Chapter 72

Ahnah,

I know you have been planning a return to the west. You must know: beware the leviathans–they've become quite active and moody of late on this side of the continent. The salt witches think it has something to do with the massive storms the Veratocracy has been sending against their southern border with the Wilds. You might not have heard of these storms yet, given your posting at the Principality, but they are growing in power and frequency. The salt witches hope that the storms will stop come autumn, and I will let you know if that is the case, if you aren't here yet.

None of us are sure how they're sending these storms in the first place, much less how it is that the Speakers are causing the storms only to break after crossing the borders. That has long been the territory exclusively of the Tuttuvakaluk, and his rage is controlled only by him alone, so the most superstitious of the gray-furred are beginning to worry. We, of course, do not fear that the Great Albatross' wings have been bound or controlled, as his wrath continued to whip the entirety of the Archipelago, but any information you or any others have gleaned of the weather's changes would be appreciated.

Give my regards and condolences to our Atka, I know he was hoping to prove himself with a leviathan egg this year. I hope to see you soon.

-Letter from Marshall Inuksuk, son of Ilnak to Captain Ahnah, daughter of Inuksuk.

[Status:

Name: Ashlani

Race: Young Sonic Magicblood Brood Alpha Keelish

Current quests: 

-Hunt 3 new species. Reward will vary depending upon the evolutionary level of prey. Base reward: Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic +2. Progress: Mature Martanimis Terrorbird, Mature Scaled Deer.

-Gain control of 15% of the entire swarm. Reward: Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic +5. Progress: 5%

-Subjugate a group of at least 10 individuals with at least 5 Intelligence. Note: Cannot be keelish members of the user's current pack. Base Reward: Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic +1.

Titles: none

Stats:

-Constitution: 23+2=25

-Strength: 30+2=32

-Agility: 31+2=33

-Intelligence: 25+2=27

-Magic: 16+2=18

Skills:

Adversary: 0/10

Dominance: 29/100

Evolutionary foresight (Cannot Evolve)

Evolutionary Guide: (Cannot Evolve)

Exceptional Individual (Cannot Evolve)

Improved Bloodlust: Requirements Hidden

Innate Leadership (Cannot Evolve)

Innervating Address (Cannot Evolve)

Pack Tactics: 0/10

Sonilphon: 23/50

Evolutionary Possibilities

-Adult Sonic Magicblood Alpha: Survive 60 days. Progress: 30/60

-Young Sonic Magicblood Brood Alpha Khatif. Requirements: Evolution of Bloodlust Skill to Combatant's Bloodlust, Evolution of Sonilphon, Brood Alpha race (Completed).

Other evolutions possible, but not currently foreseen. Progress further, and such possibilities will be presented to you.]

I fought not to be disappointed at the size of this growth period's bonuses. None of the bonuses had grown since my last growth, and I couldn't help but let that frustrate me. I needed to grow, I couldn't let myself stagnate, and while I was making progress, it was slow. I needed to return to hunting, but it seemed like the nearby hunting grounds were beginning to run dry, and I needed good prey to finish my [Quest]. Maybe it would be better for me to introduce myself to one of the other packs of keelish and beat them into submission… but Redael was so unpredictable that I could be praised for that, or put down like a crazed hound.

Maybe wolfstags had a baseline intelligence above 5? I'd always thought they were much smarter than keelish, but my experience in this life had me thinking that wasn't the case. Or, was it just another way in which this swarm was notable? The uncertainty pissed me off, but I couldn't hold myself back to more methodical training of my sonilphon and with Redael. However, thinking of him again, if I decided to just move on and start doing other things, I could, again, be praised or killed for missing an appointment with him.

"Nievtala guide me," I muttered under my breath as I entered the bath. I'd grown, even if not as much as I would have liked, and the skin needed to be scrubbed out from under my scales or I would be itchy all day. For the sake of my growth, I'd taken to, at least twice a day, emptying my sonilphon while experimenting. The first was always here in my morningly bath, and I tried to figure out what I was missing with sending the magic through to my arms. The shudders weren't what I was going for, and sometimes I could compress the sonic magic's influence like I did with my explosively loud voice, but I could feel that that wasn't what I needed. 

Instead, I channeled the sonic magic and intensified it. I wasn't sure how this type of magic worked, so different from Calling and Speaking worked. A Calling was almost mathematical, you said the right words, drew on the right powers, you exerted your will just so, and then the Calling was complete. This sonilphon was all… intuitive. I'd never doubted my intuition, but I preferred to understand how what I was doing worked. 

The intensification of the magic was correct, as I'd come to learn, but there was something else. As it was, the magic just caused my scales to rattle and my fingers to wave back and forth. Maybe it was the frequency of the intense magic? It was almost like it came in waves. Could I compress it while intensifying, but not creating a "lump" of magic? I might have been making progress, but I couldn't say for sure. My sonilphon bottomed out and as I noted the counter ticking over to 24/50, I finally decided to look at this new [Skill].

[Skill: Adversary; a passive Skill granted to those who have demonstrated their determination to conquer. This Skill grants an aura that incites weakness, aggression, and paranoia in those the Skill's holder has deemed an enemy. This aura allows the Skill holder to more easily break the morale of those targeted. This Skill can evolve. Skill evolution requirements: Defeat a foe with a greater Stat total than yourself, without substantial support from any other creature. Progress: 0/10]

This new [Skill] seemed to be a companion to [Dominance], and would work in a similar, but different way. [Adversary] was geared less towards becoming a ruler, instead focusing on grinding those you defeated beneath your heel. Additionally, this evolution was focused entirely on my own combative abilities, and would be easier to evolve the earlier I did it. But as I thought about it, I couldn't help but begin to sigh to myself. I was stuck here, with Redael, trying to learn how to fight him from him, and the practices left me too exhausted to go on the hunt.

As I exited my quarters, trying to figure out what I could do for the next short while before I descended to my personal training hell, I heard whimpers of pain and confusion from the communal area. I rushed out, trying to figure out what was going on, and there I saw them.

Took and Brutus supported each other into the den proper, both covered in blood and exhausted. As she saw me, Took spoke.

"I'm sorry Alpha." After the words left her mouth, Took collapsed to the ground, her own blood beginning to pool beneath her.