NOVEL NEXT Chapter 90
“Sybil, what do you need from me for the next four days?”
She cocked her head at me, confused. “What do you mean?”
I sighed and stretched, trying to loosen my mind up as well as my body. It didn’t work. “I’m not going to be here for at least three, maybe as long as five or six days. In that time, what will you need from me?”
“Are you going to be in danger? Who should accompany you?” Immediately Sybil turned to the side, and Shemira stepped forward.
“Took is leading a hunt right now, Brutus with her. Treel might be available. I can go. Foire is off leading and teaching the trackers, so most of them aren’t around. Solia is here, but I don’t know if she’s ready for guard duty.”
I was shaken from the surprised stupor I was in from their immediate launching into this breakdown of where all the elites of the pack were and were doing. “Guard duty?”
Shemira cringed back and looked guiltily at Sybil, who cocked her head slightly in concession. “It was a simple mistake. I just meant escort.” Shemira herself didn’t sound particularly convinced of what she was saying, but she did lean coyly into me in her attempt to convince me. A part of me, growing ever stronger as I neared adulthood, wanted to indulge in her presence and her touch, but after a moment of collecting myself, I pushed her away. I looked directly at Sybil, and without having to say a word, she conceded to me.
“Without you, Alpha, this pack will fall apart. Your leadership and strength is the only thing that keeps us all together and united, and though we would try to keep it together in the event of your death, the reality and the eventuality is that we would lose all that binds us. We will do what is necessary to protect our future, even if we have no keelish that can stand at your level.” Her tone was simple, non confrontational, and brooked no disagreement.
For a moment, I wanted to argue with her, but I couldn’t bring myself to disagree. Everything I had done to build the pack that currently existed was held together by the thread of my continued leadership and presence. I flared my frills briefly before saying, “Understood. I won’t need an escort for now, I won’t be leaving the den. I won’t die within the swarm’s territory.” I didn’t add the “I hope” that colored my thoughts. “Do you know where I can find Wisterl?”
Shemira turned to Sybil, who immediately answered, “We aren’t sure. She doesn’t seem to keep a constant den. She’s a wanderer, for some reason. However, she is still one of the top few of the swarm, so she should be found deep within the den. Do you need us to find her soon? We can send someone down there to find it out. Wouldn’t take too long.”
I clicked my teeth together in response. “I’ll just find her myself. Unless there is some pressing need that absolutely needs my immediate attention, don’t interrupt me.” I could feel the swelling pride, the inherent superiority that I only rarely felt towards my most trusted elite. Even with our close relationship, I could feel my aura from [Dominance] pressing in on them and Shemira shivered, the movement passing attractively down her spine and tail. That it was accidental meant nothing to me–I needed to fully master these reactions that I had towards her, because I wouldn’t be “noticing” every little one of her movements simply because Shemira was beautiful.
Sybil bowed her head. “As you wish, Alpha. We will be here, awaiting your swift return. May Nievtala guide you. Victory.”
“Victory by fang and blood.” I echoed, then, with nary another well wish or farewell, I descended to the depths of the den. As I walked, forcing my steps not to be heavy and slow, I looked once again at the evolutionary requirements for [Improved Bloodlust].
[Skill: Improved Bloodlust; when the Skill user deems it necessary, they will find themselves enveloped by a cooler, more calculated rage, thus heightening their battle prowess and senses, at the cost of the slight loss of rationality. This drain on sanity is lesser than that of the original [Bloodlust] skill, but the longer the Skill is invoked, the more complete the loss of rationality. This skill can evolve. Conditions: the Skill holder must spend a full and continuous three days with the Skill activated. Any cessation of the Skill’s activation will reset the timer.]
I’d experienced the reality of “the longer the Skill is invoked, the more complete the loss of rationality.” I was nearly certain that, at the end of the first day, much less the second and third, I would be lashing out at anything I saw that was moving. The only ones I could think of as able to keep me in control under those conditions were Redael, Rulac, and Wisterl. Redael was off the table after our last interaction and Rulac could certainly keep me contained, but if I was going to spend three days wanting nothing more than to indulge in the primal urge to cause harm, then I might as well spend that time with the best fighter in the swarm.
My journey was relatively quick, and once I got to the lowest levels, I asked the nearest keelish where I could find Wisterl. After he looked at me like I was insane, he directed me to the nearest den he’d known she was in. The pattern followed that two more times, as each direction I got brought me closer without actually finding her. Finally, I turned a corner into a den where a pack of keelish stood around three wrestling keelish. I wondered how this had happened, but as I watched, Wisterl grappled one of the other two and then, using the larger keelish like a ram of some sort, smashed his head into her other foe. Then, I realized that this wasn’t some free for all, but a two against one, and Wisterl was winning.
With one of her adversaries stunned from having his head used as a club, Wisterl pressed her advantage until both of her opponents laid on the ground, panting and bleeding. She cackled, her laughs screeching and piercing, even to a keelish, and the two on the ground laid there, accepting her celebration.
And I was about to ask this maniac to spend days with me.
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