Page 15 of Bonded to the Star-Beast

We travel through the Borderlands, a transitional zone where the lush, almost jungle-like forest gives way to the sparser, rockier terrain of the foothills. Jaro is in his element here. He moves with a silent, fluid grace, his senses on high alert. He teaches me new words, his deep voice a low rumble.

“Gral," he says, pointing to a patch of iridescent green moss that shimmers deceptively over a deep, muddy patch of ground.Sinkhole.

“Vek," he grunts, indicating a cluster of plants with leaves honed to razor-sharp edges.Sharp. Danger.

I repeat the words, my scientific mind cataloging the new data, my tongue struggling with the guttural Xylosian sounds. I try to reciprocate, to share my own knowledge. I pull out the geological sampler.

“This is a tool,” I say, holding it up. “For science. It takes samples of rock, of soil.” I press the activation stud, and the device emits a low hum, a tiny drill bit extending from its tip.

Jaro goes rigid. He snatches the sampler from my hand, his eyes flashing gold. He holds it like a weapon, his stance shifting into a defensive crouch. He aims it at a nearby boulder and growls a question. My translator flashes: [POWERFUL?]

“No, it's not a weapon,” I say, holding my hands up in a placating gesture. “It's for analysis. For understanding the world.”

He looks from the humming device to me, his expression one of deep suspicion. He clearly doesn't believe me. To him, in this world of tooth and claw, a tool that can pierce rock must be a weapon. It's a fundamental difference in our worldviews, a chasm of understanding I have no idea how to cross. He eventually hands it back, but his wariness lingers in the air between us.

My own senses continue to sharpen. I smell the coming rain on the wind moments before he points to the darkening clouds. I feel a subtle vibration in the ground and stop, just as he holds up a hand to signal a halt. A herd of large, six-legged grazers thunders past our position moments later.

The bond,I think, my hand unconsciously moving to the warm mark on my chest.It's connecting our sensory input. Or it's accelerating my adaptation. Or both.The scientist in me is fascinated. The human in me is terrified.

Late in the afternoon, I spot it. We are crossing a rocky clearing when I see a soft, blue-white glow emanating from a crevice between two massive boulders. I stop dead in my tracks.

“Jaro, wait,” I whisper.

He turns, impatient.

I point to the crevice. “Luminescence. It could be biological.”

I approach cautiously, my heart pounding with the thrill of discovery. It's a fungus, a species I've never seen before. It grows in delicate, crystalline structures, pulsing with a gentle, rhythmic light.

“Incredible,” I breathe, pulling out a specimen container and my collection scalpel. “The bioluminescence could indicate unique enzymatic properties. Potentially medicinal.”

Jaro makes an impatient sound behind me. A low growl of pure frustration. He wants to keep moving, to get to the safety of his territory before nightfall. I can feel his irritation like a physical pressure, a cold spot on the back of my neck.

“Just one sample,” I say, not looking at him. “This is important.”

“Vek," he snarls, his voice sharp with warning.Danger.

I ignore him, my focus narrowed on the prize. I reach into the crevice with my scalpel, my movements precise. This is my purpose. This is who I am.

A sudden hiss, sharp and venomous, erupts from the darkness of the crevice. Something shoots out, a spray of viscous, dark liquid aimed directly at my face.

I have no time to react. I only have time to see Jaro move.

He is a blur of navy-blue skin and coiled muscle. He shoves me backward, putting his own body between me and the threat, just as the venomous spray hits his arm. He lets out a roar of pain and fury, his skin sizzling where the liquid makes contact.

From the crevice emerges a plant. Or something that looks like a plant. It's a thick, stalk-like organism with a bulbous head that unfurls like a grotesque flower, revealing a central maw dripping with the same dark venom. It hisses again, preparing another shot.

Jaro doesn't give it the chance.

The transformation is instantaneous and terrifying. His eyes blaze with golden fire. His fangs elongate, sharp and lethal. His hands morph, his fingers thickening, his nails extending into wicked black claws. He is not the full beast, but he is no longer fully the man. He is something in between, a perfect fusion of strategic intelligence and primal rage.

He moves with a speed that my eyes can barely follow. He grabs the venom-spitting stalk, his claws digging deep into its fibrous flesh. The plant thrashes, but it is no match for hisstrength. With a single, brutal wrench, he tears it from its roots and smashes it against the boulder, reducing it to a pulp of dark, steaming liquid and fibrous tissue.

The clearing is silent again. Jaro stands over the remains of the plant, his chest heaving, his claws dripping with its dark fluid. The golden light in his eyes slowly recedes, his fangs retract, his hands return to their humanoid form. But the intensity, the raw power, lingers in the air around him.

He turns to me, his gaze sweeping over my body, checking for injuries. He sees I am unharmed, and some of the tension leaves his shoulders. He looks down at his arm, at the angry red burn where the venom struck him.

“Are you alright?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

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