King Of Limbo

As all the major players of the continent stood in anticipation for the events to come, Aron and Rose were deeply plotting.

They were currently gathered by the bank of the stream where they had chosen to settle.

Jagu and Jin were absent as they were tasked with fortifying the the makeshift headquarters encampment in which the beasts they captured were kept.

Aron was currently seated on the ground with his head rested against a large tree whilst Rose used her scouter as seat as the two discussed her suggestion.

"A poisonous cloud?" Aron asked with a raised brow, somewhat surprised by the idea Rose had come up with.

Despite his lack of enthusiasm toward her statement, she nodded confidently and backed her statement.

"Yes, a poisonous cloud. One whose rain will render all it hits dead in a matter of moments. It saves us the trouble of going through an arduous battle like with the southern Komi."

From a theoretical standpoint alone, Rose's plan was indeed a good option, but Aron was quick to think about the negatives.

"I'll assume you already have a way for us to avoid the deadly consequences. But aside from that, chances are high that the entire continent would become uninhabitable, thereby cutting off any and all chances to explore here further. It would be pointless to do this unless we have everything we need to open a gate."

Rose could see the sense in Aron's words and she nodded as he spoke, but she too had already considered this point.

"At most we wouldn't need to wait long given the poison will be naturally occurring. By the time thirty or so sleep cycles have passed, the remnants would become negligibly thin, thereby allowing us to explore freely and effectively."

With this new point presented, Aron couldn't think of any other major problems that would arise from such an approach.

He gave an understanding nod to Rose before standing up, his large frame towering over her as she too stood up.

"What will you need to make this happen?" As Aron stretched his limbs, he was already prepared to get Rose's plan under way.

Any plan that would minimize the fighting they needed to do against the Northern Kolieans was greatly welcome to him.

Thinking back at how his limits were pushed when he fought with the entire southern Komi army, Aron was sure that a clash of that scale against fellow Kolieans would surely leave him either dead or greatly injured.

Neither of which he was willing to accept.

"Time, all I need is time. I've already scouted an approaching storm that will make land fall with this continent in perhaps fifteen cycles or so. In that time, I'll need to extract and mesh the poisons. Provided the I'm not disturbed, I'll manage." Rose revealed after careful consideration.

It was a fairly small window of time and one that would be hard to make use of, but her confidence left Aron without any doubts.

"Then I'll ensure that you're not disturbed. Which shouldn't be hard considering the Northen Kolieans retreat, but just in case, I'll place runes on the captured beasts and have them ready."

….

With a plan of action set, both Aron and Rose immediately got to work.

For Rose, her work was fairly delicate as she carefully began sorting through the entire collection of poisonous herbs they had gathered.

Aron also didn't delay in his own work, as he immediately went to the encampment Jin and Jagu had built.

There, nestled with the large and expansive trees, one could see a roughly structured wall made of cut down trees and shrubs, whose surfaces had a strong scent that stung the nose.

Within the structured wall, several more demarcations were present, with each housing a particular type of animal or beast, the majority of them low tiered.

As Aron approached, he found Jin standing high up on one of the many trees around the the encampment.

He was currently in the midst of constructing a makeshift cage made of twig and wood, in which smaller birds were kept.

Jagu could also be seen roaming the parameter, his sheer presence alone put off many of animals from attempted escape their enclosures.

After all, those very enclosures were the one thing that kept them safe from the predatory looking Jagu.

Aron took a moment to look over the scene with a stern expression, studying them in his own way.

Many of them he recognized from his time as a child, and even those he didn't looked only mildly different.

Given the time that passed from the time he was gone, it was impressive to see that many creatures had evolved so quickly over such a short period of time.

Without lingering any longer, he soon stepped into the encampment and approached one of the demarcations, where he immediately got to work in placing runes on the creatures inside.

This was done without the need for anyone to help him hold down the creatures, the sheer viscosity of his aura made most of the creatures lay still without even daring to flinch, as if they had accepted whatever fate was brought down upon them.

Aron's large hands moved with a surprising gentleness and precision as he began to draw the runes on the animals.

Each stroke was deliberate, each curve and line meticulously crafted. The runes were complex, an intricate pattern of symbols that seemed to dance and shimmer with an otherworldly glow as he etched them onto the creatures' hides.

From a distance, Jagu watched Aron with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. His predatory eyes narrowed slightly, studying Aron keenly and hoping to learn what little he could. There was a certain respect in his gaze, a recognition of Aron's strength and authority. Yet, there was also a hint of uncertainty, a silent question of what these strange symbols meant.

Jin, perched high up in the trees, observed Aron with a different kind of interest. His eyes were wide with fascination as he watched the runes take shape under Aron's skilled hands.

He had seen Aron draw these runes before, but never on such a large scale or with such urgency. He wondered what kind of power these symbols held, what kind of change they would bring and why he seemed so eager to finish them.

Aron ignored the gazes being cast his was and moved on to a smaller creature, however his task became more challenging.

The creature fidgeted uncontrollably under his touch, its small body trembling with fear. Despite his best efforts to soothe it, the creature's movements caused his hand to slip, marring the rune he was drawing.

Realizing his mistake, Aron quickly tossed the creature away from himself. No sooner had it left his hand than it exploded in a burst of energy, the disrupted rune releasing its power in an uncontrolled blast.

The explosion sent a shockwave through the encampment, causing the other animals to stir restlessly in their enclosures. Jagu growled lowly at the disturbance, while Jin nearly lost his balance from his perch in the tree.

Aron stood still for a moment, watching the smoke clear from where the creature had been.

Then, without a word, he returned to his task, moving on to the next animal with renewed focus and determination. His expression was stern, but there was a certain resolve in his eyes. How could such a small mistake even hope to move him?

After what felt like hours, Aron finally finished drawing the runes on the last of the animals. He wiped the sweat from his brow and called out to Jagu and Jin. "Come here, both of you."

Jagu and Jin, who had been watching Aron's work with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, quickly gathered around him. "Is something wrong?" Jin asked, his eyes flicking between Aron and the animals.

Aron shook his head. "No, it's time we release these creatures into certain parts of the continent and let them roam." He led them over to a nearby tree and, with a strength that belied his tiredness, ripped out a large piece of bark. Using a sharp stone, he began to carve a rough map onto the bark.

As he drew lines indicating where they needed to release the animals, Jin's eyes widened in understanding. He remembered the small creature that had exploded earlier and could guess what Aron was planning.

Jagu was more vocal with his thoughts. "Will this be enough to defeat the Northern Kolieans?" he asked, his voice gruff.

Aron shook his head again. "No," he said firmly. "This is only a distraction. But it's a start." He looked at Jagu and Jin, his gaze steady. "Are you ready?"

With a nod from both of them, they set to work, each taking a group of animals to their designated locations on the map. As they worked under the cover of darkness, they couldn't help but wonder what the dawn would bring.