Traversing Worlds

Arc One Ch. 2

The soul transfer completed without a hitch and in relative ease compared to when she had first begun this journey. Though was given little breathing room when her mind was quickly swarmed by all of the emotions, smells and memories of the original. It created an intensive pressure that was brief yet severe enough to leave her momentarily paralyzed. In this moment she centered herself which was in danger of being crushed underneath the original's self. The sturdy form of her soul forged over many worlds stood with ease under such a chaotic bombardment of information.

Kira Frost, this would be her new identity while traveling throughout this world. As she began to piece the information overload into something understandable, a hand tightly squeezing onto her pulled her consciousness to the surface. "Kira dear can you hear me?"

A tender voice full of panic called out. "Kurou, she fainted!"

"Don't panic Ingrid she will be fine." A deep male voice replied in a reassuring tone. "Let's not move her and send Jun to fetch the healer." He suggested, his voice sounding clearer as he'd got closer.

"Ah! You are right Kurou." She cried quickly releasing her hold on Kira whom she'd been trying and failing to shake awake.

Internally things had turned awkward for Kira as she tried to decide the best way to handle this moment before it got further out of hand. "Aunt Ingrid, Uncle Kurou...I am fine." She'd gently called out in a weak voice while opening her eyes that were wet with tears. Ingrid's face went slack with relief seeing how quickly Kira regain consciousness.

Ingrid helped her into a sitting position on the floor causing her to be caught off guard by the scents she could now detect including her own. She paled a bit as thoughts of how everyone in this world could do the same. Ingrid kept a somewhat tight hold on Kira's small shoulders as if afraid she might fall again.

Kurou dark brown eyes narrowed as he watched her. "It's alright to show your feelings Kira, we are here for you." He said in a much softer voice causing her to sniff before covering her eyes and being to cry as she poured out the sadness felt by the original allowing it to mask her scent.

"How could they die Uncle Kurou both momma and papa, have always been so strong." She said with her voice slightly cracking as her teary eyes looked up at his face.

Kurou held a look of anguish while looking down at his fists. "You can't just depend on strength alone Kira. My sister...your mother knew this as well and was able to take their attacker's life but cost them their own." Kira noticed the self-blame on his face but decided not to inquire further.

She nodded having understood he was talking about keeping to the pack. The message they'd received spoke of how Karin and Edwin had gotten separated from their group and ran into a lone wolf, which they had first tried to persuade to leave the territory but then were attacked. Help didn't arrive until it was too late, finding Edwin's throat ripped out while Karin had died still clutching their attacker's throat. She had died from blood loss due to multiple injuries that she had sustained during the fight.

This story didn't sit right with the Frost family but they couldn't prove anything as it was too far to travel from Stonemason to Pine Wood in a timely manner to investigate. The inquiries were only dropped so quickly afterward due to a rouge pack trying to invade into the Stonemason pack territory.

"I understand Uncle Kurou." She said rubbing at her eyes though the tears continued to fall from the corners of her eyes. After wiping away the tears that hadn't had a chance to fall Kurou gave her a sad smile.

"You don't have to decide now but you can consider this pack your home Kira." Hearing this Kira mutely nodded feeling the family bond that the original had missed so dearly after making the decision to go back to the Pine Wood pack.

Kira silently sat with Ingrid for a while after Kurou had left to attend to his duties.

Finally feeling freed of the intense emotions she turned to Ingrid, she was a delicate beauty that was enhanced more so when surrounded by those born native to the Stonemason Mountain rang. Her light sandy brown hair fell past her shoulders though some of it had been placed into braids. She wore a fur coat that was much thicker and softer than what others would wear.

"Thank you for sitting with me Aunt Ingrid." She said in a much clearer voice and though her tears had dried up the redness was still noticeable.

"Anytime you need me Kira dear." She said with a smile that held a hint of sadness in her light green eyes.

Parting ways Kira found herself in the room that the original had been sharing with her older cousin Edith. There was a pair of twin beds pushed up against a wall leaving some room to move around and covered in neatly piled animal furs while at the end of each bed there was a chest that contained their personal effects. Taking up a seat on the closer of the two beds Kira opened the system interface and found a message from System-One begging her allow just a few measly games. In return she sent a warning back that upped the offer to after two more worlds without being allowed to gamble.

Clicking open the world mission she found it contained a simple objective, prevent Marcus the original's mate from becoming an Alpha. There were also no requirements stated as to how she was to accomplish this task making it one of the easier mission worlds that she had encountered so far on her journey.

Taking a deep breath and focusing on the name Marcus, memories slowly began to surface of a teenager not much older than the original at that time. Her first glimpse of him had been when he and the others from the Blue Valley pack arrived. Where the others all held either a reserved or uneasy attitude towards their new surroundings, he projected a calm and confident attitude. He stood slightly taller than the rest of the group and had taken up a spot in front. The jumble of emotions experienced by the original during this first sighting also gave some insight to Kira on how mates within this world worked. Basic animal instincts, for the original she found her own immature instinct screaming at her that Marcus would make the most optimal mate.

Though it appeared that even with such a strong feeling of attraction it didn't mean that they were destined to be mated for the rest of their lives. Personalities and circumstance also played a heavy roll in this matter.

Seeing that none of the side missions were currently available to be view Kira closed the system interface and let out a tired sigh. Rubbing at her face a simple thought continued to run through her mind, 'I am me and no one else' in an attempt to center herself and not get swept away by a torrent of emotions that weren't her own.