Fear

No matter how many beetles Dorin ate, it only took the edge off of his hunger. He had tried to urge Eki to leave the swamp completely, but his companion only turned back to look towards Dorin. It was as if he was judging him, to see if he was truly worthy to be his master.

'I can't keep running away.'

If Dorin ever wanted to be powerful enough to protect his ego beasts, then he needed to do whatever he could to become stronger. How could ever hope to match up to people like Ara, or the Spire, if he couldn't handle mere bugs. He was not the Dorin of the past, he was a spark.

Eki bellowed with joy as Dorin made that realization, and he nearly fell off Eki's back as his companion rushed back into the swamp. 

Dorin couldn't manifest any of his weapons or armor, but he dove into the murky water anyway. Dorin morphed into Jax's form as several red aura's surrounded him. 

Dorin had no idea of their true form, but he rushed towards one of them with his mouth wide open. He bit down on slimy flesh, and soon enough its aura died without a fight. 

The other predators in the water took that as their time to strike, and Dorin felt teeth scrape against his side. 

It seemed like they dislodged something from his skin, and immediately Dorin felt them pull away from him. They were only able to get a few inches away however, and Dorin was able to see that the red lines that spiraled around his body had come loose. 

They snagged whatever came near, even to the point of dragging along the bottom of the swamp. Dorin thrashed around, biting whatever came close enough to his mouth after being shredded by his red spirals. 

Soon enough Dorin had eaten his fill, and the hunger that threatened to devour himself was abated. 

Dorin broke through the surface, turning back into his human form as he watched Eki battle against the beetles. 

The smaller beetles had no chance, and were killed on sight. The larger ones however were able to put up a good fight, and were able to dodge Eki's bite with their wings. A few of the beetles were trapped in Eki's antlers, piercing themselves with every movement. One beetle managed to get out without Eki noticing, and Dorin knew he had to help his companion.

Dorin spat out his ego, and it landed on a two. 

A dark armor with large red spots spread across his entire body, covering his face last. His right hand turned into a giant claw, and it snapped shut with a frightening crack that even made Eki turn towards him.

'My turn.'

Dorin rushed towards Eki, crushing the beetle that had landed onto Eki's back in his claw. It exploded in his grip, shooting its baby black beetles everywhere. 'That didn't work as expected.'

His left arm was completely black, and all of the beetles that touched it were absorbed. It was slick to the touch, and as he whipped his arm forward, a spray of dark liquid shot out. The liquid sought out all of the beetles, before slowly returning to him. 

As the liquid slid up Dorin's body, his armor seemed to expand and become a little bit harder. 

'I think I've found my new favorite power.'

Dorin bathed in the glory of his own strength, something he might never have discovered if he hadn't faced his fear. 

Morah had told him that his ego's power was created based on his emotions, and he wondered what would happen if he chose to just run away from everything. Dorin didn't know exactly how it worked, but he was pretty sure that the only power he would ever obtain would be a greater ability to escape.

As nice as that might be, he would never be able to face anything truly strong. Ara, the Spire, and even Morah would be out of his reach forever. Dorin didn't think Eki would follow someone who chose to run at every opportunity.

Dorin and Eki tore their way through the swamp, crushing every beetle they found. Eventually they reached the territory's edge, and Dorin saw dozens of giant beetles rushing back towards the city. They were easily three times the size of anything they had seen in the swamp, and they were dragging various large creatures with them. 

'What are these bugs doing?'

Dorin expected to see Ara on his way back through the swamp, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Part of him wished she got out alive, but after every death at her hand he wouldn't care if she was among the dead being brought back to the city. 

Looking at Eki, Dorin wondered what to do next. His companion huffed and stomped his feet, as if ready to continue their slaughter. The elk had become a similar size to when he had become consumed by a demon, a full two heads taller than Dorin in his new form. Dorin no longer felt consumed by fear when he looked into his companion's eyes, but now his aura had turned into a large red eye that stared back at him. 

Dorin patted Eki on the neck, and the two of them charged towards the nearest giant beetle. The insect as well as those around it didn't seem to care about either of them, as they simply continued to rush back towards the city at their top speed. Even once Dorin had it between his claws, it had no care for its own life, continuing to push itself towards the city.

'. . . Something is seriously wrong here.'