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There was something wrong.

Something changed, at the very least, in quite an unexpected, indescribable way.

My previous experiences quickly taught me that all changes have terrible, sometimes even catastrophic consequences, and I expected a disaster with bated breath.

It didn't come.

The eerie silence fell on the fields, interrupted only by the cracking fire and occasional giggle of the 'Purifiers' fueling the flames of the funeral pyre with their magic.

As inconsiderate as the laughing was considering the circumstances, I couldn't blame the fiery foxes for their behaviour, as they saw the whole ritual as the opportunity to flex their powers rather than any show of respect toward the fallen humans they hated.

It wasn't the attitude of my little foxies that was the core of the issue.

Something was wrong - or at very least different - I was sure of it, but aside from the strange, plainly confusing sensation that came as suddenly and as unexpectedly as it disappeared, nothing else had truly changed. It was almost like the world itself had shifted, yet there wasn't anything that would herald such a change, not in the skies, nor upon the land, nor on the expression of my girls.

"Master?"

I raised my hand to forestall further questions, trying to wrap my mind around the sensation - without evidence, I wasn't certain I wasn't imagining it.

The system, the strange interpretation of my powers with the tendency to communicate changes through skills and levels, didn't ask anything further of me. There were no messages to be read after I dismissed the original one, nor choices to be made in its wake, nothing that could be attributed to the strange sensation of stillness

My girls often materialised from the red fog, but that, too, was absent - there weren't more of us either.

I couldn't explain it.

The smell of the burnt flesh still hung in the air, a disgusting stench upsetting my stomach, but it was hardly strange considering we did attempt to cremate the human remnants - it was bound to stink.

That wasn't what was bothering me.

I could hear Ari saying something in the local tongue, her voice brisk and official sounding among the rustling of the flames. I guessed the sentence may mark a final phrase in the ritual, however, there was no way of saying that for sure without forcing the translation through Arke's controlled puppets.

Something else hung in the air, unseen and intangible, and it wasn't the stench.

"For Master!" one of my girls whispered, but I ignored her, my focus elsewhere.

I didn't know why, or how, but I was adamant that something had changed, something had broken, perhaps, but I couldn't place my finger on what it actually was, and there was no discomfort coming from the link almost as we were more eased into the world rather than vice versa.

Unsatisfied, I kept scanning the crowd.

There were at least a dozen small, rank-and-file wolfy 'Eviscerators' just standing nearby, along with their foxy 'Purifier' cousins, their attention mostly on me rather than being worried about the shift that just occurred. Formerly sealed ones, I presumed, keeping close.

Most of them likely waited for the opportunity to socialise with me, yet aware of the fact that this was an important moment for the humans in the valley, a signal, a gesture, so they didn't rush forward.

I supposed that they were in this whole ritual to humour me rather than anything else.

Some were apparently playing along with Ari as the native human girl didn't fear them, and even treated them with respect, and I caught a glimpse of her bowing to Tama and Mia, which were closest to the improvised cremation circle.

Maybe some of them paradoxically thought of the crazy girl as the last sane human.

Otherwise, at least a couple of 'Purifiers' apparently thought that burning corpses was a fun moment - after all, they got to set things on fire until nothing but ashes remained - the vast majority of my people knew they shouldn't cheer.

I wished I actually knew what was supposed to happen, normally.

"For Master!" The feminine voice whispered to my ear, with a reassuring undertone which crept within my mind to interpret it, yet I still ignored it, favouring the search for the unspoken.

My hand rose up, caressing gently the hugging hands, knowing it belonged to one of my ursine 'Ravagers' even without looking - they were huge and towering even if they were nominally smaller form and I found the presence reassuring as her mind touched mine.

I kept scanning the crowd, pressing my attention away from the mind of my ursine lady.

There were many more voices to be heard in their intoxicating cacophony, and I was not testing the limit of joining our senses once more, afraid that my ego would willingly melt inside the network.

"For Master!" The 'Ravager' assured me - of course, she was there, I appreciated her and all her sisters for that.

There was a minor scuffle among the remaining humans that had been gathered to witness the ritual. I could catch some of their voices thanks to the momentary quiet, but even that was quickly resolved - by humans themselves, nevertheless.

Their lord - the Viceroy, I had to remind myself of their proper title - apparently still had some authority, and a handful of his surviving soldiers did listen to him when he raised his voice. It did involve a few humans trading punches, but that was the end of it.

There was no reason for Arke, or her sisters, to sweep the group with their psychic screams to stun them, even if the group of my chiropteran followers had observed the incident with mild interest.

More than a couple of my big bear girls remained in charging distance too, not to mention the trace of shifting air suggesting more than a handful of 'Eviscerators' lurking between me and the humans under the cloak of their invisibility power.

Arke herself was there as well, looming over the group, perched atop the heavily mutated creature, almost like she was issuing a threat that the same thing would happen to others should they not behave.

I wouldn't be surprised if she did indeed threaten them, but I have to assume that the local lord did have some authority over this handful of these most loyal soldiers who surrendered to us rather than fight to the grim end.

Whether it was the lingering authority of the Viceroy or the menace of the 'Fleshspeakers' and their eldritch powers, I couldn't deny it worked.

Shooting a glance at Ari, I suspected that the ritual, for good or bad, was over. I couldn't hear her or understand her if I did, but she seemed to talk to Mia, my freshly promoted Defiler, instead of acting out some elaborate ceremony.

Maybe it was, indeed, over - yet I still couldn't comprehend the abstract change in the underlying reality of my surroundings my treacherous brain suggested, and the apparent contradiction where nothing was physically different.

Was I imagining things?

I was forced to snap my thoughts back to the present, wondering whether the sense of wrongness was a figment of my imagination rather than an actual manifestation of some mystical force. In a world like this, one would not ever know.

"Tell the Viceroy..." I said, to nobody, in particular, relying upon that the joined mind would deliver the message through Arke even if the hundred or more metres divided us, and continued:

"Tell the Viceroy I am sorry it came to that, but the men who didn't honour the agreement were all slain."

Or mutated into the mindless, deformed slaves to the 'Fleshspeakers' and their magic, I thought, but didn't voice that particular part of the situation, all too aware of how problematic it would become should it become widely known.

It offered a question of whether the humans knew about the inherently destructive nature of my power and attacked me before it could manifest, or simply confused the comparatively tame, yet deadly force of 'Defilers' with the controlling mind magic of 'Fleshspeakers'.

I would never know.

Despite the distance, I could hear the barking translation thanks to the looming silence that still lingered across the entire gathering. It seems that my girls were more than happy to disperse, not counting my pyromaniacal fluffballs.

There was, however, still a host of my 'Eviscerators' lurking nearby, visible or cloaked, watching for humans to make a move.

"We tried to honour the fallen. Now, he, and all the..." I said, pausing, looking for the correct set of words, trying to set things right after it went wrong so badly, "...all the loyalists, who didn't rebel against ...the agreement, are also allowed to leave. We are repairing the bridge and putting all the content of the treasury on wagons, as it was agreed."

The translation continued. In fact, I noticed some of the humans did bow to the winged form of Arke, speaking to them from atop her personal mount of sorts. There was a conversation between her, and the Viceroy.

I could see, even from a distance, that she was much better in this than I was, looking equally dignified as she appeared menacing, a living personification of something beyond the comprehension of the natives.

In some capacity, I envied her.

My girls were free, liberated from the doubt that had such a crippling influence over me, never wondering if they were indeed fit for the job - they clawed, they burned, they drained, and never asked why.

I should focus.

"For Master!" The whispered voice in my ear. It was good to hear they were trying to procure the wagons, even though handing the gold and silver to the 'Ravagers' would be a more effective use of the resources. The metal was metal, after all, and in their paws, even the soft copper turned into a suitable material for armour, but I was more interested in gesture.

"No, we already took the most," I shook my head.

"For Master."

We still kept most of the equipment, and the stores of preserved food, not to mention the castle itself.

"Once he safely reaches the city, we could talk more." I continued and added: "If he wishes so, we can make an agreement and we will defend the province should the ..."

I didn't recall the name of the other feuding human faction and struggled to find the correct word, aware that they would pose a serious concern.

"For Master." My bear companion refreshed my memory.

"Yes, the Jin. We would defend the province should Jin attack, in exchange for goods. Or we can just part ways now, as it was agreed, even if you refuse our protection offer. Either way, hostility between us should be over"

I tried to formulate the response - it was strange talking to thin air, but it had the undeniable effect as the 'Fleshspeakers' did carry out the conversation with only slight delay, while I watched the scene from a comfortable distance.

The humans didn't look at me, it seemed that 'Fleshspeakers' did perform the role I wished to fulfil, being my spokesmen - my messengers.

There was no objection from the lord - at least, at this point, too tired by the constant assaults, I should consider lack of attack a lack of objections.

I did wonder whether I was qualified to lead my people in peacetime, as I certainly wasn't in wartime.

"For Master!" The 'Ravager' that served me with a calming embrace said. As I expected, even if he was grateful for us saving his life, the Viceroy would not accept the extended offer.

"Of course, the Viceroy and his men can leave as previously agreed, with Ari to accompany them."

It was quite confusing whether I should even address him in 2nd person, while the meaning itself was relayed through some mystical means and someone else did the speaking.

They didn't seem to care about the lives of those who rebelled against him, willing to leave all the captured 'traitors' behind with just his most loyal men - oh, of course, he was bitter about his own forces firing on him.

I understood.

"For Master." A soft whisper added, and only then did a sudden realisation hit me.

I understood.

Not humans, that was somehow still a foreign, utterly alien concept, communicated a hundred metres away, in broken spat sentences thanks to Arke's scouring of the minds of the puppeteered humans, and it was hundreds of metres away, perhaps even more.

The difference was - I understood my ursine.

"For Master!"

She vocalised in the same, repeated phrase, but I somehow did understand!

The change!

I freed myself from the furry embrace, and turned around, to hit something equally fluffy and soft. After all, even the 'small Ravager' was taller than me, with her chest being roughly the height of my own head.

She kneeled, not because it was observed in any of the local customs, but for us to simply talk eye to eye, and I somehow recognised her despite the fact that many of my girls superficially resembled each other, often without cues to distinguish one from another.

This time, however, something at the back of my brain offered a hint, something which I shouldn't know considering my inadequate memory and the poor imagination making up all the not-so-imaginative names.

"Ekaterina." I expressed in surprise, my hands shot up to touch her bear-like face gently. I could almost feel Tama's snickering remark at the back of my brain, but I ignored it.

One last prisoner of local magic was freed - and I could feel her. Her mind, her presence, her communication, it was rather alarming and disconcerting, yet still somehow warming.

"You aren't sealed." I breathed out. Ekaterina was initially separated from us only by my stupid decision on how to handle the magical artefact, and had to ask:

"But why?"

The whole problem with convincing Ekaterina to absorb the enchanted item was that she was trapped by her own power while keeping hold of the artefact - but now she was back for no apparent reason.

"For Master!" She said.

"I am very sorry," I replied, "I am glad you are back."

I gently touched her fur some more.

"For Master!"

"Yes, you are still beautiful," I assured her - as far I could tell there weren't any major changes in her appearance aside from minor discolouration, making her slightly darker, with brighter eyes, and giving her a somewhat larger presence. The latest of which was rather unimportant, as the 'Ravagers' were naturally big anyway.

I was very tempted to welcome her more warmly but held myself back, opting to do so later.

With a brief glance around, Miwah and Narita seem not to mind.

Tama was rather amused, which reminded me I could somehow sense the vixen despite the fact she was standing quite far away, still occasionally adding her power to the fire, while amusing herself with the comments about me and the freshly returned monster girl.

It made me step away from Ekaterina, trying to come to terms with the wordless understanding, and it suddenly terrified me.

My motivation was, merely a few hours ago, to grasp the power of the scrolls to prevent the complete merging of minds.

Yet, it was happening. It was the missing consequence, the unknown penalty I was certain to come.

But why?

I looked around, this time more alarmed than confused, once again quickly looking around.

The humans seemed entirely ignorant of the change, their gaze fixated on Arke and her horrific mouthpiece, rather than what I was doing, let alone thinking.

The bat-girl, on the other hand, wanted to solve the more practical problem of having the creatures draw the carriages despite the fact that horses were terrified of our very smell, and presence.

I didn't want to focus on her thoughts, but once I realized I could sense each and every member of our horde it was like the metaphorical floodgates opened and there was no way to close them shut once more.

I shook my head violently, almost as if I could terminate the link this way, my discomfort growing by the second, but there was no way to put the proverbial genie back into the bottle.

My focus was slipping - there were no voices this time, no discordant choir of voices speaking atop of each other at the same time, one that was slowly threatening to turn into the absurdly captivating tune I could be drowned in.

Yet, there was a harmony - and I was afraid of it.

I took a few steps back.

A jolt of energy quickly brought me back to reality, an essence transfer by the 'Defiler'.

Albeit well-intentioned, it didn't help.

"Master? Are you feeling well? Master?" Narita asked, concerned, and I was suddenly fully aware she caught the mental glimpse of my discomfort, along with the attention slipping away, and came close to check on me.

However, this was not the end of it - the link was not interrupted, and the plethora of foreign thoughts swept through my brain, making me quite disoriented and lost in the noise of the telepathic chat room, with some of the messages not even being directed to me in the moment.

"Master, Arke wants to know if you have preferences about the animals." Miwah translated helpfully when I finally managed to tune out the intrusive thoughts visiting my brain, but by that point, I wasn't quite certain whether the voice of my mate came through some treacherous synapse in the changing brain, or was really received by my ears.

It was harrowing.

"No," I whispered to myself

I wanted out ... and at the same time, I wanted in as some previously unrealized part of me dreaded the absence of the connection that made us what we were, and toiled to keep the channel open, terrified of the silence that would come should it break.

That internal discord grew and grew until I couldn't make it anymore.

"I..." I said, pausing, trying to collect myself: "Just make sure the horses would pass the inspection and follow directions, even from the human. We will get humans to their city as we promised them."

I felt far too distraught to work this out at the moment and felt like I was in desperate need of some peace and quiet.

"Arke is in charge of returning the humans." I decided, quickly finishing the situation with: "Let her request help from different breeds."

With that, I turned around and left at a brisk pace towards the castle without realizing it would probably contain a larger host of my monster girls than the relatively low number that were amusing themselves outside.

Although our human guests - or prisoners, depending on the perspective - were preoccupied with dealing with our spokesperson in the form of Arke, and her personal zombified cohort, my girls had no such issue.

A small retinue of them simply followed me when I headed away, their telepathic presence still noticeable no matter how much I tried to distract myself from it.

Briefly, I wanted to scream at them to leave me alone but stopped myself immediately as I realized I was equally terrified of being left alone in this hostile, war-torn world, and I couldn't bear to be without them. It was just I couldn't handle being with them any better at the moment.

The caste was - as I expected - filled with activity, one which transpired on multiple, previously unrealized levels as I became increasingly cognitive of the constant mental chat, some relevant, and some completely redundant, making me finally realize the noise my girls were making.

I tried, once again, to focus on the physical.

Once the collapsed gate was guarded by a few more 'Ravagers' in full metal armour, along with the host of other breeds.

Some did nothing of substance - there was a 'Defiler' abusing its smaller size simply riding on the shoulders of the huge 'Ravagers' that stood guard - most of the girls were making themselves busy and were already working to make the place as inaccessible as possible, digging a trench which the fortress originally didn't have.

"For Master! Master! Master!" They cheered in greeting as I passed, but with my mind burdened with other matters, I tried to pay them no mind.

The first courtyard of the fortress was equally busy, with several horse-drawn carts likely procured from the local villages in the process of being loaded with the impressive number of chests contained within the keep's treasury, confirming that the previous owner of this place had amassed quite a great deal of wealth before encountering us.

Three horses, all of them already hitched into the carts, were at risk of being overburdened under the load they would soon have to drag, but it didn't seem to bother the animals even the slightest.

In fact, the horses just stood there, harnessed, their eyes staring into nothingness almost without a move, veins blackened, and the muscles strained under the mysterious force, with their notable breathing as the only sign they were something more than lifelike statues.

My monsters milled around without care, and the pair of 'Fleshspeakers' oversaw the commotion from above, perched on the part of the fortification where they could see the entire gathering.

I stopped and wondered about the content of the treasure chests, and the horses turned into fleshy automatons, proven soon to be a mistake as the sensation which I tried to shake down so much returned in intensity.

Previously unheard and unrealized telepathic chat was thriving with activity, and I was once again feeling slightly dizzy, struggling to focus on the soundless noise.

It was making me sick.

Hundreds of minds queried genuinely worried about my well-being, and I was, once again forced to rush to seek shelter deeper within the castle's keep, behind another pair of gates, as guarded as the previous.

It brought no relief, of course. I headed towards the largest concentration of my people, rather than away from them, putting a greater strain on my tired mind, and my desire to seek the safe, calm place made me seek the very location where the network of minds would be thickest. It was paradoxical, nearly insane, but I couldn't bring myself to run away from the growing collective.

Alone, and not alone at the same time, I collapsed in the hallway of the keep, sat on the floor, back against the wall, and put my head in my hands.

The minds swivelled, more concerned than ever.

They were all around - and though I was on the run away from them, I didn't want to leave.

I raised my head.

"Overview!"

[spoiler=Overview]

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The Master

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<The Root of All Evil, level 7>

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<Divinity, level. 0>

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Skills <7/7>

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<Scorched Earth lvl.32>

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<Slayer of Men lvl.32>

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<Great Devourer lvl.70>

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<Green Hell lvl. 40>

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<Slayer of Champions lvl. 17>

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<Stalker on the Boundary lvl. 8>

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<Messengers of the Ever-Living Horde Lvl.10>

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<Unlock in 7>

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Mates

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Miwah, The Bride of Shadows

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Tama, The Bride of Flames

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Narita, The Bride of Essence

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Units (Active)

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Helmy, The Purifier Alpha

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<Commands>

<1462/1728>

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27 Named Purifiers

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1,435 Purifiers

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Brave, The Eviscerator Alpha

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<Commands>

<1590/1851>

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61 Named Eviscerators

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1,529 Eviscerators

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Mia, The Defiler Alpha

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<Commands>

<656/656>

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8* Named Defilers

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648 Defilers

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Mai, The Corruptor Alpha

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<Commands>

<1420/1,630>

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14 Named Corruptors

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1406 Corruptors

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Kuma, The First Obliterator

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<Evolved Alpha>

<Commands>

<153/523>

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4 Named Ravagers

1 Named Obliterator

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147 Ravagers

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Sora, The Displacer Alpha

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<Commands>

<91/525>

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4 Named Displacers

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87 Displacers

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Arke, The Fleshspeaker Alpha

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<Commands>

<63/490>

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5 Named Fleshspeaker

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58 Fleshspeakers

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*Auxillary *

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Ari, The Herald of Root and Serpent

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5* Acolytes

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128* Flesh Drones

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Units (In queue)

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None

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None

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None

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None

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Sealed units

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None

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[/spoiler]

The overlay window appeared, without delay, taking out most of my view, yet offering none of the answers to what the change was, and what even triggered it. There were no skills to select, in truth the numbers themselves didn't change much from the last time I saw them.

There was no turn-off button either.

The skills didn't change - my power operated through those, looking for the constant excuse to bring more and more of my furry companions into this world, but this time, it left me hanging, leaving the numbers just the same.

Only the auxiliary section was expanded with the 'Acolytes' - another section which it didn't bother to explain, though it wasn't difficult to guess what they meant - a human. Whether they were mind-controlled, or unexpectedly friendly like Ari, remained a mystery, but I didn't quite care.

They couldn't be the cause of the change - even Ari herself was still listed as the Herald, of the Root and Serpent, which albeit mysterious, wasn't the cause of the problems, since it wasn't new.

Was the 'Divinity' there before?

Neither it nor the sudden class of human 'auxiliaries' or whatever it was, could explain why Ekaterina was back - I clearly recalled that the outcome of the ritual, and the misstep with absorbing magical stave, referred to elements as a source of conflict.

It was 'Elements' wasn't it?

They couldn't explain why I could feel the horde any time my mind slipped away from the numbers, their primary method of communication turning so inseparably maddening.

The voices battered me with queries, full of interest and consideration, and I wanted to run. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to run away, or towards them. It didn't take long until the corridor was filled with my furry menagerie.

The collection of minds grew concerned, and strong, furry hands lifted me up.

It was Ekaterina again, willing to carry me before I did anything foolish - I could feel the connection, to her, to all my beautiful girls, and I was torn by the internal struggle whether we were ever meant to be apart.

I felt calm in the presence of my girls, and my people, and while the fear of losing myself in the sea of minds so vast and overwhelming paralyzed me, I couldn't even imagine being without it.

It was like a fear of drowning, juxtaposed with a deep and prevalent thirst. Perhaps it wasn't a risk of sinking if I learned how to float.

As much as I was terrified with the prospect of losing myself in the collective mind network of the horde, embroiled in constant communication so intense that individual voices seemed intelligible, I also realized they were a part of me as much as I was part of them, and my attempt to push them to the background was like cutting my own limb.

Nevertheless, it was too tiring to swim in the telepathic sea, double so if I didn't have an idea how to do it in the first place.

"You can let me down now," I said.

"For Master!" Ekaterina refused while carrying me within the unexplored bowels of the fortress.

"What makes you different?" I asked, touching her gently, but my eyes were still fixated on the unhelpful screen invading my view. Then I decided to poke an illusionary interface with my shaking fingers, and it reacted.

After all, the nebulous and quite sinister change did give me my anthropomorphic ursine back, and it - or rather she - was a missing link in this whole mystery.

I forgot it worked this way.

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"Slayer of Champions, skill level 17 out of 70"

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| --- |

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Unit Count:

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Limit Until Root Expands

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Unit Type:

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Element:

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152

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523

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Ravager

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Steel

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2

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523

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Obliterator

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Steel / Arcane

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"Why?" I asked, the curiosity getting stronger than the increasing worry about the slippage of my mind - but I couldn't understand why the situation was any different than it was with Kuma, probably the only case where our kind collided with enchanted items.

I was restless.

The connection was throbbing inside my head, with intensity so intense it threatened my brain to burst out, and something within me screamed as I became overwhelmed by the increasing mental traffic, but I still clung to the need to understand.

"You are like Kuma," I said to my bear girl, "But then, you are not. There were no rituals with her. She was the second of my girls referred to as 'Obliterator', wasn't she?"

No, I needed to find out - where was the logic in any of this?

I didn't understand why it happened, on the whim where one was making my 'Alpha' stronger and the other threatened to lose me, making me shake in the uncertainty as my brain once again fully realized it was connected to something out there.

Why was I now networked with the rest of my people?

Ekaterina put me down on the bed, in some appropriate room within the keep.

Why was this any different from the other?

What even was the ritual?

I must talk with the Sage again.

I tried to stand up, but swirling thoughts made me lose my sense of direction, preventing me from heading towards the door.

The countless minds were even more excited now I acknowledged my presence, and all wanted to reach me, at the same time, once again creating an impression of something overwhelming.

It didn't feel like my sense of self was slipping away, but the strange, unexplainable need to respond to more than a thousand messages wasn't any less overbearing.

I almost lost direction in the relatively small room, plummeting to the ground when my leg gave up suddenly.

Miwah caught me.

My beautiful werewolf.

I wanted to understand.

"Master. You need to rest."

My last sensation was being buried in fluff.