Chapter 35

I dreamed of being stuck in an arena, where there were ever more insurmountable foes placed before me. Whenever I began to make some headway against my enemies, they would be replaced by something larger, more fearsome, more powerful. I couldn't understand what they were, or why I was there yet I still was overcome with an absolute dread with each foe that appeared before me. Somewhere behind, or maybe around me, there were voices of disapproval, sounds of laughter, and general merriment at my suffering. I whirled around, trying to find what laughed at me, yet I could find nothing. The voices built in strength as my foes worked ever harder to slay me, until a clear woman's voice cut through all the chaos. 

"Be still. Rest." Everything else faded away, and my sleep returned to rest. I wasn't sure how long I'd slept, but I felt a bone-deep satisfaction as I woke, as if I'd rested for days. As had become my pattern, I stretched, the crackling of my spine going all the way down my spine until it twinged agonizingly at the end of my tail. 

My balance felt a bit off with the missing weight, slight though it was. I'd never thought of how precisely I knew my body, but now I was more familiar with every last scale of my body than I'd ever been while human. I'd never needed to be that familiar with my whole body before, since I was never seriously injured nor had I ever needed to know exactly how my body would move in different, strenuous exercises. After all, if I'd needed to recover, I could heal myself, and if there was anything difficult that needed doing, I could rely upon one of my Callings. Now, as a keelish, all I could depend on was my own body… and my pack.

I walked out of my quarters, only to once again be greeted by Sybil as I exited. Did she ever sleep?

"Did you rest well, Alpha?" With her improved ability to speak, I noted that Sybil had also grown a bit overnight, filling out and slowly growing into an adult's form instead of an infant's. 

"Well enough. Happy to hear your progress."

Sybil bowed her head as she responded, "Yes. There are several of us who have. Thank you for taking my advice thus far, even when I have struggled to communicate it to you. Please continue to do so."

I cocked my head, surprised. "You… you were purposefully speaking more simply before, weren't you?"

"I was unable to express myself as I desired. Now I am able."

"Well, I'm glad you've grown. I look forward to you joining me on the hunt today."

A minute flick of her tail, much less pronounced than before. She was getting better at mastering herself now. It wouldn't be long before she could fully hide little body language tells like this. 

"Unfortunately, Alpha, today will not work for me. I have planned for Etra to accompany you today, while Cree might be able to later, if you return early. I must be with the newcomers to guide them to greater loyalty to you before I can step away for so long."

Every word that came out of her mouth reeked of excuses, but they were true nonetheless. "I suppose that is true. Yet," I let the word cut and I noted Sybil stiffen just a bit, "I will not forget that you will accompany us next time. Without excuse."

"Of course, Alpha." And, before I could say another word, Sybil turned tail and was gone. Before I could so much as laugh about it, Oncli sidled up next to me. He had grown quite a bit overnight, now larger than Took. I'd figured there was an official "Beta" evolution, or something adjacent to it, so I was pleased to see that Oncli had recovered quite a bit overnight. He still walked with a slight limp and stepped gingerly, but he was mobile and not at all dependent upon Treel or any other members of the pack to be up and moving. 

"You don't… need to tease… her so much." There was no reproach in his voice, just gentle amusement. "She takes everything… very seriously. She cares… about the pack." A faintly ashamed look crossed his face as he continued, "She is… a true Beta… to you. Better than me."

"You," I gnashed my teeth together for emphasis, "are the Beta that I chose. Not Sybil. You were the first to follow me, and are the main reason I am where I am. You have supported me and inspired others to do the same. You are a true companion to me. Oncli is my Beta." Then, I did something I'd never done or even thought of before. I leaned down and with an almost gentle bite, pushed my front incisors through his scales and into his skin deep enough to bleed on his right shoulder.

I pulled back, unsure of why I had just done that, why Oncli had stood there and taken it, and what had possessed me, but words came to my lips, unbidden. "Forged in battle, tempered in blood. You were willing to die for me, and I will never forget that." I felt a certain… sacredness to my words, an ancient, long-recited quality that wasn't natural to me. Instead, there was an intrinsic reverence that I felt spread from me to Oncli and to those surrounding us. 

"Forged… in battle… tempered… in blood… I follow." Oncli bowed his head before rising without at all treating the small wounds in his shoulder. The blood flowed freely down his arm and began to drip to the ground below, and Oncli, seeming to be under the same influence that I had been, raised his bloodied hand to my chest. With a wet thump, he rested his palm against my chest, and I felt the blood stick to me as Oncli fell to his knees before me, bowed, then rose.

After several moments passed, I felt the stiff, foreign air drain from me, but not before I felt the voice from my dream, simply saying, "Well done."

What was that? Where did that come from? Why did I do that? I couldn't figure it out, but before long, a flash from the [System] gave me answers.

[The user has discovered the first iteration of the First of the Words of Power of Nievtala. The user has been blessed with the lesser blessing of power. The user has been provided with the actions to take in order to develop a magic manipulating organ.]