Gamma burst out of the portal, steam streaming from the creature's nostrils as it pushed its already exhausted body further. The Titanspawn bellowed with a sound that shook the ground below them and charged full speed back towards the clearing. Gamma's previous charge had cleared out much of the foliage and overgrowth from their path, leaving only the larger trees to obstruct their return, cutting down their travel to less than 20 minutes. Still, leaving the packs on their own for almost an hour left Jonah on edge.

He trusted Alpha to keep the lesser Titanspawn in check (Jonah was starting to doubt how "limited" the creature's intelligence truly was). But that didn't mean he trusted the strange woman. If she decided to pull something, Jonah didn't doubt that retreat would be costly. For the umpteenth time in the past hour, the man ground his teeth in frustration and helplessness. Every time he gained a bit of confidence in his situation, every time took what seemed like a step forward, it felt like life threw him a curve-ball, just to mock his effort.

But just like every other time, he'd stand back up. He'd keep walking, keep fighting. It was the only thing he could do. The only other option was to lay down and give up. As a wise man once said;

"When Life gives you lemons... burn Life's house down."

As they drew closer to the clearing, Jonah let out a sigh of relief; he could sense through their connection that the pack was mostly where he'd left them, with a few Hounds patrolling around the area. As the two burst through the treeline, Gamma came to a skidding halt, leaving deep furrows in the ground before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. As the large beast gasped for air in deep, rumbling breathes, Jonah slid from its back, his eyes drifted towards the still form of Beta.

The Titanspawn appeared as he had left him, still and unmoving, covered in a glowing green barrier. The man felt his heart skip a beat before he saw the slight rise and fall of the creature's chest. Jonah let out a breath he didn't know he was holding before turning his eyes to the figure sitting next to Beta. Seeming to notice his return, the mysterious Shaman turned and gave the man that same pointy-toothed, half-mesmerizingly beautiful, half-bloody chillingly terrifying smile.

The air in front of Jonah shimmered as Alpha materialized between the two, staring the woman down and giving a crocodilian hiss from its long snout. The woman's eyes snapped to the Titanspawn as she tilted her head; her Cheshire cat grin grew even more expansive, wider than any human smile could possibly be. Alpha hissed again, this time seeming much more cat-like, as he took a step backward, its back arched and bat-like ears fold close to its head. It was only then that Jonah noticed several new cuts on the Titanspawn's scaly hide and a few tears in its wing membrane he was sure weren't there when he'd left.

What had happened while he was gone? But before he could think much more on the matter, the woman spoke in a cold voice, that despite being several dozen feet away, sounded as if it came from right beside him.

"Welcome back, Vale Traveler... I ssssee you have returned with your sssolution..."

Jonah's eyes narrowed, and his frown deepened. The Blood Oranges were safely tucked away in his Red Bag; how did she know he'd managed to bring them back? He'd have thought she was just assuming, but the tone in her voice left no room for argument.

"Hurry now... we run out of time... in more waysss than one."

Jonah hesitated a moment longer, still not fully trusting the woman, but having no other choice, he steeled himself and took a step forward. Alpha growled and moved to get between the two once more, but a mental command from Jonah and an outstretched hand held him back. The man walked towards the still form of Beta and knelt down, concern replacing his suspicion. With practiced hands, he removed the six orange-red, fist-sized orbs from his bag. The woman's eyes bulged with unconcealed surprise, hunger, and greed as she stared at the fruits, her hand twitching slightly as if to reach out and snatch them.

Jonah glared at the woman, bearing his teeth with a surprising ferocity that made even the Shaman raise an eye before the hunger in her eyes was replaced with an amused smile.

Turning back to the Titanspawn, Jonah moved to pick up one of the oranges but froze. His brow furrowed as a deep frown crossed his lips. He'd just realized something important... he had no idea what to do next. Even disregarding that the Oranges were mostly untested, there were procedures and steps to be observed when administrating medication to an unconscious animal. Procedures he didn't have the tools or equipment for...

He might have been a Veterinarian in what seemed like a lifetime ago, but he used to a controlled medical setting; not much call for farm visits in the middle of the City.

Still, he had to try something. But what? However, herbal medications usually administered? Jonah desperately scrapped at the memories of all the first aid and survival training he'd done with his Uncles. The first and most obvious answer was orally, but Beta wasn't in any condition to even chew anything, so how could he get it into him?

Finally, he settled on a technique his Mother had used a few years back to feed a malnourished greyhound that had been brought into the clinic. The poor thing was literally skin and bone, unable to even stand, let alone eat or drink after the previous owner had abandoned them in their locked apartment for God knows how long. The dog had been so dehydrated, they weren't able to find a vein to start a drip, and after the third failed attempt at a feeding tube, most of the office was in agreement that it was better to put the poor thing out of its misery.

But Alice hadn't given up on her. She spent the next two weeks slowly drip-feeding the dog as best as she could. And to all of their amazement, it had worked. Slowly, the greyhound had recovered strength until they were able to administer proper treatment. It had taken more time and money than most people would have thought reasonable for "just a dog," but the greyhound had recovered several months later to full health. His uncle Bo even adopted her, naming her "Invicta."

Jonah grabbed one of the Oranges and placed a Wormplate knife against it. The mature fruit's skin gave more resistance than one would have expected from an orange but quickly gave way under the razor-sharp knife and Jonah's enhanced strength. A deep, citrus but sweet orange scent quickly swept through the clearing, easily overpowering the thick forest smell around them, though just under the sweet citrus was the thick, unmistakable metallic smell of blood.

In an instance, the rowdy Hounds from all three packs went totally silent, their eyes dilating as their heads snapped towards Jonah's direction, the closest even beginning to drool. Even the forest seemed to grow silent as the fragrance swept through the trees like an invisible wave. The Shaman's eyes narrowed, and she stared intently at the blood-red fruit that was revealed, giving an almost unnoticeable shiver as the scent washed over her.

Jonah scooted closer to Beta, holding one half of the orange in his hand as he gently laid the Titanspawn's head on his lap and tilted it up. Slowly, he squeezed the orange half, and a bead of thick red juice, almost blood-like, began to pool on its surface. Like a raindrop, the juice dripped down and landed on the Titanspawn's exposed tongue.

The reaction was instant.

With a loud snap, Beta's jaw snapped closed as the Titanspawn began to wiggle, opening and frantically closing its jaws. If it wasn't for the still cloudy and unfocused eyes, Jonah would have thought Beta had awakened, but as it stood, the movements seemed more instinctual, as if the flesh elemental's body was desperately trying to grasp at whatever had simulated it. Seeing a small hope, Jonah increased his force, and a thin stream of blood-red juice poured from the orange half and into the gasping Titanspawn's waiting mouth. As Beta snapped and lapped at the red flow, he gently massaged the Hound's throat, encouraging the liquid to go down the correct pipe, as he'd seen Alice do before.

As Beta drank more of the juice, its body began to violently shake, to the point that even the Shaman had to hold the creature down, lest it hurt itself more. Pulling back, Jonah watched in horror as the Titanspawn's body began to bubble and shift as if something crawling just below the surface was quickly devouring everything in its path. Had he made a mistake? Was this not the answer?

The Shaman, still holding down the squirming Titanspawn, frowned for the first time as the green light surrounding Beta increased in intensity. The squirming lessened but didn't fully abate, as Beta's skin and scales alternated between splitting, swelling, and healing. Whatever was going on inside of Beta's body seemed to have aggravated the poison as well, as the thick black veins squirmed violently near the bite marks. As one, they erupted, no longer appearing as just black veins, but now as dozens of tiny black snakes, racing through Beta's flesh, turning it sickly and black as they passed.

The black snakes slammed into the approaching wall of wiggling flesh.

Like two armies colliding, the wiggling flesh and black snakes pushed against each other, fighting viciously, back and forth for dominance, all the while Beta screeched and howled, struggling under the Shaman's unyielding hands. However, Jonah could tell it wouldn't stay like this forever; the Shaman was beginning to tire as sweat formed on her forehead, and the tiny black snakes slowly began winning more ground than they lose. His heart racing, Jonah wracked his brain for something, anything he could do, when his eyes landed on the remaining orange half.

Like a light-bulb, an idea formed in his head. He rushed over and grabbed the last half, not bothering to acknowledge the Shaman's questioning look. Jonah took a deep breath and gave a short prayer that this would work. Then, with a grunt, he slammed his Wormplate knife into Beta's leg, near the bite wound. Instantly, black, dead blood and yellow puss spilled from the wound. Jonah reached over and squeeze the orange half over the open wound. Thick blood-like juice poured out in a torrent, more than the small fruit seemed capable of holding, as it washed away the black blood and puss, hissing and steaming.

Working on pure instinct at this point, Jonah waited until the flow had mostly stopped and then placed the still dripping orange rind over the wound, holding it in place with both hands. He looked up to see the Shaman staring at him, an eyebrow raised; as he opened his mouth to speak, Jonah felt a pulse from under his hand. The man looked down in worry as another pulse traveled up his arms, reminding him of a slow heartbeat.

Before he could question it, there was a third, much stronger pulse, and Jonah could only stare in shock as dozens of crimson serpent-like veins erupted from under his hands. Like Hounds after blood, the crimson serpents snaked through Beta's blackened flesh, heading directly for the black snakes still unaware. Like a fire devouring wood, the crimson snakes slammed into the back of the black snakes, quickly consuming them.

The black snakes, now trapped and assaulted from both sides, seemed to panic (as much as a seemingly semi-sentient magical poison could panic) and began to rapidly pool together, forming a singular, double-headed pitch-black serpent and wrapped several times around the Titanspawn's body, like a poisonous tattoo. The wiggling flesh and crimson serpents seemed to redouble their efforts, assaulting the black serpent from both sides, the battlefield that was Beta's body being destroyed continuously and rebuild as the warring energies tried to annihilate each other.

Suddenly, there was another pulse of energy, but this time from Beta's entire body. It pushed out like water, carrying an almost physical force. Again, the energy pulsed, and every Hound in the clearing stood, howling as one in an eerie choir that sent chills down Jonah's spine.

The Shaman's eyes went wide as her form flickered, and she reappeared several meters away. Unable to process what was happening quickly enough, Jonah gave a yelp of surprise as something latched onto the back of his armor and quickly dragged him away from Beta's shaking form.

Turning around, he saw Alpha's long tail hooked on his armor, still pulling him away, even as the Stalker's eyes never left Beta. Still unsure what was happening, Jonah turned back to look at the Hound. As he did, there was a final pulse of energy that stole his breath away, as Beta's body seemed to erupt into a large ball of flesh and bones. The force was significant enough to dig up the dirt and stones around the now squirming tumor-like orb that lay where Beta once was. The ground around the pulsing mass of flesh seemed to have melted slightly, and the tumor steamed in the slightly chilly air.

As Jonah looked on, his heart sank, and he fell to his knees.

He'd failed.

Despite everything he'd tried, everything he'd struggled to do, he'd failed again.

Falling to his hands, Jonah let out a primal scream and slammed his fist into the ground, again and again.

Maybe it was just a beast, a wild, bloodlust-filled creature that would have gladly killed him if he'd not had the skills he did. But over the last few months, Beta and the other Titanspawns had been his only companionship, the only thing keeping him sane in an otherwise hopeless situation. Maybe some would have called him foolish for becoming attached, say he should just treat them as disposable tools. But Jonah didn't want to give up that little bit of himself yet, that small part of him that could still call human.

But Life seemed intent on stripping him of everything.

His breath coming in heavy drags, Jonah wiped his face and stood, his clinched hands bone white. Lifting his eyes, though, he saw something strange. The Shaman stood by the strange tumor that once was Beta, her hand outstretched, palm on its steaming surface. Seeming to sense his gaze, she turned and gave him a mocking look.

"Are you finissssshed, boy? Goooood, there is ssstill work to be done."

Jonah glared at the woman, his hands shaking as blood slowly dripped from his palms. But before he could let her know what he thought of her "work," she spat back.

"Be quiet. A man of many words is a Fool but the Wise man knowsss when to lissssten."

Jonah stopped confusion mingling and diluting his anger as the woman leaned in closer to the tumor and placed her ear against it.

"Many think of Life and Death as opposites. As enemies trying to conquer and defeat the other. But they are nothing more than two sides of the same coin. A great, unending cycle, the Gears on which existence turns. They aren't so much different from each other as most would suspect. You only need to know how to see both sssidesss at once."

Jonah slowly walked towards her and placed his slightly shaking hand against the "tumor," an impossible hope swelling in his chest.

"Thump... thump... thump..."

Like the steady beating of a heart, Jonah could feel something within, growing, changing, and at the center, he could feel his Attunement with Beta, pulsing alongside it.

The Shaman stepped away, her voice low and solemn.

"It's true, all Life will eventually give way to Death. Yet, at the same time, Death will always give way to Life in return. That is the great Cycle, the Truth of Life and Death, for that is all Life and Death truly are. Change."

Jonah simply starred at the "tumor," mesmerized, as the woman moved away out of sight.

"I look forward to seeing what kind of 'Change' comes from our meeting, young Vale Traveler. But hurry, we are both running out of time. The Demons gather strength even now. As for me, these will do nicely as payment..."

Snapping around, Jonah found the Shaman slowly rotating two of the remaining [Serpent's Blood Oranges] in her hand. However, where once she appeared as a talk, beautiful, pale woman, now stood(?) a strange amalgamation of woman and snake. While her upper body retained a humanoid figure, the snow-white scales that only lightly patched her skin now appeared much denser, almost to the point of armor. Her face, while still eerily beautiful, had taken on a much more serpentine appearance. However, the most striking change was the lower body, where once was a pair of slender, bare legs, now grew a several meters long snake tail, the outer scales a blinding white with belly scales the deepest of pitch black.

As Jonah stared in shock, the Snake woman gave him another Cheshire cat grin before reaching up into the canopy with her long tail and pulling herself up faster than he could follow, just in time to avoid a snarling hissing Alpha. The Titanspawn passed through the Snakewoman's shadow, landing, and turned to stare up at the canopy, trying to find any sign of the Shaman, before letting out a shrill screech filled with anger.

All that remained of the Snakewoman, however, was an echoing, mocking laughter... and she was gone.

Time till Ascension: 26 Days - 30 Hours - 32 Minutes - 48 Seconds