Subject to evolution

by Dramize the Salamander

Chapter 34

Day 220

I now sat in my throne room with all my lords pretty much getting the same report of we went in killed a lot of things but X portion of the hive was missing along with the queen. Except for Cadaia and Jinx who I just now found out were deep underground inspecting the connection between the Abyssal hive and here as well as setting up corruption springs for there as well so they were gone for a week. After dismissing them I decided to look for the caribou and the slaves that ran into the forest yesterday so I flew to the beach before shifting into beast mode to start tracking. It took a while to find a useful sent or trail but after I found it I was off moving quickly so I could catch up to them. After a few minutes I found fresh-ish caribou corpus his left arm was broken along with both of his legs. He was covered in stab wounds and had a green foam around his mouth. I looked closer to see his eyes were extremely dilated and bloodshot I bit into his wounds and it confirmed my suspicions he had been poisoned before he died. What ever they used was strong because the corpus was still uneaten and still had blood. I moved on taking the body with my magic for a snack later I continued for a few hours until I found my trail diverging into two separate directions with the sent of the caribou heading towards the castle while the slaves were heading towards the manticore hunting grounds. I decided to go after the slaves first switching to my thermal sensors but it didn't take long to find them. Twelve of them were at the basin of the waterfall trying to fend off three manticore while a young mare looking after a older mare who was missing a leg. I snuck up to the top of the waterfall and watch as they fought for their survival. They were getting by pretty well using their weapons as a deterrent until a griffin actually struck one of the beast hard causing her sword to break. Panic was starting to set in and it seemed like they were giving serious thought to leaving their friend behind so I decided to make my self known.

I stepped and roared getting all the attention before releasing my auras two of the manticores immediately ran leaving the biggest alone and paralyzed by his fear. I leapt down landing in front of the girls and the manticore who was actually sweating and balding in my presence before shift to my normal form. "Well hello again." I said turning to the girls who all wore black collars and looked like they were going to melt. "Follow if you want to live." I said before walking past the still frozen manticore with the girl following closely behind carrying the slightly bandaged mare with them. It took five hours to get to the castle after I took the injured mare and attached her to my back. When we finally made it in I them taken to the restoration chamber to be looked after another ling informed me that Velger had a group of intruders with her in her lab. I went to pay her a visit wondering if they were all dead yet.

"So very interesting." I heard Velger say as I walked in to see a living caribou sitting strapped to a rock chair with his skull split open his brain fully exposed as she played with it using two crystal needles. The caribou was crying silently his vocal cords were cut a burned closed shown by the burned gashes that were on his throat as his face cycled through expressions.

"How long has this been going?" I asked noticing the other in the group tied up and gagged watching in silent horror as worked.

"About three hours and he hasn't even passed out their constitution is impressive." She answered without looking up.

"So learn anything new?" I asked picking up and playing with the discarded antlers of the poor caribou.

"Yes their Empire is about seven hours from here. They have a war based society with a sex slave system black resisting, red willing, and purple broken." She said with a smile as she got the a hold of the caribou's motor controls causing him to twitch uncontrollably. "Also their King is from what they say, a god of battle."

"I see, well when your done I would like you mark the kingdom on the atlas ok?" I asked turning to leave pausing slightly for an answer.

"Ok, but can you take the others I only need the caribou." I used my magic and levitated the girls leaving the caribou who were pleading with their eyes to get to save them. I took the girls Trixie and Sky giving them the order to find the others and give them something to do while I went down to Light's refinery.

"Master it has been awhile since you've been here do you need any thing?" Light asked walking out of the forge chamber her body full covered in chitin armor as she held a.

"I want you to upgrade this." I said pulling out the spear I found during my trip tossing it to Light who looked over it and then my body.

"I'm going two need both of your tail blades, seven of your fangs, five of your rubies and one of your wings." Light said after a second before standing back. I left to the sounds of Light working as I trailed blood out the hive and into the forest.

Day 221

I was looking at the atlas think about my trip to the Caribou's empire when I felt a strange presence. I turned to the door to see a new figure walk in to the room.

"So are we ready to destroy that traitor Thorax?" The figure moved up her generous hourglass curves giving an hypnotic sway that the glowing blood red orbs that lined her dark purple and red body with larger ones on her hips and upper arms. She moved closer pressing her body to mine allowing me to feel her soft chitin body and get a better look at her grey hooked barbed whip tail and dragon wings.

"Not yet Pupa." I said pushing her back with a stretch of my wings. "But since your up how about taking a trip with me to the Caribou kingdom."

"Caribou. Ok let's make a date out of it." Pupa said moving back only to just miss me as I sidestepped her and walked to the door.

"Great but let's call it a field test instead. I'll be waiting for you in the sky." I said leaving before jumping out of a near by window and changing into beast form and hovering over the castle waiting. After a few minutes a smooth dark purple dragon like creature with large red opals lining the sides of it's body and dull grey spines running down it's back flew up from the other side of the castle. It head was wurm like with a single large jagged horn sticking out just above one of the five eyes that ringed her flower like mouth.

"Shall we take our leave." Pupa said allowing me to get a small glimpse and the thousands of needle like grey teeth the in her mouth.

"Yeah let's go." I said curious of the power behind her beast form. We both started for the Caribou's home land and after an hour of ocean flying we reach a new island covered in snow and forests. We landed deciding it was a good time to snack so we went hunting hoping for some interesting prey but what I found was nothing. I was strange I have never heard of a forest being this silent and tranquil I kept walking minimizing my presence as much as possible after a while I managed to find some boar and a few wolves. I went back with my savoring the boar when I saw Pupa spiting out what looked like a mummified wolf. "Pupa lets move after we eat, somethings not right about this forest."

"I Agree it's way to quiet." We took off yet again slightly satisfied but still very hungry but it wasn't long before we found what might be a decent meal after we were attacked by several ballista bolts. Pupa raised while I just let them bounce off my chitin while I stared at the fortress where they came from. I charge up flame leaking from my mouth as I readied to erase our attackers with a hellfire blast. "Hold on Drasa you said this was field test right?" Pupa asked causing me stop my attack.

"Yeah."

"So let me deal with them."

"The floor is your's show me what you got." I hung back watching as Pupa rushed ahead still shielded before diving into the trees. Everything became quite for a few seconds before Pupa appeared behind the fort and released a blood red mist from her mouth which cover the entire fort. I switch to thermal to keep track of her movements and was surprised to see the inhabitants trying to kill each other. It was a complete blood bath as the Caribou and their slaves slaughtered each other using any thing they could grab. After a few minutes the smoke cleared showing a single Caribou kneeling down before Pupa he was covered in blood and his left arm was barely attached to his body by a few muscle threads while his right was holding another Caribous head and spine which he probably used as a flail at some point considering the blood and flesh on the antlers. Pupa opened her mouth her horn lighting up as the blood, bodies, and limbs rose up from their places and into her waiting maw leaving no trace of anything then she turned to the Caribou quickly taking him in one swift bite.

"Impressive." I said as I flew in to see some of Pupa's body being cover in a dull grey chitin.

"Thank you." Pupa said with a bow before tasting the air with a long forked tongue.

"I think was can head back now but first." I shot a crystal into the ground and enchanted it creating a beacon for a future tunnel while Pupa barfed up mummified remains.