Chapter 163

[Joral POV]

The True Alpha stood tall over the corpse of his foe, his majesty apparent as Joral screamed out his support. The Alpha looked down, obviously despising the dead body of his weak foe. With how easy he had made it look, Joral was sure he could have struck the Alpha pretender down with impunity, but then the True Alpha would have been forced to kill Joral himself. Thus, Joral had simply enjoyed the True Alpha's presentation, the display of his strength and power. The pretender had looked like… a hatchling when compared to Ashlani's absolute dominance. Weak, slow, unsure of himself. It hadn't taken much effort on the swarm's One True Alpha's side to simply dispose of Redael. 

Joral felt the pride swell within him as he reared his head back again and shrieked out his approval of the duel's final results. Around and behind him, his pack and wolfstags joined the chorus and lent their voices to the thronging, excited swarm. Cries of victory and screams of support all echoed through the clearing, Joral's being the loudest, strongest voice as he let himself scream to the skies again and again.

[Rulac POV]

Ashlani was more than Rulac had even begun to estimate him as. Rulac had thought that maybe Ashlani could go toe to toe with Redael, but it would be a close thing. Instead… it had been an execution. Redael and he had spoken at length about how soon it would be for Ashlani to usurp the position of leadership from Redael, but none of their estimates had been anywhere near close to correct. It was an exciting thing to witness, though Rulac wished Redael had been willing to let this duel end non lethally. Their conversation had brooked no opportunity for Rulac to disagree, though.

"Wouldn't you want to guide him once he ascends to your position? He's more than capable of being a leader, and he's got the talent for it, but he's untested. No real experience with a whole swarm instead of his brood that knows him."

Redael had snapped his jaws with finality. "If he is strong enough to kill me, then he'll rule. If he cannot, then I will leave his corpse in my past without regrets."

Rulac knew, to some degree at least, how Redael needed to constantly rein himself in, to discipline himself away from engaging in wholesale slaughter against the swarm. And, with that same knowledge, Rulac knew that Redael luxuriated in these fights, in these opportunities to let loose. There was never a question of if Redael would fight to the last breath, and there was no doubt on whether he would indulge in the finality of a fight to the death. 

Despite himself, Rulac found himself looking down at Redael's corpse. Rulac had served as Redael's Beta since they'd hatched, and though Redael had become harder and harsher as the days went by, Rulac still considered himself the closest thing to a friend Redael had had. Rulac remembered the long history that he shared with the dead body laid unceremoniously on the ground, and bowed his head briefly. It would easily be seen as respect being paid to the swarm's new Alpha, but Rulac intended it as a recognition of the passage of fate.

[Sybil POV]

The Alpha had, of course, been successful in his ascension to True Alpha over the swarm, but he merely stood, taking in the roaring cheers and support from the hundreds of assembled keelish. Another might have said that Ashlani in fact stood basking in the adoration of his subjects, but Sybil knew better. He was lost in thought, considering what, she couldn't say, but her mate was not at all focused on the present. That was where she stepped in. With a draw on her magic, Sybil felt the attention of hundreds of keelish fall on her, even before she spoke. There had been an evolution in her power recently, and the reverence that the weak-minded rabble gave her sent a tingle of pride down her spine as Sybil addressed the hundreds of members of the swarm.

"Hail, Ashlani, killer of Redael, and Alpha of our swarm! Victory to Ashlani, our Alpha!" After a brief moment's pause, Sybil restated herself as she felt the True Alpha's attention fall onto her. Suddenly, Sybil felt the warm glow of his appreciation as she continued in her repetition.

"Hail, Ashlani, killer of Redael, and Alpha of our swarm! Victory to Ashlani, our Alpha!" As she repeated the words, Ashlani's elites immediately caught on and echoed Sybil's declaration. For a final, third time, Sybil led the entirety of the swarm in their praises of Ashlani.

"Hail, Ashlani, killer of Redael, and Alpha of our swarm! Victory to Ashlani, our Alpha!"

All around her, Sybil felt more than she saw the approval and support of hundreds of barely contained keelish, hundreds of willing and excited followers of her Alpha, her mate. Her King raised his hands and began to address his assembled subjects.

[Ashlani POV]

I was torn from my consideration of my father's corpse by Sybil's cheering. Too distracted, I'd missed the first part. "... Alpha of our swarm! Victory to Ashlani, our Alpha!" It didn't take much for me to raise my head and consider the swarm–no, my swarm. Before I could decide what to do or say, Sybil repeated herself, echoed by my elites, Took, Foire, Vefir, Solia, Shemira, Etra, Cree, Ytte, Percral, and more raising their voices to echo her declaration. On the third and final repetition, the entire body of my swarm screamed in support of me,

"HAIL, ASHLANI, KILLER OF REDAEL, AND ALPHA OF OUR SWARM! VICTORY TO ASHLANI, OUR ALPHA!"

As the words filled my mind and the clearing equally, I felt all regrets drain from me. Instead, I languished in the feeling of superiority, of strength, of being right. As the cheers faded, I disregarded the [System] notification as it appeared, instead feeling a swelling, sacred feeling. A familiar feeling. Nievtala descended upon me, and words flew unbidden from my tongue as I addressed my new subordinates.

"With this, I am your Alpha! Mine is the throne, the throne to which the wise submit!" The words Nievtala caused me to speak were short, but they rang throughout the clearing, and I felt as much as I saw the very concept of the Words of Power that had flown from my mouth wash over the assembled keelish. Staggering bodies, rolling eyes, and exuberant screeches filled the air as the concepts of the Words settled deep into my own soul. Before I could begin to gather myself, though, Nievtala's voice washed over me, her words rattling my bones and causing my nostrils to begin to leak blood.

Well done, Disciple. Move onward, always.

My mind continued reeling as I tried to gather myself, but even with my [Title] and any other benefits available to me, my puny mortal soul remained trembling and unable to continue. After several minutes, though, I gathered myself enough to finally begin looking at my updated [Status] and notifications.