Zaher
POV: Kenji
A painful cry sounded from the jaguar, "Fine! My family awaits me in Farengar anyway! I'll just make sure to bring you with me!"
An uncertain thought passed my mind as the jaguar pulsated a dark crimson energy.
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Kenji
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Species: Homo Sapien
Race: Japanese / Korean
Class: Assasin (Rank F)
Stats: | Affinity:
Strength: 13 | Uncommon
Agility: 26 | World +
Stamina: 6 | Common (Affected by Achille's Heel)
Ability Control: 18 | Epic
Pressure: ?? | Epic
Skills:
Flashstep: (Rank E)
Proficiency: 19/100
Eviscerate: (Rank F)
Proficiency: 25/100
Galespeed (Rank E)
Proficiency: 15/100
Active Effects:
Achille's Heel - Reduces stamina by 40% (inflicted by Hermes)
Observers:
Hermes
Fujin (AN: Japanese God of WInd)
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Jeremiah yelled, "Don't break formation!"
Something didn't add up. The beast knew about the Syndicate and was even communicating to us in a perfect dialect of our own language. Regardless of the consequences, I needed to get more information. I had been trained from birth to control my fear as the heir of a criminal organization. However, a heavy sense of unease came over me as my body moved on its own.
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Activating Flashstep
Proficiency: 19/100
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Proficiency +1
Activating Galespeed
Proficiency: 16/100
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I wasn't confident in my ability to damage the beast, but I could definitely disorient it and bluff. I reassured myself that this was the only way to communicate with it.
The jaguar kept a cold calculating gaze as I appeared in front of it. One attack from the floor returnee would certainly kill me in an instant.
This next part required premonition. A few milliseconds before the enraged feline rose its massive paw, I repeated the skills.
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Activating Flashstep
Proficiency: 19/100
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Activating Galespeed
Proficiency: 16/100
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The jaguar seemed to raise an eye as I appeared behind it in an instant.
With a hard hand of control over my emotions, I spoke coldly, "We're not your enemies."
The jaguar hesitated but then quickly whirled back around.
Nikita shook as lightning crackled across her body, "Kenji!"
Jeremiah's face grew visibly angry as he saw me acting on my own accord.
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Proficiency +1
Activating Flashstep
Proficiency: 20/100
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Activating Galespeed
Proficiency: 16/100
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I grit my teeth and my right eye flickered as my ability capacity dropped close to zero. I couldn't show any signs of weakness though. My next flash would be much slower. "The Syndicate is our enemy as well."
The jaguar had a complicated look in his scarlet eyes, but quickly returned to his base line, with a glaring expression. I took the sign as a threat and flashed again. He swiped his front paw at lightning speed and caught my arm.
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Activating Flashstep
Proficiency: 20/100
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Blood gushed uncontrollably from my left arm as I reappeared only a few centimeters from my original position. The pain caused my body to tremble, but it was manageable. I spoke coldly once more as my eyes flickered from violet to dusk, "We're not here to hurt you."
The predator's gaze locked onto my own, seemingly relishing in the weakness of its prey. The jaguar's eyes glittered strangely as it admired the current of blood flowing from my arm.
After a couple seconds of silence that seemed to drag on for eternity, it let out a low growl, "Drop your weapons."
Jeremiah had already taken a step forward to advance, but stopped immediately and grit his teeth.
Nikita de-materialized her conduit fist weapons and lowered her head.
Jeremiah's expression only turned more complicated once he heard the ringing sound of the de-materialization.
I quickly averted my eyes from the jaguar to avoid threatening it and locked onto Jeremiah's eyes instead. Jeremiah's face held a complicated expression that I had never seen him carry before.
After a few seconds, Jeremiah threw his shield on the ground and let it dissolve into amethyst-like particles. "Drop your weapons." He spoke with a hint of resignation.
Confused looks were shot by the group as they whispered among themselves. One by one, the members began to de-materialize their weapons but kept their right eyes dyed in a heliotrope light.
The jaguar remained stationary and activated a skill.
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You are being affected by the skill 'Intimidate'
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An otherworldly force artificially inserted images of my death into my mind as my vision began to pulsate. It took everything in me to control my facial features and remain standing.
The jaguar let out a low growl, "You say you're enemies of the Syndicate, but you are all human, are you not?"
The pressure on my throat wouldn't allow me to speak.
I kept staring at the large feline with conviction until Ezra spoke in my place with anger dripping from his voice, "Nobody in the Syndicate is human."
The jaguar locked his gaze onto Ezra as the pressure on me began to alleviate.
"Have I been in here that long? Has another species of hominids rose to prominence? I was sure that the Sapien variant killed all of its siblings."
His words carried a strange wisdom and intelligence that I couldn't understand. The way he spoke implied that he knew much more than us. My greed for knowledge only continued to grow.
Hazel spoke with concern, "It's not that. The Syndicate has already wiped out humans on the surface. We're some of the only ones left alive that aren't affiliated with them."
The jaguar's eyes widened, "H-how!? Humans had spread to every part of the Earth! What of the other creatures, what of the Felidae!?"
The entire surface of the Earth was irradiated and it would soon be frozen due to the eternal winter. I assumed that the Felidae were part of his species.
My voice dripped with ice as I responded to the jaguar's question. "They're dead. Most species on the surface have been wiped out."
The jaguar's attitude shifted and all of its movements halted.
The great beast's eyes began to morph from scarlet back to solid black as the small spheres of killing intent took on a wet appearance.
The predator let out one of the most pained roars I had ever heard. "Why!?"
The cry had enough emotion to rip towards my steeled heart and make small cuts along its edges.
The creature unsheathed its claws and began raking them along sandstone floors. Its body began to shake as small drops of blood appeared on its massive paws, "My descendants! It can't be!"
"Taigon! How could you allow this!?"
The group stayed eerily quiet as the jaguar continued to roar in a defeated, hollow, and pained tone.
Xavier moved first. He slowly walked up to the animal, got on his tippie-toes and put his tiny hand on its head.
What are you doing, Xavier!?
I wanted to yell out the words but refrained myself to not provoke the temperamental beast.
As Xavier's right eye whirled, I could only assume that he had activated his telepathy skill.
The jaguar glared at Xavier with a hate-filled expression.
The expression slowly faded as time began to slow. The beast's gaze turned downward as it appeared to be trying to bury itself in the sand-like floor. "Please, tell me that it's not true."
Both the jaguar and Xavier remained silent as the jaguar's paws slowed down their relentless assault on the Earth.
After a few moments the jaguar spoke with a softer tone, "Who is this? Who are you showing me?"
Xavier stayed silent as the group members began to shoot confused, worried expressions towards each other.
After a few moments the jaguar's voiced pierced my ears, "Your friend was a warrior. You pathetic worms couldn't even do anything as a member of your species died! How disgusting."
Xavier pulled back in shock, but began to speak softly, "But, we've lost family too." His eyes began to water slightly and I could only assume that he was thinking of our previous leader.
Slowly, the jaguar regained its composure and brought its paw to its face. It shook itself off and the graceful and elegant posture befitting a member of his species returned.
"Fine. My name is Zaher. You shall come with me."
The beast's tail flicked forward and it turned around and began to walk back to where it had come from. Its eyes remained avoidant as he retraced his steps.
As I looked to Jeremiah for his order, he grunted, "You already made the decision to potentially die on your own. You don't need my approval now."
I nodded as I blankly absorbed the passive aggression from our leader.
Hazel placed her hand on his back and they locked eyes for a moment before following the jaguar.
I'd be lying if I said I felt bad about this. We were wandering around aimlessly in a dangerous area with absolutely no goal and no information. To me, this chance for information was far more precious than my own life.
As I turned to follow the majestic beast, a weird thought passed my mind.
Even if we obtain information from the jaguar, there was null chance of saving either of our races. A strange feeling of hopelessness came over me as I thought of our future possibilities.
However, as I looked at the jaguar's determined steps, I questioned my own thoughts.
Zaher had already disclosed that his family had been killed, and he had just found out this his species no longer had a presence on the surface.
Then why?
I looked at the strong strides of the beast in slight confusion.
Why does it seem like you still have a goal?