Bonds
The first light of dawn bled across the sky, painting the snow-covered cliffs in hues of crimson and gold. Jerry sat at the edge of the canyon, his back against the cold stone, staring at the blood-streaked horizon.
The battle had left scars deeper than any the abyssal creatures had inflicted.
His body ached from the integration, but it was the toll on his mind that weighed heavier. The bond with Vrkane, Bengala, and Aviana had saved them—again—but each time they merged, Jerry felt himself slipping further away from who he once was.
The man who had lost everything was becoming something else.
"You're too hard on yourself."
Jerry didn't turn as Vrkane approached, his wolf-like form now fully human again, though traces of his beastly strength remained in his broad shoulders and sharp eyes.
"Am I?" Jerry's voice was low, rough from exhaustion. "Or am I just being realistic?"
Vrkane settled beside him, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "You didn't lose yourself back there. You saved all of us."
Jerry shook his head. "Every time I call on that power, it gets easier to let go. Easier to become the monster the abyss thinks I am."
"The abyss isn't what defines us," Vrkane said firmly. "The bond we share—it's built on trust, not fear. If you fall, we'll pull you back. That's what family does."
Family.
The word cut deeper than Jerry expected.
He had lost his family once—because of her.
He couldn't let it happen again.
---
The Call of the Sky
A piercing cry echoed overhead.
Jerry looked up as Aviana descended from the sky, her golden feathers shimmering against the morning light. Her massive wings folded in as she landed gracefully, her talons leaving perfect imprints in the snow.
She shifted effortlessly into her hybrid form—tall and regal, her sharp eyes glinting with intelligence.
"I've scouted ahead," Aviana said, her voice carrying the natural authority of a leader. "There's movement near the eastern ridge. I couldn't get close enough to see who or what they are."
Jerry stood, tightening his grip on Backbone. "If the abyss is hunting us, they'll try again soon."
"Or they're waiting for us to make the first mistake," Bengala added, joining the group with her feline grace. Her striped fur caught the light, making her appear like a living shadow in the snow.
"We don't have the luxury of waiting," Jerry replied. "We strike first."
---
The Hunter's Trap
They moved swiftly through the canyon, Aviana soaring above while Vrkane and Bengala flanked Jerry on either side. Their senses extended outward through the bond, allowing Jerry to feel their thoughts and instincts as if they were his own.
Every footstep. Every breath.
The bond made them more than individuals.
They were a pack.
As they neared the eastern ridge, the faint scent of smoke curled through the air.
Vrkane stiffened beside him. "Fire. Recent."
Jerry nodded, signaling for them to move silently.
They crept forward until they reached the crest of the hill—
And froze.
A campfire burned low in the center of a clearing, but it wasn't abyssal creatures gathered around it.
It was a group of humans.
Travelers, perhaps? Survivors of the abyssal rituals?
Or bait.
"Trap," Bengala whispered, her sharp eyes narrowing. "They're too exposed."
Jerry scanned the clearing. No signs of struggle. No panic. Just silence.
Until—
Snap.
A branch broke behind them.
Jerry spun around just in time to see the shadowy tendrils rise from the snow, black mist coiling around the trees.
They weren't alone.
---
The Battle for Control
The abyss struck fast, but this time, Jerry was faster.
He drew both Backbone and Dismay, the twin blades gleaming with raw power. His bond with Vrkane surged, enhancing his speed as he launched forward, cutting through the first wave of shadow-creatures.
Bengala pounced into the fray, her claws raking through the mist-like flesh of the enemy, her growl deep and rumbling. Aviana rained down strikes from above, her wings slicing the air like blades of light.
But the shadows weren't retreating.
They were waiting.
And then—
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Not a creature. Not a faceless abyssal.
A man.
His features were obscured by a mask of bone, his robes stitched from strips of flesh. The air around him shimmered with an oppressive aura of dread.
The Abyssal Warden.
Jerry's pulse spiked. "Get ready. This isn't just another monster."
The Warden raised a hand, and the shadows pulsed in response, surging toward Jerry like a tidal wave.
---
The Price of Power
Jerry let the bond flood him.
Vrkane's strength, Bengala's precision, Aviana's clarity—he wove their abilities into his own, becoming something more.
His armor morphed around him, spikes forming along his arms and shoulders, the metal gleaming like liquid midnight.
Backbone and Dismay burned brighter, their edges trailing golden fire.
The Warden's shadows struck first, slamming into Jerry with crushing force—
But Jerry didn't yield.
He countered with raw force, driving the twin swords through the darkness, cutting a path toward the Warden himself.
But every step forward came at a cost.
The bond stretched tighter. The weight of the abyss pressed harder.
And Jerry could feel the edge of himself fraying.
You're not enough, the abyss whispered. You never were.
But then—
A voice in his mind.
We're with you, Vrkane growled. You're not alone.
The bond surged again, not just with power—but with purpose.
Jerry's next strike wasn't just for himself.
It was for all of them.
---