Chapter Text
Cough
Cough
"Fire Weilder, perhaps you should take a break. Your body has been getting weaker since we left the cave."
"I'm... Cough... fine!"
Nausea and bile wash over his body before he collapses on his knees and retches.
"Fire Weilder!"
Thump
Clang
Something is wrong with him. His entire body aches and feels like its on fire. Not in an exhaustion way, not even in a cold way. He's immune to Fire unless its intense or he forces it to burn him, he's never felt a burning sensation that's hurts and this hurts.
It hurts.
It hurts
Soon his body devolves into heaves and then into nothing but pain and coughs.
"I'm going to carry you to a safer area, try and rest for now." Rusty, the mech had said his name was, says.
Kai feels his body gently being scooped up before being placed on the mechs shoulder.
His body hurts to much to fight the darkness of unconsciousness.
xXx
ROAAAAARRRRRR
SHING
CLANG
SCREECH
'It's loud.'
The noise continues around him. Shaking the earth he lays on.
'Cole? Wait no hes...'
Opening his eyes he witnesses the fight in front of him.
Daidan and Rusty fighting against each other. Claws and spear crashing into each other. Fire against fire.
Stumbling up he rushes towards the two giants. He ignores the pain and bile rushing through his body as he moves.
"Human! I leave for a few days and you've gotten yourself into trouble!"
"Fire Weilder! Stay back!"
"ENOUGH!" He shouts.
The two figures immediately freeze in their spots. Only shifting slightly or flapping her wings to stay in flight.
"Daidan, Rusty saved me from a centipede monster earlier..." he won't tell Daidan it was a past fire master, that's Rusty's story to tell. "cough cough... Daidan is an ally Rusty. Now stop..! COUGH COUGH!"
"Human!"
The earth shakes at the speed and force rusty uses to move, the air rushing with Daidan's movement as well.
Covering his mouth with his hand as his body expels whatever air is in his lungs, tears prickling the corner of his eyes, he tries to stand up straight.
"What happened with that centipede!" Daidan growls.
"He has not told me how he met me before he discovered my cave. The ...centipede... did nothing to him after he as met me."
"Human, you must tell me now! We're you ill before your fight with that monster?" She hovers.
"Huff...huff... the first time... no... after..." he gulps, heaving as much air in his lungs as he can, voice muffled by his hand. "After... I woke up in an egg... I-"
Daidan's eyes glowing a vicious green as she growls "Egg?!"
Kai subconsciously flinched back before answering. "I.... must have been knocked out after it attacked me, I ...huff... woke up in an egg, felt like I was suffocating in whatever liquid was surrounding me before I escaped. I only felt sick after that."
"...Fire Weilder, the centipedes cycle has a human be eaten, turned into an egg before becoming apart of the beast."
"W-what?" He pales.
"Perhaps, you're under going that very transformation." Daidan says, her claw scratching the earth as she moves to lay around Kai, her tail wrapping in front of him as if to protect him.
"B-but, we burned ...cough... the entire creature! The eggs, the body, everything!" He trembles.
"I told you that the only way to survive the Land of Monsters was to become a monster yourself... perhaps the egg was all that it needed to make you one." Daidan spoke, lowering her head.
Rusty moves to sit on Daidans side, guarding over them as Kai mind shakes with the idea.
"I... I thought you ment mentally! Or maybe after death! Not while I was ALIVE!" He growls.
Daidan body rumbles, a soothing gesture, a motherly instinct Kai had no idea was possible for her.
"The Land of Monsters has shown to make the impossible possible, to make the horrors of one mind as real as possible. However, you're still human, mentally you are still you. Despite everything your still human, still you.
The transformation might have a bigger affect depending on how long you've been in there. For now we assume you'll have minimal affects, minimal centipede traits." She rumbles.
"For now rest, you'll need energy for the transformation to be quick and not kill you."
"I will take watch, Fire Weilder. For now recharge." Rusty says.
Kai's mind is buzzing with fear, pain and illness, but he nods. Moving his hand away from his mouth revealed blood splattered across his gloves.
He grimace, there's nothing to be done. Nothing he can do. He's turning into something not human. Will he change mentally too? What will his family..?!
He can't thing like that right now. He's exhausted and in pain.
Laying down he closes his eyes and hopes in the morning hes still human.
xXx
He's jolted awake to a wave of pain across his entire body. His head pounds like its getting bashed in with a rock at full force, his back which had once ache feels like its stretching to thin, like a rubber band about to snap. His stomach rolls with pain and nausea. His eyes burn, his mouth and gums ache and he feels overall like hes about to just explode.
He feels a large claw nudge his side, gentle but even that causes pain to shoot up his entire body.
"Ninja, you must drink something, I doubt you can handle food right now. However, you must stay hydrated." Daidan says.
"...okay..." He hates how weak he sounds but mustering any energy is like trying to grab sand in a shifter.
Slowly he attempts to sit up but...
"AGH..!"
Pain laces up his back, it feels like his spine and shoulders were crushed and then electrocuted.
"Ninja!"
"Ugh..! M-my..! Back!" He grits out.
"Prepare yourself."
'What the fuck does that mean?'
He feels claws rip st the fabric on his body, a rush of cold air hitting his skin and...
"...That does not look good." Rusty says.
"Your back is bruised and bumped in parallel spots. It looks like your sprouting two new limbs." Daidan states.
"W-what! Limbs? What kind? Arms?!"
"Possibly, if you were in the egg to turn into a centipede than its most likely going to be insect legs." Rusty says, moving towards Kai, head tilted curiously.
The movement reminds him of Zane.
"I-if they're going you know, sprout from my back what the hell will we do? If they burst out who knows what kind of damage they'll do! What... what the hell are we..?"
"We cut them out." Daidan moves forward, flexing their claw. "It'll be more controlled, less damage if we help move them so they don't rip through your skin."
"What about the wound? I'll bleed out if we just wrap them!" Kai is terrified at the idea of them being cut out but them bursting out seems more terrifying. The idea of what happens is worrying. The only way they can close the wound is...
"I will cauterize the wound. You'll have to allow my to burn the area. I'll be more precise with my finger than the dragons breath." Rusty chirps.
'He sounds fucking excited for this!'
Kai struggles to move on his stomach, taking his leather hilt of his sword into his mouth so he doesn't bit on his tongue.
"...Do it quick... I'll be out after this and we've been here too long. The bloods going to attract any monsters near, pick me up and move quick." He grounds out.
The dragon nods before moving closer. Their huge claw moves above his back, and he squeezes his eyes shut before...
He let out a muffled scream, clenching his teeth around the hilt of his blade as his back all but explodes in pain. He doesn't hear the gasp of surprise Daidan let's out. Doesn't hear Rusty moves as he touches the new limbs from his back and removes it from inside his back. He feels, however, Rusty touch the new limbs, sensitive and painful.
He passes out after that.
xXx
The next time he wakes up he feels...
Okay...
He's achy, his back hurts like hell... but its bearable. His head still hurts a bit but its not as bad as before.
He's on a scaled back, which can only belong to Daidan. Their not flying but walking smoothly on the earth. Rusty is walking close by, scouting by the sounds of it.
Moving causes a sharp pain in his back but its not as bad as when he woke up earlier. Opening his eyes he looks around. His eyes are sensitive to the light, but he can see a bit better than before. Turning to look at the new limbs on his back.
He looks and he sees dark red, fluffy insect wings.
Wait...
Wings...
The wings were dark red with bright red circles and stripes on them. They were moth wings. He had moth wings. Not centipede legs but moth wings! How?
Moving his hand he touches around his head, his hats gone, feeling around in his hair when he touches fluffy and sensitive antennas.
"What the-"
"Fire Weilder! You are awake!" Rusty excitingly shouts. "You must drink!" Shoving a small bowl he can barley hold in his face.
"Thanks Rusty..." He says, sipping slowly as to not throw it all up later.
"We're glad your awake, you've been out for a day." Daidan gently moves her head to stare at him. "Your... eyes are brighter? They reflect light differently... Rusty add that to the list."
"Yes Dragon!" He bows.
Kai will ignore the comment on his eyes and Rusty's odd actions. "...list?" He ask tentively.
"The list of changes the transformation you've undergone! We we're expecting you to look like a centipede but you now are a moth!" Rusty informs.
"I... why am I a moth? And what changes?"
"You might be a moth due to your mindset, and role in breaking that monsters cycle. You're free, able to fly and start anew." Daidan hypothesized. "You are still human, kind and determined. A centipede can be aggressive but a moth will only look towards the light. The good. However, knows how to survive in the dark."
Kai did not expect Daidan to be so philosophical like that, or be able to analyze things like that.
"The list goes like this: Wings, antenna, chirps-" Rusty says before Kai shouts,
"Chirps?! Like a birds?!"
"Similar! More like a cats, you made them will asleep! Back to the list: Chirps, teeth and eyes! Your teeth are a bit sharper but that's it. Not moth like but that might be for survival sake." Rusty happily states.
"I... what do I do? I can't hide these! What... about cutting then off?" Kai panics. If his family sees this what will they think! Sure everyone but him was turned or was something not human at least at one point, but this?
This was permanent! A reminder of this land he's spent too long in. A reminder of the things hes done!
"No, cutting them off will only cause pain! Your body will have trouble adjusting! You'll feel the pain in them even if its not there!" Daidan snarls.
"But!"
"I'll train you to use them, if you must hide them you can wrap them around your body! However, you use everything to your advantage here." Daidan states.
"I... okay, teach me to fly."
xXx
Food, or edible food was incredibly rare in the Land of Monsters. Kai had learned that early on. Learned to ignore the hunger pains, learned to function without it.
"Hyua!"
CLANG
CLANG
SCREEECHHHHHHH
"When the hell do they stop coming!" He growled.
It's been a few months since the... transformation. He can fly and move his wings. He's not used to the new sensation, but hes learned the basics. Enough to survive.
CAWWWW
"Damn it!" He uses his wings to propel himself in the air, summoning his blade and fire to his hands, slashing ruthlessly towards the bird like beast.
KABOOM
BANG
SNAP
"Ugh... Glad I havent eaten anything or it'd be on the ground with how terrible that thing smells." He grimaces kicking the corpse he had just slain.
He wraps his wings around him, like his old cloak. Kai has ignored the issue but he definitely needs more food to keep up with the energy needed with flight. However, that's not possible here. Most monster meat and any fruit were incredibly poisonous to humans.
So Kai has avoided flying as much as possible. He's also lost an incredible amount of weight for the past 5ish years hes been stuck here.
That doesn't matter.
He needs to get home.
He needs to see them again.
He needs-
ROOOOAAAAAARRRRR
GROAN
CAW CAW
SCREECH
"Damn it! Its a hoard!"
He's gotta run.
xXx
"Master Wu!"
"C-COME BACK!"
"EVERYBODIES GONE!"
"I'VE BEEN SO ALONE!"
"MASTER WU! PLEASE!"
xXx
KABOOM
He's drowning.
His family was a trick.
He's drowning
His wings are too heavy to let him do anything but sink.
He's drowning
He's...!
A small sparkle at the end of his vision.
Rusty's spear... what...
Daidan rushes towards him. Picking him up and flying him towards the sky.
He gulps in airs as they soar towards the sky.
The monster is on fire, its tentacles flail in the air.
Rusty is-
Daidan launches him forward.
"NINJA NOW!"
He absorbs Daidan's fire, powers his fire, his grief, his pain and his anger into his blade.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
xXx
He falls in the water.
He has to get away.
He has to get away!
xXx
Rusty is dead.
Kai keeps a small chunk of his metal on his belt, a small piece of his cloak in his pocket.
Kai doesn't cry. He carries Rusty on him, so he'll see a kinder world. Maybe he'll find a purpose that he'd love if he was alive.
Not the purpose of protecting to the end.
"You can always come with me." He says.
"This land, is my home. I must protect it and whoever may discover it after you. I'll shall be a guardian for the weak."
"Then this is goodbye. I hope you'll find a new and brighter future, Daidan." Kai says.
"Thank you... Kai... for showing me the way of mercy. Of true strength here. I wish you luck with your family. Remember, each part of you, is you. Not someone else, not evil or cruel. They are you." She says, moving away before quickly taking flight to the sky. Out of sight.
Kai watches as she disappears before turning towards the light. He moves quickly. He's almost home.
His wings are wrapped tight under his gi, he's lost his hat and the darkness this land has given him.
Running into the light, it was almost too bright, too burning. But it was so warm. Welcoming.
He runs. Time to see his family.
To be continued...