Chapter 23 - The Old Ones

Three big stones floated in front of Frainer, as his three eyes... Sunk inside his body in concentration. Higler and Drake watched from a few meters away while they waited for their diner to finish roasting. Whatever Ifere they were cooking over their campfire, there wasn't much left of it.

"Come on, Frainer, you can do it!"

The three stones slowly rotated, making a full circle before the Ifere was finally exhausted, and dropped it. Drake picked him up, and praised it while Higler watched with a weird smile.

"If you two have finished your training, the food is ready."

Drake shrugged, and used his knife to cut a piece of meat before stuffing it in his mouth. It had been four days since they left Fallen Star City. Their next stop was Park, a small village next to a river. As for the reason they were going to stop there, it was simply because one could only go so many days in the wilderness without feeling the need to sleep in a soft bed.

Suddenly, as they were eating, it started raining. It was almost negligible at first, but it started to get stronger.

"Crap. Pull out your coat, Drake. This is going to be a long night."

He frowned, but there was nothing they could do. Although the trees provided a little cover, it wasn't much. The nearest sign of civilization was at least a day away, so they would have to deal with it. No one could compete with the forces of nature.

Lightning struck down, and deafening thunder followed it. Soon, it was raining so hard they could barely see past their noses.

"Drake! Make sure the Yscalents are well tied! If they get scared by the thunder and run away, we are done for!"

He nodded, and went towards the two mounts. They were scratching the ground nervously, and were pulling against the ropes that tied them to a tree.

"Woah! Calm down, calm down. Shhhhh..."

After a few minutes of patting and shushing, the two Yscalents finally calmed down. Drake was about to return to the now extinguished campfire when he heard a shriek.

His body froze instantly, and his mind went numb. He couldn't do anything but look forward. It was as if an invisible force was pulling him. Higler, Warkin, Frainer, and the Yscalents were in the same situation.

Slowly, calmly, an Ifere showed itself to them. It was about five or six meters tall, and twenty meters long. It's six legs ended up in paws with claws the size of Drake's arm. The fur was of a deep blue, with spots of a slightly lighter shade.

Sparks zapped across it's body, from his head to the tips of his triple tails, which split right at the end of it. It's head was huge, sharp teeth showing outside it's mouth and snout. The four eyes were golden, with a vertical slit in the middle.

It was beautiful. There was no other way of describing it. Even if Drake was rooted on the spot by what he could only assume was a primordial fear of the being in front of him, he couldn't help but admire it. It was as if it was an embodiment of the storm that was raging.

The Ifere focused it's four eyes on Drake, and walked over to him. He wanted to run, fight, scream, or hide, but he couldn't. All he could do was stare as it got close to the point where he could touch it if he was able to move his body.

The being sniffed him, and Drake saw a flash of intelligence in it's eyes. After that, it looked at Frainer and Warkin, and... Purred?

Before Drake could process what was happening, the Ifere turned around and disappeared between the trees. With it went the storm, and the moon appeared again. It was only a few minutes later that Drake could move again, although all he did was collapse to the ground, panting. He couldn't care less about the mud and his wet clothes.

"W-What... What was that?"

"That... That was an Old One. I just saw them a few times during my life. Never this one."

"What is an Old One?"

Higler sighed, and got up before he started packing their things. He wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, even if it meant traveling through the night.

"Old Ones are the only Iferes in this world that have two types. I would say water and electric for this one. Legends say they are the offspring of a Mystic Ifere with a normal ones. They inherit their parents' types, and, sometimes, their godhood. Old Ones are immortal and powerful, or so the legends say. And, seeing one so close, I am inclined to believe."

For a long time, none of them said anything. They were lucky that the Old One decided to let them live. Because that's what happened. He had total control over their life and death, and, in the end, decided not to kill them. Maybe it was not worth the effort. The poor Warkin and Frainer, as well as the Yscalents, were still frozen in place. Clearly, the creature had a bigger impact on them.

After a few minutes, they were back on the road. The Yscalents were still walking stiffly, but at least they were calm.

Drake couldn't get the image of the Old One off his mind. What kind of power was that, to be able to freeze others due to his aura alone? He was sure it wasn't a skill or anything like that. It was just the absolute respect and fear his body had for something much older and more powerful than him.

"Will we see it again?"

"This one? I don't know. Old Ones have many habits. Some roam the world, others stay in one place for hundreds of years. They are smart, intelligent. Some even more than humans. If we are to see it again, the decision is not up to us."

He shrugged. In his many years as a ranger, he had seen many Old Ones. Every time, the sensation was the same. Of being powerless before a being superior to him.

After that, they stayed silent. Both had their heads full. In the end, they found a spot to camp a few kilometers away, and decided to catch a pitiful three hours of sleep before sunrise.

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Somewhere else in the world, another storm was unfolding. However, this one was different. It was... Evil.

Black lightning struck down, creating gigantic craters. Thousands upon thousands of kilometers of forest were burning in purple fire. The screeches of wild Iferes burning alive were even louder than the thunder.

"A few more years... Just a few more years, and I will reclaim back everything you took from me! Do you hear me?! Mystic Iferes or whatever humans call you, you will all perish, and I will become God again!"

The voice resonated through the world, but only a few could hear it. In fact, only twelve beings, who suddenly appeared in the eye of the storm.

"He is getting more powerful. Soon, he will break free. A century, maybe less."

"We can only hope that he will be ready for when it happens."

"Don't you think we should take him? Teach him what he needs to know?"

"It would be of no use. My son saw him. He is still too weak. Too inexperienced."

"We risk creating a new enemy if we keep him in the dark."

"We won't have that discussion again! It was decided by vote, and we shall follow it! Try to reinforce the seal, get us as much time as you can."

"I will. But I still disagree."

"You made that very clear already."

"Shut up, you two. There is no use in fighting between us. For now, all we can do is wait."

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While the Mystic Iferes talked about the chosen one, Drake, Higler, and their partners were staring at a gruesome sight. Two bodies were hanging from a tree, right on the side of the road. But that wasn't the worse. The bodies were naked, and full of cuts. Evidently, they had been tortured before they were hung.

"What beast would do that?"

"One that walks on two feet just like us, Drake. Come on, let's get to work. We can't leave them there. Start digging."