Chapter 28: Wander In A Wildlife Park
As the two weeks of study at the academies drew to a close, and his prize of three lessons in Life, Plant, Gravity and Aether magic was formally completed, Corvin once again found himself standing before the twin spires of the Obsidian Gate. The air thrummed with ceremonial gravitas as the Triach’s figures, Archmagus Vaelorin the Black flanked by Magus Seredai and Magus Kel’Mara regarded him with cool detachment.
His fourth trial had been laid bare: track and slaughter two Jackalkin mercenaries who had murdered nomad tribesmen by poisoning multiple water sources. These attacks had been hidden behind the Inquisition operations in Thalasien. The "anomaly search" was a perfect opportunity for Humans, Demons, and Feralis agents alike had sown chaos among Elven enclaves. Now, two nameless killers in Savaryn awaited a brand of swift justice only Corvin could deliver.
Without hesitation, he nodded once to the Triach and departed. His memory replayed the Space Magic lecture on continental detection rings, arcane wards woven into coastal sands to track unauthorized planar jumps. With this knowledge, Corvin navigated to the Synod’s waiting lugger, its runic prow carved from nightstone. As the vessel cut through Thalasien’s dusky waters, he rose to the deck and vanished, his form unraveling and reweaving into a swirling Air Elemental.
High above the rolling clouds, the wind roared past him as he tested his first teleport. Fifty kilometers later, he materialized above the vast ocean, the water a deep blue below. He leapt again, each jump ablating distance with mechanical precision: fifty kilometers to the border of Savaryn’s marshlands. There he transformed into a water elemental and swam through the coast of Savaryn, the jagged peaks where mountain rivers ran. He transitioned, to an Air elemental. He maintained his form, gossamer wings of gale and vapor, ensuring no mortal eyes could chart his passage. One of his most secret pleasures was flowing from one from of life to another. From a Water Elemental to an Air elemntal from the harsh gales of wind to deepest parts of the sea. Witnessing different aspects of life in their most basic forms. On Savaryn though he was going to enrich his palette of life forms he could transform in a heartbeat.
A Dragon kin’s scaled skin or bat like wings, an Eagle kin’s clawed hands or should he now call it.. talons. He wondered how his senses of smell, sight or taste will change with each new option added to his biological arsenal. There was only one way to find. Thus he let the winds of this feral continent to move him freely. The first unfortunate soul he came across, whom he not enocuntered yet was a ’Lamia’ but a male one? A Snake Kin, he was in love with serpentine creatures while on Earth. Especially Bush Vipers, majestic in their designs. This snake kin on the other hand was not that majestic, his scales a faded red way different then the lovely bush vipers of Earth. He hoped there were better individuals of the specimen. He approached the serpentine Feralis from above and used telekinesis to hold it still. He landed and turned to his original form and started to ’examine’ the subject. It’s scales, he opened the mouth of it to check it’s fangs, to make sure it has enoguh venom. after a couple of minutes the unlucky danger noodle was absorbed and added to his transformable list of creatures.
In his new serpentine form, he was enjoying the sense of slithering on the ground. Scales instead of skin was a new senseation. His avian pets, eyes, ears and mana senses actively mapping his surroundings. His mind started to churn. His senses connected to the fauna of the marshlands. Plants acting as his extended senses, opening paths for him as the red sea splitting before Moses. As miles dissolved with exploration, Corvin’s thoughts turned to his future undead minions, a tactical pause in Savaryn could bolster his forces: he could animate a cohort of Feralis remains, Wolfkin, Lionkin, Bearkin, loyal only to his will. Such a phantom army, disguised as tribal protectors, might serve him long after these Jackalkin trials concluded. The notion tempted him, unsettling in its potential.
Yet duty called him onward. Synod lives had been lost; two must pay the price, with interest. Thus started his search with mindwalking. It did not take long to locate the territory of the Jackal kin tribes. On his way there he added different Feralis to his list. He shaped his focus like a blade, preparing his elemental strikes for the coming confrontation.
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While Corvin soared toward his potential new army of Feralis revenants, in the Elven Pavilion of the Void Expanse, Solen Vaen’thal paced before his Synod advisor, Archmagus Lorenthis Nightshade. The chamber’s obsidian walls reflected torchlight in ominous flickers as Solen paused before a carved relief depicting the Sundering.