Chapter 178

Immediately, I raised my head and began to search for the source of the confusion, though I couldn't see far or clearly in the dimness of the setting suns. I could at least be sure that Arwa's reaction and the keelish's shrieks were somehow connected, but the specifics were still unclear. Before I allowed myself to think any further, I began to run towards the nearest screeches, [Innervating Address] immediately tickling my throat as I rallied my people.

"Prepare yourselves! Defend yourselves! VICTORY BY FANG AND BLOOD!"

Scattered replies of "Victory by fang and blood!" echoed throughout the swarm as I surged past the dozens and hundreds of my subordinates. I could somehow feel the beginning throes of panic get thrust out of my assembled people under my direction, and a fierce grin crossed my face as I realized it. My words could change the flow of battle, even without the strength of my arm. How much more of the battle would I be able to change once I led my people into the battle itself? The thought energized me and I sent magic down my arms and activated [Quaking Claw] as I continued to slightly stumble through the ever darker jungle.

Before I arrived at the scene, I made sure to begin giving commands to all the keelish nearby to trigger the benefits from [Conqueror's Rebuke]. Then, I heard Foire's enraged screams.

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME!" Foire's voice carried over and through the clamor of battle, his desperation and unadulterated fury giving his words greater power than I'd ever heard before. Still, I couldn't see him, and after a momentary pang of disappointment, I changed my perception to thermal in order to more clearly see what was happening. My searching eyes finally found the scout, his daughter tightly held in his arms as he lashed out with his tail and both feet at the lunging wolfstags. At least a dozen fully grown wolfstags were picking off some of the weakest members of the swarm.

For the briefest moment, I thought that Arwa's spawn had turned on us, but I was immediately proven to be incorrect as there were far too many of them, as well as their horns. Instead of the wild cluster of long antlers that sprouted wildly from the base of Mistral and Voltaic wolfstags's skulls, each of these wolfstags had a pair of shorter, sharper horns that grew from just above their eyes. Either a pack of Wave or Glacial wolfstags then. Before I could get close enough to help and before my eyes, one of the wolfstags lowered its head and charged into the flank of a keelish distracted by another wolfstag that was harrying it from the front. The horns sunk deep into the flesh of the keelish's thigh, and before he could react, the wolfstag raised its head high and threw the keelish backwards and out of friendly territory. Immediately, other wolfstags began to drag it away while it struggled. Only a moment later, though, a larger wolfstag lunged in and with a snip of its jaws, the keelish's throat was ripped clean out.

The pack had another three keelish bodies behind them, and had yet to suffer a single casualty, so they began to try to retreat with their spoils. Rage surged within me and I pushed myself to move even faster as I filled my throat with more magic than I could remember ever doing before. With an explosive blast, I let my fury be known to the world.

I roared a wordless challenge to the wolfstags, my voice amplified by my magic and stunning everything within at least thirty feet of me, and I charged in. With a swipe of each [Quaking Claw], I laid two of the wolfstags flat, their forelegs crippled, but I wasn't finished. The closest wolfstag began to turn itself to try to flee but I sprinted forward and seized its tail in my jaws before lifting its body up and twisting with all my force to smash it into the ground. The wind rushed from its lungs in a pained wheeze, and I stepped forward and placed its head under my foot as it whined and tried to catch its breath. 

Now that my superiority had been shown, I again shrieked a wordless challenge to the wolfstags, but this time with the influence of [Debilitating Diatribe]. Before the ambushers could react, though, Arwa blazed past me in a sparking blur before she crashed into the largest member of the wolfstag pack. Immediately, the two devolved into a snarling, ravening pile, and the other wolfstags remained stunned by my magic and Arwa's ruthless assault on what I could only assume to be their Alpha.

As the wolfstags were distracted and my keelish began to gather themselves from the surprise ambush they'd sustained, I shouted my command, "Surround them! Don't let any escape!" Immediately, my command was followed as the fiercely snarling pair of wolfstags' combat rose to a crescendo.

The grappling enemy wolfstag tried to use its magic as he snapped at Arwa's foreleg, but as a small disc of water began to appear, Arwa sent a surge of her lightning coursing through her entire body. I could see sparks of heat jumping over and through the wolfstag as Arwa's magical response left the Wave wolfstag as a helplessly twitching mess on the ground. Arwa pressed her advantage, and nearly immediately she was above the male wolfstage with his throat in her jaws. Though he tried once to escape her imprisonment, Arwa mercilessly sent another wave of surging electricity directly through his throat and after he recovered from that spasming fit, he didn't fight back again.

My people had fully surrounded the pack of failed ambushers, and just before I could give the fatal command, Joral sidled up next to me, a hesitant pause to his step. I looked down at him and he bowed his head in supplication before being allowed to speak.

"What is it, Joral?"

"May I request the assistance of Sybil and Shemira in taming these new wolfstags? Many of my pack do not have a wolfstag of their own, and I know they would greatly appreciate the opportunity to gain a hunting companion."

I nearly denied him by reflex, demanding the wolfstags' payment by blood for their brazen assault on my people, but then I paused, looked down at Joral, and remembered my thoughts from just before the attack. Joral and his pack were different from my own, and once we settled, it would be better to have various avenues for food, to have trained tenders of flocks. Even so, I wanted to see Joral's dedication.

"Why would I allow them to live when they've killed some of our own? They could feed many of the pack, but instead we'll need to train, feed, and care for these beasts if they are to accompany you and your pack."

Joral bowed even lower as he thought for a moment before continuing, "These wolfstags know the area. They can lead us to more prey, to safer passages, and will allow us to hunt more than we could have without them. Please, Alpha."

I looked down at Joral, deliberately silent as I "deliberated" over his suggestion. I already knew what my choice would be, but either a sadistic enjoyment of his discomfort or some need to show my willingness to listen drove my continued silence, but eventually, Arwa looked up and me and barked for my attention. When I looked at her, she cocked her head before whining for my clemency. Or, at least, so I supposed. With a wry smile, I shook my head before calling out, "Sybil, Shemira, we need some help over here."

Then, I looked at Joral, whose face began to lift in excitement, and said, "Your pack now needs to provide twice as much meat to the pack to show your new hunting prowess." I had to fight to keep the smirk from covering my face as Joral's own face fell in disbelief.