The ᚨᛋᛏᚺᛖᚱ granted the partial ownership of the specimen Auriz to you. The other owner ᚹᛁᛋᚺᛖᛋ you to treat its champion with respect and care, and if opportunities appear, It will grant ᚨᛋᛋᛁᛋᛏᚨᚾᚲᛖ to the other specimen anointed as Basil.

Do you accept these ᛏᛖᚱᛗᛋ, Evalyne Kartolis?

Evalyne looked at the weird text that appeared with an Inquisitive look. Those were the runes from before. She still didn't know that language, but the message was clear. Another "Being" wanted her to take care of the Golemite who accompanied Basil.

But, before she confirmed, Evalyne was somewhat terrified. Not once has she read some of those runes before, but the computer had difficulty translating some of the things it transmitted. What is going on?

As much as Evalyne wanted a concise answer, the machine only showed the exact text always. The window twitched sometimes and changed some words to that same runic character, but the name of the being remained the same. Would she benefit from this, or was she making a mistake?

She was about to ask the others when a new window appeared in her face, with a new text—a voice accompanying it.

The decision you are about to make is ᚤᛟᚢᚱᛋ and only yours Evalyne Kartolis. Your creature may be strong in the future, but before it reaches that ᛈᛟᛁᚾᛏ, he will perish, choose wisely.

Do you accept ᚨᛋᛏᚺᛖᚱ terms?

The voice accompanying the message was natural and unnatural simultaneously, like the one you heard from a close friend and the one from a stranger. It was a suggestion and an order at the same time. Evalyne was confused, enticed, afraid.

Her mind was telling no, but her instincts were saying yes. If she could sweat and vomit, she would have done so by this point. Her colors changed without order, but the others didn't seem to notice her state. She had problems standing still, as this was not a simple matter anymore.

Evalyne felt pressured and thought this carefully before answering whatever entity was putting a contract to her face.

"I don't know what you are, and I don't feel any malice from this, but you are giving me no choice in this matter. So at least promise me you will help me get Basil strong enough to survive alone, no matter what."

"I Evalyne Kartolis accept the terms of this partial ownership."

Before Evalyne, the computer produced a new window with Auriz status.

Specimen Name

Auriz

Specimen Species

Astheric Golemite

Lifeforce

100/100

Integrity

0/0 [The Core is without protection: Produce a shell or get protection]

Energy

50/800

Abilities

-Energy Absorption [Tier 5] [Layer 1]

-Energy Control [Tier 3] [Layer 1]

-Energy Sense [Tier 5] [Layer 5]

-Energy Integration [Tier 1] [Layer 1]

-Material Comprehension [Tier 2] [Layer 1]

-Material Adapter [Tier 0] [Layer 8]

-Telekinesis [Tier 2] [Layer 2]

Physical Statistics

-Strength [Tier N] [Layer N] [The specimen needs a body for this attribute to be analyzed]

-Agility [Tier N] [Layer N] [The specimen needs a body for this attribute to be analyzed]

-Intelligence [Tier 3] [Layer 1]

-Endurance [Tier 3] [Layer 5] [Synergy with the hardness of the specimen's Core and body]

-Energy Accumulation [Tier 4] [Layer 7]

Traits

-Loyal

-Apprentice of ᚨᛋᛏᚺᛖᚱ

-Survivalist [Learned]

-Fractal of energies

-Psychic Link (Core Gekkonidae "Basil") [Gekkonidae status: Recuperating]

+Telepathic connection.

+Basic Knowledge of natural materials.

Adaptations

-Physical structure

+Simple legs.

+Core Shapeshift.

-Core

+Slime fluidity changes [Soft, Viscous]

+Material hardness [Granite]

Energies

-Asther [100%] [Pure energy]

-Nature [33.33%] [Mother energy]

+Mineral [100%]

-Aqua [6.66%] [Mother energy]

+Water [20%] (Needs more samples to attain control.)

Basil found himself a pinch as the Nurn threw ice spikes and snowballs at him from different angles. The snow under his feet and the low visibility presented their problems. Still, Basil tried to reach the small orb of snow floating in the air to no avail.

Basil pondered if he had the means to kill that thing till something threw another snowball to the Nurn's directions striking it in its center. The snow orb was losing its balance as tiny sparks of sky blue energy tried to run amok inside its unstable core.

The reptile took this chance and pounced against the creature with a bone spike in the center, making it explode in ice and snow fragments in front of him. Basil looked around for its prize but found nothing. "Did that thing had anything at all?" He asked himself, but another thing was pressing, who attacked it?

"Looks like you had a hard time."

"...Auriz?"

Basil turned around and found a crystal ball with snow legs the same color his friend had.

"I suppose that's me."

Basil run to where she stood, pouncing Auriz body to the ground, jumping around her while his tongue was out.

"You are back!"

"Stop doing that!"

"Stop doing what!?"

"What you are doing!"

"Why?"

"Because it is obnoxious, and I need to ask you something." — Basil stopped and sat in front of her, waiting.

"Ok, I listen."

"You saved me... Why?"

"Mmmmmm... Shiny?"

"Don't act dumb. You are more intelligent than me."

"Well, because you told me you wanted to survive, and you saved me once, that's why."

"I... see. Where are we, by the way?"

"I don't know, but it's cold. I need to hunt prey, and these things only give snow." — Responded Basil while signaling the fragments of the Nurn.

"They have more things, but I guess I can take it."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a blue current trying to dissipate in the spot that thing died."

Basil changed to his energy vision and could confirm what Auriz was telling him. — "It seems I can't take that."

"Mind if I do?"

"Not at all. You hit it first, so it's yours.

Auriz walked towards the remains of the Nurn and absorbed all the energy it had before it dissipated, making her color change to a sky blue before returning to her standard rose color.

"This is interesting?"

What did you found?"

"This thing is just energy with a physical shell."

"No meat?"

"No meat"

In frustration, Basil let out a low hiss from his mouth.

"Hey, Auriz, I have a question for you."

"I listen"

"Why do you look so different? And how did you manage to get out of the water?"

"That's two questions, and I only know one answer."

"Mmmmm, well, tell me while we hunt more of those things."

"But they don't have meat."

"No, but they have energy, and you can use it. That's enough for me. Let's go."

Auriz tried to explain to Basil how her core can shapeshift to other core forms in a way he could understand. Surprisingly, Basil practiced with his bones to understand what it means to change shapes to something complex. What any of them could understand was how Auriz managed to get out of the water.

To explain this, we have to go a little backward in time. You see, the box where Auriz was getting reformed expulsed her like a cannon and destroyed itself in the process, not before consuming whatever was nearby and infusing Auriz core with it. When her body finally touched the ground, the snow and some residual water surrounded her, and she was near Basil's position too.

Now back to the present, both were hunting more Nurns to strengthen the new Auriz. Basil knew these things proved difficult for him to handle with his restricted mobility, but Auriz could take them down with their attacks, making it quite an easy hunt.

"Did you learn anything now?'

"Patience, I need to absorb everything before they disappear."

"What is patience?"

"I am not sure. The Asther said it to me before I woke up."

"I still don't get what the Asther is."

"Me neither, but I see as a parent."

"Did you not say Golemites don't have a gender?"

"You sure know how to confuse someone, Basil."

"I told you I was curious."

"... It seems I can create Ice spikes now as well as snowballs, but it takes time and energy."

"So that means you won't need my bone spikes anymore?"

"Don't count on that. I will need those too. The ice is not hard enough for other creatures. Still, I can now support you when you need it."

"That's good and all, but I think we will need to get back to where we were. In this place, the sky darkens, and the cold gets worse."

"Let's go then."