Taken Horizon Origin, volume 2, Descension

Episode 25 : Sentience meets Corruption

It's now been two weeks now since i was revived. Steadily I've managed to build up my rapport with the other's kralscell's by teaching them odd facts about aether. They even joined my lessons on it with Pettel and the other's who were already there.

"Come on Etrill! Take him down!" Maren, the kralscell of fear, rooted for the muscly man on the opposite side of the table to me.

Holding my pale hand in his large grip furiously the brute brought all the strength inside his muscles forth as we arm wrestled atop a slab of stone

"I've got good money on you, Strife! Win or your dead to me!" Shouting behind me Thorn gave what i hoped was support and not a death threat

Sweating from my brow some darkened silver locks fell from my hair in front of my eyes as i groaned in resistance to the pressing gravity of the man's strength opposite of me. The back of my hand was just barely a few inches from the floor and shaking closer to the stone as the seconds passed

"Going to give up yet?" Breathing out on his sweat covered face, Etrill roared with ambition in his voice.

"Never!" Hissing back i powered my right arms muscles with pure spite managing to lift up my hand to forty-five degrees.

The other kralscell's watched mine and Etrill's contest of strength closely, both of us using only a minuscule amount of aether to help us. Etrill had a higher talent for body strengthening with aether than i did making me really work against him when he already had a stronger physique and more muscular build than mine.

"Who you thinking is gong to win?" Durvin sipped his beer as he spoke with Raptor

"As good as Strife is in a fight, he's done for I'm afraid." Not supporting me at all the former general of Ignis held no faith for me

Losing strength in my arm as the heat from Etrill's body rose, my hand dropped back to where it was before. Gritting my teeth I resisted with all i could but the result was already set in stone.

"Ahhh!" With a final push Etrill slammed my hand down against the stone table's surface. Standing up from his seat the large bodied savage howled in excitement as Maren and Sofia flocked to his sides excitedly.

Sighing at my defeat i shook off my hand as Thorn tutted his tongue whilst having to hand Durvin several of his stolen gadgets back

Patting my back Neveah was the only one to console me, "it's alright sir Strife. I still like you even if you did lose."

"Thank you for that Neveah." Glad I had someone to console me I stroked Neveah's white scalp feeling the aether inside of her had gotten more abundant. Noticing her cheeks had gotten red i asked, "what's the matter? You ill?" Getting closer to her face to check Neveah got flustered

"i-I'm fine! Just remembered i had to help mister Invoker! Bye!" Darting off to the elevator, Neveah headed for the security room getting far from me quickly.

Hearing childish mocking laughter behind me i questioned how i should punish Thorn. 'Look whose scaring little girls just because he lost.' Slowly creaking around from where i sat i peered into Thorn and he zipped his beak shut tightly.

Sighing again i couldn't believe that even Neveah was getting scared of me now. I understand my eye's aren't the easiest thing to look into and that my looks are subpar but this just sucks. "I really need to do something to appear more friendly."

"Hah?!?" Exclaiming loudly Thorn looked at me disparaged like i had missed something incredibly obvious. Shutting his beak again though i could tell Thorn found it funnier to not explain.

Standing up from where i sat i left Thorn's sarcasm aside. Something I've been working on the past two weeks to replace [severance fist] was close to completion and now i just needed to fine tune the performance