I watched as Grogvel started to glow a bright brown that was starting to pulse weirdly, but then I realized that it was in sync with my heart.
"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked the glowing rock man, and he laughed, but it didn't have any effect on me. ??
"Come and place your hand on my chest, and then we will enter into a binding agreement. After that is done, I will become your first Primal Earth Totem, and any Earth elemental Bonds you make will be held within my mark. If you had already made an Earth Bond, then that one would merge into me," Grogvel explained to me, and I nodded as I stepped forward.
I placed my hand on his pulsing chest, and the world around us faded away, and the two of us were left floating in space. I was shocked at first, and my mind started racing to check to make sure that I could breathe, but I didn't need to.
"What is your goal?" Grogvel asked me, but he no longer had a gravelly voice; instead, it was that of a young man.
"The same as always, get stronger the normal way and protect the people that need it when I can. I don't really think that there is much more that I need or want, but I will need your help to accomplish this," I explained but then asked a question. "Why do you ask me this? You trusted me before when Mex was here, right?"
Something was different about him; Grogvel looked the same, but something felt off. Before I could get a reply, I was back, standing back in the rocky clearing.
"Now that your hand is there, we shall start the bond," Grogvel said to me, but I pulled my hand back.
"What was that just now?" I asked, looking down at my hand that looked perfectly normal.
"What are you talking about? Nothing has happened yet? You had just put your hand on my chest, and I was about to start instructing you how to go through the binding," Grogvel explained but then raised his eyebrow to me. "What happened?"
"I touched you, and then the world around us faded away, and then we were floating in space. You asked me what my goal was but in the voice one a young man, like a teenager. I spoke and then asked you why you would ask me, but then I was back in the clearing with you, and you started to talk," I explained, all the while trying to figure out just what the fuck that was.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, and I have never even heard anything like that, but Fireden might, or Windbags. Wataluga wouldn't be likely to know, but that is strange," Grogvel said to me while scratching his rocky chin.
Strange was a severe understatement, but I couldn't let that stop me from getting the Bond. I walked back up to Grogvel and placed my hand on his chest; this wasn't his fault; he was just as surprised as me.
I focused on Grogvel, and I tried to do the same thing as I did when calling the Water Sphinx Totem. I could feel the Energy start to power into me, but it was gritty, rough, and almost like boulders rolling through me like a canyon.
"Good, now Kazz, The Shaman, I give you my Bond as proof of my trust that you will do good for this world. I offer you the Primal Force of Earth to augment and collect all your Earth Bonds. Do you accept?" Grogvel asked me, and I nodded.
"I accept your Primal Force of Earth and will hold true!" I shouted, and Grogvel burst with light.
I felt a hand slap the back of my left shoulder, the fingers wrapping over. The handprint became a tribal design, but it was dark brown, and it covered my entire shoulder.
[Primal Force: Earth Pact] Complete!
[Primal Earth Totem] Acquired!
I stretched myself, but I didn't feel that much different. Even the Primal Totem Mark left no feeling. It was almost disappointing, but I had other things to worry about right now.
<That is true. Get moving to Wataluga, and tell me more about the person that you talked to. I was not able to see, and I was of the same mind as Grogvel when you jumped back.>
I started to run, but I wasn't really sure what else to say about it. It was not a demanding voice, but besides that, I'm not really sure what to tell you.
<Do you remember any of the planets around you? Were you in the Milky Way? Or was it a place that you did recognize? Anything could be helpful, and it is essential for you to remember.>
I started to dig into my memories of that short moment, but I had to put the thought away; I had company again. I would have to get back to Hero after this; it looks like my Demon Tiger has had enough of chasing me.
<Change Totems for this fight, and do not underestimate this creature. This is a Hellcat, and they are very fast, and they can breathe fire.>
Oh, that is just adorable; why does a fucking cat with razor-sharp claws need to breathe fire?!
<I don't make the rules or the weird abortions that are called creatures in this world. Change Totems, and you will be fine.>
The Hellcat was closing, but I was still running, and I concentrated on my Sphinx Water Totem. Once I had it in my mind, I could see that it was just as Hero had said, and all I had to do was release it.
I let it go, and the rippling blue line retracted back into the Totem Mark, and then I dug for Grogvel. I had no problem finding him, and when I activated his Totem, I started to change.
I had to slow down, my body was getting heavier, and my feet were starting to leave deeper prints. I could feel my skin start to get hard and ridged like rock, and I turned to meet my foe, but the Hellcat was gone.
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