Wrath of the Abyss
Unwelcome Homecoming
The blazing sun hung low in the sky, bleeding orange hues across the landscape as Jerry raced toward the familiar clearing. His senses were sharpened, his body a seamless amalgamation of his bonded companions' strengths. His legs carried the swiftness of Vrkane, his muscles rippling with Bengala's predatory might, and his eyes gleamed with the keen perception of Aviana.
But even these enhancements couldn't erase the dread clawing at his chest. Something was terribly wrong. The air itself felt tainted, thick with the acrid stench of burning wood and scorched flesh.
He crested the final hill, his heart seizing at the devastation laid bare before him. Tu'Xanz's forge, the safe haven he had grown to cherish, was nothing but a charred skeleton of its former self. The house had been shattered, its walls reduced to splintered rubble.
Jerry's fists clenched around Backbone and Dismay, the weapons vibrating with the anger coursing through him.
"No…" he breathed, his voice cracking. His bond with Tu'Xanz's family should have allowed him to sense them, to feel their presence even from a distance. But now there was nothing. Only a cold emptiness where their warmth should have been.
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Ruin and Fury
He stumbled through the wreckage, his eyes burning with unshed tears. The scent of blood was thick, its coppery tang nearly overwhelming. He forced himself to move, his armor morphing around his body, enhancing his senses even further.
"Tu'Xanz! Mel'Imba! Yen'Sha! Where are you!?"
His shout was met with nothing but the eerie crackle of dying flames. He pushed deeper into the ruins, his boots crunching over shattered stone and twisted metal.
Then he heard it—a faint whimper, almost swallowed by the oppressive silence. Jerry surged forward, kicking aside a charred beam to reveal Yen'Sha curled beneath it, her small body covered in soot and ash.
"Yen'Sha!" Jerry dropped to his knees, his armor flowing away from his hands so he could cradle her fragile form. "I'm here. I've got you."
She stirred, eyes fluttering open. "Uncle Jerry… they came. So many of them… shadows… monsters."
"Where are your parents?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"They… they tried to protect me," Yen'Sha sobbed, her tiny fists clinging to his chest. "But the monsters were everywhere. They… they took them away."
Jerry's vision blurred with rage. "They took them?"
Yen'Sha nodded, her sobs wracking her body. "They said… they said the big one wanted them alive. Said something about 'feasting on their essence.'"
Jerry's teeth ground together. Archibald. It had to be him. Who else would command such a horrifying attack?
He couldn't let himself fall apart. Not now. Not when there was still a chance to save them.
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The Abyss Unleashed
"Yen'Sha, I need you to be brave. Can you do that for me?" Jerry asked, his voice low and steady.
She nodded, her eyes wide and terrified. "I… I can try."
"Good. I'm going to put you somewhere safe." He placed his hand over her forehead, his energy flowing through their bond. "Just sleep. You'll be alright."
She slipped into unconsciousness, her breathing soft and even. Jerry's armor morphed around her, forming a protective cocoon before he placed her in a sheltered corner away from the destruction.
He rose, his eyes blazing. Jerry reached out through his bond, calling to Vrkane, Bengala, and Aviana.
"Find them," he commanded. "Track down every single creature that took part in this. Tear them apart."
Their howls of agreement echoed through his mind, their presence filling him with a vicious certainty.
Jerry's gaze turned to the blackened sky, his voice a guttural snarl. "Archibald… you've made a terrible mistake."
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The Hunt Begins
Jerry didn't walk through the wreckage—he tore through it. His speed was blinding, the power of his bonds pushing his body far beyond its natural limits. The world became a blur of darkened trees and twisted earth as he hunted.
He found the first creature within minutes. An Abyssal hound, its form twisted and grotesque, eyes like molten pits. It lunged at him with a snarl, but Backbone cleaved through its skull before it even touched the ground.
Another followed. Then another. They came in droves, their numbers swelling with every step he took. But they were nothing compared to the rage boiling in his veins.
Jerry danced through the battlefield, his swords carving through flesh and shadow alike. His armor fed off the energy of his strikes, amplifying his strength, speed, and senses. His body moved like liquid fury, his blades extensions of his own will.
He called upon his bonds, their abilities flowing through him in perfect harmony. Vrkane's feral agility. Bengala's relentless power. Aviana's razor-sharp perception. The synergy between them created something terrifying. Something unstoppable.
The creatures fell before him like wheat to a scythe, their corpses littering the forest floor. And yet, Jerry knew this was only the beginning.
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Into the Abyss
He pushed forward, his mind consumed by a singular thought.
Save them.
The air grew colder the deeper he went, the shadows thickening until they clung to his skin like tar. But Jerry's resolve burned brighter.
He found the trail—a scent of decay and malevolence that clawed at his senses. His bond with Aviana guided him, her hawk-like vision cutting through the darkness to reveal the path his enemies had taken.
It led him to a chasm, a wound torn into the earth where the Abyss had spilled forth. And in the depths of that darkness, he heard their whispers.
Taunting. Mocking.
He stepped into the chasm, his blades at the ready. The Abyss would learn the meaning of fear.
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