Chapter 610: Metamorphosis

Chapter 610: Metamorphosis

Flesh rippled.

Bone cracked.

The cerberus was gripped by a terrible change.

He growled and snarled, eyes shut tightevery muscle tensedas Theresas enhanced lifeforce poured through him, empowering and transforming his form.

Whats happening to Brutus? Theresa tried to rise, her voice filled with alarm. She managed to partly stand before stumbling, still weak from the ritual.

Its okay! Its okay! Alex caught her, holding her up. Its normalprobably.

Probably? Theresa demanded.

Everything Ive read said that a reaction like this could happen from the ritual, he explained. Butsince Ive never done this before

Brutus continued snarling, shaking himself as red light moved beneath his skin like worms tunnelling through loose dirt.

His skin began to split.

His shoulders, haunches, lower legs, paws and tail, sprouted thick plates of bonelike those of a silence-spider or bone-chargerdripping with a honey- coloured liquid as the armoured plates covered those parts of his body.

His tail lengthened, a sheath of bone-armour forming over it as it cut the air, whipping back and forth.

Suddenly, his growls stilled.

No, that wasnt right.

Everything about the cerberus stilled, from the sound of his nails scraping against the stone floor, to the snap his tail had made as it whipped back and forth. Even the tearing noise of mutating flesh had ceased. He moved, but made no sound.

What in the Travellers name? Theresa gasped. I canI can feel something. I can feel our link. Theres no pain, but what isUppTodated from nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m

Brutus jaws opened.

The huntress eyes flew wide.

Alex, down!

Shit! He shouted as they tumbled to the ground.

Silence fled, sound returned to the cerberus.

With a vengeance.

From three fanged mouths, undulating waves of sonic power shot out as howls lanced through the lab. Waves attacked the wall they were aimed toward, cracking it, bursting it with pure force.

Sonic howls punched through the earthbeyond the wall like force magic, until at last, Brutus was spent. From three newly formed holes in a wall of Alexs laboratory, bits of stone, debris, and rock dust flowed.

Yet, nothing else was damaged.

Not a single glass beaker had so much as shuddered while Brutus howls tore apart earth and stone.

Alexs mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening, but before he could.

Whatre you doing, boy? Theresa said to Brutus.

What is it? Alex asked.

Theressomethingit feels like a knot of power inside him, she said. Italmost feels like an organ somewhere in his body. I dont think it was there before, and now hes making it do something, but I dont know what!

Well, our life energies reflect us to a certain degree, Alex began.

Alex, Im a life enforcement practitioner. I know that, she said. Our emotions, personalities, reflect us and our souls.

Exactly. And you really wanted Brutus to be able to keep up with you and also protect himself, Alex said. So what happened? He developed a larger, more powerful body. That way, he can fight the kinds of enemies you fight in melee these days. You wanted him protected, so he developed armour with thorns thatd make any enemy think twice about hitting him. You use your arrows a lot, so he developed an attack at range to strike your enemies with you. You and he are hunters, so he developed silence to better sneak up on prey. What else

He looked at the bone plates. Actually, you know what? Im thinking about only half of this. Brutus isnt sapient, but hes got wants and wishes too. His lifeforce would reflect that. And maybe the silence-spider made an impression on him. He couldnt bite through its armour when it attacked us back in the Coille, and he was helpless against the hive-queen. So, maybe he copied them, because he remembered how successfully they fought him.

Alex scratched his head again. But honestly, this is the same kind of magic that came out of a world where wizards only got power by making blood sacrifices, and calling on demons to make bargains for power. This is the stuff of souls, and genie wishes, and fairy curses. The most advanced archwizards of our day dont quite understand that old magic the way we do most things, so I can only guess.

Well your guesses are good enough for me, she said, smiling and kissing her cerberus. Alex, this iswithout a doubtthe greatest gift anyone has ever given to either Brutus or me. You know that? Seriously, nothing else compares.

Alex put down his notebook, leaning back against the desk and blushing a little. Well, uh, I put a lot of thought into it. I really wanted it to be special.

Theresa scritched Brutus ear. Well, it is. It really is. Now why dont you go thank your dad for the wonderful gift, Brutus?

Barking enthusiastically, the cerberus bounded across the lab and leapt onto Alex, licking him mercilessly.

Agh! Not the face! Not the face! he cried.

Yes, the face! Theresa commanded mercilessly. Dont leave him alone!

Arrrrgh! Alex screamed in defeat as Theresa giggled.

A vicious look sparkled in the huntress eye. You know what? I feel like some exercise. Do you feel like some exercise, Alex?

How do you mean? the Thameish wizard asked between sloppy cerberus kisses.

Well. She flexed her fingers, making a tight fist. What do you say we go to Thameland and maybe find ourselves a dungeon to raid? I feel stronger than ever. I can smell so many things in this roomI can hear so much better. I think Im faster too. And I want to see Brutus in action.

The cerberus barked.

See! And he wants exercise too! Theresa said, leaning on the desk. Why dont we tear apart some bone-chargers? Maybe even a behemoth or two? I feel my strength coming back.

Oh no, Alex said. None of that. What you two are going to do is rest for the day, while I feed you and give you plenty of fluids. In a few days we can talk about exercise.

What? Oh come ooooon, the huntress whined. We have to go to Thameland. We just have to! We have so much power now, we have to test it out. I might only be slightly stronger and faster, but Brutus is going to be a juggernaut now: completely unstoppable, I just know it! Come on, lets gooooo.

No, no, no, Alex said. No you dont. Like I said, this ritual is old magic, and every book Ive read says both master and familiar need to be monitored for a few days after the ritual is complete, just in case theres complications that dont show up initially.

Come on, were fine. I can feel my strength returning and I can feel Brutus, oh Theresa looked sharply at the cerberus.

Suddenly, the hound stopped licking Alex and yawned, tottering back to his mother. He gave her a big lick, then turned in a circle and collapsed at her feet in a ball.

In no time, he was fast asleep.

Theresa glared at him as though he was the biggest traitor in all of Thameish history.

See? Alex said. The process takes a lot out of you, and you two wont be at your best for at least a couple of days. You feel strong, but exerting yourselves will be too much. Come on, I made a fantastic dessert for usfrozen vanilla cake covered with whipped cream, and roasted chestnut sliversand you and Brutus can just relax until Selina and Claygon get back. Khaliks parents are leaving in a couple of days. And after that? We can go and have some fun.

Awww, but I want to try out this new power right now, Theresa said, disappointed. Come on, future husbandOh whats the use? Youre being annoyingly reasonable.

I know, I know. Alex walked over and hugged her around the waist. He kissed her forehead. But well get a chance to try it out. Im sure the enemies in Thameland will be there after youve recovered. Then, we can have at all the bone chargers we want: or hells, maybe some other type of Ravener spawn. Any kind we want. Who knows what well find waiting when we get back to Thameland.

Uldars servants will be here tomorrow, Eldin said, his whispering voice mixing with the sounds of the woods.

His agents watched him with eyes burning with fervour.

Then we can begin our holy task as given me by the Third Apostle. The priests smile was serene. And we will bring together all those who threaten Uldars great plan. And like festering wounds, they will be cut away by our hand.