3 MONTHS LATER (5th July)
Goh pulled back his bowstring and fired an arrow with full force, his power humming through it. April raised her hand and caught it effortlessly with steady grip.
"You're getting stronger real quick," Goh remarked, lowering his bow.
"She has a good teacher," Leah said, her eyes saying obviously, and April couldn't help but laugh.
It had been three months since Leah had taken April in. She'd explained what had happened, why they were on Earth, and began training April, who loved every bit of it. April had no family before the devastation. She was an orphan, never truly feeling loved, nor having anyone to love. Emotion, for her, had always seemed like something distant, something she lacked. And in many ways, that made her perfect for the path of a great warrior.
They had searched for the Auragmite together, with April joining them. A few days ago, when Goh and Leah met with the crew for updates, it had been a disappointment.
"Nothing, but how deeply the Auragmite has affected the planet," one of the Xenotypes said.
"We found some fragments of the gem that multiplied, but we can't do much with them. Even if we gather all of them and merge them together, we still don't have the main piece, the source of the energy, the core. Without it, these are just glowing rocks with little power," Vael, the general, explained.
"We can't go back to Carlos without the complete Auragmite," Goh said, deep in thought.
"We can't go back," Leah echoed. "That'd mean the end of our lives."
"So what do we do now?" one of the crew members asked.
"We remain here until we find it," Vael replied. "It's here on Earth, but what I fear is that it's taken a strong vessel that has concealed it, which will make it difficult to locate. However, if we do come across it, we'll know for certain. That's why we need to keep searching, everywhere."
They all nodded in agreement. Vael and the other Xenotypes had no idea what Leah had done with the protective energy they had brought to Earth, nor did they know that she had a human with her.
"You've really gotten a lot stronger in the past few weeks," Leah said with a proud smile as April smiled back.
"I don't feel strong enough," April sighed, pouting. Her pretty purple eyes narrowed at the trees in front of her. "I still haven't been able to break a tree like you do all the time when you gather wood."
Leah's palm could shatter a tree into pieces with just her energy, effortlessly.
"With time, you'll be able to," Leah said. "You just have to focus more on channeling your energy through your body. Feel the energy inside you, to control it as an extension of yourself, learn to move with it and not against it. The real fight is within."
APRIL'S POV
I nodded, looking at Leah, then, without thinking, I hugged her. I know she was probably shocked; it was the first time I'd ever done that. I had always wanted to say thank you for saving me, but I believe actions speak louder than words. Whatever I was doing, whatever I wanted to do, I'd show my with actions, and I know one day, I'd be able to properly appreciate her or pay her back.
I'd learned so much from Leah and Goh about the Xenotypes, and it made me feel like I was becoming a part of them. After Leah saved me, I received superpowers from the core she put inside me and with it came subtle changes, but noticeable. My ears grew longer, and my skin took on a faint lavender hue, barely perceptible to the eye. My hair, once predominantly purple, now shifted to black with just a few purple strands running through it.
Training every day made me feel lighter, stronger, and most of all, happy. We'd encountered only a few monsters on our journey and defeated them easily. Yes, we had become wanderers, but Leah had promised to build a home here, in this location, since it had been agreed that they wouldn't be going back to the planet, Mite, to meet Carlos.
I had also learned about the impact of the Auragmite, how it had awakened humans and brought forth monsters. If the fragments had caused this much destruction, I could only imagine what the energy core itself would do. How powerful would it be? I'd love to feel it.
"Uhm! Are you okay?" Leah asked as I pulled away from the hug.
"Yeah," I chuckled, turning away with a grin, only to see Goh shaking his head. Yeah, I knew Goh didn't really like me at first. I guess he had come to accept me, and seen that I'm just a pretty, innocent girl, focused on becoming stronger. Of course, he didn't know how serious I was about it. Goh wasn't the sharpest, and I'm sure he thought I just really enjoyed training. No, I only enjoyed the feeling of becoming powerful.
I extended my hand, and a stream of purple fire appeared, lighting the firewood, which turned red.
"What's for dinner?" Goh asked, sitting beside me while sharpening his weapon. The blade was long and sleek, with a dark, almost metallic sheen that seemed to absorb the light. Its hilt was wrapped in sturdy leather, flecked with gemstone-like patterns, worn from years of use
"Stew…" I responded, setting the pot over the fire. It was going to be a simple mix of wild herbs, root vegetables, and whatever meat we could hunt today which was rabbit.
"Not again!" Goh complained.
"You have better options," Leah called from above. She sat perched high in a tree, watching us. No one ever knew how or when she got there. Leah's speed, precision, and ability to move silently were unmatched. I'd often found myself wondering how she did it, and I wanted to be like her, perhaps even stronger.
"Well, you guys never ask me for dinner options," Goh grumbled, but his words were cut off by the sudden appearance of a group of strange purple creatures emerging from the woods. They were panting heavily, eyes wide with fear.
They were Xenotypes and they seemed to be in danger.
"Leah! We've been searching for you" one of them, who seemed to be a general, called out, his voice strained with exhaustion. Behind him, several Xenotypes were wounded, gasping for breath.
"Vael? What's going on?" Leah said, jumping down from the tree with incredible force.
"The protective energy core. We need it. We've encountered a really strong monster, and we need the protector to fight it. Most of us are wounded, and two are dead. We had to retreat."
Everyone fell silent. I had no idea what was going on. Goh glanced at Leah and then at me. They didn't mean the core that Leah had placed inside me to heal me, right?
The Xenotypes turned to me, confusion etched on their faces
"A human?" General Vael questioned.
Before anyone could respond, a loud, low growl rumbled through the clearing. A massive shadow shifted, and the ground trembled with the heavy weight of something approaching.
A beast, at least 16 feet tall, staggered into view. Its body was monstrous, grotesque, and unnervingly powerful. Its skin was a sickly combination of dark, mottled grey and green, like a decayed corpse fused with stone. Muscles bulged beneath the skin, and its long, clawed limbs dragged along the ground with each step. Its head was crowned with jagged bone-like protrusions, and its eyes, glowing a fiery orange, burned with hunger.