Chapter 21

The screeches of victory, both in word and in pure emotion, rang through the den again and again. This time, I had struck down someone who had repeatedly looked down on and had mistreated me, so the spawnlings didn't seem to mind the more permanent nature of the solution I had provided. Either that, or they now feared me enough to begin to submit to me en masse. The grin spread across my face, pleased with the longer-reaching impact of this possibility, and I felt the insanity of the [Bloodlust] skill further fall from clouding my mind. 

Before the [Bloodlust] completely faded from my mind, I took note of Tieran's other sub-leader rallying the pack, Shemira, talking quietly to nearly every spawnling from that pack. I realized that now was my chance to begin to garner followers for myself, and it was slipping away from me the more she spoke. Determined, I struck a self-assured pose and began to address the audience.

"I am… Ashlani! I am… the strongest! I will… lead you… to victory!" I wanted to speak more, longer, and more eloquently, but I simply was incapable of it. I could only rely on my demonstration and stilted words to curry the favor I needed. Immediately following my address, a large male approached and fell in behind me. I immediately noted in my [Status] that he was my follower before I'd said a word to him individually. 

Before I could turn to speak to him, Sybil spoke up.

"No name… Tieran said that… he was too… stupid to… be named."

I twitched my frills in acknowledgement of the information and turned to the big guy. "Why follow… me?"

No answer. Different from Took, Treel, Foire or Vefir who tried to speak and could barely form single syllables, this one didn't even try. He just looked at me, flared the frills around his head, and then settled down onto his haunches, apparently completely uncaring about anything else. 

I flicked my tail in unconcern, and looked over at the rest of what remained from Tieran's pack. It wasn't long before five others followed suit and fell in behind me as well, taking my pack into the double digits. Others looked unsure, but ultimately stayed with Shemira while occasionally glancing over at my pack. Recruits to be, I was sure. Regardless, this was enough to evolve to Alpha, and so quickly–

As I'd idly looked over my [Status], I noted that the other five additions to the pack were not yet my "Followers". Did I just need to name them?

No real thought was necessary to name the new additions. 

Brutus, for the brutish male, Shruk and Creck for the other two males that joined, then Etra, Cree, and Traak for the three females. Other than Brutus, the names were selected entirely because they were easy to say with the keelish throat. Nonetheless, all six seemed happy to receive their names. And my number of followers didn't increase. Why?

[For an individual to qualify as another's "Follower", they must be willing to follow the "Leader's" orders, as well as to have and demonstrate loyalty to the "Leader".]

So… since these followers are new they aren't fully loyal to me? That was… acceptable, I supposed. It wouldn't take long before continuously full bellies began to sway their opinions. But, preferably, it would be soon.

I shook my head, and invited the new members of the pack to enjoy a meal with the rest of us. Before long, the thirteen of us had devoured every bit of Toothy Bullfrog flesh that had been left, and I could tell that Brutus and the three new females were still hungry. 

Again, before I could ask any questions, Sybil inched closer to me. "They were… the undesirables… under Tieran. They were… mistreated by him… and Shemira. They hope for… better treatment… under you." Sybil's vocabulary alone was so far beyond the rest of the spawnlings, and, if I were honest, even beyond my own, that it beggared belief. 

Well, at least it seemed that I'd inadvertently started everything off on the right foot. I smiled at my new pack, fully filling the space we had only just barely expanded to fit the pack. If what we needed to do was to work to better fulfill our own needs, then I was ok with that. We could do so after our hunt today.

I began to gather the pack together to go hunt when Sybil again approached me.

"I am… not a hunter. I can… accompany you… if you wish… or I… can work here… for you."

I cocked my head, wanting to ask more, but deciding against it. "Very well. I'm looking… forward to… seeing what you do."

Sybil nodded, then turned and, after a couple quiet words, got Etra and Cree to follow her out of the den. For a moment, I questioned my decision to not as any further questions, but decided against it and instead rallied the other nine to follow me out to the hunt.

…

True to the adult keelish from yesterday's words, there were no more guardians posted to protect us on our hunt today. The initial presence of the protectors, however, had been a bit of a surprise, since we were just hunting the Toothy Bullfrogs that were so near to the den's entrance. After all, the frogs could pose no threat to us now that we had learned how to hunt and had grown to about their size. Yet, I had heard the wolfstags' calls last night, so some caution was warranted, I supposed, but I couldn't imagine that this environment could support both types of social hunters. The jungle was lush and there was sure to be no shortage of potential prey, but with ranging packs of hunters from the two species… It would be mortal combat on the earliest awareness of the other's presence.

Regardless of the possible relative closeness of wolfstags, I had a goal to achieve today: the hunt of a new creature, and the completion of my first formal [Quest]. While this jungle was different from the area that the Viertaali tribe had wandered, it was similar enough that I could guess as to which options might be available to me for this new hunt. 

I led the pack in a preliminary hunt of one Toothy Bullfrog as I searched for signs of other possible prey. I had to force myself not to engage in the hunt when the odor of blood wafted over me. With gritted teeth and closed eyes, I finally was able to force [Bloodlust] from triggering, keeping my mind in the process. I happily opened my eyes and shifted my perception solely to my eyes as I looked around for sign of prey. I did have one in particular in mind that I would like to…

Just as the thought crossed my mind, I noted a particular pattern of crushed branches in the undergrowth, and a pleased smile spread across my face.