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"Yield, Kanjigar !"Yelled Bular, his black rock body heaving from the effort."A Trollhunter never yields !"Kanjigar replied, also exhausted. Then he straightened up and declared with determination"I'd rather die.""Terms accepted."Bular smiled, accepting the conditions. Then he leapt powerfully into the air, to hit him with all his weight with his fists and the Trollhunter narrowly avoided him.After exchanging a few blows through the morning mist, Kanjigar managed to hit Bular hard enough for the black Troll to slide a few meters away, scraping the ground with his back. Then he stood victoriously above him, the tip of the Sword of Starlight just under the chin of his downed foe."You've lost Bular, yield !"He repeated in turn, the same words his opponent had spoken earlier. Kanjigar was so focused on his enemy that he failed to notice the sun rising above him. A beam of light flashed across the Trollhunter's armour, turning one of the corners of his shoulder into lifeless stone. Bular used the distraction to expel the Sword of Starlight from the Trollhunter's grasp.After his well-placed kick, Bular reversed the situation, sending his opponent flying a few meters away, just at the limit of the rising sun. Kanjigar rushed for his weapon, but recoiled when another ray of sunlight appeared between his fingers and the sword, barely managing to catch it. He felt his hand go numb, hardening into dead, motionless stone.Breathing heavily, the amulet on Kanjigar's chest weakened, as if his time was running out, while Bular moved slowly forward, savouring his position."This time you won't be able to escape me Trollhunter."Prince Gumm-Gumm exclaimed, a wide grin full of sharp fangs disfiguring his face"Give me the Amulet !"Instead, the Trollhunter ran swiftly in the opposite direction, heading up the ramp towards the bridge and climbing upwards through its weathered struts. But Bular followed. After a few exchanged blows and some acrobatics under the bridge, Bular toying with him through the shadows, Bular managed to send him to the edge of it, causing him to lose his sword in the canal, which disappeared as soon as it touched the ground.A wicked laugh left Bular's throat"I'm going to finish you off."Kanjigar ignored his taunts and the smell of hot, rotting meat on his breath as the evil Troll tackled him to the bridge's edge. Bular exposed Kanjigar's face to the sunlight, burning half his bluestone skin into a dull grey rock, without ceasing to sneer. Kanjigar heard himself scream, but it seemed far away. Gathering the last of his strength, he put his hand around Bular's forearm as he moved towards the amulet, then pulled him towards the sunlight as well. Bular screamed in pain, but all Kanjigar could hear was the silent, inner howl of his friend. He pushed it back into the depths of his mind. Struggling to regain his footing on the brink, Kanjigar found himself trapped between his enemy and the rising sun. Bular drew his swords again, but with a little more difficulty due to his now paralysed claw."It’s me or the sun"Bular declared, his voice vibrant and feverish."Either way, you’re doomed.""No !"Kanjigar managed to say with difficulty, too badly injured to fight, leaning against one of the bridge's supporting beams."The Amulet will find a Champion. We will stop you and your father. I may end, but the fight will not."A sense of peace washed over Kanjigar as he folded his arms across his chest, secure in the knowledge of what he needed to do next. With a simple step backwards, Kanjigar fell off the bridge and into a pure, golden light. Gradually, the body of stone gave way to a much thinner, smaller, human body, as the Armour adjusted to this new shape. It was as if the solid rock of the Troll had suddenly become a more malleable substance, sinking to disappear inside the man who replaced it. Instead, it was a human with third-degree burns to half his face and one arm. His eyes were closed, just as soothed by the fall so high from the bridge. A human would probably not have survived such a fall. But he had Armour, special Armour, so maybe that would be enough. The impact with the ground forced all the air out of his lungs. Despite the armour, a muffled crack echoed against the concrete walls of the canal. His lips moved weakly"It's too late..."He let out a short breath, almost like a whisper, muffled by Bular's incredulous howl of rage. The Black Prince was trapped under the bridge, sheltered in its shadow, watching helplessly as the body of his enemy lay lower in the morning sun. Out of reach. The armour faded into a bright blue glow. The human's arms uncrossed, sliding slowly from his chest as unconsciousness overtook him. As his hands came into contact with the concrete of the canal, they opened, the fingers unfolding without resistance, releasing an amulet from one of them. Merlin's Amulet, the Amulet of Starlight, which shone with a faint, dull blue glow, slipped from the inert grip and rolled on its metal edge for a few moments, moving slightly away from its owner. After a few turns on itself like an ill-adapted spinning top, it finally stabilised and rested flat on the ground, barely a meter from the body lying next to it. Bular jumped off the bridge, staying in the safety of its shadow, but his attempt to reach out just enough to retrieve the piece of metal just out of reach was unsuccessful. He picked up his fingers, scorched by the increasingly threatening sun, grunted in enraged frustration, and hurriedly left the scene to get out of the danger of the day.  -----  "Curse this infernal sunlight !"Blinky shouted. His four hands shook the corroded metal grate of the escape tunnel in front of him, but it didn't budge. AAARRRGGHH!!! was standing behind Blinky, trembling at the sound, his body shaking with grief. From their dark hiding place in the dry canal, the two trolls had witnessed the sacrifice of their best friend, Kanjigar, just a few minutes ago. Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! had both felt unsettled after Kanjigar had left them some time earlier. Something about what he said - or didn't say - and the way the Trollhunter's eyes didn't quite meet their own, had them both worried. So, when Kanjigar was slow to return home after his nightly patrol, Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! left Heartstone and made their way down the escape tunnel to the surface world. As the sun broke through the morning fog, the two Trolls witnessed Kanjigar's final battle with Bular. AAARRRGGHH!!! might well have slipped through the grating, but the burning sunlight had filled the canal between their tunnel and the bridge. In this form, he wouldn't have been much use anyway. Nor could Blinky. The Troll cried out at the top of his lungs to try to distract Bular. But the bridge was too far away. The two Trolls watched in horror as the Trollhunter plunged from the bridge and crashed to the floor of the canal, unconscious. AAARRRGGHH!!! had to look away after that, but Blinky felt a certain satisfaction in spying on Bular as the dark Troll tried in vain to reach the Amulet under the sun. After his unsuccessful attempt and a howl of frustration - and the human city waking up around him - Bular finally retreated into the nearby woods, which had not yet been touched by the morning sun.For the next few moments, Blinky changed shape. Just as had happened to Kanjigar earlier, the six-eyed, four-armed blue troll gave way to a slightly plump human with a black mullet haircut and full eyebrows who reached into the pocket of his brown trousers. His fingers trembling with eagerness, he managed to dislodge a telephone and called for help, his voice urgent, giving the location of the injured man under the bridge for whom he was calling.AAARRRGGHH!!! didn't utter a word. While the human who had replaced Blinky hurried inside the canal towards his unconscious friend, the grey and green Symbiote Troll stood back in the damp, mouldy sewer tunnel, heartbroken. Blinky's host leaned over the blond, athletically built human lying inert on the concrete, completely panicked. He grabbed one of his hands, squeezed it gently and said in a hoarse whisper"Kanjigar, old friend, hold on."In the distance AAARRRGGHH!!! watched helplessly as events unfolded. The paramedics arrived fairly quickly and placed the injured man on a stretcher, before his comrade managed to convince them to let him accompany them in the ambulance. However, in his haste, the Symbiote Troll noticed that his companion had forgotten to pick up the Amulet. He himself was unable to reach it because of his current form and the sun. Anxious, he decided to stay here and watch who came to collect it, hoping that Blinky and Kanjigar would both be all right.He remained at his post, silent, for a few hours, until he heard a new sound above the faint trickle of water from the sewer. Looking past the grate and into the canal, AAARRRGGHH!!! spotted a human boy on his - oh, what did Blinky call it again? He couldn't remember, it didn't matter. The boy took off his helmet and massaged his temples as if fighting a headache.  -----  Barbara ran a weary hand over her tired face. She had just finished her long shift and was dreaming of just one thing. To go home and crash into bed without further warning. Guess the Universe had other plans for her. The emergency paramedics had just brought in a seriously injured patient. He had been stabilised on the way, but it looked serious. She was informed of the situation. She groaned heavily but immediately got back to work, she was a conscientious doctor and she wouldn't let this person die, not until she had done everything she could to prevent it, even though she should have finished her shift by now. The hospital had been understaffed for years and everyone was counting on her. Shaking off her fatigue to concentrate on the life in her hands, she made her way towards the patient in question. She analysed the situation at a glance. First, observation. He had very serious burns on half his face and the upper part of his body, with a few visible wounds, most likely made with a blank weapon, judging by the clean edges. Most of them had stopped bleeding, except for a few that were staining his clothes and the stretcher underneath. The upper garments had been pulled apart, apparently already torn, revealing contusions all over his chest. The patient's breathing was laboured. He had probably regained consciousness but was in a confused state, as he weakly repeated a word that made little sense"The Amulet..."Doctor Lake learned from the rescue workers that he had been found unconscious in the canal. They surmised that he had probably fallen from the bridge, possibly sustaining trauma to his spine. He was accompanied by a friend, who corroborated the story of the fall but insisted on being able to stay by his side. It took several people to force him to stay away and allow them to do their job. They managed to stabilise the patient haemodynamically, with emergency filling. After a quick X-ray, it was found that several ribs had been broken. A lung had been punctured, a further reason for the patient's dyspnoea. This also explained the difficulty in getting his saturation back up despite being on oxygen. He was in a really bad way. She needed to check for neurological damage, given the high probability of a vertebral fracture. So, knowing that he was now sufficiently stabilised, she grabbed one of his hands and tried to get him to react."Squeeze my hand."He wasn't fully conscious, he'd been put on a fairly powerful painkiller, but he still managed to react and obey, his fingers tightening slightly around her grip. The good news was that there was probably no neck damage. What was less logical were the words he had gurgled in a muffled way, despite the clutter of medical equipment in his throat"Go away..."He was going to the scanner anyway to get a better overall view of his spine. When Barbara released his hand, she felt a tingling go up her forearm. He hadn't squeezed too hard, though, and she put the sensation aside to concentrate on what was more important - the sensation had disappeared quickly anyway. As if triggered by her touch, the device connected to the patient suddenly began to beep. He had gone into cardiac arrest. Barbara was a little taken aback. He had just spoken, it had been so abrupt, so sudden. Nothing should have set it off, he had been stabilised. Someone quickly retrieved a defibrillator, they cleared and sent a shock, then massaged in the meantime and then gave another shock. They injected adrenaline through the first line used to stabilise him.But it was no use, the body had suddenly decided to stop working. And nothing had allowed it to restart.  -----  Kanjigar's voice echoed in his head. It was raw and desperate"Arthur !"But he could hardly keep his eyes open. A single thought obsessed him, his throat was dry, he could hardly breathe, his breath was short, he coughed slightly - but the shaking sent excruciating pain through his chest. Yet, feverishly, he repeated, the only thing he could think of"The Amulet..."And then he would come to, in fits and starts, as people in white coats tended to him. But their words were distant. It was too late. The voice in his head rang out again, like a thunderclap"Arthur ! Stay with me !"After a few more blackouts, he managed to concentrate enough to formulate a coherent thought"It's too late... You have to go""No !"The snarling voice flatly refused."You know I can't ! I won't leave you !"But he gave him no choice. One of the doctors offered him exactly what he wanted. They grabbed his hand and he took the opportunity to Push with all his fading strength. He knew what the outcome would be. He had tightened his fingers slightly around the hand, making sure that the contact would be enough for the Transfer. Then he searched his mind, ignoring the aches and pains throughout his body, clouded by the medication he had been given. He found his target. And, like ripping off a bandage, he Pushed. He pushed the Symbiote out of him, he threw it back. Kanjigar's internal howl echoed through him. It wasn't pleasant for either of them. He was forcibly breaking their Bond. It was dangerous and probably fatal, but if there was even a small chance... He just managed to say a few words before his heart gave out"Go away..."The Symbiote left his body, passing through the hand of the doctor who was still holding it. The transaction hadn't lasted long, but it had felt like an eternity, as the rebellious Symbiote refused to let him go. The effort had been so considerable and the act so risky that he finally succumbed, his heart giving out on the spot, as soon as the Transfer was completed, in a matter of seconds.  -----  Barbara was exhausted. She hated for an evening to end like this. Although at this stage, morning was much closer than evening. She was told to go home, that the rest would be taken care of. But she refused, she had been the last person to speak with this patient - with this person - before life left him. What a disappointment it was for her to discover that he had no medical records, no known relatives, no-one to break the bad news to. Apart from his friend, who was waiting outside. So she summoned up all her courage and went to ask him for more information. And to tell him the news. Seeing the relatives of the victims fall apart was always a difficult sight to bear."Oh... Kanjigar... Arthur..."His friend, M.Galadrigal, as he introduced himself to her, sighed hoarsely. She had asked if he had any family or anything. The so-called friend was very unhelpful. M.Galadrigal then asked for the body back, but that was not the procedure. There was bound to be an inquest, as the death was clearly unnatural. M.Galadrigal left, a little frustrated and a lot upset. Barbara removed her glasses, massaged the bridge of her nose and decided that she was done for the day.When she finally got home, her son Jim had already left for school and his bike was gone. She didn't even notice the note on the fridge door and slumped roughly into bed, falling asleep immediately.  -----  The alarm clock on the desk read 6am, emitting the same annoying beep as every school day. James Lake Jr. slowly opened his eyes, pulling the Vespa magazine he'd fallen asleep in front of away from his face. Still a little woozy, he remembered his strange dream. He'd been surrounded by thousands of disassembled Vespa scooter parts, with no instructions and no one to help him put them back together. And Jim had this feeling that persisted from the dream until the morning, the terrible feeling that time was running out. Watching the alarm clock didn't help that feeling. Dressing and combing his dark hair hastily, Jim hopped down the stairs and began his morning routine. Once he had cleaned up as usual, he quickly typed his search into the computer to retrieve his new daily recipe. He then put it to work in the kitchen and began to prepare three meals at once : buttered toast for himself - a simple breakfast but so satisfying - a chipotle-ketchup-glazed meat loaf baking in the oven, and a caramelized onion and goat cheese omelet. Jim used his Santoku knife with experienced precision on the chopping board, dicing the red onions. He had enough scars on his fingertips to remind him to keep them bent as he cut the basil into chiffonade. Multitasking in the kitchen, Jim took the meatloaf out of the oven and portioned out three slices to make three separate sandwiches, and folded the omelette effortlessly in the pan. Not bad for a Tuesday. Then came Jim's favourite part : he washed his knife in the sink and air-dried it by twirling the blade between his fingers. Kids, don't try this at home. After wringing every last drop of moisture from its surface, Jim put the Santoku away in the knife block, prepared the omelette and carried it upstairs on a tray. He gently opened the door to the second bedroom and found his mother Barbara's bed completely empty. Jim's happy shoulders slumped in disappointment, she must still be at work. Jim felt a little sorry for his mother. She worked so hard at the hospital, saving lives and supporting them both. Jim had sworn a long time ago that he would never complain about cooking. It was the least he could do to help his mother. That, and she was also a terrible cook. With a sigh, he grabbed a post-it note on which he scribbled for her that he'd made breakfast for her when she got back, putting it in the fridge. He hoped that she would see it and not be so exhausted that she didn't see it and fell asleep too quickly. Tiredness and an empty stomach were not good bedfellows. But hey, he'd done all he could, so he went back to getting ready.Jim grabbed his bike helmet and pannier, then took one last look at the Vespa of his dreams before settling for his simple bike.Outside, squinting against the bright sunlight, he noticed the rubbish on the ground."Raccoons again!"he complained. As he picked up the rubbish, a familiar voice came in"We’re late for school, Jimbo."Jim smiled as he saw Toby Domzalski waiting for him at the end of the driveway. Tobes was trying to stuff his head into a bicycle helmet he'd had for a long time."Sorry, Tobes."Said Jim."Busy with the lunches. One for me, one for Mom, and..."Jim held out a brown paper bag, and Toby hastily took it, inhaling deeply."Ah"Toby sighed in delight."Balsamic mushrooms, meat loaf - chunky - sun-dried tomatoes..."Toby's braces glinted in the sunlight as he ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth, trying to locate the last aroma he smelt, glancing inside afterwards."And cardamom."Jim revealed."Ooh, taking a chance there, Chef Jim !"Toby teased him. Jim smiled. Toby had always enjoyed food, ever since they were small children. Toby liked the way Jim used equal parts beef and ground pork to make his meatloaf tender, and Jim liked the way Toby liked that sort of thing."What’s life without a little adventure ?"Jim joked back. Toby inhaled the delicious dish one last time, then turned it down, pushing it back towards his friend"I can't eat this, I'm on a diet.""You've been on a diet for 14 years, Toby."Jim said in a more serious and solemn tone as he pushed the bag away from him."I know."The redhead confirmed with an annoyed look."You've only got 15."Jim added as he got on his bike. Toby did the same - after a few unsuccessful attempts - as he argued"It's a long-term thing, I'm still growing..."Then the boys cycled to school. As they were running late, they rushed back to their bikes, with the red-headed boy assuring them, already out of breath"No need to slow down, I'm keeping pace!""Hurry up, it's already 8 o'clock!"Jim urged."We're going to get stuck for a slice of meatloaf!Toby moaned."Not if we cut across the concrete river ! We can save a bit of time !"As Jim announced, they cut through the woods towards the canal to save five minutes. Toby complained about the bumpy road and his destination, but Jim couldn't help ignoring him a little and enjoying the ride. He lived for moments like these - running against the clock, feeling the wind against his face, and jumping his bike over a hill every chance he got. These little thrills allowed Jim to focus on the moment and not worry about the day ahead. The thought of sitting through a series of classes he wasn't particularly good at, while trying not to stare at this extraordinary girl who didn't even know he existed, twisted Jim's stomach. He wondered how long he would feel like this. How long would he remain so... ordinary. All the way through high school ? University ? That feeling of time running out came back to Jim, sending a new pain through his gut. Never mind, Jim told himself as Toby blabbered behind him. Claire Nuñez might never notice him, but at least he had Toby. And his mother. And a promising career in sandwich making, he supposed. Meatloaf was great and all, but still. He wished there was... more. Jim tried to push away all his anxiety by rushing towards the canal. Reaching the edge of the concrete, Jim pulled on his handlebars and his bike went airborne. During the downward arc, he felt free - without responsibility, without worry, without that nagging voice in his head - for a few fun, fleeting, glorious seconds. The wheels landed at the bottom of the canal with a squeak of rubber, and Jim looked back towards the woods, waiting for Toby who was hanging around."Come on, Tobes !"Jim called, his voice bouncing against the weathered walls of the canal. Toby didn't answer. He was probably too far back to hear Jim anyway. Instead, Jim heard another voice echoing in his mind. Not the usual voice that popped up to question Jim all the time. No, it was an unfamiliar voice. It sounded old, powerful and deadly serious as Jim felt it speak his name"JAMES LAKE"He didn't even notice Toby's screams as he tumbled down the canal slope behind him, losing control of his bike. The voice in Jim's head was so loud he thought his skull would split open."James Lake"He took off his helmet to relieve the pressure and staggered forward. Somehow, moving in that direction lessened the intensity of the voice. Jim took another step and the pressure from the voice became even less. Looking ahead, Jim discovered a flash of light in the center of the canal, just below the bridge."James Lake"The voice repeated again, almost muffled."Hey, Tobes"Jim asked over his shoulder as he moved a little closer"Did you hear that voice ?""What voice ?"Toby asked, catching up with Jim and casting random glances around before glancing back at the strange metal object. Neither of them noticed the few dark patches of dried black blood on the ground a little further on - which they would probably have mistaken for a petrol leak anyway. Great, Jim thought instead. Now he was imagining voices that only he could hear. He supposed he could add madness to his unpopularity and bad average."JAMES LAKE"Called the voice loudly this time from the shiny metal object. It was so loud that Jim and Toby fell backwards in surprise. The two friends exchanged frightened glances. On the one hand, Jim was glad that Toby had heard it too. It meant that Jim wasn't crazy. Or that his madness might be contagious and they'd both end up in hospital. At least they'd be together... But on the other hand, objects weren't supposed to speak directly to a person's brain. Jim managed to say"That voice ! It's like this thing is calling my name !"The guys bent down in front of the object to study it a little more. The voice had stopped echoing in Jim's head, but he still felt somehow... compelled. He reached for the device, almost in spite of himself."I bet it's a walkie-talkie or something."Toby searched for an explanation, just as Jim's fingers brushed against the smooth, cool surface of the device. But it didn't look like a walkie-talkie. Jim raised his hand high. Unfurling his fingers, he discovered in his palm a large circular gadget, similar to an oversized stopwatch, but made of a shiny metal he didn't recognise. Holding it closer, Jim studied its intricate gears, engravings and the strange unknown words that had been etched into the back."Huh"Jim barely managed to say, completely mesmerised by its bright bluish glow."Looks like... an amulet."His tone was hesitant, but it was almost a certainty. As if deep down he knew.Still hiding in the escape tunnel, AAARRRGGHH!!! flinched when he heard the boy say «amulet».Truth be told, Toby had been the victim of many pranks during his childhood, and this whole business with the gadget and the voice screamed «prank» to him. He looked up at the bridge and shouted in annoyance"And you think that's funny, do you ? Come on, come out of your hiding place now !"AAARRRGGHH!!! instinctively moved away from the gate.Meanwhile, Jim held the mysterious amulet closer to his face."Hello ?"He asked the amulet."I'm listening."Jim closed his eyes, sliding it close to his ear, expecting the voice to come back and perhaps say something other than his name for the umpteenth time, Toby moving closer too, dubious but curious, when..."RIIIIINNNNNGGGGG !"Jim and Toby both gasped at the distant sound. They knew it all too well."Uh ! That's the last bell ! We're gonna get detention for the rest of our lives !"Panicked Jim. Toby complained loudly"We're so late, our kids are gonna have detention !"Without hesitation, Jim put the amulet back in his schoolbag, put on his helmet, jumped on his bike and said"Come on, Tobes ! This is our last chance !""Go for it ! I'm right behind !"Toby confirmed, as he and Jim sped through the canal tunnel towards their school.Once the sound of the boy's wheels had faded, AAARRRGGHH!!! returned to the gate and all he said, was"Uh-oh"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

ARCHIVESNotes from the Archivists, Masters of History with a capital H.
 
We, the Archivists, Masters of History with a capital H, have decided to make a totally subjective list of the most interesting things we have observed in the History of the World.
 
Let us begin.
 
With the Beginning, which we were unable to witness for ourselves.At the Beginning, there was the Arcane.
 
We were the Arcane.
 
Something like a Cosmic Entity, Unique and Plural at the same time.
 
And then there was the Universe. Constantly evolving. Galaxies formed. A few unattractive Bigbangs, very imposing, very pretty, very dangerous. And then solar systems, stars and their planets were born. As with everything, there was birth and death, beginning and end. So stars died. The biggest ones sometimes formed Wormhole, leaving behind strange Black Holes. But not only that. Residual stars would sometimes break away, forming perhaps the first other entities with a certain level of consciousness. The Wizards. Creatures made of pure Energy, born of Stars. Very bright ! And coloured ! And burning ! And blinding ! We understand...
 
Although we are not certain that they were really the first living beings in the Universe. We weren't really interested... In the end, after a few moments of study, the Wizards were just as boring as the rest of the Universe, just as inclined to let events unfold, passive to the passing of time, without getting voluntarily involved. Then we noticed other forms of life. Fascinating. Slightly pathetic, but fascinating nonetheless. They were ephemeral states, with so little impact on the immensity of the entire Universe that they represented nothing. And yet, these creatures fought with all their might to simply... exist. And, tirelessly, to continue to exist. To endure, to evolve, to improve and to take active steps to give themselves even a nano-chance. Some Wizards themselves were apparently intrigued and inspired by these new forms of consciousness and decided to simply cease to Be. Of course, the new forms of life were imperfect, inadequate. Some were organic, an unstable assembly of atoms and molecules that, in a precarious balance, formed a whole. Others were mineral or mechanical. Well, we don't remember whether the mechanical ones appeared before or after, it doesn't matter. After all, it was all a question of Matter and Energy. In perpetual motion. Subject to Time. But the worry was that in order to persist, these new forms of life had Needs. And sometimes, the surroundings didn't offer enough resources to satisfy these Needs. So these lives struggled, first against the environment, adapting as best they could to overcome these Needs. Then there was sometimes a lack. Of space, of resources to meet the Needs of All. So life forms began to tear each other apart. More or less. Which was an interesting study, to say the least. Watching them evolve and adapt, more and more, in an attempt to improve themselves with new ideas and better ways of functioning, was of constant interest. The conflicts were still the most enjoyable. Cute evolution is even better. Organics are cool. Minerals are worse. Funnier. The debate is not about which life forms are the best...
 
Let's start again.
 
Needs were not a constraint that limited Wizards. And yet, some decided to get involved with other life forms in order to... help them. Or the other way round. Because they could. Wizards, who were not made of matter, were not so limited. So we came up with an idea. And we offered a Wizard a new opportunity for action. We chose him as our Champion and shared a power he could only dream of. We turned him into a Titan. Merged with an entire planet. It was a turning point that could have been interesting, to say the least. The Wizard we had chosen had revolutionary ideas of Greatness, which were not limited to ordinary mortals, which even went beyond the agreements of his energetic peers. He was not a Wizard like the others. He thought big, on a par with the Universe itself. His chosen name was Gaylen. And when he became a Titan, he finally realised his plans. He wanted to create the perfect species. Beings made of energy, in his image, whose potential would not be limited by Needs like other material Creatures. But he also gave them the opportunity to benefit from everything these material beings were equipped with. He gave them a material body. So that the two could exist as a single entity, he invented the Life Cores. All the energy was concentrated in these material cores to enable a material body to be produced around them. He based this on his own creation. For he himself had wanted to share the joys of material life and had invented his very first Life Core for himself. An invention he had readily shared with most of his Wizard peers. But there was no longer any need to worry about the problems of other life forms, as he had now given birth to the Perfect Species. The very first true energy-based race. The Akiridians. Not much detailed information is known about the nature and functions of this energy-based life. They are inorganic and require a bodily energy source, which is the life core. They do not need food or oxygen to live, although they are able to process both in their bodies. They can live forever as long as their energy source is intact. They are also able to reproduce with other species. They were perfect in every way. Capable of a level of consciousness almost as high as the Wizards themselves. But with the will to keep improving like the rest of the life forms. And for his perfect species, he gave them a world in his own image. He concentrated all his energy as an ancient Wizard in his Life Core to create Akiridion-5. But then he wanted to wipe out all the other imperfect breeds so that only His breed remained. His madness for annihilation had become far too great, and risked taking away our one and only real source of entertainment, so we decided to act. We couldn't take away what we had given him. So, instead, we chose a new Champion. We selected the most perfect member of that perfect breed - its descendants being the Royals - who, because of her perfection, understood that there could be no single breed and that imperfection elsewhere had to persist. Seklos then became a Titan in her own right. She tried to resonate with her Creator, whose equal she had become. Seklos was even the Founder of the Council of Nine, to bring together all the most intelligent species in the Universe. But Gaylen would have none of it. So the two Titans clashed. Which was extremely entertaining. Yes, lots of red and blue lights everywhere, poof !
 
But then Seklos chose to sacrifice herself by killing Gaylen, because only another Titan could kill a Titan. They both lost their material forms and the consciousnesses attached to them, for the material Planet was the one that had made it possible for them to become Titans. All that remained were their Life Cores, which the Akiridian people carefully preserved. As a trace of their history. To remember it. And that's where we got the idea for these Archive Notes.
 
We had already decided, from time to time, to influence space-time out of curiosity, to see what might come of it. However, this desire to obtain our own material body ended up intriguing us more than we thought. We decided to create our own material forms. But we, the Arcane, were simply too much for a material form. So we decided to create the closest thing we could find to a receptacle capable of containing us. In the end, we created Titans. To make this possible, we decided to divide ourselves. Some people called us Demigods. We were then three, and at the same time one whole. Where Nari, the first to split, divided to form an immature and incomplete consciousness - That's me ! - Skrael divided to form a single consciousness, like the other conscious creatures in the Universe - Incomparable - and we, the principal Demigods of the writing of these Notes, are Bellroc, we have preserved the remainder of our original Cosmic Entity, the Arcane. I chose the Names ! They're good, aren't they ?
 
Yes, Nari...
 
Skrael proclaimed himself Master of Time. And created his own Titan, originally a Snow Kaygon. The Kaygon's body continuously falling is such a perfect representation of the passing of time. And you have to admit, the gel design is a real eye-catcher.
 
Nari was the Mistress of Matter... and, from her childlike innocence, was charmed by the race of Durians, making one of them her Titan. They're so funny ! And stinky ! And green !
 
All that remained were the Masters of Energy, us, Bellroc.Skrael and Nari forced us to take a Cindorite for a Titan. You have to admit, it's far too obvious for Energy. With lava everywhere !
 
So, here we are.
 
We are the Arcane.
 
We are the Archivists. Masters of History with a capital H.
  
_____

**THE BIRTH**
 He was hungry. All he knew was that he was hungry.Terribly hungry.Always hungry.An all-consuming, insatiable, inexhaustible hunger.So, for the first time, he started to Move. To stop standing still.The little orange-brown crystal cracked and something slipped out. Rock came to life. He wasn't the only one. Others, everywhere else, were doing the same, leaving their crystalline cocoons. Their bodies just as limp. They were like lost newborn larvae. And then, one of them began to cover his old crystal from which he had emerged. He didn't just cover it up. Before long, it had disappeared.The world seemed a blur to him, but he had clearly seen the absence of the luminous crystal afterwards. This other one like him had become a bit bigger after that. So he turned round as best he could. And he too covered his orange-brown crystal.And then everything became crystal clear.He knew exactly what to do. All he had to do was eat. To appease his hunger at least a little.Soon there was nothing left of his old crystalline shell. He had eaten it. He felt calmer, less hungry, perhaps a little taller too. And soon, something else came to mind. Who he was. Who he could be. A vague memory had suggested to him that they might once have been something else. Maybe. But he wasn't any more. He was something else now. He was different.And he began to vibrate as he chose a name for himself, something to distinguish him from the others, to individualise him, unlike what he had perhaps once been. Sounds echoed through the dark cave. His Name."Orlagk"  -----  
**THE TROLLS**
 The others continued to devour the crystals again and again. Which kept growing and growing. But they ate faster than they grew. And he never tired of observing his peers.He tried to understand them.To understand himself.The others were hungry. He was hungry too, like the others. But his hunger was also different. He was hungry for knowledge. So he took an interest in the others too, rather than simply appeasing his hunger with food.Orlagk was the first to name himself.To be different.To be.A name.For a unique being.But what were they all ?So he decided to name himself too. If he became different, he could study the others properly. And understand himself better. But they had no memory of who they were.Bedehilde chose this name.He didn't know where it came from. Perhaps from before. From what they might have been and what they no longer were. But he chose it anyway. And he wanted to name them too. All of them. To understand himself. To understand who they were. They were something else now. They were made of minerals. They fed on minerals. These were certainties.They were... Trolls.  -----  
**A
WHELP
**
 He was hungry. He had started to cover the crystal. But he wasn't the only one. Another like him had also covered the crystal.His crystal.It was His crystal!His.He ate.But he came into contact with the Other.The Other was made of rock, like the place they were in. But there were minerals too. Like the ones they had come from, the ones they fed on. He was like him. And they were touching. He wanted to feed on this crystal. It was His crystal. Not the Other's. So he Pushed the Other away. His own body began to cover that of the Other, with the aim of pushing him away, away, away from His crystal.And Klitar wasn't sharing.He himself was bigger, wider, stronger. It wasn't difficult to get the Other off the crystal. To make it fall. But the Other didn't give in. He may have been smaller, but he didn't give in. He found another way. And the Other began to catch him too. Not by covering him with his body as he had done to push him away. But with a multitude of parts of his body. Which he had separated. Tentacles, tendrils, many of them, that caught him, and pulled him down with him. If he couldn't have the crystal, then nobody would have it. Klitar did not understand this behaviour.The Other had lost.All he had to do was find himself another crystal.So Klitar tried to get the one who had apparently named himself Pannoxi to let go, even though he didn't care. But it was no use. Pannoxi's many arms held him, chained him. They rolled, slid out of the crystal they both coveted. Then they mingled. Klitar tried to Push him away again. But they mingled. And it was strange. They continued. Then finally, as their rock, their minerals, mixed, they broke away. They moved apart. But they were stuck together.They were one.Klitar was unique.He didn't want it.So he Pushed again.And they finally managed to break away. But that wasn't all. Where they had broken away, there was something. Something very small. As small as the first time they had left their crystals. And this tiny little Troll - as Bedehilde had apparently named them all - was strange. A mixture of the two of them. A mini-them. But he was dying, on the spot. And they did nothing. The others continued to eat. Without looking, without caring. Except Bedehilde, further away, who continued to observe everything and everyone, as usual. And finally, the little newcomer stopped moving. He'd gone all grey, but a strangely duller grey. he had become hard. All dry. All dead. Klitar even pushed him away, too, just to see. And the whelp grey just shattered. In lots of little pieces.It was his.Klitar knew it was his.So he covered it up, before anyone else did. And he ate it.Because it was his.No sooner had he swallowed one of the pieces than he suddenly felt sick. Not only was he still hungry, he was in pain. It was an unpleasant sensation that made him move, vibrate and tremble against his will. And then Klitar understood. The dead remains were not edible. Not really. They had made him sick.No, over there, they took advantage of his distraction to take His crystal ! There were two of them. Like Klitar and Pannoxi before them, they each tried to get the crystal. But they made contact with each other. But unlike Klitar, they accepted it. Worse, they mingled together voluntarily. And they shared the crystal. They were mixed, as one, a mixture of two types of whitish rock. And when the two called Gobharlic and Kilfred parted, they had left behind.... the crystal.Untouched.It was absurd. Silly. Incoherent. Klitar didn't understand. Yet the ones behind this action made no attempt to devour the crystal again. Gobharlic even touched it with a short, curious tendril, sliding across the surface of the crystal. Klitar wanted His crystal. So he approached again. And noticed that the crystal had in fact become different. As if it had been polished. Burnt smooth. Worse still, it wasn't empty. There was a silhouette inside. Exactly like the little one he and Pannoxi had left behind. But Klitar had got too close. And Kilfred Pushed him back. Protective and Possessive as Klitar had been with His crystal. For Gobharlic and Kilfred had created a little them.And this one, in the crystal, had survived.  -----  
**
STONEHEART
**
 He was hungry.He was small.He hadn't eaten much.There were hardly any crystals left where he'd come from. They had gone exploring. There were so many tunnels, dark, sometimes narrow. Ridges, hollows, cracks, peaks. But when there were no crystals growing, it was so dark.So dark.It could have been terrifying. But it wasn't so bad. He knew that inside them, they also had minerals. It was strange, because he had brilliant purple ores inside him, the same colour as his birth crystal. So all he had to do was let them show a little. He modified his body slightly. He let veins run down his body, veins that revealed his inner minerals. And then, the surroundings became brighter, lit up with a soft mauve glow. This place was so dark, but Krubera felt in his element.The Darklands didn't scare him.He loved this place. Better still, the more he explored, the more he realised just how big this place was. And he found it. Deeper, in the center of the Darklands.A gigantic crystal, deep green, emerald.The Heart was immense.It was an incredible Stone.A gentle warmth washed over him, something he had always felt since he was born, but even stronger now that he was close to the source.It was a Stoneheart.Krubera slid down to make contact with the giant crystal. And he felt so invigorated.Powerful.Great.His insatiable hunger was finally appeased.It was incredible.And his inner minerals changed too. From the purple of his birthstone, it became as green as the Stoneheart itself. He was taller than all the others. He was the biggest Troll now.  -----  
**HUNGER**
 Susurra had noticed where Krubera had gone. So he followed him. And then he'd seen it too.The Stoneheart.So he went back to see all the Others, excited. To warn them. To let them know. He warned everyone he met. Because they were all entitled to it. Orlagk even pushed him to go there first. He and Klitar had always been extremely possessive, especially of the crystals they had chosen as their own.But Susurra didn't care, he was far too happy.Even they couldn't take that joy away from him. The joy of being able to feed. To satisfy their hunger. Definitely. Or so he thought. His own body was rolling and sliding and expanding as fast as he could. Soon he was circling the entire Darklands. He even met some unknown trolls. Others who had apparently emerged elsewhere. But he shared his joy with them too. Even with Kilfred, Gobharlic and their mini-them in his crystal. In fact, since the last time he had seen them, the whelp had left his birthstone. Just as they had done before him. The mini-them had stuck to one of its progenitors. A small portion of whitish rock grafted onto the larger mass that was its parent. Gobharlic and Kilfred had even given it a name.He was no longer a mini-them.He was Rundle.But Susurra continued his quest. And after apparently warning everyone, he too returned to where the Stoneheart was. They had never all been so together. Well, together in the same place anyway, because they weren't really together... Orlagk and Krubera were already fighting over the Stoneheart. Klitar had already touched it and had become almost as big as Krubera himself. And the strongest would not let the weakest have access to it. They squabbled to get at it.And every time one of them touched it, it lit up a little more on contact, filling them with its energy, and every time, once it was finished, it became a little duller.Then Bedehilde, who had not yet touched it, finally ordered them all"That's enough."He pointed to the Stoneheart. The faint glow emanating from it. It needed rest. They couldn't all gorge themselves on it at the same time. If they did, they'd empty it. And then there would be no more of it. And then there would be no more crystals either. Genrik pointed out that there weren't enough already. Crystals. And Bedehilde confirmed that they were eating faster than it was growing. But Klitar, who had fed at the source, in the Heart itself, grumbled"But I'm still hungry".And then Susurra's already crumbling dream finally collapsed completely.They would never be able to satisfy their hunger for good.As if to prove it, a frail Troll began to vibrate, shaking all over himself, as if he'd eaten rotten food. He wasn't well. He curled in on himself, to the point where his rock could no longer conceal his inner yellow ore. And then its inner glow faded, as the Stoneheart had done every time a Troll had used it. And the yellow soon turned to a dull, lightless grey. Until there was nothing left but dead grey rock, just like the whelp of Klitar and Pannoxi. But he wasn't a whelp. This one was born like the others, at the same time. He was just frail because he had eaten practically nothing. He hadn't been able to find anything.And it had died.He had starved to death.Because they could starve.This troll hadn't even had the strength to find a name for himself.He died without a name.A nobody.Forgotten.Bedehilde was almost sorry. They would forget him.He wouldn't.Orlagk accused Kilfred and Gobharlic of creating another troll, another mouth to feed, when they already didn't have enough for their own. He demanded to get rid of him. Both refused.And a battle ensued.But Susurra didn't care.All that mattered was that they had no way of truly satisfying their hunger.Their mortal hunger.So was this what they were destined to do ?To simply starve to death ?  -----  
**THE OUTSIDE**
 Two Tribes were created. One under Orlagk, who had already eliminated some of the whelps, tearing them away from their progenitors, so that they would die alone without support, as the very first whelp had done. Orlagk, Krubera and a few others stood around the Stoneheart. Orlagk decided who could gorge on it. Klitar was against them, because he wanted to be the only one to have it. And then there were those like Kilfred and Gobharlic, always protecting their little Rundle, with a few others, the Tribe against Orlagk. Klitar, although he prefers to be on his own, sometimes lends a hand against Orlagk and Krubera. Purely out of opposition. And Bedehilde was more in favour of preserving the Trolls. Creating new ones was wonderful. And then there were all the others. The ones who didn't care. Those who lived their lives. The ones who were just trying to satisfy their hunger, searching the corners, exploring the Darklands. And then, once, Tarigar discovered something new.An opening.An exit.A tunnel leading to the Outside.And from inside, the outside looked so big, so immense, so black and yet so bright. The black background didn't look like the rock of the Darklands. And all the bright spots in the background were not crystals. It was brighter still, further away. Tarigar thought that maybe they could eat it. There were so many of it. And it was so big. There would be enough for everyone. So he started to slide outside. He felt like a warm veil, exactly like what the Stoneheart produced when they were close enough, then suddenly an intense, terrible cold that froze him in place. And the parts of his body that had reached the outside began to burn almost immediately. A horrible heat this time, far from the soft, pleasant heat of their Stoneheart. And at the same time, it turned grey and dead. He immediately brought these parts back inside, into the safety of their home, into the protective field of their Stoneheart.The Outside was dangerous.And deadly.And they were doomed.Utah, of course, noticed the grey patches in his usually bluish rock. And he didn't let go until he told him what he'd found. Because Utah knew he'd eaten enough not to starve. And starving turned everything into dead stone, not just portions. Utah was curious. Maybe a little too adventurous. And Tarigar tried to stop him. But it was no use. Utah had already crossed the boundary to the outside. And how strange, from his external point of view, Tarigar saw a barrier of green energy as soon as Utah had crossed. As if he'd passed through it. Tarigar would have liked to stop him, but the burns on his body were too painful and he couldn't even reach him until it was too late. Worse still, Utah, in all its unconsciousness and carelessness, had gone out completely.And then... nothing happened.Absolutely nothing.And then Utah began to tremble, to shiver, as his voice echoed, far away, and yet no sound reached him. But by the slight vibration of the ground, Tarigar understood what he meant, more or less. «Cold». Exactly as Tarigar had felt when he too had started to go outside. But, to his great astonishment, the rest didn't come. Utah moved further away, slipping and rolling slowly as the cold numbed his body. And Tarigar could only stay in the force field, protected inside, amazed at what had NOT happened.No intense searing heat that turns to grey stone ?Did Utah have protection that he didn't ?Something deep and mean climbed inside him.Something envious, of what Utah had that he didn't.Jealousy.Why should he be able to go outside in peace, in this gigantic space, and Tarigar not ?So, in an attempt to contradict himself, as if to prove that he was no less than Utah, Tarigar went outside too. He froze in the intense cold that invaded him, deprived of the warmth of the Stoneheart, waiting for the worst to happen, for the pain to strike him again.And yet... nothing.Tarigar didn't understand.It made no sense.Utah came back to him, rolling happily, passing a tendril against him to draw him in. He was vibrating. And Tarigar knew he was talking to him.But he couldn't hear anything.In fact, he really couldn't hear anything.No sound at all.Not the sound that reigned in the caves of the Darklands. Not the echoes of the slightest noise reverberating against the rock faces. Nor the slight rustle of the troll's movements. Even his own body was silent.Utah didn't understand.He wanted to make Tarigar react, but the other troll was lost in thought. And, as if to confirm his suspicions, Tarigar slammed one of his unbroken blue tentacles violently into the ground, making Utah jump back.Nothing.No rock clatter.Even Utah seemed surprised not to have heard anything. The shock should have echoed over and over again in the Darklands.But not here.Not outside.There was no noise here.Yet Utah's labile attention prompted him to fire again at Tarigar, no longer trying to warn him, but making him understand by gestures, a tendril stretched out behind him. And Tarigar finally agreed to turn his attention to what he so wanted to show him. And he could only freeze when he saw a gigantic rock floating high above them.How had he not noticed it before ? It was a mystery.It was so big that it had replaced the background with its many luminous spots. In fact, the outside environment was extremely dark, under the shadow of the huge rock, where Tarigar had been bathed in light the last time he'd been here. Which was actually very strange, because the big floating rock was the one casting the shadow.The one that hid them from the burning light.And so Tarigar went to investigate, visiting how far this area extended. Utah, curious, followed him, not really understanding what he was looking for. At last they reached the boundary. There, there was a separation. Between the shadow of the flying rock and the light that he knew was burning.Tarigar wasn't sure.So he tested.He let a tiny tendril pass, to touch the light beam with the tip of his finger. And immediately retracted it as the infamous burn nibbled away at the exposed tip, turning it into grey stone at an alarming speed.Utah had seen it all.Utah was shocked.Utah couldn't believe it.So Utah wanted to test it too.And so Utah went into the light.But Tarigar wouldn't let him. With all his strength, he grabbed the other Troll's body and pulled him back.Fortunately.Or Utah would be no more.Only a small portion had had time to be exposed to the death rays. Utah was shaking with pain. His stone had become partially grey. Tarigar decided to return to the safety of the Stoneheart's protective field. Inside.Because the Outside was dangerous.They arrived just in time. The exit was already beginning to be partially covered by the deadly rays of light. The floating rock had moved. It was no longer blocking the entrance with its shadow. Tarigar pulled Utah more quickly into his path, narrowly passing over the thin passage of shadow that persisted, crossing the warm protective field of the Stoneheart. And the dark, winding but familiar mazes of the Darklands. Now that they were safe, Tarigar finally released Utah, releasing all the tension that had invaded his body. Instead, Utah pulled him back, forcing him to follow. Hesitant at first, wanting to resist in case the other led him into a dangerous place again completely unconsciously, he finally let himself be led, tired of fighting. And finally, Utah led him through narrow, unfamiliar mazes. To a small cave that he would probably never have found on his own. And Utah thanked him by offering him whatever the cave contained. Utah had made a stock of crystals, which he had stacked there for him just in case.And now he was sharing it with him.Tarigar felt a little moved.Another kind of warmth rose in him, very different. This one came from himself. And it was strangely pleasant.Tarigar had saved his life. So Utah was sharing His crystals with him. His supplies. His food.And when the bluish troll swallowed one, not too large, his grey parts took on a little more colour, to the astonishment of both of them. So Utah did the same. He ate to heal his wounds. It took a lot. Much more than when they simply needed to appease the hunger that was constantly torturing them. And soon the supply had dwindled to the point where there was almost nothing left. Just one crystal at the bottom, a little bigger than the others. Tarigar and Utah stood still, side by side. They no longer had a single portion of grey stone. They weren't even really hungry any more. On the contrary, they both felt full of energy. They could share this last crystal.Together.As if they shared the same thought, two tendrils came into contact, at the same time as the surface of the crystal. Then the tendrils mingled, gently at first, as if they were sizing each other up. And then Tarigar and Utah blended into a single ball of rock, in their respective shades. They encompassed the crystal as a single body. Then, as they parted, they left a small troll in the now polished and smooth crystal. Perfectly capable of taking in a little one. Two tentacles mingled again, as they pronounced in the same voice the Name they had chosen for him, the two of them, when they shared the same body and the same mind"Kanjigar"  -----  
**SYMBIOTE**
 The news had spread fairly quickly through all the Trolls. Of an outing to the Darklands. And of the mortal danger of the Outside. In fact, as others searched, they found other exits. And soon, Orlagk realised that he could Push his opponents into the burning light of the Outside to eliminate them, rather than simply Repel them. And so he called his Tribe Gumm-Gumm with the help of one of the largest but most loyal Trolls, whose name was none other than Gumm. And whom he used to Push opposing Trolls into the Light, often to the cheers of his comrades who kept repeating "Gumm ! Gumm ! Gumm ! Gumm !" in absolute awe of the spectacle.The other Tribe, the Progenitors, who gave whelps, made sure that the Gumm-Gumm didn't snatch them or come into their territory to kidnap or pillage. They limited themselves to leaving food for the youngest. Many wandering Trolls ended up in this group's zone, who agreed to share their resources in exchange for guarding the Birthstones. There were many of them, not always watched over by their progenitors. Some adopted newly hatched young more or less voluntarily, becoming surrogate progenitors in spite of themselves. Some didn't even know whom whelp they had created. Others looked after their whelp like the most precious crystals.Susurra had not been able to fulfil his dream of feeding everyone.But with Quaga's help, they had worked out that they could grow other crystals from the remains of crystals. Small pieces, left alone for a while on the rock, would produce larger pieces, and so on. The little bits grew faster than if they waited for the bigger bits to grow. And with all the new mouths to feed, it was a question of quantity rather than quality. The bigger, older crystals were more nutritious, but less common and too slow to grow. They were making sacrifices to appease everyone's hunger. At least just enough not to starve.After the Gumm-Gumm had attacked them, either to steal their stock or to get rid of too many mouths, and Klitar and Kilfred had successfully repelled them, a full birthstone had been lost in the battle. It rolled and rolled and rolled, finally hitting something with a metallic clang.The owner, a large bipedal humanoid creature over 2meters tall, bent over the crystal that had hit him. The intruder raised the birthstone in front of his head, while a metal helmet covered his face, an infrared vision system enabling him to see in this dark environment. Curiously, he removed his helmet, letting his long black dreadlocks slide freely behind him as he shook his head a little. As he did so, another of his fellows struck him, as if to prevent him from removing his helmet, but too late. The intruder had seen a strange form of heat inside the crystal. And he had no trouble breathing in this place. Worse still, now that he no longer had his helmet on, he could see perfectly well that the small crystal was glowing faintly, with a darker, shifting, misshapen silhouette inside. His exposed face, dimly lit by the glow, showed mottled yellow skin with black spots. Its greenish eyes reflected the hue of the crystal. Somewhat fascinated, the creature spread its jaws in four in a gesture of contentment - revealing some sharp fangs on the corners and a small mouth lined with tiny teeth in the center - before closing its mandibles and stowing its find in a satchel hanging from its free chest. Again, his comrade struck against his forearm, a metal plate of armour meeting another metal plate, clashing and echoing through the tunnels of the Darklands. The four prominent mandibles clicked again, this time in a semblance of verbal language, probably communicating his irritation with a few sulky clicks. Then the offender replaced his helmet on his head, masking his face but still allowing a glimpse of his hair trailing from the back of his head. Then they resumed their journey through the dark maze, armed with their infrared vision, towards the source of the birthstone. And what they saw astonished them greatly. A field of similar crystals covered the area. And between these birthstones, amorphous, moving creatures that slid, stretched and retracted like strange slugs with a harder texture. They quickly noticed the presence of the intruders. And many of the balls began to turn in on themselves, then bristling up like porcupines.In fact, the immediate danger came not from the front, but from behind.One of the Gumm-Gumm had retraced his steps after their defeat to assess the state of their opponents after the battle. He was surprised to discover two huge creatures he had never seen before.Leodarin was far from being the biggest Troll.If anything, his advantage lay in his ability to blend into his surroundings, to better spy, study and strike at the right moment, to better repel his opponents without having to rely too heavily on brute force. A thought had crossed Leodarin's mind at this strange sight.Could he eat them ?He was probably too small to be able to swallow one of these creatures whole. But he could take a few pieces, no doubt.And he had surprise on his side.So he compressed himself sufficiently to eject himself with all his might against one of the limbs of the creature furthest behind.And wasn't the texture when he touched the skin of the creature's forearm exquisitely appetising ?The intruder gasped, waving his limb in the air to get rid of it. But it didn't work, because Leodarin had already wrapped his body around his arm, like a rigid bracelet, independent of the wearer's will.And then, Leodarin's will to eat faded.As if eating his birth crystal had been a matter of obviousness, another certainty came over him.And so, he began to penetrate, to infiltrate through the creature's skin. Sinking in, passing through.A roar left the victim's throat as he thrust a cuff of his contralateral wrist full of long claws where the troll had been earlier. But too late, there was not the slightest trace of the amorphous form, which had completely disappeared inside the host. And the weapon sank into the flesh, splattering phosphorescent green blood all over the dark walls of the cave.But Leodarin knew exactly what to do with his prey.Absorb the host.And he knew exactly what he was now. Not just a Troll, or a Gumm-Gumm.He was... a Symbiote.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Bular wandered through the woods, grunting as he avoided the bright streaks of sunlight through the foliage. His forearm ached, his claws burnt and his hand rigid. He was going to have to eat first, to heal himself. However, he had a feeling that his host wouldn't last much longer. As if he needed that now. He wanted to hunt. But there wasn't enough time. He had to find the Impure. Of course, it wouldn't be easy to get to. The cursed impure had decided to live in a flat, no doubt to make his task more difficult. Fortunately, he was not far from the woods. In fact, there was a preaut that ran from the forest to the entrance to the residence. As he had learnt to do by now, Bular pressed the answering machine of the flat number he knew Stricklander lived in with a gruff claw of his good hand. When he heard its distinctive sound, he shouted, spitting saliva all over the metal surface of the answering machine"Stricklander !"He didn't care if the neighbours heard him. The Black Prince's patience was sorely tested as the impure kept him waiting. But finally, there was a click that proved the gate had been unlocked. It wasn't the first time that Bular had pulled it out of its hinges, his impatience getting the better of him, but this time the impure had enough sense not to let him hang around too long in front of it. As usual, Bular slipped inside, heading for the basement. He didn't even check to see if anyone coming out or going to their car could see him, the lights in the basement had been out for many years - for obvious reasons - and his black stone skin was dark enough to blend into the darkness without anyone noticing. The elevator at the end was wide enough to let someone of his build in. He pressed the usual button, the one with «DO NOT TOUCH» written across the top in large letters. Then Bular quickly entered the lower floor, through the door that clearly read «WARNING. DANGEROUS AREA. HIGH VOLTAGE. EMPLOYEES ONLY.» There were obviously electrical control panels, Bular had never really been very good with technology, despite his space origins. He left that to the care of the impure, that was their role after all. The dark Troll went into another room, opened a kind of safe that gave off an intense coldness and grabbed a piece of frozen meat. He immediately stuffed it into his mouth, displeased with its cold, hard texture. He had always preferred the warm, living flesh of a fresh meal. Of prey hunted in the moment. But that was all he would have to be content with, while two more morsels in his gullet allowed his hand, covered in grey stone, to soften a little and regain its usual dark colour. Then he paced up and down the room, while the impure still hadn't deigned to make his presence felt.-----Stricklander knew he was in for a bad day the moment he heard his bell. He obviously knew who it was. The voice on his answering machine left no doubt. He almost wanted to ignore it. But he also knew that Bular wouldn't have come here without a reason - not necessarily a good reason. After all, he had tried to make his home as inhospitable as possible to the big brute, so as to keep uninvited visitors to a minimum. Nevertheless, the neighbours were aware that a colleague - for want of a better word - who was unpleasant and often drunk, as they supposed, sometimes came to visit him. He had received complaints, of course. But he had absolved himself of any responsibility by corroborating their already entrenched beliefs. After all, he was a victim to be pitied because he had to put up with such company. It was a school day, Bular knew, although he also knew that he didn't care. It was very early in the morning and Stricklander had spent most of the night supervising the Janus Order. He didn't need much sleep, unlike the rest of humanity. But even that Bular was taking away from him. So he was obviously not in a very good mood. He deliberately took time to get ready. Then he finally thought about joining the Gumm-Gumm on the lowest level of the building. As he had expected, his welcome was remarkable. Bular spat, ejecting a salvo of saliva onto his face as he violently smashed his fist against the concrete wall right next to his head."Stricklander !""Bular."Stricklander greeted him in a neutral tone, wiping the drool from his face, making do with the putrid smell of his breath. He continued in the same slightly bored tone"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit ?"Bular grunted, pacing again as he spun round and pounded the floor with his fists, leaving a few cracks alongside older ones."That's all you Impures are good for, and even for that you fail !"Stricklander tensed as Bular's fiery eyes froze on him at his admonition, then he growled, with authority"You've got to get something from the sun."Then at his words, as the Changeling feared, the black mass that represented the Gumm-Gumm began to deform. Slowly, it became more malleable, losing its consistency and solidity to move in his direction like a predator facing prey. Stricklander recoiled automatically as he stammered in panic"No, wait ! I'll go and get it myself ! It's a school day ! You can't !"But the dark mass was hardly listening to him. It left behind its previous position a mass of misshapen, grey rock that vaguely resembled the siphoned silhouette of what should have been a human. It was the result of a Symbiote's total Absorption of a host. A rock skeleton bearing the effigy of the species that had been its victim. Bular's two enormous swords were also left behind, in the middle of his leather outfit - the hostless Symbiote form wasn't enough to carry objects with it. The now amorphous substance, coated in a layer of solid black rock - obsidian - stretched violently in his direction, clinging to Stricklander's arm. Then it penetrated his body, without any gentleness, sending a jolting sensation through him as an unpleasant tingling sensation swept through him, as he became a kind of intermediate host for the Black Prince. A pain erupted in his skull just as the dark voice thundered in his mind, as he ordered"I can and I do, now get to the canal !"Stricklander, who was obviously in human form, was seized by a violent dizziness as he held his head. He had to hold himself against a wall to avoid collapsing and waited for the dizziness to pass. A multitude of phosphenes - moving spots of light - appeared in his field of vision. Then he hissed through his teeth his sermon"I wasn't ready ! What did we say about invading without preparation ?!""Shut up Impure and obey ! Or I'll Absorb you !"Bular's voice echoed painfully through his brain again. Stricklander laughed bitterly as he recalled"Which would kill us both."The Gumm-Gumm Symbiote remained deliberately silent at this reminder. Stricklander straightened up, once he was sure he could stand unaided, and then, for form's sake, pulled on his usual jacket. Two dark tendrils left his back - giving him that sticky feeling that something almost slimy had been sucked up his spine - and completely engulfed the stuff trailing behind, making it disappear into the substance and retrieve it. Once the strange tentacles were back inside his body, the dull pain in his skull was now bearable and he managed to formulate his question mentally rather than using his vocal cords"Why the canal ? What did you do ?"Bular didn't appreciate his accusatory tone at all. He let out a disgruntled growl in response without answering the question, causing Stricklander's whole head to vibrate like a particularly unpleasant migraine. The Changeling clenched his fists in return and demanded, teeth clenched again"Stop this or I'm not going anywhere."He again felt a vibration of discontent throbbing in his skull, then the pain behind his eye sockets finally subsided a little, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Bular still had a lot of progress to make as a passenger in a host. And he hated Stricklander enough not to make any real effort to make him understand that. But he also knew when they needed to work together. So Stricklander thought about why Bular would need him to retrieve something from the canal level, while he went back up to the upper basement level to retrieve his car and drive there."I don't need You."Bular spat in the face of his thoughts, to which he obviously had access. The exchange had been much less violent than on previous occasions - unpleasant, of course - but not unbearable. Stricklander simply rolled his eyes in return. There weren't many reasons why Bular would have come looking for him directly. He might have been exposed, he might have caused a few «accidents», but those were all reasons he didn't usually bother with. The Janus Order used to contact him when they discovered the damage the Black Prince was leaving behind without bothering. He vaguely felt the disdainful sniff of the concerned in his mind. No. A more likely reason was either a serious injury, but he would have rather rushed to the Order of Janus, although Stricklander had noticed that he had largely tapped into his meat reserves. He reflected that he would soon have to replenish his stocks."Imitation meat."Invited Bular with a grumble into his thoughts on the subject of his frozen meat. Stricklander concentrated instead on the road, ignoring him as he soon reached the bridge. He parked further on, then headed for the edge of the canal. Bular had the audacity to mutter in his mind"I asked you because I thought you'd be faster than the other, not slower."Stricklander held back a growl in the back of his throat and any sarcastic comment, as, perhaps, the reason for his coming here. Although he was beginning to get an idea. Bular needed a Changeling. Someone to walk in the sun and pick up something. What else but the Amulet of Starlight itself ? Bular's silence only confirmed his hypothesis. It was obvious that he had had to confront its wearer, Kanjigar, and had shot him. The problem was that he'd had to leave it out in the sun, where their enemies could go...At the obvious reproach, Bular breathed mentally"Just find it, Impure."Stricklander now stood at the top of one side of the giant canal overlooked by the bridge, barely shrouded in shadow. Under this same bridge, over which cars constantly passed, was the famous Heartstone. They had known the location of the forbidden crystal city for some time, but they couldn't enter the Market because they needed a Horngazel, a piece of the Stoneheart itself. Of course, none of them had one, and they had generally avoided the place since the failure of the last mission to retrieve one. As he thought about this, Bular became impatient, pushing him forward angrily, forcing the Changeling to slide all the way down the canal. Stricklander barely held himself back from thinking something like «impatient child», knowing that Bular would know his thoughts. There was no real privacy in this kind of transaction. He looked up to see the bridge where a few cars were passing quickly. It would have been preferable to venture out at a time when there would be no one to see him, but he had no choice. Fortunately, his many years of experience meant that he knew a stratagem to avoid attracting attention. Humans tended not to ask too many questions if you looked like you knew exactly what you were doing. It was a stupid mental trick that he exploited often enough, as in this case. So he walked steadily along the dry canal, oblivious to any passers-by or drivers who might spot him, while his moccasins echoed harshly along its dull grey walls. That wasn't the only thing that clattered so powerfully against the concrete, the rays of the Californian sun were not taking any mercy. Stricklander savoured the sensation of the sun directly on his human skin. Something that made Bular uncomfortable inside, almost squirming. A reaction he had expected, but which never ceased to make him smile with satisfaction. Nevertheless, he made no comment. Instead, he swept his eyes over the canal. Apart from a few ageing bloodstains, there was no trace of the Amulet. Well, no trace of Kanjigar either, to be honest. There was no doubt that the blood was human, and his sense of smell - though underdeveloped in human form - was still above average and made it possible to be sure. But there was not the slightest trace of a shiny metallic Amulet."Where is it ?!"Bular roared and Stricklander felt as if his brain would burst under the pressure. He hissed, in pain and reproach, not caring that he was speaking aloud in a vacuum and would probably look insane from an outsider's perspective"It’s been taken. You failed. You let it go. Your Father will be displeased."He probably would have savoured the moment a little more if he wasn't so into bad feeling. Bular roared into Stricklander's mind - making him wobble - and, if he had been in his solid form, his eyes would have burned like two hot coals. Bular then had no qualms about hammering his skull as he snarled"You were too slow. Whoever holds the Amulet of Merlin, I shall destroy him, just as I have done with every single one of them."Before Stricklander could reply with a scathing remark, his gaze froze on his watch. He was late. He had wasted his time and he was Late. Stricklander stormed back up the canal to his car and headed for the school. Bular enquired, his tone much less impatient and demanding, but perhaps a little urgent"What are you doing ?!""Unlike some, I have a Cover to maintain. Now shut up and let me do my job."Stricklander talked like this to himself in his car, as he tapped his finger irritably against the edge of the steering wheel at the same time - not having both hands free to occupy with his usual pen, a gesture he knew to be nervous, probably a tic."No way am I going with you to your fleshbag school."Bular grumbled back, a hint of horror and contempt creeping into his mind."You should have thought of that before. But you can always leave if you prefer."The Changeling was almost mocking at the end. Bular no longer had a host. He wouldn't last a few hours in his free Symbiote form. Stricklander might as well have expelled him, at this point he hardly cared about the collateral damage Bular would cause if he Absorbed a random human in the city. But that wasn't really an option, there wasn't enough shade left to accommodate the dark troll at this time of day, even if he managed to find a host - not from where they were, anyway. Bular, who was witnessing all these conclusions, growled nastily"I might as well take one of your little fleshbags."Stricklander chuckled, forcing himself not to let the slight tension his words had evoked show through"It wouldn't even last an hour."Perhaps he was exaggerating, the Dark Troll could probably last just as long with such an immature host as without one at all. But an adult Symbiote could not be satisfied with such a young host. It was foolish, a waste of resources and time, and would attract too much attention. They had worked too hard to keep the attention of Area 49-B away from Arcadia. And his cover as an unsuspecting teacher was part of that. He thought he felt another sniff from Bular. He was either bored by all the fuss, or didn't really understand it. Stricklander had the vague impression that he was thinking too much. The Changeling ignored him once more. He hated being Late. The Gumm-Gumm couldn't roll his eyes as it was, but he was sure that if he could, he would have. Once he arrived at the school, Stricklander was forced to apologise for his lateness, he had missed the first period of lessons. He received a few reprimands. Although he explained that he'd had some... complications on the way. And that Bular suggested devouring the fleshbag that was bothering him, which Stricklander studiously ignored. Instead, he got himself a coffee to make this hellish day a little better. Neither of them was happy to be stuck with each other. Luckily, he didn't come across any other colleagues in the staff room, as he wasn't in the mood to share a conversation. He then locked himself in his personal office - right next to his classroom - to relax a little. Bular even complained that he had nothing to do and that it was absurd. Stricklander replied that it was all part of the job and that in a moment the next period would begin, so no, he couldn't leave now.-----Jim and Toby stopped in front of the bike racks and locked their wheels. Fortunately, a few other students were still shuffling around Arcadia Oaks High School after the final bell had rung."Baby wipe ?"Toby offered, offering Jim a damp towel from his overloaded backpack."Um, no thanks ?"Jim refused."Suit yourself."Toby shrugged, wiping the sweat from his face and under his arms."But after a vigorous bike ride like that, I want to smell my best for the ladies."Toby spotted Darci Scott and Mary Wang hurrying up the school steps. He pointed two fingers at them, winked and called out." 'Sup, future girlfriends ?""As if, Dumbzalski."Mary hissed nastily."Hear that, Jimbo ?"Toby remarked with a grin."They’re actually talking to me now. We’re making progress !"Usually Jim was amazed by Toby's inexhaustible self-confidence. But today, all he could think about was the amulet in his bag. Had the amulet really called to him ? But why had it called him ? Why him, of all people ? Jim was about to grab the amulet when he froze in place. He saw a 4x4 pull up in front of the school, a «BABY ON BOARD» sticker hanging from the rear window. The passenger door opened and a young woman got out. Claire Nuñez. That feeling of freedom and falling that Jim had felt earlier on his bike ? It came back stronger than ever as Claire waved goodbye to his mother and sprinted ahead of him into Arcadia Oaks High School. Jim could still smell her perfume in the air."Gardenias."Said Jim, dreamily, to no one in particular."Ah, Jimbo ?"Toby remarked."You feeling okay, buddy ? You look a little woozy."Jim didn't bother to reply. He was still thinking about Claire, his mind replaying the first time he'd seen her. It was last year, at a council fundraiser at the hospital. As one of the team doctors, Barbara had been invited to attend, and she had brought Jim as her guest. Jim dreaded going. What would happen if someone from the school - like Steve Palchuk, for example - saw Jim going out with his mother ? But those worries were allayed when Barbara and Jim were introduced to the host of the evening, Councillor Nuñez, and her daughter, Claire. As the mums talked about Claire transferring from a prep school to Arcadia Oaks High School, Jim couldn't help but look at her. Claire was obviously very pretty. But there seemed to be more to her than a superficial appearance. Jim watched Claire tug at the evening dress that was probably as uncomfortable on her as the rented dinner jacket was on Jim. And he continued to watch Claire, who was obviously bored, request a song from the DJ, then wiggle around the dance floor on her own to the sound of Papa Skull's latest single.And Jim was still looking at Claire today, admiring the back of her head in their AP World History class during second period. Suddenly he came to and looked around. AP World History ?! Vaguely, the background noise of the teacher giving his lecture resounded"In reality, the Peloponnesian War brings together three armed conflicts between Athens and Sparta the Belligerent. Historians have called the first conflict the Archimedean War, and you can find more details on the internet. Don't worry, I'll spell it out for you. A R C H I..."No, all he could think of was : how had he got here ? He couldn't even remember walking into the classroom, sitting down or opening his laptop. Oh God, had he been looking at Claire all this time ? Yet he still couldn't take his dreamy eyes off her. She must have thought he was some kind of idiot or..."Close your mouth."Toby muttered in exasperation, sitting right next to Jim in the classroom."You’re drooling."He added, as if to argue his point."No. No, I’m not."Jim defended himself, finally waking up to find Toby typing away on his laptop. He frowned and demanded"What’re you doing ?""Research."Toby whispered."Hey, look up «talking Amulet»."Jim joked in a low voice. Toby rolled his eyes."I already did that. All I got was toys. One of 'em was a plushie !"Jim looked over Toby's shoulder at the laptop screen and sure enough, the search engine came up with loads of pictures of colourful toys, but nothing that remotely resembled the amulet in his schoolbag. The boys were so engrossed in what they were seeing that their teacher, Walter Strickler, couldn't help but notice them. Without wasting any time, M.Strickler continued talking about the Peloponnesian War, approached the two teenager's driveway and asked"Jim, would you agree ?"Jim looked up at his teacher and let out a confused"Sir ?"M.Strickler said something else, but Jim didn't really understand him. All he could think about was the other kids in the class probably laughing at him. Jim answered his teacher, but he didn't know what he was saying. It was as if he was on some sort of automatic pilot. His cheeks flushed and he began to feel a warmth around his collar. Oh no, worried Jim. Claire must have thought he was a loser ! He'd bet she was laughing with everyone and... Another bell rang, signalling the end of class. As the other students chuckled to themselves, got up and collected their things, their teacher reminding them of the homework they had to prepare, Jim looked away and grabbed his bag. Maybe he could sneak out unnoticed."Jim, may I have a word ?"M.Strickler asked after the other students had left. Jim flinched and clumsily dropped his bag, spilling most of its contents - books, pencils, headphones, but not the amulet, fortunately. How was he going to explain this to his teacher, as well as scattering himself around the classroom ? M.Strickler helped Jim collect his things and remarked, in a benevolent but concerned tone"Jim, you’re distracted. In fact, you literally fell asleep between the First Invasion of Attica and the Peace of Nicias. And the rest of the time I saw you yawning.""Sorry Sir."Jim apologised as he continued to pick up his things."I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night."He tried to explain. It wasn't entirely untrue, he'd hoped his mother would come home early for once. Of course, that hadn't happened. Strickler nevertheless nodded in understanding and certified"I know it’s just you and your mother, and you want to help her...""She’s just really tired, M.Strickler."Jim interrupted."She’s been working double shifts at the clinic."He felt obliged to add, as if to justify it."I believe I’m long overdue for a conversation with her."Said Strickler, rattling his pen and jotting down her number on a sticky note."Have her call me, please. And feel free to drop by my office if you ever need to talk."Jim took M.Strickler's number and mumbled"Yeah, I’ll do that."Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Jim stood up."Oh, and Jim ?"M.Strickler called out to him."If you fancy Miss Nuñez, I submit that talking to will be much more effective than staring at."He tapped his head with one of his books to support his words, as if he wanted to get it into his skull, and winked at him."Trust me."Jim smiled awkwardly and slipped out of the classroom, leaving M.Strickler alone with his thoughts.-----This class period had probably gone better than Stricklander had imagined. Bular, of course, was impatient and kept asking when it would end. Strickler, for that was the cover he was giving - that of a perfectly normal AP World History teacher - had maintained his polite smile throughout as he berated Bular in his mind and assured him that the less he interrupted him, the quicker he could get on with his lecture and the sooner it would be over. It was a lie, but Bular didn't need to know that. He had been able to give his lesson without being too distracted. But he soon noticed that he wasn't the only one who wasn't concentrating fully on the Peloponnesian War. A mischievous twinge prompted him to question one of his favourite pupils, knowing full well that he would not be able to answer. Bular himself didn't know whether it was mean or pathetic. He opted for the second option, openly judging Stricklander. In fact, Strickler almost felt sorry for his student, because at the moment he was venting his own frustration on the poor child. But life wasn't always fair and the sooner the boy understood that, the better. Well, he wasn't doing very well, but it wasn't catastrophic either. Though his attempt at his question about a particular military tactic"Eh, the winning one ?"Wasn't particularly brilliant and rather obvious. It wasn't what was expected, but you couldn't say it was completely wrong. So Strickler, perhaps a little guilty, although he didn't mean it openly in front of Bular, decided to take the teenager aside. As he displayed this benevolence and offered Jim his understanding, Bular grumbled disapprovingly"You're soft on the little fleshbag.""It's called being a Teacher who listens to his students, to gain their trust. It's a Role."Stricklander's mental tone was condescending. Prince Gumm-Gumm scorned him, somehow revolted"Disgusting. You and your Impure ways."He had deliberately used the insult and did not hide his revulsion in the slightest. It hit the Changeling hard, and he barely managed to keep a straight face as he snapped his pen in response. Then he graciously offered his help to his pupil, just to confirm Bular's view of his methods. He even offered a puzzling piece of advice that made Jim a little uncomfortable about his love life. Bular snorted once more at these blatant displays of provocation towards him"Despicable.""Effective."Stricklander smugly corrected. Yet it wasn't totally unjustified. For some reason, Strickler had always thought there was something special about Jim Lake. He certainly wasn't the best student in the class, but Walter Strickler had lived and taught at Arcadia Oaks for a very long time. And he knew potential when he saw it. Bular cut off his train of thought as he accused him"He's nothing more than the other fleshbags. He's not stronger and wouldn't even make a decent snack. No, you have a disgusting affection for little humans."Now that was a serious accusation. Stricklander's eyes glowed and he seriously considered expelling Bular, regardless of the consequences. Instead, he tried to explain aloud to him, even though the door to his classroom was now closed"As always, you fail to see the big picture, you big brute. These little humans, as you call them, eventually grow up, get a job. To mentor them and push them to reach their full potential is to gain access to their future favours, it is to allow human society to evolve, it is to keep control of said society, and it is to facilitate the next Galactic Invasion of Gunmar, our ultimate goal."He kept trying to instil this notion in him. They needed to develop humans to be able to use their technology, so what better way than to work directly with young people, where he could shape them as he saw fit. But once again, Bular was not convinced. This sterile conversation, which was frustrating Stricklander to no end, was interrupted by a text message he received. With an annoyed sigh, he checked his correspondent.Good news at last.A sly grin spread across his face as he gloated aloud, in case Bular hadn't figured it out"One of my agents from the Janus Order has confirmed the deaths of Kanjigar and his host, Arthur, in Arcadia Oaks Hospital. My spy keeping an eye on Blinkous and his host, M.Galadrigal, has confirmed that he does not have the Amulet with him.""How is that good news ?"Bular frowned. They had no idea where the amulet was. It wasn't good news. Stricklander rolled his eyes and lit his candle"Think about it. Blinkous is the only Heartstone Symbiote Troll to have merged with a human. Logically, he's the one Kanjigar would have entrusted with the Amulet. The others were unable to retrieve it. This means that a human must have taken it. It's only a matter of time before the Changelings get their hands on it."He finished his tirade with a toothy grin, his yellow eyes shining with contentment, his pupils red as blood.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

ARCHIVES
Notes from the Archivists, Masters of History with a capital H.Everywhere, across the many Galaxies, intelligent peoples developed, and entire civilisations with technologies each more advanced than the last came into being. The most notable of these were Akiridion-5, Canas, Baluba, Alpha-Draconis, Doloraam, Borg, Durio and many others. Representatives of these planets and, for the most part, their dominant peoples, were given a seat on the Council of Nine. The Council of Nine Galaxies. At least, that's the number of galaxies in which they managed to discover highly intelligent species. The Federation was invented to bring the will of the Council of Nine to all the different Galaxies. Because of their Pacifist policy, they were forced to create Sentinels. Blanks units of common automatons modified to become a kind of Intergalactic Order Forces.The very first Galactic Conflict worth mentioning was between the Gorbon Military Civilisation and the Federation Emissaries. Impressive, but pretty lopsided. The Gorbons were an aggressive breed, who had only developed their technology in Weapons, and relied on the brute force of their own bodies to win anyway. The Sentinels succeeded in submitting the breed in question. It took many years before it was offered a place on the Council. This was mainly thanks to the trade they had established with the Durians. Although the Gorbon's amorous traditions had often been debated as to whether it was legitimate to allow them to continue. They pair up for life. If one of them decides to leave their partner, the other has to eat their ex to clear their honor. It's marvellous.The second most important Conflict was between the Dragons, an aggressive and Militaristic species, but almost as advanced as most of the Council's Original Species. They quickly concluded a non-aggression pact with the Council of Nine, so that they could share knowledge and trade with them. The Council of Nine had offered the Dragons a place, but refused to grant them voting rights until they had resolved their internal conflict, refusing to take part in the Civil War between the Draconic Factions that still reigned on their home planet Alpha-Draconis. A representative of each Faction's main race, a Dragon and a Wyvern, were offered a seat on the Council. The Draconic species is one of the most fascinating in the Galaxy. Their battles, their weapons, everything about them is always spectacular. You never get tired of it. In fact, I've listed the most important facts about them.
The
Draconic
species is divided into five sub-races. First
of
all, the Dragons themselves. More or less giant reptiles with 4 limbs and 2 wings as well as the ability
to
breathe Dragon Fire. As if that
wasn't
enough
to

underline
their
superiority
, they are also Shapeshifters, whose different forms can
be
recognised
by
a symbol on their chest. Nature does things well, as they say.
Although
they are the most advanced race
of
their kind, they are in fact a recessive race, who can only give birth
to
a Dragon with another Dragon.
So
the mysteries
of
nature continue
to

elude
me. The Dragons continued
to

disappoint
me as they scattered across the Galaxies during the
Draconic
Factions War, as they were in the process
of
losing
it
. Despite their size and power, they
don't
like
to

be
spotted and prefer
to
take on other alien forms, or else they generally live alone in a lair where they store their treasures and
don't
mix too much with society. A waste, if you ask me. Then there are the Wyverns ! Their sworn enemies, the
Draconic
Faction
directly

opposed

to
them.
Right...
The Wyverns are
surprisingly
a dominant race, giving Wyverns, except with Drakes, giving Drakes, and with
Wyrms
, giving
Amphipterans
. In short, Wyverns, like Dragons, are reptiles but with only 2 limbs and 2 wings, and the ability
to
breathe Dragon Fire.
No
metamorphosis. Less impressive. Another
equally
interesting
Draconic
race are the Drakes, former allies
of
the Dragons in the
Draconic
Factions War. I'll talk more about their exploits later, but they're well worth
mentioning
. Like the Dragons, they have 4 limbs but
no
wings, and are also Shapeshifters. They are a dominant race and give birth
to
Drakes, except with
Wyrms
, who give birth
to

Snagons
.
Right.
Then there are the
Wyrms
, the Giant Serpents with their poison fangs, and their allies in the
Draconic
Factions, the Wyverns. This sub-race is also dominant, producing
Wyrms
, except when combined with Drakes, which produce
Snagons
, or with Wyverns, which produce
Amphipterans
. And finally, the two hybrid races.
Skrael.
Amphipterans
, descendants
of

Wyrms
and Wyverns, Giant Serpents but with 2 wings and the ability
to
breathe Dragon Fire, who had
joined
their
parent's

Draconic
Faction. And finally, the very example
of
a forbidden couple, the very essence
of
the drama, the
Snagons
, descendants
of
the enemy
Wyrms
and Drakes, giving birth
to
Giant Serpents with 4 limbs.
Unsurprisingly
, they
remained
neutral in the
Draconic
Factions War, not wishing
to
take the side
of
either
of
their
parent's
Factions. Aaaah the Drama. The indecision. The conflict. The hatred. All wonderful things. But those
weren't
the only things that shook the
Draconic
kind,
no
, the most important and interesting event was the Invasion
of
the...
Skrael ! These notes are not designed to tell the story of the Dragons. But... That's enough. We'll pick up the story on our terms, as planned. It's no fun. The little Dragons are so cute. Thank you for your participation Nari, but the subject is closed.
Oh, show them the codex, Bellroc ! It's great ! We haven't finished yet. We're not talking about the Dragons, so we might as well be impartial and give everyone some space. And you're the one saying that ? The world may be coming to an end after all. Bellroc, the codex ! Very good, very good. Here, then, is a subjective compilation of what we saw fit to mention among the insignificant mortal creatures.=> Codex Part One :_ Types of Galaxy :> Spiral Galaxy :
Presence of tightly or loosely wound spiral arms, more or less barred = crossed by ribbons of stars, gas and dust, sign of maturity / Resembles giant spinning windmills, with pancake-shaped disc of stars and central bulge or tight concentration of stars / Surrounded by halos, mixtures of old stars, star clusters and dark matter - invisible matter that neither emits nor reflects light but exerts a gravitational attraction on other matter / Notable galaxies : Milky Way Galaxy, Andromeda Galaxy, M82 Galaxy, Comet Galaxy, M101 Galaxy, Sombrero Galaxy, Tadpole Galaxy, Whirlpool Galaxy, Triangle Galaxy> Elliptical Galaxy :
Shape ranging from completely round to oval / Generally contains little gas and dust and has very little organisation or structure / Stars orbit the core in random directions and are generally old / Notable galaxies : Oxium Galaxy, Maffei-1 Galaxy.> Lenticular galaxy :
A cross between a spiral galaxy and an elliptical galaxy / Has a central bulge and disc common to spiral galaxies, but no arms / Like elliptical galaxies, older stellar populations and little ongoing star formation / Notable galaxies : Chariot Wheel Galaxy, M102 Galaxy, Centaurus-A Galaxy.> Irregular Galaxy:
Unusual shape, such as toothpicks, rings or even small groupings of stars / Result of interactions with other galaxies / Mixture of older and younger stars / May also contain large amounts of gas and dust / Notable galaxies : Hoag Object Galaxy, Small Magellanic Cloud Galaxy, Holmberg-IX Galaxy, Leo-A GalaxyPlanetary Classification according to Evolution (Federation System) :> Class A Planet = highly evolved technologically, galactic relevance and planetary affiliations / Has Spaceports, is included in Intergalactic Management and the Planet is Adapted to all types of life (either directly through the creation of a compatible environment for all, or through free access to adapted means of protection in the Spaceports) / Dominant species of Phase S.> Class A-II Planet = Equivalent to Class A, without Adaptation to all types of life.> Class B Planet = highly evolved technologically, without galactic relevance with more or less planetary affiliations / No or few Spaceports, no inclusion in Intergalactic Management and Planet not Adapted to any type of life / Dominant species of Phase S.> Class C Planet = moderately technologically evolved, with no access to or knowledge of space life / Dominant species of Phase I.> Class D Planet = low technological evolution / Dominant species of Phase T.> Class E Planet = Primitive / Dominant species of Phase A.> Class F Planet = Virgo / No signs of life.Planetary Types according to Threat Level and Main Biome (Studied for an evolved organic Life Form) :> Type 0 : Variable Threat Level = Gas Giant> Type 0-I : Unknown Threat Level = Moon> Type 1 : Low Threat Level = Arid / Garden> Type 2 : Moderate Threat Level = Desert / Forest> Type 3 : Risky Threat Level = Ocean / Savannah / Snow> Type 4 : Dangerous Threat Level = Jungle / Mutated / Toxic> Type 5 : Extreme Threat Level = Arctic / Tundra / Midnight> Type 6 : Inconceivable Threat Level = Rotten / Magma / Volcanic(Rankings are boring. Let's move on to the Real !
Later. Soon.)
_____

*EXTRACTS*

**HOST**

The host fell to the ground, on his knees, his bloodied arm having finished shaking, he tore off his helmet to throw it away and hold his head, as if it were about to burst. His four mandibles opened in a scream of agony. His comrade hadn't understood what was happening. It had all happened too quickly. A tendril extended in the direction of the one still standing. The creature leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the Symbiote that had pounced on him. He wiped the phosphorescent green blood that had splashed against his helmet. Another tentacle had latched onto the metal plate on his forearm. He quickly detached it, pulling the thing away from him. Then the intruder, still standing, hurried back the way he came. He was usually the Hunter, not the other way round.He was normally the Predator.But how could he hunt what he couldn't hurt ?The deformed masses of Symbiotes were too skilful, sliding and curling, dodging the energy shots he threw back at them. He wasn't aiming very well either, panicked by what had happened to his comrade. He was no coward. But his hunting brother had never screamed like that.Never.And for him to have done it like that, then it was serious. And he didn't want to suffer for it either. He didn't even notice that some of his shots had hit their targets, burning or even disintegrating the Symbiotes who hadn't moved away in time. A furious tide followed him.While other Symbiotes continued to observe with curiosity the process that was taking place with the other intruder, still kneeling on the ground.The fugitive activated his advanced camouflage system to make himself invisible. It captured the light waves on one side and recomposed it on the other, even though there was very little light in these Darklands. Having disappeared from their sight, he made his way to the landing site, climbed into his Space Shuttle, shut it down in a hurry and took off immediately, leaving his comrade behind. He had feared They were back. That it was Them. It shouldn't be, They were supposed to be asleep. They hadn't done anything to wake Them up. No. Worse. The ship's scanners hadn't picked up any organic life forms. It couldn't have been Them. In his haste, the creature only noticed that he still had the birthstone in its satchel. They could study it, find out what these Things were.The Troll Symbiotes retraced their steps, where the first intruder was still on the ground. They had lost track of the second. The host's howling had died down. He lay limp, like a rag doll left on the ground. Curious, Susurra dared to touch it, even though it was now perfectly still, while the others returned and told them that the other intruder had simply disappeared. And then, as if suddenly revived by the touch, the unknown creature's eyes opened again, its body contracted and lifted slightly upwards, taut as a bow. But it did nothing more, before falling limply back to the ground. And soon, a multitude of spots began to cover the creature's body. They weren't really spots. It was the substance of the Symbiote that had entered the host that was reappearing. And when it managed to completely engulf the humanoid creature's silhouette, other growths developed on top of it. Things resembling horns, then a long, almost reptilian tail, with thicker clumps of that malleable substance that makes up Trolls, forming a few scales here. And then the brown mass became increasingly rigid, until it was as hard as rock, probably jasper. A large Troll opened his eyes in place of the old creature. And Leodarin smiled, revealing his powerful tusks leaving his lower jaw. He felt stronger and more powerful than he had ever been. With slow movements, he raised his arms, opening and closing his new hands, which had four clawed fingers. And his vision. He now had incredible vision, no more blurred world. But worse, Leodarin had known exactly what to do. As he worked his way inside his new host, he knew how to find his nervous system. He knew how to take control. And he had Absorbed it, from the inside. And at that moment, knowledge invaded his mind. Memories that weren't his. But his host's. It was scattered, disorganised, sometimes even a little incomprehensible, incomplete for some. It was as if he'd had a fleeting glimpse of this creature's entire life. It had seemed like an eternity, and yet it hadn't lasted long. A few seconds perhaps. Barely. But already Leodarin was beginning to forget certain things. And yet, he now knew what the host he had Absorbed was. He was a Yautja. Leodarin had never felt so good, so fulfilled, so content. He was still ravenously hungry, especially after this action. But it was something else that had been appeased. Something he didn't even know he needed to fill. An emptiness. The emptiness of not having had a host. For a Symbiote. And he felt fully alive now. Better still, his voice rumbled out from his physical form as a Troll, in front of all the Trolls stuck in their hostless Symbiote forms"I know where to find more."The consciousness he had developed by absorbing his host had opened his eyes, broadened his mind, made him realise how restricted his vision of things had been, how primitive they had been. The world was so much bigger. Far more dangerous. But it had so much more to offer. And he was hungry, hungry to show them all the potential of this world that was opening up to them. Out there, the Outside, the immensity of Space. Leaving the Darklands, leaving their home Comet to find hosts. He had to warn the other Gumm-Gumm. And he began to run through the wide tunnels, which now seemed much narrower. Wasn't he the tallest of all the Trolls now ? He drew on the power of his body, the strength of his solid limbs, his stone skin barely scraping as he skidded with speed and slammed against the rocky walls. He had never been so powerful, so fast. He headed towards the center of the Darklands, towards the Stoneheart, where he knew his Chief, Orlagk, and the rest of his Tribe would be. To his surprise, he came across an even more enormous creature. No, not a creature. A Troll. Gigantic, grey stone skinned but alive, with glowing markings, green veins in strange patterns all over its body."Krubera !"Leodarin gasped in recognition. In his physical form as a Troll, he was gigantic. Much bigger than him. And once again, Leodarin felt crushed by his presence. Krubera had always been the most imposing. That wouldn't change, even with a host. He remembered now that his host's team had not been the only ones to explore. The Yautja had come for the Stoneheart. For its power. And they'd come across the Symbiotes instead. This thought made Leodarin chuckle. Krubera blew out his nostrils in displeasure as he said in his deep, rumbling voice, probably thinking he was mocking him"What are you laughing at ?"But a wry smile stretched Leodarin's stony lips as he revealed"They've offered us exactly what we've been looking for.""And we're going to take it."Confirmed another raspy Troll voice, one much smaller next to Krubera, but no less imposing, with his large horizontal horns and brilliant red eyes, his voice could be none other than Orlagk's.-----
**KILLER**
Orlagk had summoned his entire tribe : if they all had a host, they would be unbeatable. The Gumm-Gumms would be unstoppable. The three Trolls in their physical form climbed into the second and last Space Shuttle. It wasn't very big and Krubera couldn't fit inside, grumbling in frustration"Too small."Leodarin was being crushed by his mace, as he tried in vain to push him out of the Shuttle, the entrance to which he was blocking"Move, you brute, you're crushing me !"Krubera snorted furiously. But Orlagk put an end to the useless argument by ordering"Stay here and watch what belongs to us."Krubera finally twisted out of the Space Shuttle, freed from its too-tight embrace, as he pounded the floor in displeasure"I want to come !"He growled demandingly. But Orlagk stared at him with fiery red eyes, strangely forcing him to lower his gaze in submission as he accused him of"And let them take our Stoneheart ? No, you stay here. More of us will be back. Gumm-Gumms, with me."He then ordered the rest of his troops. And the multitude of Symbiotes slid like a tide of worms inside the spaceship, jamming themselves into corners, visiting the cabin, curiously discovering all these new and unknown things. Leodarin still had a vague recollection of knowing how to direct all this, thanks to the knowledge of the Yautja he had Absorbed. Before even thinking of taking off, he activated the cloaking function on the Shuttle's porthole to block the light radiation from space, which he now knew came from the stars and was apparently dangerous for their species. This would probably make spatial orientation more hazardous. But as he searched through the memories he had collected, he found that a destination had already been programmed into the Navigation. The second area of exploration that the Yautjas intended to visit during their mission. Two other teams were already there. So there were four extra hosts ready to be used, served up on a platter.Just for the Gumm-Gumms.And with their memories, perhaps they could find places where there would be more of them.And the whole Universe would be open to them.So Leodarin switched on the autopilot. And the Space Shuttle took off towards their new destination.Troll Symbiotes of the rival Tribe had managed to find the landing zone. They had tried to get into the ship before it took off, because it was unfair that only Gumm-Gumms should have access to these new features. They had seen Leodarin take possession of the host. They had heard him say that he was in fact a Symbiote. They had witnessed the result, such a powerful form, something to be envied more than any crystal. But Krubera, who had stayed behind, kept them back. With his powerful fists, he sent the reckless Troll Symbiotes that came close flying. In his physical form, it was so much easier to Repel. Eager to know if he could do more, Krubera even grabbed a Symbiote in each of his hands and pulled in opposite directions. To the point where the Symbiote's body stretched, again and again, like a rubber band about to snap, as it vibrated in pain, screaming under the strain. Then it finally tore. Krubera's strength had enabled him to split his victim in two, revealing his shiny inner minerals. And the amorphous substance that made up the Symbiote Troll finally rigidified into dead stone. And the witnesses quickly moved away from the terrifying Gumm-Gumm, which had just killed one of their own, to avoid a similar fate.For now, Krubera no longer needed to Push back, or even Push under the Light.He could Tear.He could Kill.With his hands alone.-----
**THE COLD**
The Cold. The intense cold of the Outside had invaded them as soon as the Shuttle had left the Darklands Stoneheart Field. The immensity of space was so cold, so devoid of warmth. A life support system inside the Shuttle provided a certain amount of warmth, but it wasn't the same. It was different from the Stoneheart. They were linked to the Stoneheart. Moving away from it cast a strange, unsettling chill.A lack.And as the Space Shuttle travelled at its own pace, one of the Gumm-Gumm Symbiotes began to curl in on itself. Nobody really understood what was happening to him. He had eaten recently, just before leaving, and he wasn't small. He couldn't be starving. Yet the process looked similar. But he was shivering with cold rather than hunger. Besides, he complained about it, tirelessly, his voice weak and wavering"C..o...ld"He repeated weakly. And little by little, rather than collapsing in on himself like a starving one, his body began to slowly, evenly, turn grey and dull. One of his companions tried to wrap him up, to offer him warmth, but it wasn't enough. It was slower than violent death by the Light, but it was still death. For the Symbiote eventually became entirely a ball of dead rock. They didn't understand. Others were cold too. They had left the Stoneheart a while ago. His comrade was passing a delicate tendril over the corpse of his fallen friend, while he could only stand by helplessly as he watched his fatal fate unfold. He searched aloud for an explanation, his voice slightly quavering with a sense of loss, now that his comrade was gone"Grotar had always complained of feeling a bit cold. Even after eating. He was spying on the Others, so he was never near the Stoneheart, to keep him warm..."And now he was angry with himself for never having let him fully enjoy the warmth of the Stoneheart. Now it was too late, he couldn't do it any more. Other Gumm-Gumms had stayed away too. And they too were getting colder than they had been since the start of the travel. Would they end up dying too ? Another was already shivering, one who was patrolling with the deceased."I don't want to...d...ie"He complained in a faltering tone. He was already feeling numb. He could no longer move properly. He tried to get help. His quivering tendril met one of his comrade's, much firmer, much stronger. The one who had come to his aid tightened his grip and assured him with determination"I'm not letting you go !"Nothing could be done. The Gumm-Gumm Symbiote was still trembling, and it was only getting worse."Lo...rd...Orlagk..."Begged the condemned one, looking for an answer, for his Chief - who had always known everything - to find a solution. But Orlagk simply watched the clump of Symbiote flailing miserably on the ground, almost with disgust. His solid Troll body was straightened with disdain. For a moment, he even wondered how he could belong to the same species as that. And Orlagk's contemptuous silence was followed by the death of his subject. The Gumm-Gumm who had tried to help him understood aloud"We need the influence of the Stoneheart. Without its warmth... we'll all freeze to death."The other Symbiotes stirred, panicked, terrified, plaintive, but the rumbling voice of Chief Gumm-Gumm silenced them all."We're not going to freeze to death. The Gumm-Gumms will all have hosts and won't need the Stoneheart any more."He knew it. It was a certainty. He had never felt more powerful than now that he had a host. And the desire to keep the Stoneheart to himself was no longer so important. They had something better. They had hosts. Yet the one who had panicked his troops questioned his word"Some have never been able to come into contact with the Stoneheart, and soon they'll be in the same state. What are we going to do with those who don't survive the travel to the hosts ?"Then Orlagk leaned his massive Troll body over the intruder."Only the Strong deserve to be Gumm-Gumms."It was a phrase he had often repeated. But his opponent denied this utter nonsense. There was nothing strong about surviving away from the Stoneheart. The Cold. They were all equal in the face of this fate. It was unfair. But you didn't defy the authority of Chief Gumm-Gumm without consequences. Such insubordination would have led to the Symbiote being thrown into the Light. A punishment that was currently impossible. But Orlagk took another decision. With his clawed hand he grabbed the renegade. He squeezed so hard that he prevented him from escaping. He squirmed under his powerful grip. He tried to slip through the cracks in his fingers, as he would have done through the cracks in the Darklands, but Orlagk squeezed a little harder. He couldn't crush it. The malleable composition prevented him from doing so. The strength of Symbiote's texture, however, gave it the necessary capacity to survive such pressure. So Orlagk simply stuffed it down his gullet. Tearing at the soft texture with his sharp tusks, pulling apart the inner minerals that made it up, all with a cracking sound of agony. Then Orlagk swallowed. And his hunger subsided a little. Then he retched slightly. After all, he had just been cannibalistic. But he had eaten the traitor."Does anyone have anything else to add ?"Lord Gumm-Gumm said heavily, his ember gaze sweeping over the rest of the silent tribe, subdued by fear.-----
**
DECIMAAR
**
A long horn violently impaled the Yautja's belly, splattering phosphorescent green blood on the surface of the ground. This was the creature's punishment for having tried to injure Orlagk with its plasma cannon - the shot having hurt terribly
at the point of impact, leaving a trail of burnt rock, shattered by the explosion, with a glimpse of its green inner minerals to the right of its chest. The Gumm-Gumm Troll then moved away from the wounded creature, removing his horn from his body, leaving the host to one of his own. He violently grabbed the arm of the Yautja who had dropped his weapon and rushed towards his opposite limb. Orlagk held the creature's hand out of reach of the armband, preventing it from activating it, just long enough for a Symbiote to take hold of him. He knew from the knowledge of the host he had absorbed that the device on his arm he had tried to activate was a detonator. An explosive self-destruct device of last resort used by the Yautja, both as a means of committing honourable suicide in the face of imminent defeat, but also to erase all evidence of their existence and prevent their technology falling into the hands of another species.Too late.This team had been harder to take by surprise. The hostless Symbiotes had been weak since they'd been away from the Stoneheart. And they had to be confronted head-on. Leodarin had used the camouflage function of their technology, which he had managed to bring out of the body of the host he had absorbed, to take the first team they encountered by surprise. But one of them had been able to warn the other team, sending them a message. They had been harder to control. After all, they were Predators too.But the Gumm-Gumms Symbiotes were Superior Predators.Orlagk turned his attention to the gigantic, shiny blue crystal in the cave where they were. Another Stoneheart. The Yautjas had come to this place to recapture its power. Because apparently Borg wasn't the only Wizard, he'd had an apprentice, who'd also been killed by the Federation Weapon. That was about all the Yautja knew, which was why they wanted the power of a Stoneheart, deceased Wizard. But now it belonged to the Gumm-Gumms. Several Symbiotes then fought over the last remaining host."Stop or he will die and none of you can have him."Leodarin growled. He suspected as much. And the Gumm-Gumms who bickered about trying to Absorb him were idiots. A Symbiote had ignored the rest to regain his strength by pumping the Stoneheart. He gorged himself so much on it that his size doubled, then tripled. So much so that Gumm violently removed him from the Stoneheart. But the Symbiote was now bigger than Gumm himself, in fact bigger than anyone else. Gumm still didn't have a host, and he too had wanted to regain his strength with the Stoneheart before claiming the last host for himself. But he couldn't. Gatto, the Symbiote who had gorged himself on the Stoneheart, pushed Gumm away."Mine !"He vibrated fiercely in the direction of the Yautja still pinned to the ground. The Yautja flinched, but Orlagk maintained his grip on the wounded creature. He couldn't escape his destiny. Gatto, who was almost as big as the Yautja itself even though he was only in his Symbiote form, pushed aside the other Symbiotes who were trying to infiltrate the host, making it tremble, but pushing each other back to the point where they couldn't enter completely. It was pathetic. Orlagk was simply observing the battlefield to see which Gumm-Gumm would be the strongest to take control. He had to assume it would be Gatto. The Symbiote burrowed deep into the host, never to emerge, while the others finally retreated, defeated. Gumm tried to tackle the thief, but was held back by a tendril. He almost tore it off and pushed it away when he saw who it belonged to. Gadag was practically second in the Gumm-Gumm chain of command, just after Orlagk."You have a greater purpose."Gadag revealed as he released him, leading him back to the Stoneheart. Orlagk finally let go of his prisoner, who was apparently convulsing under the pressure of the Symbiote who had chosen him. Instead, he turned back to the blue Stoneheart."What are you doing Gadag ?"He suspected with a stony frown. The Symbiote in question was coiling suavely around the larger Symbiote that was Gumm. With his voice tinged with velvet, he replied to his Lord while bewitching his comrade"You yourself said that these «Yautjas» wanted the power of the Stoneheart. Imagine if we had it for ourselves. Imagine a Gumm-Gumm with the power of a Stoneheart. A strong Gumm-Gumm, descended from the strongest of the Gumm-Gumms.""No."Orlagk flatly refused with a growl. But too late, Gadag had mingled with Gumm, the very representative of their tribe, to put his speculations into action. The mixed pair of black rock Symbiotes began to envelop the Stoneheart. It was much smaller than the one in the Darklands. And the two of them managed to cover it completely. Lord Gumm-Gumm stuck out a clawed hand to tear this ignominy from His new Stoneheart. No matter how hard he pulled, the frivolous substance escaped his grasp and stuck to the giant crystal, covering it completely in black and masking the largest light source in the area.Orlagk roared in displeasure.But then his gaze was drawn to a flash of blue light further away. At first, he thought it might be another, smaller Stoneheart. But when he finally approached it, it was a blade. A great dark sword, bursting with blue energy. Infused at source by the Stoneheart itself. And his tusks revealed themselves in a wicked grin as he claimed the weapon as his own. The grip of the blade settled perfectly into the hollow of his stone palm and he lifted it into the air, causing it to pulse with more powerful bluish energy, illuminating the surroundings as if it were reacting to his touch."Decimaar"He acknowledged, as if the sword had given him its name as soon as he dared to wield it. He had a weapon with the power of a Stoneheart.With the power of a Wizard.With the power of a Star.And now he was invincible.-----
**
GUNMAR'S
BIRTH**
As the Chief of the Gumm-Gumms brandished Decimaar in the air, his blade giving off threads of blue energy, proof of his omnipotence, the bright, intense glow of the Stoneheart once again lit up the cave. Gadag and Gumm had finished. And a huge Symbiote embryo lay in its place in the polished Stoneheart. Only Gadag was left."What have you done ? Where's Gumm ?"Orlagk demanded, pointing his brand new sword at his second in command. Gadag slid a soft tendril against the smooth surface of the giant birthstone."He served a purpose greater than himself. He is part of it."Revealed the Symbiote, his voice feverish. But Orlagk didn't like this decision."We are not Progenitors ! You dared to create a whelp !"Lord Gumm-Gumm spat as he drew heavily closer, his stony footsteps shaking the ground. Gadag flattened himself in submission but rectified all the same"No, my Lord, I offered you the perfect Gumm-Gumm. The one who won't need a Stoneheart or a host. The one born with the Power of a Star. Your most loyal Warrior."He added hastily, because the further he got into his speech, the angrier Orlagk became.He was the Lord of the Gumm-Gumms. None would be superior to him.His blade stopped a few centimeters short of cutting the impertinent Symbiote. But Orlagk held back. Observing the new Gumm-Gumm being created."Pray you're right Gadag, or you'll be the first to taste Decimaar."The Symbiote trembled slightly, but slid backwards, out of reach of his King's wrath. As if to prove him right, the Stoneheart began to split, in the same way that every Symbiote had been born. But no newborn had ever hatched so quickly. And the newborn, deep black as Gumm had once been, pulled himself out of the giant crystal. No sooner had he placed part of his body outside his birthstone than his form began to change. Orlagk raised his sword in front of him, facing the new Symbiote who was acting strangely. But the amorphous form began to give way to a more distinct shape. Yet he had no host. But soon, he was a Troll. A Troll in physical form, much larger than Orlagk, who stood before him.His short tail, stiffening like the rest of his body, whipped through the air, his clawed fists clenched and his large horizontal horns, even more impressive than Orlagk's, rose majestically into the air.Then the Troll opened two brilliant eyes, almost giving off a flame of blue energy, as blue as his birthstone, as blue as the Decimaar Blade, as blue as the veins of energy that ran through the black rock of his body.Gunmar the Black was born.