"For what?" Aranea was surprised to hear Kate request it in an almost amiable tone, instead of her usual bile- and rage-filled speech.

The scout pointed at her ornate armor. "The locals mistook me for a shaman. They need a priest to lead the farewell ceremony for the lost, and all their shamans are dead. I know the prayers, so I can play the part."

"The Spirits will curse you for pretending," warned Kostya.

"Ha! Can't be cursed twice." The scout's eyes twitched in aimless anger. "Besides, I have protection."

"Fine, do it. Just don't stir up any ruckus." Aranea nodded.

"Am I ever?" Kate actually smiled before leaving, freaking out Aranea.

What bit her? She turned to the doctor and shook his hand. "Apologies for the scene. I will discipline my soldier later."

"For what? We are all on edge here, and your people have been of great assistance." He blew smoke from his nostrils. "I had to let two settlers die to save the third." His fist crushed the cigarette. "So her brutal honesty was a nice distraction. Seriously, there is no need for punishment. Scout Kate has volunteered to help us set up extra tents and equipment." He looked aside. "If only we had more painkillers, more medicine, more… everything."

"You would've had them had you not tried to help the criminals and worse in the Ravaged Lands," Kostya said with sudden anger. The doctor opened his mouth as if to argue, but the Wolfkin continued. "Your group had been bright enough to actually send personnel to provide medical aid to the blasted cannibals. Malformed, man! Two of my sisters died saving the humanitarians from their clutches. Just… how insane are you people? Not everyone deserves help."

"The Free World was founded on the promise of providing universal care, and we abide by it." The man shrugged. "I am sorry for your loss, my friend. Gangs and mutated Abnormals are often full of terrible individuals. It's true, we know that! But there are children, misguided and innocent in their lairs, who never hurt anyone. If not us, who can give a shit about them? I know the incident you speak of. Didn't the Malformed migrate to your state after their leaders were wiped out? The noble sacrifice of your siblings rescued dozens and stopped the horror from permeating." He paused. "I can't say whether or not that was worth it. But I want to believe."

"Do me a favor and concentrate your efforts on saving those who won't kill or eat you in return. I assure you, there are plenty of those around the globe. And if your conscience is troubling you, ask for an armored escort. I know your family would be sad if you were gone. That's all I ask for, sir," Kostya said sternly.

Aranea placed a paw on his shoulder, both in agreement with his opinion and wanting to stop him. The Free World's weirdos ultimately served a noble cause here.

"Look out for Kate. Make sure she doesn't cause a scandal. If she starts acting nasty…"

"I will fetch you up. Got it, Scout!" Kostya bowed, darting after the woman.

"Pardon the bickering. We are a fiery bunch," Aranea said to the doctor. "Mutated Abnormals, was it? Didn't know that an Iternian could be so tanned."

"That makes the two of us. I have never met a Wolfkin with such peculiar eye pigmentation."

"I suppose not," Aranea chuckled. "I'll report you to the warlord, though."

"Be my guest. To clear things up, I am not an Iternian. Just a person who studied at a university in a Frontier nation. Hence the tan." The doctor left her, answering a call for his immediate assistance.

Aranea relayed his words to Sonya and Janine before venturing into the basement of the nearest building. She noticed wide bulges in the sides of the partially collapsed tunnel leading down and destroyed stairs whose foundations had collapsed under immense weight. One of the so-called mechanical horrors graced the place with its presence? Don't jump to conclusions. Not enough information.

Sly occupied the lowest level. Entangled in the countless cables, wires, and broken pipes, he furiously tried to repair an energy generator, replacing the stolen parts using the spare details of power armor. Janine had ordered them to help the anarchists in any way they could to ease their burden and had readily approved Sly's daring request when he had gone over the heads of his superiors. He wanted to provide a more stable power source to replace the Free World's outdated and inefficient portable generators.

While Aranea was grateful to the warlord for the merciful recognition of her soldier's skills, she was concerned over potential safety violations resulting from the use of details intended for clearly different purposes.

Yuki stood clear of the mess, condescendingly watching a watch on her vambrace.

"Either you stop now and go eat, or I will bonk you and drag you to have a snack. Your choice," the warrior said innocently. "Keep in mind, no matter the method, we are filling that belly of yours."

"Just a couple more minutes!" Sly howled desperately, reconnecting the cables. "I am getting to the interesting part…"

"You said that five minutes ago, yet here we are, and I am still bored." The light flashed, illuminating the room. "Yay…" The light blinked and went dark. "And this right here would've probably ended a patient if we had hooked the generator up to the grid. 'Doctor, the life-support systems are fried! Whatever will we do?' " Yuki parodied a nurse's voice, giggling to herself.

"No, it wouldn't! I fixed the circuit breakers first… Son of the whore!" An electrical wire blew a shower of sparks into Sly's face as he plugged it into an outlet, and suddenly the generator began humming to the Wolfkin's laughter. "How in the Abyss does it work? Why would it work? I need to know!"

"Okay, I got it; you repaired the damned thing. Good job! Now to rest and eat," Yuki said.

"No! Wait, I can still improve the output…" Sly roared, trying to reach inside the generator as the warrior wrapped an arm around him.

"Fisting time, it is." Yuki cracked her knuckles on her jaw.

"Yuki, what the fuck?!"

"Why do you always interpret my words in the worst possible way, you freak?!

"Where is Kaleb?" Aranea demanded. She had assigned him to back up Sly to keep him away from Kate.

"He got bored of waiting, so I asked him to install… Oh, Spirits!" Sly slipped out of Yuki's grasp and jumped away. His helmet slipped on his snout as he yelled a warning to Kaleb, only to be met with a stream of insults. Aranea turned on her own video feed, witnessing the coughing Kaleb and a smoking device near his legs.

Yep, par for the course. Satisfied that no one was hurt, and that everything was under control, Aranea left the basement, answering Sonya's call. Their warlord resumed her position atop the gates, while the 'volunteers' streamed into the city, taking the responsibilities from the Wolfkins. Janine's head tilted again, her gaze focused on the same gap.

Sonya, bedecked in pitch-black power armor, waited nearby. A long device resembling a shield covered the outer side of her left arm, going from the shoulder to the elbow. It was an archeotech she had requested from Command. Unlike the Order, the Wolf Tribe didn't have the luxury of easy access to exotic equipment, and the higher a Wolfkin's rank, the more likely the quartermasters were to find a way to provide better tools for valuable individuals. A wolf hag once stated that low ranks were expected to compete and rise or to fight and die. Janine's heavy slap had sent the woman sprawling, and in the grating voice the warlord had announced that their lives belonged to her and the state. As such, they were to retreat if the situation was impossible to overcome.

Stolen story; please report.

Sonya's helmet slid back when she detected Aranea's footsteps.

"You took your time," the wolf hag remarked. It wasn't a sign of displeasure, merely an observation.

"It was productive," Aranea answered, referring to the Iternian. "The place is a wreck. If they come back…"

"I share the sentiment. With our nepo-cub leading, we are reduced to waiting," Sonya growled. "If Ravager were with us, this ridiculous conflict would be over by now. We would've torn King's throat and cast his carcass from his throne. Instead… we play 'his' stupid games."

"His? You mean His Excellency Wyrm Lord?" Aranea asked.

"Tch. As if. The fool doesn't have the guts to act. These repair duties, aiding the Free World, us having to split our pack into parts to guard them? It's all because of the Weakling-in-Charge's guilty conscience for what he allowed to happen. No, the one behind…"

"Aranea. Sonya. To me," Janine ordered, looking at them.

Both Wolfkins leaped up, climbing upon the damaged structure. When a warlord called, you obeyed. Hesitation meant rebellion. Rebellion indicated a challenge. And only fools and crazies dared to challenge the warlords. Together, they knelt to their mistress, baring their throats in submission. It was an empty gesture, for Janine could no longer dominate in that way. Her lower jaw was too big, clumsy, and dangerous for a precise fang sinking. To compensate, she simply used the leg claws, and more than a few Wolfkins learned that being sent flying in an arc was a rather humiliating lesson.

"Aranea. Your opinion of the situation?" The warlord demanded, patting her with the flamecaster to establish eye contact.

"The Iternian is not a spy…"

"Agreed. He is a hero. Ignore him."

"The raid makes no sense. The Resistance is intentionally depriving itself of territory and support because the locals hate them now. They won't be ratting us to the foe and certainly won't be serving in their ranks. There is no profit in this move." She heard Sonya's chuckle.

"Stupid," Janine said with deadly calm. Her helmet folded back, exposing fur lacking any gray hair and the brilliant shine of her amber eyes, highlighting Aranea's snout. Like Mom, Janine achieved a prime unattainable to the majority, edging on changing into a skinwalker, but unlike Kalaisa, there was no possibility of her stepping into that wicked realm. "You view the current conflict as mere numbers, applying logic when you yourself are not wholly logical. Little one, if your dream is to come true, broaden your horizons. Study culture and history.

"The plan of our opposition makes sense in terms of the Ravaged Lands' tumultuous history. Thrice invading armies had sought to conquer the region. The Resistance, under different names, had risen to stop them, applying a scorched-earth strategy. By their hand, they had scoured their outer dominion, taking everything of value to their version of the Core Lands. Forces stretched thin, their throats dry from thirst, the invaders had suffered attrition and fallen to a decisive counterattack of the Resistance."

"And this fool is playing their game," Sonya added angrily. The flamecaster's barrel pressed against her throat.

"The only fool here is you," Janine said quietly. "I despise the Weakling-in-Charge for his indecisiveness. However, dare not mock our leader so openly, in front of civilians or anywhere else they can hear you. Hush your bile when you speak of the commander. Obey me, and this situation is forgiven. Disobey, and I will release the flame next time." Sonya nodded, and the warlord removed the weapon. "The Resistance is missing the scope. They have failed to comprehend that the Reclamation Army is not a chieftain assembling a horde in a waste. They burn and loot cities? We will restore them, far better than before. Their people will praise us for it. Let them spread us as thinly as they wish; our logistics are superb. Like an avalanche, we will move ever onward."

"Then the declaration of Commander Wyrm Lord was…" understood Aranea.

"Yes. It was 'his' bait." Janine scowled in disgust. "That scum used it to bait the Resistance into action. They employed the usual strategy, setting fire to the territories, hoping that we would expose ourselves to their decapitating strike. Instead, we are taking the left-alone lands in one move, legally to boot, all without breaking our formation. Reliable rear, saved settlements in the process of rebuilding, reporters interviewing the grateful families to sway public opinion to our side. All at the cost of a few lives." Hatred passed over Janine's snout as she looked at the ruins. "That man calls it the 'Strategy of Darkness,' and we are the pawns in its first steps."

"Who are you talking about? If not Wyrm Lord, then who has the authority…" Aranea decided to ask, and Janine pointed at the blue scale on her sleeve.

"Murzaliev. The chief strategist of the Third and kin to Wyrm Lord." Janine stirred, swiftly turning away as if she had caught a cub spying on her.

This time, even Aranea heard it. From the crack in the crater came the heavy stomping of an impossible beast, completely unconcerned with stealth. A wave of fear rolled over her, evoking a horror close to the one she experienced upon hearing of Dad's death. She froze, trying to appear both small and unappetizing, and feverishly thinking of any way to stop that creature. She instinctively knew that the unknown surpassed even skinwalkers in its danger. Death looked at them, measuring every soul present. Her arms trembled, and visions flooded her mind. It moved across a vast plain lit by the pale red. Dark paws unleashed violence upon the opposition, flattening screaming humans, claws shaving flesh from their bones. Entire armies tried and fell, rent asunder by the unparalleled sharpness. A sickening pile of bones, forged by the inevitable might, rose; skulls rattled as they tumbled down its slopes. Aranea imagined hearing an all-encompassing roar that would reach the farthest reaches of the world, a call to violence of such intensity that she prepared to rush headlong into action. Death summoned to war! Topple and tear, enforcing the Dynast's will…

"Snap out of it," Janine said, and the warlord's authority was like a guiding candle in that ocean of madness engulfing Aranea. coiled with the foreign presence, prevailed, and banished the need for carnage. The rage dissipated like water being sucked into the parched soil. "It's… just a fluke."

The sense of danger vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving Aranea to wonder if she had freaked out over nothing.

"She's never been exposed to psychic influence before," Sonya said. "Her body will adapt. But was it…?"

"Pay it no mind; there is no mortal out there," Janine said. "Anyway, the one orchestrating these events is the blue wyrm. Culture is more than pretty figurines, Aranea, Sonya. It shapes our worldview, hints at how a society might behave, and he has studied it meticulously, enticing our foes into the unfavorable move. Yet Martyshkina sent news that marauders had fought with mercenaries. Nigel's Raiders, the Easy Going Pals, and more. They were hired and used to rescue a city to our west. Conveniently…" Sarcasm crept into Janine's voice, "… the mercenaries stepped in only after the insurrectionists announced their intentions to locals. I know little of what the mercs told the locals afterwards, but the Reclamation Army was welcomed with open arms since the Regulators had betrayed that city. The mayor there sent word to other places; some even believed them enough to join us."

"Then that means…" Sonya said, and Janine nodded.

"The Procrastinator is making his moves as well. The black wyrm has also joined the hunt and is pulling his strings. His strategy of "Winning without lifting a claw" is already in action, competing with the blue wyrm's. And we are caught between the ambitious and the devil, oblivious to the bigger picture. All the while, our master does nothing but hide, allowing his strategists to duke it out." Janine's paw clenched around the shaft of her axe. "This is not an honorable way to fight. Not the proper way to conduct war."

"But if Murzaliev forces our enemies to commit mistakes, it is beneficial for us, right?" Aranea asked. She knew little about the Black and the Blue, the high captains of the Third. "We took a town with no casualties. A clean victory."

"You call this…" Janine pointed with the axe at the church where Kate led the farewell ceremony. A weeping woman nearly fell into a burning pit, lowering a dead child into it. "…Clean? Ravager conquered entire nations overnight, avoiding harming our future subjects. She stormed palaces, disarmed traps, devoured the arrogant and powerful, and brought the rest to their knees. Oh, they grumble for years afterward, but a demonstration of her power elucidated the futility of future rebellion. This is how an S-class should carry itself. She created stability through fear. The army had suffered losses, yes. That is what we are born to do. To fight and dominate. Not to... hide while those we claim to cherish are butchered," Janine said, looking at the sky. "Murzaliev is too extreme.

"He should never have been unleashed. Twice he was court-martialed for causing extreme losses among the civilian population, and each time he escaped justice by proving how tactically sound his decisions were and because the court failed to find direct evidence of his fault. He manipulates and baits the opposition into carrying out the horrible. And the other is equally extreme in his own way, weaving his plots to sow the seeds of future victories and compliance. Without a hand to rein them in… We are not pawns. We would've stopped this massacre ourselves if only the intel had bothered to warn us. But "he" deliberately left us blind and deaf. No more. Martyshkina and I are of the same mind. Sonya, you and my wolf hags will lead your packs into the wilderness."

"Warlord." Aranea prostrated herself. "Forgive the unworthy, but if we do so, our new citizens will remain unprotected."

"Not wholly. Raise your head. Our new friends will act as a garrison," Janine said.

"You trust them?"

"Why would I? They haven't proven themselves. But they are aware of what we do to those crossing the Tribe. Let our reputation seal their loyalty if a promise of tokens is not enough. Our convoys still travel between the cities, barely defended and using neutral roads. Such a tasty bait," Janine addressed Sonya. "I will not allow them to be slaughtered. A pox upon his 'Darkness,' and screw 'him.' Find 'them,' Sonya. And call me."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.