Chapter 13: Into the Unknown

The next day came with the grey clouds slowly brightening up, the occasional ash falling from time to time. John had been working for the entire night, sending orders to the Drones transporting material piles to Scorran's location and aiding in the building of the shelter.

The tree shelter that Merelia and the two kids were making was already half done. When day broke through the clouds, only a few more areas needed construction before it can be officially done. John was interested in the tree house they built. Standing at the base of the tree, a makeshift vine ladder crafted from thick branches and vine invites people togo upinto the sanctuary above..

Upon reaching the elevated platform, a spacious wooden deck unfolds, supported by stout beams securely fastened to the tree's sturdy branches. Weathered planks form a solid foundation underfoot, their rough-hewn texture lending an earthy authenticity to the structure. Even if the shelter was made only over a day and night, reaching the following day for finishing touches.

The shelter itself is craftsmanship, constructed from reclaimed timber, planks, vine and ropes; and expertly joined to create a snug haven. The walls, fashioned from interlocking wooden panels, provide protection from the elements while allowing the natural ambiance of the forest to permeate the space within.

Windows, with only sticks and a thin cloth, filter sunlight into the interior, casting a warm, dappled glow across the wooden floors. A simple door, with a crescent moon carved into the oak, swings open to reveal the somewhat inviting interior with simple furniture for making, carving certain things.

Inside, the shelter is thoughtfully appointed for comfort and functionality. A central unlit fireplace crafted from rough-hewn stone to surround it and twigs or sticks.Cosy floor pillow arrangements, fashioned with intricately woven stars and a new moon, beneath it was a rug with the same design other than the moon being half instead of new. A small dining area, adorned with handcrafted tableware, provides a space for shared meals.

John was surprised by how many items were built and carved from just a day passing. Not as surprised sincere he speculated that the majority of the items and scarce furniture came from either their own personal items or used items from the deceased. Only thing left to finish was the rope bridge and a few walls. The materials and ore were mixed together and were placed to the side of the tree. The materials were simple ones like wood, stone, twigs, sticks, leaves, and some random fruits that were strangely coloured. The ore on the other hand were quite few and random since John can't differentiate them.

'Go back.' John ordered the Drones to return back to the mountain pool and continue their patrol routes if ever. Looking back, John made eye contact with Scorran, who was carrying a sack. 'What's that?' He asked once he connected with Scorran's tether. As a reply, Scorran opened the sack and raised it up like an offering. John moved his perspective and looking into the bag, it was filled with some sort of grass and flowers with different varieties. John only recognized a few used in herbal teas and occasional medicine. 'This must be a sack full of herbs.' John deduced while observing the ones he didn't recognize closely, since it might prove useful in the future. 

Then something pulled at his connection, splitting his senses, John found out that the expedition team he sent out had returned to the forest periphery. Among the group was Professor Berk, John had to double take on what he was seeing through one of the drones eyes. Berk was being carried like he was a trophy of some kind, the Drone that held him had wrapped one of its tails on his waist and raised him in the air. 

'Is…is he alright?' John worriedly thought as the professor was unmoving with his head down. John was panicking inwardly since he just remembered that he didn't specify how to transport the professor back, he just allowed the professor to join their return back to the main pool. Fortunately, John sighed in relief when he noticed the professor's chest move up and down when he switched his vision closer. 'I'll just prepare fruits as an apology. ::' John thought to himself before ordering a couple of drones to look for fruits inside the forest.

John said his goodbyes to Scorran and returned his perspective back to the surface of the main pool. Surprisingly, the two siblings were still soundlessly asleep. The Drone that laid down with them was already standing up and beside it was Ry holding a babbling baby, who sometimes reached and stretched their arms out from time to time. Connecting to the tether, John sent a greeting message making Ry gently turn and face the still laid down Tank. "You're awake." Ry said in a somewhat surprised tone, moving his arms to adjust the baby's position to let it feel comfortable. For a time, John had managed to feed the baby via mashed fruit, although he was planning to make a trade with the officials of Elden city for some baby food in exchange for some minerals and ores he found. Feeding mashed fruits alleviates hunger but it's not good in the long run. 

Once the group entered the forest and began spreading out all over John's territory, Wickerman-01 and the Drone carrying the professor went directly to the main pool. The sudden influx of John's creation made Ry pick up his guard, protectively holding the baby and backing up when a few swarmers ran past him. "What's going on?" Ry said with confusion and worry in his tone, standing in front of his younger siblings , who just now woke up. 'They are the expedition team the master sent to the city.' John explained to Ry about the current situation, controlling the Tank to slowly stand up when the two kids were also standing up from their position. 

"Expedition team?" Ry said in wonder and curiosity, pondering what the team had found in the city and eager to know its current state. 'The master sent them out to clear the areas closest to the forest periphery; next, they were to scavenge anything they could find.' The Tank stood upright now, its tails in a scorpion-like position as it gestured to the Wickermans while explaining, 'Those are Wickermans. They can morph their limbs into weapons and heat them up by absorbing temperature. The spikes on their backs are used as ammunition, which is transferred to their morphed limb before being shot out.' Then John gestured to a group of Swarmers, who were chattering and moving like a black spot on the ground. 'Those are Swarmers. They have the ability to conjoin with one another to form the obvious black spot you see before you. They also use conjoinment as a way to reach areas they can't access due to height or length.' A group of wandering corpses emerged from the withered bushes, rigid and stiff, holding various items in their arms. 'Those are another ability of the Swarmers. They insert themselves into the host's back and pierce them with needle-sized appendages. The long stingers are used to pierce into the skin and directly into the spine, sending out micro electricity to control the host's movements.'

Ry felt disgusted when he knew of the Swarmers ability to take over a person's body, whether be living or not. He saw it as something worse than raiders and cultists do to poor camps. Ry turned around and moved his body to block his siblings eyes, he didn't want them to see and it brought back bad memories. Memories that Ry wished to never come up. Memories of people in white flashed by, wearing faceless and animal masks on their faces. Each of them holding torches and various weapons like axes, knives, cleavers, swords, and curved daggers. The a flash of a place burning with people screaming and fighting, the robed figures clashing blades with people who were defending their homes, their lives, their family.

Then a gloved hand placed itself on his shoulder. Turning his head was—. 'Ry? Are you alright?' Ry woke up from his trance, the memory fading from view and looking up to Amalgam that had bent themself down. Ry felt the concern radiating from Amalgam, almost making him smile. Ry shook his head and looked at his younger siblings. "I'm fine…I-I'm not a fan of them." 

Amalgam nodded their head, Ry felt it was reminiscent of someone, 'I would agree with you, but I'm quite in favour of them. With them, we can at least lessen undead hordes and use them for other functions.' Amalgam made a gesture to look, Ry only turned his head and saw a cart being pulled by a Drone in front, beside the cart were Swarmer host pulling from the sides. The cart was filled with different kinds of assortments. From a few stacks of cans to a bundle of clothes and cloth. Ry also noticed two red cases with a white cross on it. 'Med kits!' Ry shouted in his mind, before he remembered that he was already saved and his siblings safe. 

Looking back to Amalgam, the large beast moved over to the side and made a low growl. The sound of trees moving attracted his attention. Beast that looked the same with Amalgam moved out from the trees, carrying trees with roots still clumped in soil. Then another beast in similar looks came out but the tails were pointed to its front like a cannon. Ry glanced at Amalgam in confusion before he continued to watch, his siblings now stood beside him watching as well in awe.

The Tanks trudged to the pool, Ry wondered what was in that pool to make it so black as night, before dropping the trees they were carrying to the pool. "Why are they throwing trees in the pool?" Ry turned his head and asked Amalgam, who in turn looked down on him. 'The pool feeds on things and generates energy with the absorbed materials. Through that, we use it as a way to energise ourselves.' Amalgam gestured to look, making Ry turn his head and saw one of the Drones dipping its fingers in the pool before leaving. 

"Their chests aren't glowing?" Ry said his observation out loud. Amalgam chuckled. 'They absorb what they need, mine glows for the reason of using the energy and in helping you control yours.' Amalgam spread their hands wide, palms facing upwards. The energy in Amalgam chest pulsed before it slither towards their palm, then a slight distortion began to appear just slightly above their palm. "Whoa…" Ry watched in fascination. The distortion began to get more noticeable and twisted. 'This power…is dangerous.' 

Amalgam then threw it into a nearby tree. The speed was as fast as a bullet, it left no sound, only a visible trail of distortion in its wake. Once it contacted the tree, Ry felt something expand like a field. Then Ry saw it, the distortion grew and covered the entire tree and the ground it grew in. Then nothing, the field itself collapsed inward dragging the tree and soil with it. Then a small orb dropped to the ground. The field had collapsed and condensed its surroundings into that small orb. 'Now you see how dangerous it is…' Amalgam sent towards him. They turned around and focused their gaze in a direction. Ry followed suit to look. 

The other Drones were growling, tails raised high for combat. The ones similar to Amalgam were letting out huffs of air, arms wide before it morphed into crescent blades that bend inwards. The Wickermen morphed one of their arms into cannons, the other forming into various weapons. The Swarmers were letting out high pitch screeching like claws to a chalkboard. The bushes moved and from it came out a large wolf that rivalled Amalgam's full height. It was covered in fresh wounds that still spurted out blood. Panting like no tomorrow.

'Ry, one of the Drones will transport all of you to a safe place.' Amalgam told him before they walked forward towards the Wolf King. 'Something dangerous is coming and I will not let you be in the middle of it.' Without another word, Ry suddenly found himself hoisted up into the air along with his younger siblings. The Drone that took care of them was on all fours before it dashed deeper into the forest. "AMALGAM WAIT!!!" Ry managed to yell out before his vision was covered in trees and wind blowing past him.

...…..

John ignored Ry's shout, and made the Tank stop in front of the injured Wolf King. It had managed to control its breathing and was now directly looking at John. It wasn't looking at the Tank in front of it, but the main pool in the centre of the clearing.

John wasn't surprised at all when he saw the Wolf King's gaze unmoving. Relinquishing control, John returned back to the surface of the pool before he controlled it to raise a tendril of pool water high in the air. Unhesitatingly, the Wolf King stepped forward and limped to the tendril. 'What has happened to you?' John wondered, the Wolf King was powerful in offence and defence even without its speed and ferocity. It was one of the smarter mutants and one of the more docile that John had met these past months.

Once the Wolf King was near the pool, John gently lowered the tip of the tendril and pointed it to the Wolf King. Letting out a heavy huff, the Wolf King in turn stepped closer and let the tip of the tendril touch its forehead.

Then memories began flooding in, surprising John from the suddenness he first saw from the Wolf King's perspective. It was atop a mound of rock, looking down on its pack members, before it changed to another showing a scene of it running at the very front with the group following behind it. An echoing howl sounded from the scene before it changed again and showed the clearing where one of its members were sacrificed and taken below ground before it changed into the entire group it brought fighting something huge and fleshy.

The next were some wolves laying in the ground unmoving, the Wolf King panting with the majority of the surviving members beside it also covered in wounds and soil. They growled at something covered in the shadow yet visible from how large it was. It was backing away, retreating from whence it came. There the vision of memories ended, John found himself back to the main pool; the Wolf King had stepped back and observed the tendril. John digested the memory he saw and the bits of information he had manage to get.

'The Wolf King's territory was invaded by two mutants, one possibly a mutant insect. On the other hand, the other mutant was fleshy and large.' John focused his thought into making theories about the other mutant. 'It could possibly be a clumps of flesh or something akin to a new infected mutation.' John focused back to his surroundings and made the tendril return back to the pool before sending out an order to all of his creations in the area. 'Prepare for Combat.'

With a single unified movement, John's creations began to scatter all over and kept dropping trees or bushes into the pool, the Wolf King was already leaving, seemingly done with its objective. 'It wanted me to know and make a move.' John deduced with narrowed eyes. He knew of its plot but he wanted to know what had caused it to be left in such a stat.

'Onto battle then…'