Chapter 67

Having cleaned myself and noted my sonilphon evolution counter ticking up to 18/50, I stretched out. I wanted to indulge in my laziness and rest, but I had not earned that so instead I walked out of my quarters and watched my busy pack at work. Most had left to hunt, and the majority of Sybil's supporters were out gathering whatever information they could on the swarm as a whole. After looking over the den, I realized there truly was not much that I could do for the rest while within our territory. I needed, first and foremost, to become more, to become better, than I was. Time would provide me that, in three days I would hit the 30 day mark since my hatching, officially marking the deadline for any of my brood to achieve [Exceptional Individual]. [Evolutionary Guide] had made me sure that we were in no danger of any of the brood missing out on that.

But beyond waiting to get bigger and stronger, I looked to my [Status] for all the other options open to me.

[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

-Strength: 30

-Agility: 31

-Intelligence: 25

-Magic: 16

Skills:

Improved Bloodlust: Requirements Hidden

Innervating Address (Cannot Evolve)

Exceptional Individual (Cannot Evolve)

Innate Leadership (Cannot Evolve)

Pack Tactics: 0/10

Dominance: 29/100

Sonilphon: 18/50

Evolutionary Guide: (Cannot Evolve)

Evolutionary foresight (Cannot Evolve)

-Adult Sonic Magicblood Alpha: Survive 60 days. Progress: 27/60

--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.]

My easiest option was almost certainly just going out and finding something to hunt. I could probably find some rodent or small reptile that I could quickly kill, but I couldn't do so without regretting it. If I had a limited amount of these "Hunt X amount of new species", I would definitely regret not at least ensuring that those I slew grew in power as I did.  Disregarding that option and skipping past the second, I looked at the third.

This [Quest] was different from the second, in that it wasn't limited to keelish. I could try to [Dominate] some of the weaker keelish, but I couldn't ensure that they had an Intelligence of at least 5. Beyond that, if I were to enter a new den and start subjugating those of the swarm, I could invite unwelcome attention from Redael, which could prove fatal. My [Quest] options depleted, I scanned lower.

[Pack Tactics]? No, it would require multiple forays out with my whole pack. 

[Dominance]? Same problems as the third [Quest]. 

[Sonilphon]? Working on it already.

That… left nothing, really. Did I need to go out and find some rare predator in the jungle? There were various predatory cats that could occasionally be found in the area I thought we were in, but I couldn't imagine that I could find and hunt one without the pack sustaining several casualties. Maybe I could find a river where I might find some of the larger and more dangerous fish? But I wouldn't know where to go, and I knew I had no clue how to hunt in the river. I would, more likely than not, find myself in some fish's gullet, and I couldn't guarantee that I would be able to escape one of those like I had the Martanimis Python.

I couldn't defeat the other keelish either… That sparked a thought in my mind. I told Sybil I would be back later and stepped out of our territory. I wasn't sure exactly where to go, but I did have my goal in mind as I continued to descend into the deepest parts of the den, into areas I'd only been once before. 

Looking around, I didn't see anything that let me know where I could find who I was looking for, but I continued to search, sure that eventually I would be able to find him. Eventually, one of the keelish adults from a branching tunnel came out. 

"What you doing here? You too small to belong." 

The words almost slurred coming out of his mouth. I was reminded of Took's initial attempts at speaking from the male's tone; he had learned to speak but it still did not come naturally to him. An inferior individual, below my notice. I shook the thought from my mind as I remembered why I had descended. 

"I'm looking for Rulac. We spoke before, he said I could come talk to him later." It wasn't strictly untrue, and even if it were a bald-faced lie, which my statement wasn't, this one didn't need to know. 

"You?" He shook his head in what could be disbelief. I felt my frills flare out as a low hiss of anger began to build subconsciously in my throat, but before I did anything, the male seemed to decide to answer me. "Him in his den. Down there, on left." The male pointed with his head before, seemingly unwillingly, bowing and turning back into his den.

Standing tall and proud, I descended further to where I'd been directed. I didn't let my mind wander as I approached the den I thought to be Rualc's. Stilling myself and calming my breath, I called out.

"Rulac? It's Ashlani. Can we speak?"

In the deafening silence that followed my call, I found myself doubting my every step that led me here. My thoughts had been pretty simple to this point–Redael and Wisterl were dangerous, powerful, and possibly unhinged. If I asked them what I was going to ask Rulac, they might deign to do so, or they might just kill me for the impertinence. Rulac, while definitely dangerous and powerful, had said he was willing to play with me, which I hoped he might consider this to be.

Before I could fully lose my nerve and allow the cowardice to shake me, I heard the shuffling of scales from the opening before me. As a massive body stepped into my perception, I felt myself involuntarily shrink down from my previously proud stance. Even with his lackadaisical air, Rulac was as intimidating a specimen as I'd ever heard of. With myself at nearly four feet tall, I guessed I weighed maybe 150 pounds, lean and strong with my tail making a good portion of that weight. Rulac was about six feet tall, and I guessed he weighed at least 500 pounds, with his thick, long tail and generally broad and powerful build. As I took in Rulac's absolute mass, I was, for a moment, dumbstruck.

Rulac cocked his head playfully, his tongue beginning to loll out as he spoke. "Hey there little guy. What can I do for you?" I could hear a chuckle in his voice, and I hoped that was a good sign.

"I want–" My voice squeaked more than usual and I continued, "to learn how to fight."

He stood straight, his chest expanding as he took a deep breath and pondered my question. Finally, as my words fully settled in. "Not to hunt. To fight. You wanna stand up to your elders?"

I wasn't sure how to respond to his question. After a moment's hesitation and Rulac's continued silence, I decided to speak a part of the truth. "Wisterl thrashed me before I even knew what was happening. I don't want that to keep happening."

Before I'd finished the sentence, I'd noticed Rulac's mouth cracking with a grin, and when I had finished he broke out into a belly laugh. The sound that had been harsh and grating on my ears as a hatchling now sounded warm and almost comforting.

"She does that. She's probably the best fighter in the swarm, and I don't know if you'll ever be on her level. I'm not." He stood, gently nodding before continuing, "Look, I'm not a great fighter. I'm a hunter. I'll lead you to the second best fighter in the swarm, he'll help you out." With that, Rulac stepped fully out of his den and began to lead me down deeper into the den.

As I mused over the great luck I'd experienced in this request, I fell into step behind Rulac. Someone who was only second to Wisterl in the swarm, and would be willing to help me? That was basically a dream come true. I wondered what he was like, if he could teach me how best to fight–we were going deeper still into the den.

Who it would be suddenly clicked in my mind, but before I could say anything to Rulac, his voice boomed somehow respectfully out into the deepest part of the den.

"Redael! I've got something interesting for you!"

...

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