Day forty-seven. Three days since bonding ceremony transformed everything.
Draven packed camp with practiced efficiency born from weeks of wilderness living. Bedroll secured, remaining provisions gathered, water flask topped from nearby stream. Minimal supplies left after six weeks isolated from civilization. Time to resupply. Time to return toward settlements and markets and the comforting presence of other humans.
Not returning to Bloomring immediately—that five hundred kilometer journey could wait. Just the nearest settlement westward. Restock what they needed. Rest in actual beds instead of on forest floor. Then decide next steps with clear heads and full stomachs.
Malvorn rested hundred meters distant, magnitude zero in peaceful meditation. Three days of adjustment had settled their bonded connection naturally. No awkwardness lingering between them. No difficulty communicating or coordinating. Just family. Simple as breathing. The bond hummed quietly in background of consciousness like heartbeat—present but unobtrusive unless attention focused on it.
Genesis Codex hovered nearby, pages flipping lazily in morning breeze. Satisfied presence. Mission accomplished. Bearer and fifth bonded beast ready for wider world beyond wilderness isolation.
"Ready to travel?" Draven called out across clearing.
Malvorn's eyes opened slowly. Molten gold reflecting sunrise like captured fire. "Ready. Nervous, but ready. First time approaching human settlement with actual control. First time existing peacefully near others instead of fleeing or destroying."
Space rippled between them. Sanctuary doorway formed as Genesis Codex responded to unspoken desire. Pack emerged one by one from timeless dimension.
Feyra bounded out first, white fur pristine and green accents bright. Oversized ears perked impossibly high. "Adventure time! We're finally going somewhere! I've been in sanctuary for DAYS! Well, three days. But still DAYS!"
Zor landed with dignified grace, violet lightning crackling gently along midnight feathers. "Settlement visit. Resupply mission. Peaceful intentions."
Velnar followed steadily, crystal-bark armor gleaming in morning light. "Good to travel. Sanctuary is beautiful but static. Movement suits earth-nature better."
Sylvara drifted out last, white robes flowing like morning mist. Verdant eyes surveying forest with scholarly interest. "Observing civilization interactions will be educational. Malvorn's first peaceful approach to humans. Significant developmental milestone."
Malvorn watched them gather around clearing. His pack. His family. Three days ago this felt strange and new. Now? Natural. Right. Belonging manifested in casual presence and comfortable silence.
---
They set out westward through ancient forest. Draven leading with Genesis Codex hovering beside him, Malvorn following at careful magnitude-one pace that barely disturbed undergrowth, pack ranging around formation in loose protective arrangement.
Forest stretched endlessly in all directions. Ancient trees whose trunks required five men to encircle. Morning sunlight filtering through canopy in golden shafts. Bird songs echoing from branches overhead. Beautiful. Peaceful. Perfect day for travel.
Draven tested their bond casually, thought reaching across connection. "How does it feel? Walking toward civilization instead of fleeing it?"
Response came instantly through private channel only they shared. "Strange. Hopeful. Three months ago I was weapon pointed at enemies. Six weeks ago I was threat everyone feared. Now I'm person walking peacefully toward people who might accept me. It feels impossible. Like dream I'll wake from."
"It's real. You earned this through every magnitude reduction and every choice toward healing."
Feyra bounced alongside Draven's path, energy irrepressible even after hours of travel. "Can we stop at the settlement market? I want to see human things up close! I've never really been to market properly! Well, I have, but I was always inside Codex watching through your eyes. Now I can walk around and smell things and talk to merchants!"
"We'll see," Draven said, smiling at her enthusiasm. "Depends on how crowded it is. Don't want to startle people with entire pack walking through."
"I'm not scary! I'm adorable!"
Zor's dry response came from overhead where he glided between branches. "You are four-foot fox with Life element. Adorable confirmed. Rest of us considerably less so."
"Speak for yourself," Sylvara added with rare humor. "I find my branch-crown quite aesthetically pleasing."
Velnar's rumbling laugh carried through forest. "We are Lord-tier beasts plus Overlord. Aesthetic appeal secondary to intimidation factor. But Feyra remains adorable despite best efforts."
Warmth flooded Draven's chest. This. This easy banter and comfortable teasing. Family in its truest form.
---
Midday brought natural rest stop. Clearing beside bubbling stream, perfect for lunch break and water replenishment.
Pack settled comfortably across grass. Malvorn rested magnitude-zero nearby, positioned so his shadow provided shade. Peaceful moment of simple contentment.
Then—presence. Familiar. Incoming fast from eastern sky.
Wind split overhead. Falcon descended with practiced grace—larger than normal birds, King-tier beast with gray-silver feathers. Figure dismounted before creature fully landed, resolving into familiar form.
Mira.
Dark hair loose around shoulders instead of usual practical braid. Gray eyes bright with mischief and affection. Combat leathers still bearing Bloomring insignia across shoulder. His sister. Grinning widely.
"There you are!" She strode forward, pulling Draven into fierce hug that knocked breath from lungs. "Six weeks in wilderness and you don't even send message through Lightfield? I had to ask around to figure out where you'd gone!"
Draven hugged back, laughing. "Been busy. Teaching Overlord control. Bonding. You know, small tasks that required full attention."
"Small tasks," Mira repeated, releasing him to look toward where Malvorn sat. "Right. Because bonding the World Destroying Behemoth is casual weekend activity."
She walked toward Malvorn with no visible fear. Just curiosity and genuine respect in her bearing.
"Malvorn. I've heard about your journey through reports and Lightfield gossip. Magnitude seven to magnitude one over six weeks. Complete control achieved. Bonding completed. Impressive doesn't even begin to cover what you accomplished."
Malvorn lowered himself slightly in magnitude-one movement, respectful positioning bringing his massive head closer to human scale. "Mira. Draven's sister. He spoke of you during our time together. Strong and capable, leading Bloomring's defense forces. I'm honored to meet you properly."
"The honor is mine. Not many Overlords choose healing over destruction. Takes real courage, the kind that's harder than battlefield bravery. The kind that means facing yourself instead of enemies."
Something in Malvorn's chest warmed at her words. Acceptance. Recognition. From someone who didn't owe him anything, who had every reason to fear or hate him. Who saw him as person instead of threat.
"Thank you. Your brother saved me from myself. From despair. From future of nothing but destruction. I owe him everything."
Mira smiled, looking back at Draven with expression mixing pride and exasperation. "He has this annoying habit of saving people. It's gotten worse since he bonded Genesis Codex. Can't help himself."
---
They settled around impromptu lunch circle. Mira produced food from pack—actual fresh bread, proper cheese, dried fruit that wasn't weeks old. Luxury after endless wilderness rations.
"So," Mira said between bites, "you walked five hundred kilometers, taught Overlord control, bonded him, and now you're heading back with five beasts total. Five. You're collecting them like some people collect pottery."
"It's not collecting—"
"It absolutely is collecting. First Feyra after freeing her from Servitor work. Then Zor from torture. Then Sylvara and Velnar when they asked to join. Now Malvorn after healing him. You're building quite the family. And I remember you left those five Servitors back in Bloomring too—they're doing well, by the way."
"Family," Draven corrected firmly. "Not collection. Not army. Family. And I left those Servitors because Bloomring is safe place for them to grow without pressure."
Mira's expression softened, teasing falling away. "I know. I'm just giving you hard time. But seriously, bonding an Overlord is unprecedented. What are you planning next?"
"Nothing dramatic. Just living. Helping where I can. Same approach as always."
"Same as always," Mira echoed with knowing look. "Which somehow ends with you changing the world. Again. Just once I'd like you to have boring week where nothing significant happens."
Pack enjoyed Mira's presence immensely. Feyra practically vibrated with excitement at having another female energy in group. Zor clearly respected her combat experience. Velnar approved of her straightforward nature. Sylvara found her fascinating from scholarly perspective.
"How's Bloomring?" Draven asked between his own bites of surprisingly good bread.
"Peaceful. Rebuilding continues smoothly. Freed beasts integrating well—better than expected, honestly. Some tensions occasionally but nothing serious. Brenn's doing excellent job as acting leader. Lysara handles diplomacy like she was born to it. Joran's workshop producing quality equipment for everyone." She paused, considering. "Actually peaceful for once. Makes me nervous."
"Enjoy it while it lasts."
"That's what worries me. Your definition of 'while it lasts' usually measures in days."
Too soon, Mira stood and brushed crumbs from leather pants. "I need to get back. Bloomring won't rebuild itself, and I have training session with new recruits this afternoon. But I wanted to see you in person. Make sure you were actually okay, not just 'sending reassuring messages' okay."
"I'm actually okay. Better than okay. Happy."
She pulled him into another tight hug. "Good. You deserve happy. Keep it close." Then, quieter against his shoulder: "I'm proud of you. What you did here with Malvorn. It matters more than saving cities or winning battles."
"Thank you for saying so."
She stepped back, nodding to pack and to Malvorn. "Take care of my brother. He's reckless when he thinks he's helping people."
Feyra saluted with oversized ear. "We will! Promise!"
Wind swept clearing. Falcon rose with Mira on its back. Moment later they vanished eastward.
---
Three hours after Mira's departure, forest changed.
Subtle at first. Feyra's ears swiveling constantly, tracking something Draven couldn't perceive. "Birds are leaving. All at once. Flying east away from our direction like something scared them."
Draven looked up. Flock of crows overhead, fleeing frantically. Not migrating. Not relocating. Fleeing. Fear-driven. Wrong.
Zor landed on thick branch overhead. "Forest animals completely absent. No prey-scent in air. No predator-scent. Nothing. Like everything with sense fled this area."
Velnar's crystalline legs clicked against earth rhythmically. "Ground trembles. Not earthquake. Something else. Wrongness."
Sylvara's verdant eyes narrowed with scholarly concern. "Life energies severely disturbed. Plants stressed despite adequate water and sunlight. Animals gone entirely. This area feels sick somehow."
Malvorn stopped walking. Magnitude zero. "I feel it through earth communion. Wrongness ahead. Something unnatural corrupting the land itself."
Genesis Codex suddenly blazed. Pages flipping rapidly. Green-gold glow intensifying.
Adhivar's presence manifested. First time speaking since bonding ceremony three days ago. Urgent when he did.
Understanding passed directly to Draven. Not words exactly. Pure awareness transmitted.
"Danger. Disturbance. Wrongness ahead. Corruption. Investigate carefully."
"Adhivar?" Draven asked aloud, stopping their procession. "What is it? What's wrong?"
More understanding flowed like water finding path. Ancient knowledge uncertain but deeply concerned.
"Something tearing space fabric. Something seeping through dimensions. Corrupted energy. Dangerous. Unknown origin. Proceed with extreme caution but proceed nonetheless."
"Should we turn back?"
"Negative. Must investigate. Cannot ignore. Threat requires understanding. Protected by Codex but still dangerous."
Draven looked at pack gathered around him. "Adhivar senses danger ahead. Corruption of some kind. Unknown type. We should investigate but very carefully."
They continued forward. Slowly. Cautiously. Combat formation without formally declaring it.
Air thickened with each step. Each breath required conscious effort. Pressure building like atmosphere itself pressing down with invisible weight.
Cold seeped in. Unnatural. Sun still visible through canopy overhead but warmth completely absent. Chill without source. Wrong.
Forest colors faded gradually. Vibrant greens becoming gray. Browns becoming ash. Like life draining slowly from environment with each meter traveled westward.
Pack moved into tight protective formation. Zor overhead scouting from branches. Velnar flanking right. Sylvara close to Draven's left side. Feyra tense despite usual energy, positioned protectively near Draven's legs. Malvorn alert and ready.
"Earth communion is wrong," Malvorn said quietly, magnitude carefully controlled despite obvious unease. "Planet feels torn. Like wound in reality bleeding something. Corruption flowing through cracks."
Draven's hand moved to Genesis Codex instinctively. Reassuring presence. Protection available. But still deeply concerning.
What could make Overlord uneasy?
---
They emerged from dense tree line. Stopped.
Ahead: Clearing. But wrong. Completely, utterly wrong.
Purple-white light pulsed from clearing's center. Not sunlight. Not firelight. Not any natural illumination. Something other. Unnatural. Sickly luminescence casting shadows that moved independently, wrong directions, wrong speeds.
Mist swirled within clearing boundaries. Thick. Impenetrable beyond few meters. Purple-white matching the light source. Churning slowly like living thing. Hypnotic. Dangerous. Beautiful in terrible way.
And stillness. Total absolute stillness. Air frozen mid-movement. Sound dead. Movement absent within mist. Like time itself stopped at boundary.
Anomaly zone.
Draven had heard descriptions through reports. Read accounts written by scouts. But seeing one active? Different. Terrifying. Beautiful. Mesmerizing. Wrong on fundamental level that made stomach clench.
"What is that?" Feyra whispered. Even her boundless energy subdued by wrongness radiating from clearing.
"Corruption," Malvorn answered, voice magnitude one but carrying weight. "Made manifest."
Draven stared at purple-white mist churning hypnotically. Decision forming despite instinctive desire to flee.
"We can't ignore this. Can't walk away and pretend we didn't see it. Something is happening here. We need to understand what."
"Dangerous," Zor observed with usual understatement.
"Yes. But necessary. Adhivar says Codex can protect me. Malvorn, you're Overlord—can you enter safely?"
Malvorn considered, consulting earth communion. "I believe so. Corruption feels powerful but lesser somehow. Like it couldn't touch Overlord nature directly. My tier protects me."
"Then we investigate. Tomorrow morning when we're fresh. Tonight we camp nearby at safe distance. Morning we enter carefully and discover what's happening inside."
They made camp hundred meters from zone boundary. Safe distance. But close enough to monitor through night.
Draven couldn't stop staring at purple-white glow visible through trees. Wrong. Dangerous. Unknown.
But tomorrow? Tomorrow they'd discover truth.
Whatever waited inside that corruption, they would face it together.
Family. Pack. Partners.
Ready or not.
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