Arthur's eyes opened in his new body and it came alive as though waking up from slumber. And for the first time since his death, Arthur felt alive. His Consciousness was vibrant and filled with clarity.
A far cry from the muted awareness of his astral form drifting through existence. Everything before now felt like a long dream that had started at the moment of his death. Now he felt truly real.
His conscious awareness traversed his entire body as it lay suspended in the nimbus of spirit energy that swirled around him.
At the center of his chest, his spirit core pulsed, steady, powerful, like a heart but stronger. Each pulse sent waves of energy rippling outward through channels that branched like veins, filling his limbs with liquid light. Spirit energy, not blood, but the sensation was the same.Vitality
He drew in, not breath, but essence. The ambient spiritual energy of the grove flowed into him, pulled by the gravity of his core. It cycled through his body, refining, strengthening, feeding the vessel. He felt the ambient spirit essence like wind, air and the heat of the sun filling the atmosphere.
His armor felt real and as much a part of him as the rest of his body. It was an outer shell meant to protect his body and core, his last line of defense.
His fingers twitched. He clenched his fist and felt the resistance, the tension in muscles made of condensed spirit matter. He moved his arm, slow at first, then faster. The body responded perfectly. What an exhilarating feeling! To move a hand so effortlessly, without exhaustion and pain.
His consciousness sat at the center of it all, no longer adrift but anchored.
But one feeling rose above all else.
Strength.
Raw, overwhelming strength.
Arthur willed his body to the ground and stood, the motion effortless, new and foreign to him. He felt power hum beneath his skin. His human body had been frail, mortal, denied of all strength. This was different. The energy coursing through him wasn't just alive, it was vast. Boundless. He could feel it waiting, coiled like a spring, ready to explode at his command.
He clenched his fist again, harder this time, and the air around it shimmered.
For the first time in his existence, he felt truly alive.
Arthur spread his arms, giving in to the feeling of being alive. of feeling strong. He shouted at the world in celebration as he reveled at the feeling of life within him!
Arthur spent the next few moments enjoying his new found body. He walked around the grove. He touched the trees and pulled at the leaves, he kicked and spun. He danced. He laughed and clapped his hands. Everything he had never done with his body. This was an amazing feeling!
*******************************"
Olan the spirit beast.
Olan halted at the edge of the trees to better observe his new found treasure. He was greedy not stupid and he needed information before rushing in. He followed the flow of spirit energy to where it was being drawn and he found something. His saw a small spirit creature in the middle of the groove.
This creature was barely as tall as one of his limbs. One bite of Olan's jaws could rip it in half and one swipe of Olan's claws could shred his red hide to pieces. Yet this weak looking spirit creature, foreign to Olan was at the center of the flowing spirit energy.
A cocoon of bluish golden light swirled around him, gentle currents of energy circling his body in lazy spirals. Was this it's power or had it eaten the treasure that Olan had come seeking?
Upon observation Olan deduced that it was the later.
The creature had no menacing qualities. It was doing a bunch of weird motions with its body completely unaware of Olan's presence and no sense of danger or territory.
It must have been here when the treasure spawned and it had taken it in. The effects of the treasure had not yet taken root in it's soft body. Perhaps it thought the weird jiggy movements it made with its body would entice the treasure to assimilate faster within its body.
How unlucky for it that Olan had been nearby. Olan would eat him in two bites, devouring its essence, core and the treasure he assumed was lodged in its core. A feast to repair his wounded pride.
Olam briefly got lost in his fantasies picturing the mountain creatures trembling at his presence. He brought himself back to the present. His mind made up. It was time to feast!
His attack plan eas clear, first, he would paralyze the creature with a spirit wave radiating his menace, Then he rip his pathetic hide with his claws and bite into him, drinking his essence raw! He wouldn't even have to use his innate skill here.
Olam strode into the clearing of trees radiating all the menace of a predator. He let out a blast of waves of intimidation, that assualted the sod creature.
The creature stopped in it's nonsensical movements, turning to face Olan, it's golden eyes widened with obvious fear. Olan would not give it time to think. He pounced, it's left paw raises, silver claws gleaming and Jaws wide open. It would not give the creature any time to react.
Its end would be swift.
The creature, eyes bright with fear, pushed one of its upper limbs in Olan's direction. The cacoon of essence surged forward like a rushing tide following the hand motion. It engulfed around Olan, thickening into a gelatinous mass of energy trapping Olan mid air.
His claws were inches away from the creature yet he was bound tightly by the essence that held. Was this the creature's Innate skill? No matter, It wouldn't hold Olan! He pushed against it, straining physically and releasing waves of energy against the binding cacoon. But the cacoon held him as tightly as his body held his core.
The creature moved back from Olan, probably afraid that it's trick would not hold Olan's might.
Suddenly it's eyes took on a dangerous glint as it looked at Olan. Olan's instincts screamed at him to run. the same instincts that had saved him from the monsters that slaughtered his pack. He raged with renewed might against the cacoon that held him.
The creature, with deliberate intention, clenched the fingers of its limb into a fist and the cacoon of energy burst into an inferno of flames.
Olan roared in pain as the flames devoured his body. The last thing he saw were those golden terrible eyes. A Monster had stepped into the cradle!
***************
Arthur had been mid jig when waves of psychic terror assaulted him. It felt like a dangerous dog suddenly barking at him. He turned alert and panicked. He had forgotten that he was in a territory of dangerous spirit beasts.
Before him was an elephant sized white tiger with golden stripes. its huge claws and teeth were silver and sharp. It had a white golden aura around it's huge body. it was the source of the terror waves.
It lunged towards Arthur, Claws lifted to strike and jaws wide open to take Arthur in one bite!
Panicked, Arthur directed the cacoon of essence around him towards the tiger. The intent of his will clear. To bind the spirit beast. The cacoon flowed and snared the beast mid lunge, It's silver claws inches away from Arthur's face.
The beast roared and raged against the cacoon but found no purchase. Arthur's will was firm within the power, even as he moved back.
Worried that the beast might escape his hold, Arthur made the decision to end it. There was no hesitation. it had after all attacks him with the intention to devour him.
He clenched his fist as he as he willed the essence to condense and ignite. A ball of flames consumed the huge spirit tiger amid it's roars of pain.
Arthur had just made his first kill!