(Author's Note: This is the 4th chapter of an ongoing series, following The Book of Gobilogra, and the final chapter of the First Kidnapping arc.)

***

It is held to be true that all living things, from the lowest grub to the most terrifying Primordial, possess three qualities.

First is Body, the combination of energies which grant life shape and substance. Lower creatures, like the crude templates left behind by Dynara, possess only domothean energies. We, the Elders, possess in addition the immanidivinus, which grants us higher function and understanding, and a fraction of the Creator's power. The Primordials instead possess excoroperditio energies, which grant the power, but as fearsome Kakola warned Us, not necessarily the comprehension.

Second is Soul, the immutable bundle of talents, desires and fears placed upon us by Dynara. While Body can be built, reshaped, damaged and repaired, Soul cannot truly be changed. Grass is meant to grow, dogs are meant to hunt with others of their kind, and I was made to heal. This is true, a fact as immutable as the darkness of the Void, a fact as real as life itself.

Finally is Mind, the most important of the three. Between malleable Body and eternal Soul lies that which truly perceives the world. It appeases Soul while preserving and feeding from Body, ever growing, ever adapting to the endless barrage of moments that we call Existence.

These three qualities are the facets of Our identities, of Our being, and to do harm to any of them is to do harm to the life. Body is simple enough to damage, through cuts, through magic, through all manner of other violence, though it is also simplest to repair. Soul, conversely, is near-impossible to damage, though One can impose immense suffering by denying another His Soul's dictates. The essence of the self remains, unless terrifying power, power akin to that of Magnora or Her Handmaidens, is used to strike at it. When Soul is gone, that being is gone, irrevokably and forever, as many of Us discovered to Our sorrow in the Warring Age.

Mind may also be damaged, fragmented, torn, and utterly destroyed, doing harm that even the greatest of the Hamadhi despair of repairing. To do harm in this manner is among the worst crimes imaginable in this Golden Age of Peace, and any research into the area is tightly controlled.

Still, some nights, when gentle Malmydia is not there to see Me, I ponder opening My own Mind and excising the memories of the beast I was. But memory is part of Mind, and to deny My past is to deny part of Myself, and to deny how far I have come in the long years since.

Best not to dwell on the memories of pain and violence, all the same. Better to think about the day everything finally changed.

***

No harm, no magic, no mutiliation of My Mind shall remove the image of Amonkari as She descended upon Savaj that day. Her eyes shone with a strange fire, a battle-rage beyond Orlachmar's constant anger and even Gruen's icy cruelty. Somehow, without a weapon, without armor, without even a shred of fur or cloth separating Her dark-skinned Body from the whipping winds, this Runner, who We'd seen beaten effortlessly hundreds of times before, She seemed the very aspect of Magnora.

At least, She seemed so to Me. Orlachmar let out a series of wheezing breaths, which I took for terror at first. Then My brother got a hold of Himself long enough to let out the hysterical bout of laughter that had seized Him. Gruenella too let out a laugh, though more controlled as She kept Her eyes fixed upon the Runners. Loboshi laughed not at all, Her golden eyes alight with a cold fury and her lips curled back to reveal her razor teeth.

"Be pardoning My sister!" one of the other runners called, His voice ringing out over even Orlachmar's mocking laughter. "I be Aslarn, of the Windy Creche You all be so fond of. We be simply wanting to bring Our brother home."

"He be weakening!" added another, a woman, Her skin ghostly next to the dark shades of Her siblings. She looked down with worry towards Volkh, clearly wanting to rush towards Him, though She cowered behind Aslarn the instant Loboshi's gaze latched onto Her in warning.

"He's my prize. He will be going nowhere," Loboshi growled, a dread note of warning in her lowered tone. "And for daring to come here, neither will the rest of You. Take Them, My brothers and sisters."

Wassali, perhaps emboldened by all the battles He had won against Volkh, was first to leap. Perhaps He might have even taken some of the Runners down and claimed them as prizes. The pale one, Lantra, flinched back and shrieked in terror as My brother shot off the ice. Aslarn grimaced and braced Himself, though just from looking at Him I knew He had no answer to Wassali's houndskull blades. One of Them vanished outright, fleeting away instantly on the wind. The darkest of the Runners, Tablack, I would hear Him called later, had the spirit, if not the readiness for a battle, and I think He and Wassali may have actually been an even match. Unfortunately for Wassali, Amonkari reached Him before He was even close to the rest of the Runners.

She held no weapon and wore no armor. In Our first days, We fought in the same manner, but after Gobilogra's discoveries, and especially once Our explorations took us to the other creches, that style was abandoned in favor of Our sister's blades. It was simply too hard to win a fight without a weapon, or so We thought.

There was a loud crack, and Wassali's head snapped back, and He tumbled bonelessly to the ground. For a moment, there was only the sound of the wind through the trees.

"She punched Him once?" I murmured to Gobilogra.

"She punched Him ten times," She replied, flatly. While My other siblings gathered Their anger and got ready to leap, She seemed ready to quietly fade into the brush. She always did have good sense.

"Hold! We not be here to fight all of You!" Aslarn shouted, His voice booming across the land.

"Because only one of You is any good in a fight, cowards," Gruenella called, giving a thin smile.

"I be conceding that," Aslarn said simply, before gesturing towards Loboshi. "But We only be here for one fight. My sister, Amonkari, against this one. Loboshi."

"You don't get to dictate terms on a raid, Runner," Strom growled up with uncharacteristic anger, His eyes locked on the Runners' voice.

"It not be a raid. It be a trophy challenge," Aslarn replied. "That do be how You do things here, be it not?"

It was, and Our heads turned to Loboshi, who looked utterly furious. She turned to glare at Volkh, who cowered back in the snow, giving Her a helpless look. Loboshi snorted afterwards, and locked eyes with the Runners' warrior. "It do be," She said, before scowling. "It is."

"This is a trick, sister," Strom growled. "All charge, and They have no chance."

"They have one chance, and it's not a very good chance," Loboshi snorted. "It's like the Crystals' illusions. Pretty to look at, but nothing underneath. Have You forgotten who Dynara made strongest?"

"We are Strongest," I said automatically, along with My siblings, save Wassali who was unconscious in the snow, and Gobilogra, who irritably grit Her teeth.

"And have You forgotten that I have bested Their tricks already?" Loboshi continued, giving a thin smirk to Amonkari. "I can wind-run, same as Her. They have no chance, either way, so why not play this silly game? You have your challenge, Runner. Come. Let's..."

And suddenly, Amonkari was there in front of My sister, fists moving faster than I could see. Loboshi, taken aback, had Her face battered before She snarled and swiped quickly with Her knives, only to have the Runner duck the swing and hook a kick squarely into My sister's side, the thin furs doing little to blunt the heel crashing into Her ribs. I winced as Loboshi stumbled back, trying to hide Her surprise.

"I felt one of those," Loboshi said, sniffing dismissively. "But You're too weak to do much more."

Amonkari raised a brow, and once again was in Loboshi's face. This time, My sister was ready, lunging as the Runner came forward, but at what seemed like the last instant, Amonkari span to the side, hooking another kick into the back of Loboshi's head. Snarling, Loboshi rounded in a wide swipe, before advancing on Her opponent with a rapid series of slashes that once would have dazzled Me, but before Amonkari's speed looked pitiably slow. Certainly, none of Loboshi's attacks touched Her as She danced back, almost casually, Her body a hair's breadth from the sharpened blades of bone that threatened to gut Her.

Even in Her rage, though, Loboshi was canny, and She knew Our homeland well. As Amonkari drifted backwards across the snow, She shifted towards the drifts where the cave hounds sometimes made their beds. The confident Runner suddenly stumbled and fell into the snow as a startled hound burst out of the powder and fled from the battle, and as I watched, Loboshi's face split into a wide, cruel grin. Amonkari screamed as Loboshi's knives drove deep into Her thighs, and a good twist.

"No more dancing for You, then," Loboshi said, leaving Her blades in Amonkari's legs as She fell upon Her opponent, holding the Runner down with Her greater weight. Gripping Amonkari by the shoulders, Loboshi drew Her head back and slammed it heavily into the Runner's bald skull, drawing another heavy grunt from the foreign warrior. "Do You feel that, little one? That's strength. You have dancing and tricks, but at the end of the day, Dynara made us stronger. What do you have against strength?"

Amonkari's brown eyes focused, and locked with My sister's gold ones. "My tricks be superior," Amonkari said, and thrust a thin, dainty fist squarely into Loboshi's throat.

Loboshi's eyes went wide, and She fell back, coughing as Amonkari struggled to Her feet. I would not fully understand what happened for many years afterwards, when I learned of the chakra pathways, but We all saw the results plainly enough. Her speed diminished, Amonkari simply advanced on Loboshi with purpose and determination, and each time Loboshi swung, Amonkari's fist or elbow or knee found its way into a delicate area, every strike drawing a sharp cry from My sister. At the time, I couldn't fathom how so many weak blows could cause proud Loboshi such pain... except for the kick between the legs that drove Her to Her knees. That was easy enough to comprehend.

"Amonkari, that be enough," Aslarn called, as She prepared to stomp Loboshi's head into a rock outcropping. "I think Your point be made. We be taking Volkh back, yes?"

Amonkari frowned, but nodded, and grunted as She pulled the knives from Her legs, tossing them off into the woods. Lantra descended to tend to Her sister, though for some reason She looked furious rather than pleased with the battle. Volkh, too, ill though He was, gave Amonkari a look of askance as He slumped against His tree.

"Those are the ways of Savaj," Strom said icily. "I can't say I approve of this, though..."

"I'm not done," Loboshi growled, pulling Herself off of the ground, and I hurried over to give Her aid.

"I'm pretty sure You're done, sister," I said quietly to Her. "Hold still, I don't even know what She did to You."

"They will not take My Volkh," She said, louder, and I could hear true anguish in Her voice, beyond what a mere beating could accomplish. Her eyes turned towards the captured Runner, who still cringed uneasily, but gave Her an apologetic smile.

Strom frowned as He approached. "Sister, leave it for now," He said quietly. "You're weakened. Your prize is weakened as well. We will figure out this trick of Their warriors, and reclaim Your Volkh after You're both recovered, yes?"

"No," said Loboshi, desperately.

"No," growled Orlachmar, rising and stepping forward. "I will not take this insult in Our own home. You! Runner wench! I challenge You now for Loboshi's toy!"

"Brother, no," Gobilogra said, eyes wide, "She's too tricky for You! There's no way You'll beat Her!"

"Cheh. Tricks. I've seen and beaten better tricks than this, from better warriors than Her," Orlachmar said, thrusting out His chest. "Loboshi might not handle such garbage, but I'm the very strength of Savaj! You think you can beat Me, Runner? Did You forget I've pulped every last member of Your creche?" He grinned wide. "And You personally, I don't even know how many times?"

Amonkari turned from Lantra, Her eyes darkening. "I remember, Savage," She said. "I be accepting Your challenge."

The second fight was far shorter, and somehow even more brutal.

"Be anyone else wanting to challenge Me for My brother?" Amonkari bellowed, over the twisted, groaning lump of flesh that was Orlachmar.

"No thanks," said Gobilogra, a grin stretching all the way across Her face.

"I think You've made Your point just fine," Strom said icily. "If You truly don't wish a fight, take Your brother and leave already."

"Very well," Aslarn said, smiling thinly. "Come, Amonkari, Volkh... Nymphale, wherever it is that You went. It's time to go home." The Runner looked down at Strom. "We'll see You again soon, I suppose?"

"Certainly," Strom replied.

We watched as the Runners rose to the portal at the top of Mount Savaj, Strom with an irritated scowl, Gobilogra waving cheerfully, and Loboshi with a sullen gaze that never left Volkh, right up until He looked back one last time His Body sparkled and shot out into the Void with His siblings.

***

"You will not be getting near Volkh again, Loboshi!" Amonkari bellowed across the plains.

"I shall have You this time, wench! We are Strongest!" Loboshi roared in reply.

"This is all really embarassing," Volkh said quietly.

"It's a saying meant to bring unity," Gobilogra replied, not looking up from the hound She was shaping out of the grasses. "It can be a little goofy if it does the job."

"I'm talking about having Them fighting over Me," Volkh said.

"Oh." Gobilogra shifted uncomfortably, before going back to Her work. "Yeah, the whole thing's a little... what's the word the Red Eyes use?"

"Fragged," I supplied.

"Yeah, fragged."

Gobilogra, Wassali and I joined Volkh, Lantra and Nymphale in a quiet part of the Windy Lands for a secret meeting. Orlachmar grew sullen and even more violent than usual when reminded of the Runners' existence, and Strom, usually a calm sort, took every opportunity to remind Us that We had to be better than Their kind. Neither would approve, to say nothing of what would happen if Loboshi found out We had Her desire among Us, but We found something in these strangers that We hadn't found in thousands of years with Our siblings. Wassali's eyes were alight with a joy I'd not seen in them before, as He hummed His favorite part of the Song, while Nymphale whirled about Him.

"Look closer, see the patterns inside," Lantra said. "It's made of energy, just like Us, but it has to be right inside and out, else it comes out damaged. Or completely broken. You can't just bung it into the right shape on the outside and hope everything works out."

"I said I was sorry," I said, not meeting Lantra's eyes. She'd screamed a lot, for My 'healing' of Volkh. In retrospect, much of that was deserved, and I learned much in between all the cringing.

"It's fine, Chirurji. It's fine, Lantra," Volkh added pointedly, taking the grassy shape from Gobilogra. "So it's ready, then?"

"As far as I can tell," Gobilogra said. "I'm meant to take these things apart, not put them together. Sister, what do You think?"

"It just needs a little push, Volkh," I said. "That comes from You."

In another part of the creche, Gruenella beat Tablack mercilessly into the ground. Strom faced off against Aslarn in battle as well, though that took the form of chatter over a game of seeds and bowls. Far from Loboshi's 15th duel with Amonkari, Orlachmar led Our other brothers and sisters against the Giants in bloody combat, as more bloody combat happened between strangers in other parts of the land. But on that day, with the efforts of four Elders from two creches, the Runners' land had its first hound. As We smiled, at the golden-eyed beast's antics, at the pleasure of a job well done, at the fondness of company, I felt a great satisfaction well up within Me that I had not known in centuries of combat.

On that day, I knew My Soul, and would never raise a hand in violence again.