneel, placing my palm flat on the ground. The sensation is immediate and overwhelming. My magic courses through the soil like blood through veins, following paths and ley lines I can barely comprehend.

"Fascinating," I murmur, standing up and brushing dirt from my hands.

I reach out with my senses, probing the magical currents around me. There's something... off about this place. The energy feels tainted somehow, as if corrupted by some malevolent force. It leaves a bitter taste in the back of my throat.

A rustling in the underbrush snaps me back to alertness. I tense, ready for anything. The magical energy here is unpredictable - who knows what kind of creatures it might spawn?

I tense, my senses on high alert as the rustling in the underbrush grows louder. My runes pulse with anticipation, ready to channel magic at a moment's notice. Suddenly, a creature bursts from the foliage, all teeth and claws and matted fur.

It's unlike anything I've ever seen - a twisted amalgamation of beast and magic. Its body is that of a large feline, but its fur crackles with electricity, and two extra heads sprout from its shoulders, one reptilian and one avian. All six eyes lock onto me, glowing with an unnatural hunger.

"Well, aren't you an interesting specimen," I mutter, falling into a defensive stance.

The beast lets out a bone-chilling roar, and as if on cue, more creatures emerge from the shadows. A pair of worg-like beasts with bark for skin and leaves for fur. A serpent with scales that shimmer and change color like oil on water. And something that looks like it might have once been a likar, but now its flesh is translucent, revealing pulsing organs and bones that glow with an eerie light.

I'm surrounded, outnumbered, and facing creatures I've never encountered before. But I'm not worried. I'm thrilled.

"Let's dance," I grin, my eyes gleaming with excitement.

The three-headed beast lunges first. I sidestep its attack, my hands weaving complex patterns in the air. A shimmering barrier springs up between us, and the creature slams into it with a yelp of surprise.

The bark-worgs are next, circling me warily. I focus my will, drawing on the chaotic magic of this place. The ground beneath their feet suddenly turns to quicksand, trapping them in place.

The serpent strikes from behind, but I'm ready. I spin, catching it mid-lunge with a blast of freezing energy. It falls to the ground, encased in a shell of ice.

The translucent likar charges, its glowing bones pulsing faster with each step. I reach out with my magic, feeling for the currents of energy flowing through its body. With a twist of my will, I reverse the flow. The creature stumbles, its own magic turning against it.

But the three-headed beast isn't done. It shakes off its daze and leaps, electricity arcing from its fur. I drop to the ground, rolling beneath its attack. As I come up, I release a burst of pure magical force that sends it flying back into the trees.

Panting, I survey the scene. The creatures are subdued but not defeated. I could finish them off, but that's not why I'm here. Instead, I reach out with my magic, probing the strange energies that have warped these beasts.

It's complex, a weave of natural magic and something... else. Something darker, more primal. I can feel it trying to resist my touch, but I push harder, unraveling its secrets.

With a surge of will, I purge the corrupting influence from the creatures. The effect is immediate. The extra heads on the feline beast wither and fall away. The bark-worgs' wooden skin softens back into fur. The serpent's scales settle into a single, iridescent hue. The likar's flesh becomes opaque once more, its bones no longer glowing.

The beasts shake themselves, as if waking from a long dream. They regard me with wary curiosity now, rather than hunger. I lower my defenses, showing them I mean no harm.

"There," I say softly, "that's better, isn't it?"

I take a moment to catch my breath, still marveling at the strange creatures I've encountered. As they slink back into the shadows of the forest, I feel the pull that brought me here reassert itself. It's stronger now, more insistent.

"Right," I mutter, orienting myself. "Time to find out what's calling me."

I close my eyes, focusing on the magical current. It tugs at me, urging me deeper into the continent. With a deep breath, I set off, pushing through the dense underbrush.

The forest seems to grow thicker as I travel, the trees pressing in closer, their branches intertwining overhead to block out most of the light. The air grows heavy, thick with the scent of decay and something... else. Something that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I press on, following the pull. It leads me over rushing streams and up steep inclines. I encounter more twisted creatures along the way, but none as aggressive as the first group. They watch me warily from the shadows, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

As I travel, the corruption in the magical energy grows stronger. It's like a sickness in the land, spreading its tendrils through the soil and air. I can taste it on my tongue, bitter and acrid.

"What could be causing this?" I wonder aloud, my voice swallowed by the oppressive silence of the forest.

After what feels like hours of travel, I crest a hill and pause. Below me, nestled in a deep valley, I see lights. Not the soft glow of natural bioluminescence, but the harsh flicker of torches and magical illumination. The pull leads directly to this place.

As I draw closer, I begin to make out structures - a sprawling complex of tents, makeshift buildings, and winding alleyways. The magical corruption is strongest here, pulsing like a festering wound.

I hear voices now - a cacophony of different languages and dialects. The air is thick with the scent of unwashed bodies, exotic spices, and something metallic that might be blood.

It looks like a market. Looks like it's time for me to go see some wares.