Chapter 2: Chapter 1

“Eyes of the wolf hags are upon us.” Aranea smiled, while addressing her pack made of five wolfkins who were standing before her. Two were females, three were males. Today was the day when they will eliminate insectoid presence from Lonely Road region, one of the five routes that allows to bring supplies to fort Uglo, the current seat of his excellency Wyrm Lord. Then the supplies were distributed among this region. Wyrm Lord tried to bribe the local villages and small towns to join Reclamation Army by sending them supplies. Insectoids grew bold and dared to attack these caravans. Thus, they will be ended, “There will be no mistakes. We go in, clear caves, go out. Easy picking. Do not worry, check your gear and…”

“For Spirits’ sake, Aranea we all hunted insectoids as cubs,” Kate shrugged. She was another scout in the group. Her black armor was covered with ornate words of prayers, similar to the ones that coverer the power armors of the shamans, but unlike prayers on the shamans’ armors, prayers on Kate’s armor were all about purity of mind and body. Her fur was of half black, half rust color, weird coloration like hers was considered to be a sign of a bad omen by the shamans. Kate lost to Aranea in the recent match and the wolf hag Sonya put her under the command of Aranea as a punishment. There was still a bruise on the right side of her head, during their fight Aranea aimed to take ear of her fellow scout, yet Kate’s paw gave in and Aranea’s hit came above the mark, ending the fight sooner and without much damage to Kate. The scout was playing with ornate beads in her left paw, “These are just some bugs. Even males won’t fuck this up.” Kate wanted to slam Kaleb behind his neck, but Aranea grabbed her arm. Kaleb the smallest wolfkin in their group, even the new slender power armor was almost too big for him. Aranea was getting tired of having to push Kate away from him. Kate even forced all other females in Sonya’s pack to stop dominating Kaleb, instead Kate always seemingly tried to push the little guy down by forcing him doing the trials that were too hard for him. Aranea had no idea why Kate hated him so much, both wolfkins grew up together and were of same age.

“It’s fine…” Kaleb went silent as both scouts ignored him.

“No dominating,” Aranea growled, “We lost in the last sparring session because Kaleb was limping. If this happens today, I will declaw you. You got it, Kate?” They locked eyes with each other and finally Kate nodded, stepping back, throwing one last furious gaze at Kaleb.

“It really was my…” Kaleb quickly became silent again, after Kate growled at him to keep him silent.

“It is not my fault that he is so soft.” Kate angrily mumbled, baring her neck in submission.

“Five minutes before start of the mop up operation,” Sly quickly said as he checked the time on the wrist of his armor, “Drones are about to complete the map in a few seconds,” He pointed finger up, where high in the air above the mission area several tiny mechanical machines were flying, covering the ground with green light, scanning the underground caverns below the surface and adding their positions to the map, “This is a simple operation, caverns have two exit points that lead to the main cave. Yet there is something that bothers me…” He began talking, but Yuki stopped him with a laugh.

“There are always something new that bothers you. Relax, this job is easy peasy. You think Sonya would have allowed us to participate without her if there was even the tiniest chance that we allow her to be ashamed of us?” She jokingly pushed Sly in his back, while Kostya nodded. Kostya was the oldest member of the group, his fur was starting to turn grey. Yuki on the other hand was almost fully black furred. While many members of the Wolf Tribe had brown stripes on their black hides, Yuki’s hide meanwhile were of a solid black color, sign of Ravager’s favor. Despite this, Yuki made no attempt to raise in rank.

The worms of both wolf hags, Sonya and Siri were visible on a nearby mountains. Both made a bet that their team will eliminate the bigger prey and currently both wolf hags were waiting for the operation to start.

“Do not worry Sly. I read about insectoids. There is only one reason for them to be this bold around here,” Aranea smiled, pointing at the grenade launchers of the group. “And we just so happen to carry enough firepower to end this unexpected reason.”

“But then we should warn Olesya! She has no idea about…” Sly stopped, as distant sounds of a gunfire were heard near the second cave’s entrance, “What? This is too early!”

“And here is our cue,” Aranea smiled smugly, happy that her prediction was right. She knew that Olesya will break the rules once again, “Get ready to move out people, hunt is about to start early. Yuki, Kate, with me on the front. Kaleb, Sly, you behind us. Take apart anyone that we leave on our way.”

“Please let me take the front as well,” Kostya asked, speaking for the first time during the night, “I can take just as much punishment as any female.”

“Good for you then, since you will be taking up the rear. Keep other boys safe.” Aranea smiled, as she received a message from Sonya, who approved their advance. It was always wiser to wait for command of the wolf hag, for Sonya liked to beat out any unwanted initiative from her subordinates. Kostya nodded unhappily, but as always obeyed orders.

Group charged to the entrance of the cave, lenses on their armors activated. The wolfkins could to some degree see in the dark, but the latest technology that the state provided for the tribe allowed them to see dark depths as clear as if it was during a day. In left corner of Aranea’s eye a map came into being, showing her location. At the right side of her field of vision the icons came into being, indicating approximate status of her team. The current generation of power armors of the wolfkin were not that advanced as the ones of the Ice Fang order, so Aranea turned icons off. Too often they showed false information in the past and they also take place in field of vision. After a moment of hesitation, she also turned off map. This terrain was easy, no need to use it. Instead she summoned omnidirectional view, allowing cameras built in her armor to project a full 360 degrees view of the surroundings onto her retina. This holoprojection strained her eyes, but the wolfkins never risked going blind. The state’s medics could remove any long-term damage to the eyes back at the base and natural hardness of the wolfkins allowed to use this mode for a whole risk prior to any permanent damage to the eyes.

The air inside of the cavern was just as dry and hot as the air outside. Aranea sniffed and sensed a smell of an insectoid slime, substance that workers used to glue the stones together. Thin smile appeared on her lips. She was right. Olesya and her team might have got a head start, but they absolutely lacked proper gear for this mission. Smile disappeared. She and her team better hurry up. I can’t mock Olesya if she dies, right? Aranea thought as her eyes detected movements and the wolfkin grabbed their shardguns. Road ahead was taking turn to the right. Group jumped backwards just as they heard a noise from above. Cracks appeared on the ceiling, from within the stone cracks a swarm of insectoid workers poured down on the place where the pack was just a moment ago and another wave of insectoids poured from turn of the corridor ahead.

Crafty! Aranea thought and smiled, opening fire. Each shot of the shardguns released several small armor piercing objects that were moving at four hundred m/s. This was the favorite weapon of the Wolf Tribe. It lacked accuracy for a ranged fight as spread of the armor piercing bullets become too great at the distance, but in close quarters this simple weapon was greatly worth its weight. In tightness of the cave, shards shredded through the chitin plates of the insectoid workers, killing and maiming those behind them as well. “She is definitely here!” Aranea said out loud and through the cameras on the back of her armor she saw how Sly nodded nervously. The scout made a note in her head to ask Yuki to cheer up Sly later. Aranea herself considered herself to be pretty bad at inspiring people.

Insectoid workers were the six legged creatures, roughly reaching to the knees of a normie in height. In length most of them were rarely bigger than one meter. They were deceptively sluggish in their advance, a warrior could have killed dozens of them and then the next one will gore her in a rare short burst of a movement at close distance. It was as if these creatures lured an enemy into a state of false security before killing them off. Each leg of insectoid ended up with a sharp claw, capable to crush stone and effortlessly rend through the steel armor. Weird hair on the critters’ legs allowed them to move up and down the walls with ease. Long mandibles were able to crack open even armor of the vehicles and would quite easily take even limb of a wolfkin away in a bite or two.

And yet right now they were the ones dying. In a cave, forced to advance ahead, while three shardguns were blasting them, the workers were but an easy prey for the soldiers. The moment the front line of Aranea’s team shot all ammo in their shardguns, all their thirty shots, they lower themselves on one knee to reload the shardguns. In this exact moment burst of speed came, critters increased their speed from deceptively sluggish, to outright blinding. And yet this was in vain, as shardguns of the rear team opened fire above the heads of the front group, tearing through the ranks of incoming enemies, pushing them back, buying just enough time for front team to reload their weapons and continue with the slaughter. Insectoids cared not for the individuals, but team of Aranea caused unacceptably high losses to them. Just as Aranea and her front group reload their weapons, living river of the critters began moving backwards, the injured creatures tried to shield the healthy ones with their bodies, to preserve their soldiers for a future ambush.

Not willing to fall into this obvious trap, Aranea ordered her pack to proceed slowly. They continued to fire in the retreating ranks of the workers and finishing up the few critters who pretended to be dead as they followed after the living river that run from them. After the turn to the right, the pack ended up in another long corridor, perfectly suited for their advance. Spread of their weapons had little meaning, when entire corridor was filled with workers of insectoids hurrying toward main cave.

“Prepare everyone. It has to be now. We walked too far without meeting them.” Aranea said calmly, cooling the heads of Kate and Yuki. Both of them were tense, their instincts screaming to charge after the enemies, to rend them apart, to feast and devour. Smell of blood, even if this was merely an ichor of an insectoid, was annoyingly hard to ignore. It aroused the combat instincts within the female wolfkins. Males held their ranks much better, Kostya was calm, relaxed even. This was just one of many hundreds of operations he was in, there was nothing new for him to see here. Kaleb was trying his best not to screw up, yet Aranea saw that it took him a second too long to reload his weapon. He was better than the few months ago, when he accidently forgot to reload in time and as a result Kate had forced him through the shooting range again and again, drilling routine into his head. But even now he still had some problems and he nervously glanced at Kate from time to time. Aranea will speak with Kate one day. Whatever her beef with Kaleb was, it affected his performance. Sly was as usual more concerned with counting the dead for the tally, rather than with worrying for his life. Aranea send a message to Kaleb, ordering him to watch over Sly.

Large stone was hung from on the left side of the ceiling. A shadow moved from behind it, long spear like limb shot forward, almost reaching Sly. Kostya raised his weapon for a second too late and enemy was already nearing his fellow wolfkins. Kaleb shouted in warning, grabbing Sly by the collar of his armor and pushing him back. Needle like limb struck in place where neck of Sly was just a moment ago, long needle like limb sliced across the Kaleb’s fingers, slicing through the armor and injuring his paw.

“Sack of shit!” Kate pushed her weapon past head of Kalen and open fire, aiming at the creature as it darted behind the stone.

“Above!” Aranea shouted, pointing her weapon and firing up. Her shot tore the belly of the insectoid warrior who intended to fall on them from the above. Insectoid warriors were far more dangerous than their brethren. Like the other critters they moved around on six limbs. It stood tall, reaching almost meter and half in height, looking like some weird parody of a human, if a human had six legs and incredibly thin torso. Its head had small, almost elegant mandibles, two huge black compound eyes were at the sides of small head. Two long, spear-liked bladed limbs served as arms and were fully capable to move with blinding speed. And warriors were smart. These two hid themselves among the carnage of their kin, using some unnatural ability to even block the smells of their chitin bodies. And once the pack were in their range, the insectoid warriors attacked.

The first insectoid warrior fell dead on the floor and Aranea felt the rush of blood in her veins. She grunted and forced blasted power to go away, taking her “reward” along with it. She had no need for it. A second insectoid warrior reappeared from behind the hanging stone, jumping on the ground, ducking low and charging into the group. He came too close to Kate and scout lifted her weapon. Suddenly stone under her leg crushed and scout fell on one knee, cursing as blade arm flew above her shoulder, missing the armor and body of the scout. The insectoid tried to back down, only to be gun down by Yuki. Unlike Kate, she didn't miss, shardgun’s rounds hit directly in the middle of the thin torso, tearing the creature in two. Yet even in the air, its limbs twitched, trying to make one last thrust. Kate grabbed warrior by his blade like arm and slammed his upper body into the floor, stomping it with her leg. The scout growled, as reward was flowing into her, bringing her closer to the peak by a tiny bit.

“Stupid, blasted sack of shit! We will lose points because of you!” Kate screamed almost in desperation.

“I am sorry…” Kaleb started, but scout threw enraged gaze in his direction.

“And you shut up! Sly, take care of his wound,” Kate commanded, turning to Aranea and baring her neck for showing unwanted initiative. The collar of her power armor slide into chest armor, revealing her neck for Aranea to bite. Aranea simply pushed her fellow scout ahead, not wanting to spend time to dominate her. She was used to work with what she had, and Kate at least tried to work as a part of the team today and deserved some encouragement for this.

“You should respect our traditions more.” Kate quietly said and Aranea slammed her across the shoulder with a paw.

“There. This should count as punishment,” Aranea simply said. The warlord Janine was a fierce follower of the traditions, encouraging her troops to do the same. Yet as Janine once explained to Sonya, traditions never state what sort of punishment there must be, only that it must be physical. This allowed a room for Aranea to wiggle away from punishing the soldiers. And Aranea prided herself with the fact that she had never bullied her troops with a physical force. She felt proud that her pack was just as good as packs of the other scouts, despite her lack of domination. “I will scold Kaleb later,” She could sense how Kate’s body became tense under the armor, “No. You are not to punish him, you got it?”

“As if this stupid weakling could endure a punishment.” The scout mumbled words in acceptance.

The pack charged toward the main cave and saw the picture of a carnage inside. In the middle of the cave Olesya and two others female wolfkins stood on top of a literal pile made of the bodies of the insectoid workers. The living river made from countless bodies tried to swarm them, yet the wolfkins made no mistake for their enemies to capitalize on, broken bodies covered with ichor cracked under the wolfkin’s legs while the soldiers kept fighting, dodging just in time as some of the workers charged with their sudden burst speed at the wolfkins. Just as shardgun of Olesya unleashed it’s last round, a form of the insectoid warrior rose up, hidden among attackers. The warrior was almost on Olesya and her soldiers, his blade like arms made a thrust, aiming for the neck of Olesya. Aranea took aim, fully knowing that it was too late to stop the insectoid warrior. Damned fool! This insect used the desire for fame of her fellow wolfkin and even counted the number of shots. Insectoid warrior timed its advance as perfectly as it could possibly be. Now that the wolfkins are without ammo, they will be an easier prey…

Insectoid warrior twitched its head as a hole appeared in the side of its head. Olesya turned around, perfectly timing her attack while her enemy was disrupted because of shock. Blade arms missed their marks and jaws of the scout closed on the head of the insectoid warrior, biting it off cleanly. Aranea could see how Olesya smiled, crushing the head of the foe and hungrily gulping the remains in her mouth. This was the first time Olesya killed an actual insectoid warrior and Aranea could see how the body of the scout slightly trembled, as power sent her the reward, increasing muscles ever so slightly. It was a tiny increase, but it will stack with each new type of foe that Olesya will defeat in future.

Foolish girl. Aranea through sourly. You can’t trust this power. She remembered full well what happened to her mother. Each time when her power tried to “reward” her, she refused the gift. She will reach to the top with her own might and skills, not thanks to the cursed blood and the powers of her ancestry.

“There!” Kostya pointed at the three male wolfkins who were standing near the second entrance to the cave. In their arms they held unusually long rifles, burst of automatic fire were unleashed from their barrels. Seemingly uncaring for the safety of their own comrades, they showered with bullets both the wolfkins and the insectoids in the middle of the cave. And yet bullets harmlessly bounced off wolfkins’ power armor, while leaving small wounds on their enemies.

“Blastguns!” Aranea laughed, taking aim and killing a swarm of insectoids near Olesya, “Oh, you crafty girl!” Aranea’s pack joined her, carefully shooting at the enemies who were the furthest from the wolfkins in the center of the cave. Blastguns were low powered rifles, not meant to be used against the foes in power armors. Mostly they were wielded by patrols troops.

“Olesya gathered enemies around herself and used males to soften them up for the kill. She trusts in males a bit too much,” Yuki noted, firing her weapon, “It should have been other way around. What if they screw up? Her plan was reckless and endangered the lives of the valuable troops.”

“Hey, as long as it’s works.” Sly smiled. Yuki growled but made no attempt to discipline him.

With both teams firing into the gathering of the insectoids their ranks began to thin. Despite their large numbers, they were not endless. Here and there forms of the insectoid warriors appeared, only to be cut down by the gunfire. Slowly, step by step cave was becoming emptier of life. Olesya put her shardgun behind her back, unleashing her claws and jumping into the swarm of enemies, adrenaline from received reward was driving her into a battle frenzy, she slashed and stomped insectoids, cheerfully laughing in an ecstasy. Her pack kept her back protected with ranged fire. The battle stopped for a moment as a large wall at the far end of tunnel started to crack. Tremors run across the ground as something huge began to move.

“Now.” Aranea said, seeing the hive queen breaking out of her hiding place. Long, fat body was gleaming with the white chitin plates. Countless legs carried the massive body forward from hidden spot in the cave, large black eyes locked on the wolfkins in the middle of the cave. Two large scythe like arms, each bigger than an ATV class vehicle, rose up, damaging the ceiling and preparing to slam at Olesya. The soldiers of Olesya pack open fire, yet even the shardguns barely caused scratches at the plates of the queen, while blastguns were utterly useless all together.

If she will get injured, this win is mine. Aranea thought. Her paw stopped halfway to the grenade launcher on her back. Surely Olesya herself was at fault for this situation, right? She was a liability, someone like her will never change the Wolf Tribe. Kaleb was injured, chances are that if Aranea step in, her pack will lose. And losing meant no promotion, no possibilities to one day change the tribe. “And I have great many things I want to change…” whispered the familiar voice inside of Aranea’s head.

“Open fire! Push the beast back!” Aranea shouted, grabbing the grenade launcher. I will change everything in my own way. I will not become him. She reminded herself, taking aim at the queen. Six shots hit the head and chest of the queen, pushing her massive body back. Explosions and smoke hid the enemy’s body for a moment, before the queen pushed forward from smoke, mad from pain and agony. Her eyes were gone, mandibles around the mouth were cracked, the chitin armor on her head and chest was in ruins. Yet her blade arms still worked, and queen slammed first blade into the ground, almost slicing Olesya in two. Blade went deep into ground and queen pulled it back, ruining floor and causing the wolfkins in the center of the cave to fall. Ceilings began to crack, and stones started to fall, as the massive body of the foe thrashed around in pain, blindly lunging at everything around her.

“Again.” Aranea calmly took aim, firing the second shot into the wounds on enemy body. Shots exploded within massive body and the queen moved up, her upper body gone, massive blade arms fell on the ground, yet lower body still thrashing in death throes. The ceiling finally give in and the torrent of stone started to fall on the floor.

“We better run.” Kaleb stated the obvious, as the pack turned around. Kate grabbed Kaleb by his the collar of his armor, almost dragging him after herself, before finally putting him in front of herself.

“Stop blabbering with your mouth and just run, you idiot!” The scout snarled, kicking him in the butt to encourage him to run faster, “Use all four of your limbs, you dumbasses!” Kate howled in rage, as Kaleb and Sly continued to run on both legs. As he was lowering on all four limbs, Kaleb accidently lost his weapon and Yuki grabbed the grenade launcher with her jaws, as she run toward the exit on all fours.

Through the cameras on her body Aranea could see how Olesya and her team were running away, charging away on all fours as well. Hail of stones almost reached the pack of Aranea as they charged toward exit and jumped outside, Aranea was the one who left cave the last, as befitted the leader. She was in charge of this operation, it was up to her to prove that she could ensure the survival of her pack.

“We live! Fucking yeah, we won!” Sly shouted outside, falling on the ground in exhaustion. Helmet slid down from his head, and he looked at the night sky with the amber eyes. “I say we deserve…” he stopped as massive form landed near him, slamming a foot on his neck.

Wolf hag Sonya towered above him. Even without armor, she was bigger than most wolfkins in the group. Her black and brown fur had grey hairs here and there as her age was showing itself. She was dressed in a long leather military coat, with an insignia of her rank on the left lapel of her coat. Her leg was on Sly’s neck, forcing him to struggle for breath. Sonya dropped large bag on the ground.

“You live. This much is true,” Sonya said in a deadly calm voice, increasing pressure in her leg. “It is not for you to decide whenever you won or lost,” She growled, “It is not for you to decide what you deserve. You are not allowed to relax like a cub after the mission, not until your commander says so. Am I understood?” Sly frantically tried to nod with his head, whining ever slightly in a sign of submission. Sonya removed her leg, putting both her paws behind her back, “Form up!” She roared.

The pack gathered in front of their leading, standing with their helmets removed, while the wolf hag was looking on them critically.

“Mission was a success, the nest destroyed. Congratulations on your survival,” She turned toward Aranea. “You took heavy weapons on the mission. You knew about presence of the queen?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Aranea nodded and Sonya slapped her across the face, drawing blood. The wolf hag held back her claws, yet even her palm was hardy enough to draw blood from lips of the lesser wolfkin.

“Minus three points for not telling your fellow soldiers,” Aranea licked blood from her lips, “Plus six points for listening to the lessons and reading additional materials. Plus two points for waiting for an order to begin the mission. Ten points for saving lives of the second team,” Sonya sniffed the air, taking moment to inhale new knowledge. She turned toward Kaleb and growled, advancing on him, “Explain your injury.” Without mistake she grabbed the wounded paw of the wolfkin, looking at crude bandage.

“This was because of I fa…” Kostya tried to say something, but wolf hag turned toward him in a blur, punching him in the snout. He fell on one knee as blood run down his face and into his armor.

“Minus one point for speaking out of turn. Minus another point for being such a weakling and falling on the knee,” Sonya turned to Kaleb, her eyes widened as she noticed his weapon in paws of Yuki, “Minus two points for the injury. Minus three points for damaging the armor. Minus three points for losing your weapon,” She looked at frightened Kaleb, towering above him, “Minus one point for fear. You are a disgrace. I can see that punishment is needed to improve the morale.” She raised her left paw, unleashing the claws. Kaleb swallowed in fear as shadow cast by Sonya’s claws had fallen on his face.

Aranea forced herself to stand still. Sonya was still stronger than her, even now after all these years. If she challenges the wolf hag while Aranea herself was still in armor and win, no one will accept her as the new wolf hag. Her future will be locked away for a while. Aranea looked blindly in front of herself as Kaleb was about to receive new scars. Just endure it. You can make it up to him later. No one can solve all problems at once. Besides this is his fault. She tried to convince herself, feeling burning shame at being at the mercy of someone’s will, One day I will change it all. No more pits, no more infighting, no more… I will make you all grow up. Aranea promised herself. “Small sacrifices must be made for a good cause” The voice chuckled inside of her head and Aranea clenched her paws, ready to leap at Sonya.

“Permission to carry on punishment,” Kate asked, stepping forward. In the Wolf Tribe, it was not unusual to allow scouts to punish warriors and warriors to punish males. In fact, it was never wolf hag’s job to deal with problems of males, so Sonya simply looked at Kate and nodded, stepping back as Kate leaped on Kaleb, biting his throat and throwing him down. She slammed the paw near his head as she clenched her jaws, biting his skin lightly and drawing blood, before releasing him, “If you ever dare to dishonor us like this again…” She slammed her leg into ground near Kaleb’s ear as he shudders from fear, “You will end up losing more than just a few drops of blood.” The scout turned her back on him, returning back in the line. Aranea clenched her paws. One day she will make Kate pay for her bullying.

“Hey, everyone!” Aranea turned her head as she heard voice of Olesya, carrying a large bag behind herself, similar to ones that Sonya put on the ground. Her pack was following her, while the wolf hag Siri was standing away in distance. Siri moved her head and Sonya nodded.

“You may socialize and feed,” Sonya nodded at the bag. She glanced at Kaleb, “Keep your wounds clean, male. Despite your guilt I grant you the right to eat as much as the other males on this night.” With these words she leaped in the air, grabbing the stones on nearby mountain slope and climbing up, Siri followed after her. The wolf hags liked to consult in a remote place. And liked to compete with each other as well, both Sonya and Siri tried to out speed one another.

“Looks like you will win this round,” Olesya came nearby and took off her helmet. Five long, deep scratches were across her face, torn wounds were still fresh and the meat inside was bleeding. Aranea raised her brow at such fresh wounds, she was sure that Olesya came unscratched from combat. The scout noticed this and giggled, licking the blood that was falling from her snout, “Siri was pissed about us starting early, so she showed her displeasure,” Olesya put her helmet on her belt. Her fur was of brown color, meaning that she was unlikely to ever to raise in rank higher than a warrior. Yet, thanks to intense beatdown of her fellow scouts and training from Siri, Olesya managed to become the scout, “Spirits, I can’t wait to finally own her. You know that I lost to her three times already? My ribs still hurt from last beating.” The scout complained. Aranea put hands on her shoulders and made her sit. Kate gave her leader medical pack and Aranea began cleaning the wounds of Olesya.

“Sonya beat me down five times by now and you don’t see me whining about it. Stop frowning. We need to clean your wounds and stich you up, or you will start bleeding pus once again.” The scout chastised her fellow, as their packs sat nearby, rummaging through bags. The wolf hags brought them the meat and milk of cusacks. The winners were supposed to take the larger share, but neither Olesya nor Aranea cared to count the exact amount right now, so they both shrugged and gave orders to share everything evenly.

“Not fair. Why can’t I heal just as well as you? Ow. Take it easy, girl.” The scout complained as Aranea finished cleaning the wounds and started stitching the wounds. The wolfkins healed far better than normies, but even their wounds could potentially get infected in rare cases. Aranea was somewhat of an exception in this situation, she never bothered to clean her wounds, nor was she ever ill afterwards. Sometimes her wounds would close with parasites and fleas still in them and yet she was always fine afterwards.

“That’s because you are weaker than me.” Aranea teased her.

“Weaker, huh? I should pound you for such insolence and add a bit more for not warning me about the queen’s presence.”

“Not my fault that you are dumb.” The scout replied with, faking a smug smile on her face, enjoying herself and Olesya laughed, despite the pain.

“We’ll see if you will be still this smug when I will become the wolf hag way ahead of you.”

“In your dreams, perhaps,” Aranea finished stitching up wounds of her fellow wolfkin and sat down, reaching for food, “I will drop Sonya way before you ever touch Siri.”

Olesya was from the pack of warlord Martyshkina, while Aranea herself served under the leadership of warlord Janine Ironjaw. Both packs were closely working together since a long time. They were stationed in an area near fortress Uglo and saw little action in the recent years. The area around here was tamed, calm even. By the standards of Ravaged Lands of course. By the standards of Core Lands, Ravaged Lands were hell on the globe. Normies had to wear special anti-heat suits here. Even during the night heat could easily kill a normie. Food and water were scarce. And yet despite all this, quite a number of people lived here. People who will one day be reclaimed by the state.

Kaleb finished his portion of food, his stomach rumbled suddenly, and Kostya silently extended him part of his own portion. Seeing this Kate growled, forcing males to step away from each other before they could exchange food.

“If you are still hungry, you should go to your direct superior instead of begging for food from your pack members,” Kate hissed at Kaleb and tore large part of meat from her own portion, throwing it into Kaleb’s face, “And you!” She growled at Kostya. “Feed yourself well, old man, and next time actually prove your worth. “Can take just as much punishment as any female” my ass. Can’t even keep an eye on the other males. What good are you? Be better! If you can’t, I can always run you through the training courses as well, just ask!” The scout laughed bitterly, reaching for her beads and playing with them as Kostya nodded.

“Kate, that is enough.” Aranea growled in an irritation, “If you have such burning energy in you, then prostrate before me.” Without saying a word the lesser scout instantly dropped her food in the sand and fell on her belly, hands extended toward Aranea. “Stay this way until I allow you to move.”

“Please, I really did not want to cause any problems…” Kaleb started, but Aranea silenced him with a look.

“Eat.” She simply said and reached with her hand, knocking Sly on his head. The wolfkin was too absorbed entering some data into the terminal on his wrist. Aranea sometimes was worried about him. Sly could easily spend entire day and night tinkering with weapons and gear, forgetting to eat and drink. It was first duty of Kate and now duty of Aranea, although she was mostly putting this duty on Yuki, to drag him out of this weird state and make him take care of himself. Sly even filled request to be transported to the engineer corps, but it was of course rejected by the shamans. Wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe were made for war and nothing else. One should first leave the Tribe before pursuing career anyone else and Sly was afraid of such move.

Just one more stupid rule that I will remove. Aranea promised to herself in her thoughts and looked at Yuki. “Ensure that Sly is eating his norm and that no one is stealing from him.”

“Why must I always be the one to care for him?” Yuki rolled her eyes, but obeyed her order, moving closer to Sly, “Come on, swallow the food already. Not like this you idiot, chew the meat first!”

After the pack members finished feasting, Aranea allowed Kate to hurriedly finish her food and stand up. She turned toward Olesya, while Kate was busy eating: “It is a bet then. The one who becomes wolf hag a day early will win.” She raised her paw and Olesya gave her a fist bump.

“It will be me, as always!” Olesya laughed, standing up, “I was born to become a warlord. Just you see, I will run ahead of you yet!”

Siri and Sonya jumped from the stones above, each taking their pack to their own camp. Aranea looked how Olesya was leaving and hoped that stupid moron will keep herself safe. They met five years ago, during the usual scramble between the members of two packs. Ever since they tried to one up each other. Aranea was unsure why she is wasting her strength on something so childish, but her rivalry with fellow scout helped her to get through some of the darkest times in her life. One day she will make Olesya bow to her, but until that day she was content with their struggle.

“It was decided. You won this round. Siri run her pack all the way into the negative score for missing the clues about the queen presence and for disobedience.” Sonya chuckled quietly, clearly being in a good mood.

“This means the title is mine?” Aranea asked, feeling her heart beating a bit faster.

“Yep. You are now officially having the honorably title of being the first among the scouts between two packs. Congratulations,” Sonya said in a dry voice and gestured for the rest of pack to move ahead. As both of them were left alone, the wolf hag looked at Aranea with amber eyes, “You still want to go, girl?”

“Yes. But not tonight. When we fight next time, I will drop you down properly,” Aranea saw no reason to lie. They both know that moment was coming.

“Drop me…” Sonya said thoughtfully. “Then you better hurry. Word just came in, Wyrm Lord declared that the warlords among the locals have three months to submit. Or they will be forced to bend the knee.”

“War is coming?”

“Yes,” Sonya bluntly responded, “From this day on, we will face proper challenges,” She looked up, “You have half of a year to try. After this you will be promoted to my rank as per my will.”

“Why is that?” Aranea asked in confusion.

“Old age, girl,” Sonya pointed at her own hide, showing grey hair, “I am not rich enough to afford the rejuvenation shots nor am I important enough for the leaders to give them to me for free, so I will get old as everyone else. The shamans had send me their word, in a half of the year I am to write my will and to visit their tent. The Wolf Tribe has no need for the old farts like me.” Th wolf hag turned followed after her own pack.

****

“If you had just bowed your head to us a few days ago, none of this would have happened,” Janine Ironjaw was speaking with cruel metallic voice, looking down on a small normie before her. The man was dressed in a torn anti-heat suit and Aranea could smell sweat and blood from him. He was an elder of this small town. This place had barely few thousands of people living here and stubbornly refused to bow down, claiming that Resistance will protect them from Reclamation Army and from horrors of Ravaged Lands… and now even fewer lived here on this day.

Forces of Resistance indeed visited this place. Made of Regulators, Bento tribe, Soultakers tribe and a few dozens of other gangs and raiders, this relatively newly formed military force was created in order to deny advance of Reclamation Army. This town was supposed to be a part of their territory. Resistance visited this town taking everything of value, stripping it down to the bone. Food, water, few facilities to produces both food and water, animals, anything that could be used in industry, all was taken away, along with the wealth of the citizens. Previous elder tried to argue against such treatment and now was no longer in this world, along with anyone else who tried to resist. New elder quickly called Reclamation Army and offered to join them. Janine Ironjaw and her pack arrived to keep any marauders away from the town until proper forces arrive to establish control.

This community was built in a ruin of a town from the Old World. Due to the harsh sandstorms in the area larger buildings collapsed long time ago. Whatever catastrophe happened during Extinction had split the entire city in four parts, one part sunk underground, two remaining parts were swallowed by the fire and destruction, while remaining part still had numerous buildings in it. People of the Old World build stuff to last for ages, thus many machines still worked, they only needed some minor repairs and new energy cells. The town was surrounded by the man-made mountains, when the Old World was dying the ground came up, creating natural barrier around this place, somewhat protecting smaller buildings from the harsh conditions of the new world. This town was under ownership of Regulators, once a supposedly respective gang in these parts. They initially refused to join Resistance, intending to fight state on their own, but then leader of Regulators was killed by his own daughter and new leader quickly joined forces with Resistance. A gang was a gang in Aranea’s view. Only a fool would trust them over the state. And now this town paid the price of keeping loyalty to the gang, no matter how respective. Even from the ruined entrance Aranea could see the smoke still pouring from some buildings. In one night, loyalty that was built by the years was gone.

Only one month had passed since the declaration of Wyrm Lord. And meanwhile border towns and villages burned, as Resistance looted them. Aranea could not wrap her head around this fact. Weren’t people here also part of Resistance? What could they possibly gain by such cruelty?

“We apologize,” Man whispered, the scout could feel the pain in his voice. And not just physical. This person loved this place and now it was ashes and death here, “If you need to, you may claim my life. Just sa…”

“Be silent, citizen.” Janine’s metal jaw snapped at him. Enormously huge wolfkin carried the huge axe on her shoulder. Her jaw and one hand were missing after her meeting with Kalaisa. Missing hand was replaced with a flamecaster, the long-barreled weapon that was surrounded by the three rings of metal. Each ring had a red diamond on it, currently only one diamond was above the weapon, while two were under the barrel. Missing jaw of Janine was replaced with the cybernetic jaw. When Janine was silent metal jaw almost fully covered her snout, leaving only the amber eyes visible. The warlord refused to accept vat grown replacements of lost limb and body, stating that skinwalker blessed her with a grace. While the old power armor looked positively ridiculous on the warlord, newly made power armor suit was looking too thin on her body, it was as if she was dressed in a skintight outfit made of metal. Yet no one was mad enough to try and mock her, for before Janine’s speed was limited by her old armor and now, she was free to utilize her speed in full, becoming a true death incarnate on the fields of battle, “We are here to drop supplies for you and people here to survive a few days. More serious force will be here in two-three days. They will establish a perimeter, ensure security, provide people here with food and water and officially accept people into the state. Until then, you are on your own when we are not around. Is this understood?” Metal jaw clicked as Janine stopped talking.

“Of course.” The man said and quickly bow in thanks. This community would not last a day without water around here.

“Deliver the supplies. Clear the rubble. Locate the wounded and drag them to doctors. Count the dead.” Janine gave orders to three wolf hags, Sonya was among them. During the time of war it was unusually to see a warlord without the shamans around to guard her, yet on this day Janine had to split her forces. Several villages and towns were hit. Wyrm Lord gave orders to provide for all victims involved in these attacks, so Janine spread her forces thin, taking weakest members with her. As еру wolf hags hurried to carry their orders Janine was left standing near ruined city gate, axe still on her shoulder. Her head tilted as she looked on the mountains near the city, as if she was listening to something.

Aranea and her pack were given orders to check up the northern part of town and deliver news to hastily made camp of doctors from Free World, anarchic organization that provided free medicine help to all. Reclamation Army disliked them for providing aid to their enemies and usually refused to associate with them, only sparing some supplies from time to time as part of thanks for treating wounded soldiers.

“So why are we helping them now?” Aranea asked herself as she open door of first half burned building. For an hour she was checking house after house, only finding dead remains within and outside. Inside this house was a smell of rotting meat. Elderly man was lying on the ground, his head smashed, left side of his body half burned. Aranea turned him on the back and found dead body of a child underneath him, the kid choked to death. Aranea nodded and marked this place as empty in her terminal. She glanced around the place, noticing that someone was rummaged through things in the house…

“Why does this not bother me?” Her glance returned to the dead bodies. “Should I not feel anger? Hate? Disgust? Sadness?” She asked herself, “What is wrong with me?” Aranea remembered how other warriors reacted to the deaths of locals in previous villages that they visited. Many of normies from Reclamation Army were outright shocked, even some wolfkins were silent. So why she was calm? What was so defective in her? Is it not human to be sad about a loss of life?

“I can at least fake that it affects me.” Aranea decided. Her parents would have wanted at least this minor thing from her. She picked up both dead bodies and carried them to remains of the church. There dead bodies from the entire city were supposed to be burned, sending dead to their new journey into the skies. Someone from Resistance hanged two priests, their pale bodies hanged from third floor of the church. Aranea hoped that they actually broke their necks when attackers pushed them from windows, instead of slowly being choked to death.

“Price of resisting the Regulators.” These words were painted with red on the second floor. No priests were in sight, Aranea could guess their fate.

“What… what are they hope to achieve with this?” Aranea asked out loud. Inability to find reason in the actions of the enemy hurt her more than the actual cruelty around her. She called a nearby wolfkin and gave an order to him to remove the bodies of the priests and to drag bodies that she brought to the pile. Surely their enemies pursued some objective with such cruelty. But what exactly?

Aranea decided that she had enough of wondering about motives of the madmen. She moved toward the camp of Free World. Several of their tents were in the area near the broken wall. Janine gave order to them to relocate to a safer part of the town, but stubborn bastards ignored order of the warlord, claiming that people will dies during relocation. Aranea saw Kate and Kostya, who were giving food to children, empty crates were standing next to them.

“Now scram, you stupid bastards,” Kate snarled, showing them her empty paws, “No food anymore. Go hide somewhere, you useless sacks of shit.”

“You should not talk to kids in this way.” A doctor of Free World said, tired looking man in his forties who came from the tent. He pulled away cowl of his anti-heat suit from his head and reached for a cigarette.

“I said scram!” Kate showed her fangs and slammed her paw into the ground, causing children to run away in panic. Then she turned toward doctor, breathing angrily, “This is exactly as I should talk to them. Half of them have rags instead of anti-heat suits, they better go hide somewhere before they die from heat.”

“This is not the reason to…” The doctor took a drag on his cigarette with pleasure.

“Stupid idiot. The girl with a dirty blonde hair had her mother and father killed yesterday. The male cub with a black eye saw his grandmother torn apart before his eyes. Did you even talk with them? Most of them are all alone now.” Kate came upon doctor, but he calmly looked at her.

“What does this have to do with anything?” He asked, “If anything, these horrible events mean that kids need to be comforted…”

“It is a good thing that they are afraid. We will stay but for one day, for the two days you will be helpless. Who will save them if the bastards come back? You? You don’t even use weapons. Locals? Where are their weapons? What if insectoids come and the cubs will decide that they are toys? No. Fear can be overcome in time, but right now it is better for them to be on the edge, to be afraid and in horror. More chances to stay alive for them this way,” Kate closed her snout to the face of the man, who showed no sign of fear and continue to smoke calmly, “Oh, they probably should be taken care of. By whom? You? You can’t do shit as you are overworked as it is. Me? I am a walking curse, bringer of misfortune. Much good will I do for them. Neither of us can’t help them, so the least we can do is not encouraging them, let them be scared until the actual help arrives, you got it you miserable tra…”

“Enough. Kate, you will not speak with our current allies with such disrespect.” Aranea said closing on the scout. Kostya bowed, but Aranea ignored him.

“My apologizes, useful ally,” Kate said, with a voice full of venom, to the man who simply nodded amiably in response, “Aranea, we delivered the supplies. May I have some free time?” The scout reached in her armor, finding praying beads and playing with them with one paw.

“For what?” She was surprised to hear the scout ask her for a favor almost in a normal voice. Kate usually was always in a constant anger, yet now she suddenly spoke in calm manner.

“Locals mistook me for a shaman,” The scout pointed at her ornate armor. “They need someone to say prayers for the lost and all their shamans are dead. I know the words, so I can play the part.”

“Spirits will curse you for pretending.” Kostya warned her.

“Ha! Can’t curse someone twice,” Eyes of scout twitched in an aimless anger, “Besides I have protection.”

“Fine, do it. Just don’t cause problems.” Aranea nodded.

“Am I ever?” Kate actually smiled before leaving. This scared Aranea and she turned to the doctor.

“My apologies for the scene. I will discipline her later.”

“For what? We are all on the edge here and you people at least help us,” The doctor released smoke from his nostrils, “I had to choose one out of three people to save,” He crushed cigarette in his hand, “Compared to this, she provided me with a nice distraction. Seriously, there is no need for punishment, she helped us setting up the camp on this morning and even helped us to distribute food to locals.” He looked in the distance. “If only we had just bit more hands and resources…”

“You would have had them, had you not cared for all trash in Ravage Lands,” Kostya suddenly said with a hint of anger in his voice. The doctor looked at him as if to argue, but wolfkin quickly continued, “Your group actually provided medical aid for blasted cannibals. Two of my sisters had to die to save sorry asses of your fellows from their clutches. Just… just how insane are you people? Not everyone deserves to be helped.”

“Free World was found on a promise to help everyone we can, and this is what we do,” The doctor shrugged and continued, “I am sorry for your loss my friend, but gangs may be made of terrible people, it is true, we know it! But there are children among them, there are genuinely innocent or misguided people among them. Who will help them if not us? I know the gang you speak of, isn’t their kids now live in your state, after the soldiers wiped out most of the gang? For the price of few lives, dozens are now saved.”

“Just concentrate your efforts on saving the people who won’t kill you or eat you in response. I assure you, there are aplenty of such people around the globe. That’s all I ask for, sir.” Kostya sternly said. Aranea put her paw on his shoulder, before he went too far. She was in agreement with his opinion, but people here needed help. Even if it came from the weirdos of Free World.

“Look after Kate for me. Make sure she doesn't ruin anything. If weird things start to happen…”

“I will run straight to you,” Kostya nodded, hurrying after the scout. The doctor turned around and went back to the tent as someone called him, while Aranea went into basement of building nearby.

Inside was Sly, surrounded by countless cables, furiously trying to fix an energy generator. Free World had their own generators, but these were small and low powered ones. Anarchists lived on the donations from Iterna, Oathtakers and Reclamation Army and only Iterna was willing and rich enough to give them an actual good stuff. So Janine gave order to fix at least something, to take some load off the equipment of doctors and ensure that no one will die if generators of Free World suddenly go offline. Yuki was standing nearby, looking at the watch on her vambrace very concededly.

“You either stop now and go to eat, or I will knock you on the head and make you go to eat. Your choice.” The warrior said innocently. “Keep in mind, no matter what you choose outcome will be the same.”

“Just a few more minutes!” Sly howled in desperation, reconnecting the cables. “I just getting to interesting part…”

“You were saying this five minutes ago, yet here we are and I am still bored,” Light blinked and went off for few moments, before coming up, “And this right here would probably kill someone if we had connected generator to an energy grid “Sorry doctor, all life support systems just gone dark. Whatever will we do?”.” Yuki parodied voice of a nurse and laughed.

“No, it would not! We have… Son of the!” One of the wires exploded into the Sly’s face as he connected something and suddenly the generator behind him begun humming. The wolfkin start to laugh madly. “How the hell did this work? Why in the world this worked? I need to know!”

“Ok, I got it, you fixed damned thing. Now you are going to go and eat.”

“No! Wait, I can still improve the output…” Sly howled in despair, reaching for something in the generator.

“Punching time, it is then.” Yuki cracked her knuckles advancing on Sly.

“Where is Kaleb?” Aranea demanded to know. She assigned him to help Sly.

“He grew bored of waiting, so I let him go to hospital and start setting up… Oh Spirits!” Sly evaded grasp of Yuki and jumped away from her. Helm slid on his head, and he screamed something to Kaleb over com device. Aranea turned on her own com device to listen and heard curses of the smaller wolfkin. Apparently, something exploded in his face in the hospital.

Seeing that everything was under control here Aranea left the basement going back to the city gates. Sonya demanded her presence after all checkups and Aranea went to meet her. Janine was standing on remains of city gates, looking in the wastes. Her head was still tilted, there was no helmet on her head. Warlord was listening for something still.

Sonya, dressed in pitch black power armor was standing before the ruined gates. Weird shield like device was on her left arm, going from the shoulder all the way to the elbow. This was a piece of ancient technology, provided to her by the higher ups. Unlike the Ice Fang order, the Wolf Tribe rarely had the luxury of providing exotic gear to the lower ranks. The higher the rank of wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe was, the more important they become and the more advanced equipment they were given. Low ranks were expected to compete and rise up or to fight and perish. Helmet on Sonya’s head slid back, revealing her head as she heard Aranea’s steps.

“You took your time.” The wolf hag noted. This was not sign of aggression, just statement of the fact. There was no time limit on Aranea’s assignment on this day.

“Place is a wreck. If they come back…”

“I know. Because of this weakling in charge, we are reduced to waiting,” Sonya growled, “If Ravager was still with us this entire war would already be over by now. We would have torn the throats of the enemies, devour their flesh. Instead… we play in “his” stupid games.”

“His? You mean Wyrm Lord?” Aranea asked.

“As if. This fool will never have the guts for this. These supplies, inviting Free World, us going ahead of force and guarding them? It is all because the Weakling-in-Charge feels guilty before the locals for allowing this to happen. No, the one behind…”

“Aranea. Sonya. To me.” Janine ordered, turning to look down at them.

Both wolfkins leaped on the wall, climbing on the broken structures. When a warlord calls, you obey. Hesitation meant rebellion. Rebellion meant challenge. And only fools dared to challenge the warlords. They both climbed and lower themselves on one knee before their mistress, baring their throats. It was an empty gesture, Janine no longer was capable to dominate in this way. Her jaw was too big, too clumsy and too dangerous now. Instead, she simply used the claws on her legs. Quite a few wolfkins were bore marks of these mighty instruments of death on them.

“Aranea. What do you think about this situation?” The warlord demanded to know, using flamecaster to lift jaw of the scout and making her look up.

“It makes no sense. Resistance intentionally deprives themselves of valuable resources. Locals hate them now, they will no longer rat us out for them. It makes no sense.” She heard how Sonya chuckled.

“Stupid,” The warlord said, deadly calm. Amber eyes casted light on Aranea’s face. Like Kalaisa Janine was alpha, someone who was close to become skinwalker. Unlike Kalaisa, no matter what Janine will do, she can’t cross this threshold, the medics said that she lacked something and thus was safe, “Their plan makes sense in terms of history of Ravaged Lands. Three times various warlords from other lands tried to conquer these lands. Three times Resistance was formed under different names before and three times they burned their outer cities, taking everything of value to their version of “Core Lands”. Warlords stretch their forces too far, too thin and eventually perish in the counterattack of Resistance. Strategy known as “Scorched Land” is at work here.”

“And that fool is falling for this.” Sonya said angrily. The warlord moved the flamecaster away Aranea and turned to Sonya, using barrel of the weapon to force her to look up.

“The only fool here is you,” Janine said quietly, “I despise the weakling in charge as well. However, dare not mock our leader so openly in front of the civilians or in a place where they could hear you. Hush your voice when you mock the commander. Obey me and this situation is forgiven. Or disobey me and next time I will release the flame,” The barrel of flamecaster was pressed against throat of the wolf hag. Sonya nodded slightly, “Resistance are missing the scope,” The warlord said to both soldiers before her, “Reclamation Army are no petty warlord who gather an army in the waste. They burn and loot cities? We will restore them, even better than before. Their people will be loyal to us. No matter how thin they want to spread us, it won’t help them. Like an avalanche we will move ever onward.”

“Then declaration of Wyrm Lord was…” Aranea understood.

“Yes. It was “his” bait.” Janine’s snout twisted in a disgust, “That person used it to bait Resistance into the action. They burn their outer lands, leaving them undefended for us, hoping to endure us like any other storm before. They hope that we will spread ourselves too far and they will decapitate us in one strike. Instead, we will take left alone lands in one move, all without breaking our formation. Safe rear, rebuild places… All at the cost of few lives,” Something akin to hate was in the eyes of Janine as she looked at ruined city, “That man calls it “Strategy of Darkness” and we are involved in but the first steps of his plan.”

“Who are you talking about? If not Wyrm Lord, then who is…” Aranea decided to ask.

“Murzaliev. Chief strategist of the Third army and kin to Wyrm Lord,” Janine looked at the mountains again, as if someone was there. This time even Aranea heard it. Heavy stomping of some beast, something that was uncaring of being stealthy. Wave of fear hit her, horror that she never felt before. She instinctively knew, death itself was out there in the mountains. Death was looking at them right now. Death! “Snap out of this,” Janine said, looking at her, “It… just a fluke. Pay it no mind, there are no one out there,” Presence of danger disappeared just as quickly as Aranea felt it, leaving scout to wonder if she really simply freak out because of nothing, “Anyway, the one responsible for these events is the blue wyrm. Yet I received news from Martyshkina that band of raiders were caught and destroyed by group of mercenaries. Nigel’s Raiders, Easy Going Pals… someone hired them and used them to stop the raiders before they could torch the city to the west. Conveniently…” Janine spoke sarcastically “…mercenaries stepped in to help only after the raiders declared their intention to locals. No idea what mercs told the locals afterwards, but the locals already welcomed us with an open arms, as Regulators betrayed and abandoned them. Also, the locals send the word to other places, some even believed them enough to join us.”

“Then this mean…” Sonya said, and Janine nodded.

“Procrastinator is making his moves as well. The black wyrm joined the hunt as well, pulling his own strings. The strategy of “Winning without lifting a claw” is also in action, along with the strategy of blue wyrm. And we are caught between the ambitious and the devil. All the while our master does nothing but hides, allowing his strategists to duke it out,” Janine clenched axe shaft with anger, “This is not the proper way to fight. Not the proper way to conduct war.”

“But if Murzaliev forcing our enemies to make mistakes, this is good for us, right?” Aranea was unsure who black wyrm was. She never met either the captains or commander of the Third army, “We took the city with no losses to ourselves. This is a clean victory.”

“You call this…” Janine pointed her axe at the church, where Kate was leading the farewell ceremony. A crying woman was lowering dead body of small child into the burning pit. Janine pointed her weapon at the ruined buildings, “…Clean? Ravager took whole countries seemingly overnight. She stormed the palaces by herself, devoured leaders and the rest bend their knees in horror and fear before her. Oh, they might grumble few years afterward, but all were too scared of her to rebel. She created stability through fear. Yes, the army suffered loses, but this is what we are born to do. To fight. To dominate. Not to… hide while the people are getting butchered,” Janine looked up at the sky. “Murzaliev is too extreme. He should never have been unleashed. Two times he was court marshalled for causing too big losses among civilian population and both times he escaped the judgement as court found his decisions tactically sound and found no evidence of his guilt. And the other one is just as extreme in his own way, taking too long to avoid losses. Without someone to reign them in…” Janine fell silent, before finally saying, “We are not pawns. We could have stopped this massacre ourselves if intel had bothered to warn us. Yet because of “him”, we were left in the dark. No more. Martyshkina and I are of the same mind about this. Sonya, you and the others will take your packs into the wilds tonight. Convoys are still going between the cities, barely undefended, almost as if someone wants to use them to provoke Resistance with an easy target. I will not allow them to be slaughtered, screw this “Darkness” and screw “him”. Find “them” and call me.”

****

Aranea and her pack followed Sonya across the mountains. Thirty wolfkins in total were out today under command of the wolf hag as she led them toward the canyon ahead. As the state slowly expanded its influence within Ravaged Lands, this place became a point that connected three different towns. Yet this road was considered to be a neutral ground, territory not owned by either of the sides. Tonight, a convoy was supposed to bring goods to one of the towns. Never before Resistance dare to attack the convoys of the state, not during the current truce between two sides and not during the peacetime before. And yet the warlord felt that tonight may be different.

Sonya stopped, lifting her head to the sky, helmet of her armor sliding backward, revealing her snout. She sniffed, stretching up, lifting her hands to stand in moonlight.

“Tonight,” She said, looking at Aranea. “Tonight, we will finally settle this. You and I will fight.”

“I made no challenge. What’s the hurry?” Aranea blinked in surprise. Even now she was smaller than her commander.

“Can’t you feel it? This presence in the air, sense of dread all around us. Presence that makes your blood boil, presence that is demanding the death of one of us,” Aranea shook her head and Sonya sighed in disappointment. She continued almost with pity, “Cursed child indeed. Your tainted blood prevents you from feeling her call.”

“Call? Whose call?” The scout demanded to know.

“Are you really are this stupid?” Snout of Sonya changed into mask of anger, lips moved, revealing the fangs, drool fell onto her armor. And yet there was some content behind her amber eyes, as if some ancient fear was going away, “We left city hours ago. Where are the animals? Where are the insectoids? No prey, no hunter in sight, no life can be sensed… Divinity descended upon us on this night. My journey is finally at the end. No fear ahead, just peace at last.” She took deep breath.

Aranea looked around and saw that the rest of the pack removed their helmets. Confusion was on the faces of some, fear and horror were on Kate’s face, rest simply stood calm. And yet one thing united them all. Some sort of longing was in their amber eyes. It was as if they do not fully understand but felt that something magnificent are about to come on them. Even Aranea felt some weird tremor in her paws, like someone trying to nudge her to go forward.

“You can feel her too, aren’t you?” Sonya smiled warmly, after witnessing this reaction, “From this day you truly are our kin. Don’t let anyone call you cursed ever again.”

The wolf hag made step forward, as if to embrace Aranea, when loud explosion caused all of them to look toward road. Explosion happened some half of kilometer ahead. One side of canyon begun falling, closing the road before moving cars.

“How could we not have noticed them” Kaleb screamed, his voice filled with half fear, half with a desire to charge forward. He ducked low, preparing to charge, forgetting to put on his helmet. Aranea stood before him to stop him and he nearly charged at her, his body twitching as he growled. Kaleb never was the one to throw himself into fray, yet right now he was closing to battle frenzy.

“Calm yourself, you idiot,” Kate put her head on the shoulder pad of Kaleb, holding him in place. The scout reached for her beads and clenched them to her chest, trembling, “Don’t charge ahead. Everyone be calm! She is not here! No one saw her in years! Breathe, breathe, or Spirits will damn you! Don’t let that damned ghost drag you into madness! We are better than this!” Aranea was shocked by the concern and the genuine fear in voice of her fellow scout. Just what was going on? What made Kate so afraid tonight? What made everyone act so weird?

And then she felt it. Someone was looking at her, same sense of dread as before came back. She turned around, looking into the wastes. She thought she saw an enormously tall wolfkin standing in the wastes, far away from the group, fur of newcomer had the color of the darkest night. Yet in next moment figure was gone. Aranea blinked. Nothing could have gone from the open field so fast. She convinced herself that her vision was playing tricks on her, she saw a mirage, nothing more. Whatever it was, the presence was gone, Aranea was clearly mistaken.

“Helmets,” Sonya commanded, while she was calling the warlord. Sounds of gunfire and sounds of energy weapons could be heard from the direction of the stopped convoy, along with screams, “Form up. The warlords will arrive shortly. We will save whoever we can.”

Pack charged across the stone toward the sounds of battle. Like a beast they leaped from stones above canyon, using claws to help themselves to run down on stone wall of canyon,

Two large trucks and six cars were ambushed by the enemies. Aranea could see foes dressed in leather uniforms of gold and black color. These uniforms covered them from neck to toes, faces were hidden behind silver masks. Cowls of black cloaks covered their heads. They were moving in the groups of three, two were armed with the rifles, one in the middle-carried an energy weapon in hands. Before the eyes of Aranea one of such groups approached to a car. Person with the energy weapon melted the door and his fellows showered those hiding inside with bullets. Aranea felt rage boiling in her, she broke the formation jumping ahead of her pack. Instead of using lower ranks to take the brunt of enemy attack, she charged forward. Her legs crashed onto the shoulders of two enemies who shoot inside. She felt armor underneath their uniforms and cloaks and yet force of her hit easily crumbled the armor underneath the clothes. She felt how the enemies’ bones snapped under the pressure of her legs. The injured foes screamed, falling on the ground. Last one pointed his energy weapon at her and she hit him in the knee, breaking it. She tore the weapon from his suddenly weak hands and slammed it on enemy’s head, knocking the foe out. She glanced inside car and saw blood, unmoving body and couple of moaning bodies.

Something landed before her. The creature of green color, chitin plates covered it from head to toes. Eyes were missing, instead a massive plate covered the place where they and nose were supposed to be. Fangs, too large for the jaws, were visible from the mouth, each hand of creature ended up with five long claws. Nothing but mindless hiss came from the mouth of new foe. It took a swing with its left arm, tearing through the part of car’s roof and nearly slicing Aranea in two. She took step back, evading the blow. Claws left scratch marks on her armor. She reached for the shardgun with her right paw, taking it just as creature struck with right arm, closing the distance at fast speed. Aranea let hit move past her, grabbing right hand of her foe her left arm and pressing the barrel of shardgun to its side. She pressed the trigged and torso of the enemy exploded, green blood shot from hole in the left and right sides of the weird creature. It stumbled, but then spit something from its mouth. Aranea dodged to the right and spit fell on truck behind her. Armored doors, which withstood attack of the energy weapons of enemy began to melt. The creature tried to launch another spit on her and Aranea took a step forward, pressing barrel of her gun to the lower jaw of the foe, firing once. Upper head of creature disappeared in torrent of green slime. Adrenaline hit the blood of Aranea and once again she refused the gift.

A bullet hit the truck near her, and Aranea ducked, rolling behind the truck. Another trio of enemies were taking aim at her. But one on the left disappeared as Kostya jumped on the truck, shooting away the head of the foe. Last two aimed their weapons on anew enemy and Aranea charged from her cover, smashing head of enemy with the energy weapon into the ground, knocking him out. She heard movement and turned to face barrel of the gun of last enemy.

“Use your weapon!” Sonya angrily snapped, landing nearby. The shardgun in her hands shot hole in side of the enemy, killing man nearly instantly, “Stop trying to take them alive!” Sonya leaped away, landing near Yuki and saving her life, shooting at the weird green creature who sneaked at the scout from behind while she was busy taking down silver masks in front of her.

I am trying to take them alive? Aranea thought to herself, briefly looking at the shardgun in her hands. It was true, she never killed an actual human, just monsters up to this point. But…

She saw how a wounded man came from car, his eyes mad with pain and confusion. One of enemies in black uniform pointed a rifle at him. Without thinking Aranea took aim and fired. Large holes appeared in torso of enemy, and he was thrown back like a rag on the wind.

I took a life. Aranea thought, while jumping to wounded member of caravan and shooting again, killing another enemy armed with an energy weapon. It was weird feeling. She grabbed the wounded and forced him back into car, as bullet hit her in the back, but failed to break through her armor. She turned around, her shardgun blasting away the foe behind her.

This was her first-time killing a human being. Not a monster, not insectoid, not some mad machine, no. Actual human. Someone who had desires and dreams, living breathing person like her. Aranea saw how even her fellow wolfkin were sometimes shocked after their first kill. Olesya was weird for a week after she was involved in taking down gang of cannibal. And yet Aranea herself… She felt nothing. All her thoughts were about how to keep her pack alive, where enemy were, where enemy were, how to save people… This scared her. Not the fact that she killed. The fact that she felt nothing about it. Her parents would be disgusted with her.

I should feel something! She angrily thought, noticing how a wolfkin nearby ended up being open by the green creature with claws. The wolfkin warrior had her chest pierced, creature pushed head all the way through her. Kostya landed nearby, gun aimed at the head of the creature, but it swinged still twitching body, crashing wolfkin into Kostya, pressing him toward stone of the canyon. Aranea charged forward, taking aim at the left side of creature and shooting, injuring it. She placed next shot very carefully, trying not to hurt the warrior or Kostya. The creature twitched and fell, Kostya took body of wolfkin from its limp hand and shook his head. The warrior was dead. Aranea did not know this woman, but this death caused surge of hate and rage in her. A pack member, someone who would have had her back in any situation, just died.

“Sly, Kaleb, Kostya, secure the injured! Yuki, Kate, cover them.” Aranea commanded, sending image of the car with the wounded people to her pack. She noticed that Kostya appeared before one of the warriors, pushing her aside as soldier with energy weapon fired, melting away flesh and armor in Kostya’s side. Gun in arms of Aranea fired, killing the enemy with energy weapon. “Kostya, this was an order. Kaleb, treat his wound,” She said angrily, The soldier had more than enough time to dodge, Kostya’s help was unneeded. What was up with him?

Aranea quickly glanced around. Enemy attack was stopping, foes were dropping dead left and right. Some tried to escape but were gunned down. Few surrendered and were currently being tied down. It seemed that…

One of the warriors screamed as a red beam appeared behind her, shooting her through the chest. Nearby male wolfkin turned around but found no enemy nearby. In the next moment someone broke his neck like a dry branch. Slick metallic body jumped from cliffs above, landing near one of the males. Body was formed after image of woman, her head was bald, instead of eyes she had the glowing lenses of blue colors. The being stood up, facing up a male wolfkin. The soldier aimed his shardgun at the being and demand her to state her allegiance. The metallic woman tilted her head to the side and suddenly charged into motion, her palm piercing his chest. Nearby warrior took aim at the woman, but she dodged at the exact moment when the warrior was pressing the trigger of the shardgun. Bullets missed the mark. Next burst of motion carried foe to the wolfkin, with a single strike she beheaded the warrior. Another beam of red light shot behind one of the scouts, killing the wolfkin instantly. Once again, Aranea could neither see, nor smell the foe.

“Yuki! Kostya!” Sly shouted over the com network, “I have an idea how to take out invisible enemy.”

“Then do it already!” Yuki snarled back, fighting with the green creature. After a brief struggle, she dodged the hit and pressed the shardgun to the enemy’s head, blowing it up. Nearby Sonya saved Kostya from being torn apart by another green creature and he returned the favor by shooting another green creature that tried to sneak on the wolf hag from behind.

“I need your help for this! Bastard only uses low range energy pistol and melee, he or she had to be near someone to attack…” Sly began explaining.

“Cut the crap, what must we do?” Yuki demanded to know.

“Go to…” Aranea failed to hear the rest of Sly’s word as a new foe arrived and her full attention turned to it.

Sound of a working engine broke through the night. Something enormous landed on one of the cars, crashing entire vehicle underneath its steel foot. A behemoth crafted from steel rose up, the machine shaped in the form a man. Shoulders extended way behind the head, single arm was almost as big as Aranea’s body. When this new foe stood up, he towered above everyone on the road. The torso was connected with legs via a long pillar of steel, which served as a parody on spine column, the chest resembled an enormous cage. Human face was sculptured on the head, mouth twisted in the eternal smirk, instead of eyes two red lenses glanced at the world. Series of red glowing dots covered the armor. One massive spike made of steel was on each leg of the monster, going all the way from the knee to the foot. Inside each foot was a circular opening, meant to allow the spikes to slid into the ground for unknown purpose.

“Abnormals of Reclaimers?” A male human voice boomed from the steel chest of the entity. The leg made of metal rose up, moving with the speed unbecoming for such a giant. A male wolfkin failed to get out of the way and the leg smacked him, crashing him into the stone wall of the canyon. “Pheh. Not impressed.” He started to move at the wolfkins, each of his steps accompanied with a roaring sound of the engine.

Several more figures crashed into road, half men, half machines. A creature that landed before Aranea lacked all skin on the right side of the body, gleaming steel replaced the soft human skin. Both arms were replaced with the mechanical claws, one eye was gleaming with blue energy within. The cyborg struck with his right arm and Aranea grasped with his right arm with her own left paw. This foe was smaller than her, yet she felt how he was about to crush her own paw.

“Lesson learned, no hand-to-hand with it. Or is it him?” Aranea gritted her teeth and unleashed claws in her left arm, piercing through the hand of the foe. Not even a sign of pain was in the human eye of the enemy as he reached for a gun on his waist with free hand. Aranea moved faster than him, pressing her shardgun to the enemy’s neck. She pressed a trigger twice and enemy head had fallen backward, still dangling on few wires, while the enemy’s hand almost reached the gun. Blood, oil and sparks were pouring out of the neck’s wound, yet still no sign of pain was on enemy face, only concertation. Aranea fired once more, shooting away the head of the foe and body finally dropped dead. Head rolled on the ground, human eye looked at the wolfkin with hate, first emotion that this new enemy displayed. In few moments gleaming blue eye turned black and a human eye closed itself. Finally, this strange foe was dead and once again blasted power tried to force reward on Aranea, yet she pushed it back.

The steel behemoth pointed his hand and from his wrist a fire came, killing one scout as she tried to get the wounded member of caravan out of the way. The behemoth’s head moved, and two beams of energy shot from the eyes, slicing a male in two. Nearby a smaller steel enemy crushed the head of another male wolfkin like a pebble. Several warriors opened fire at the metal behemoth with shardguns, yet armor piercing bullets failed to do anything more than to scratch enormous creature as it laughed.

They are butchering us! Aranea angrily understood and contacted her pack, “Change of plans everyone. Take whoever you can and retreat. We need heavy weapons to drop this thing down and there are none in sight.”

“What about you?” Yuki asked. Her breathing was calm. Aranea could see that the warrior was standing in the shadow of the truck, breathing calmly. Turning night vision on, Aranea could see a steel net surrounding space around Yuki’s legs. Aranea was about to ask what is going on, when sparkles exploded on the net from behind the warrior and Yuki suddenly kicked back with her right leg in almost arc like motion, armor on Yuki’s foot sliding away, allowing her claws to be released. Someone screamed behind her, and a new figure appeared in the night, man in the black uniform, his right arm sliced in two and his energy gun on the ground.

“I'll try to distract the big thing, and will join you later,” Kaleb begun to protest and Aranea snarled, “No second-guessing. Take the injured and run, this is an order.” She moved to the left as another mechanical foe jumped at her.

Kostya appeared near Yuki, just as a gun moved into the left hand of the wounded man in a black uniform from the sleeve of his clothes. Body of the man began to disappear from the view, but Kostya shot him in the head, killing him. Kaleb helped two normies to get from the car and turned around as he heard steps of the metal woman behind him. Understanding that if he was to retreat, the enemy would be able to kill the people, Kaleb tried to stand his ground, raising his weapon a moment too late. The mechanical foe jumped on Kaleb, crushing the wolfkin to the ground. Aranea could see how enemy twisted the right arm of the soldier, breaking both the armor and bones within, causing Kaleb to scream in pain. Sly shouted in a worry over the com network, running to Kaleb. The mechanical creature pushed her hands into Kaleb’s mouth, trying to tear away his lower jaw. But before she could rip off Kaleb’s, the metal woman sensed something and jumped away from the wolfkin as Kate fired into her back. Shards missed its mark and the metal woman stood up, looking at Kate who was standing near the car. The scout pressed the trigger and metal woman start dodging just as Kate’s armored finger was pressing the trigger of the shardgun, evading shot with automatic efficiency. In the next moment she charged at Kate and the scout had to use her own shardgun to block a piercing strike of the enemy’s palm. The palm broke through the shardgun, causing it to accidently discharge into the nearby car and engine of this car exploded when armor piercing bullets broke through the metal of the energy cell within. Explosion threw Kate and her foe away from each other. The scout rolled away from her enemy, loudly cursing the situation because as a result of explosion she now had metal spike stuck in her lower back, metal pierced her armor and injured the scout slightly, unable to reach the vitals. Meanwhile the mechanical woman tried to stand up. She was just a moment too late, Kaleb, still lying on the ground and holding his gun in his left paw, and Sly, who finally reached Kaleb, both fired shardguns into the back of metal woman, making two large holes in her chest. Body of foe stumbled, and Kate was on her, tearing away the head of the foe and smashing it with her paws. Blood and brain matter flowed from the crashed metal head. Kate growled for a moment as reward hit her and turned to Kaleb, quickly grabbing him, putting him over her shoulder, along with one normies, while Sly was helping the others. The members of Aranea’s pack and the members of Sonya’s pack were busy quickly grabbing whoever they can, retreating ungracefully from this battle.

Aranea finished off the mechanical creature just as the steel leviathan noticed her. He carelessly threw away a warrior’s dead body and stomped toward Aranea. Chin of the behemoth spread wide, revealing guns hidden in it. Aranea cursed and jumped back as bullets hit the place where she stood just a moment ago. The creature jumped, landing before her, blades slid from within the fingers of his right hand, and he made a slash with new weapons. Despite all attempts of Aranea to dodge, blade hit her across the ribs, tearing through armor as if it was a paper. The massive blades slide across her skin, leaving laceration wounds and almost opening her belly. She moved her shardgun up, firing at the smiling face of steel behemoth, but only scratches remained on the target.

“Not once but twice you survived me,” Voice from the chest spoke once more in a thunderous sound, “Know this, oh pathetic, yet a stubborn foe. On this night you die by Allahkoliken hand.” The hand pointed at Aranea, and she saw a flame within wrist.

She jumped back, as the flame shot forward. A searing flame hit her feet but failed to do anything because of her armor. Her armor screamed warning, recommending her to leave this “hazard area” and she turned off all warnings, as she frantically tried to think of something. Her foe was all but invincible, her weapon and claws could not even hope to damage this machine.

“At least I am faster than…” Something clicked behind the back of the legs and behind the back of Allahkoliken’s body. Thrusters spit fire behind him, propelling him toward in a straight line. His body moved forward, throwing the nearby car aside like a card box, reaching Aranea faster than she could have run. His shadow fell on her, and she felt horror.

“No,” She stubbornly thought looking around for way out, “There are still so much to do. Tribe. Mother. I can’t, I refuse to die he…” Her mind went dark for a moment as the mechanical hand swiped her, tearing through armor on her left arm, leaving torn wounds on her flesh. She rolled to the side, ending in front of the truck. Pain hit her as her conscious came back.

“Die.” The mechanical monster said, raising his hand for a final hit. Aranea slowly began standing up, trying to force her body out of the danger zone, but her own body simply refused to follow commands. She moved as in the slow motion, while death was falling upon her.

She felt hit to the side and flew to the left as Sonya appeared standing in her place. In the claws of wolf hag was form of torn apart mechanical soldier, she threw him aside as she pushed her left paw forward and energy shield shot outward from the wolf hag’s arm, deflecting the incoming hand. The mechanical beast’s armed slide from the shield, crashing into the ground, instead of crushing the wolf hag.

“Bitch.” Voice boomed from the chest of machine and the energy beams were shot from his eyes, only to be deflected by the shield. The hand rose again and this time he pushed through the shield, tearing piece of meat from the left side of Sonya’s body, “Should have run when you had the chance.” Enemy mocked as machine kicked and Sonya flew into a car.

Aranea looked at this situation, as she stood up.

Tonight, we finally settle this. You and I will fight. Flashed in the head of Aranea. Aranea was weaker than Sonya. If the wolf hag was to die here, Aranea will be promoted. Sonya probably deserved it anyway. You are disgrace. I can see that punishment is needed. Aranea remembered Sonya’s paw that was ready to maim Kaleb. She remembered every single time that Sonya left claw marks on Aranea’s body and bodies of others. How many scars she had by now because of wolf hag? Surely, Aranea was a better person, more valuable person than this spiteful bitch. For the better of the Wolf Tribe, Aranea had to survive at all costs…

“And I have great many things I want to change in our order. And for this I need authority” Tilden spoke in her head and the scout shook her head looking at the truck. Door was melted away by the acid spit of the creature. She leaped inside, desperately looking around crates, until she found a familiar sign. The sign of portentously dangerous equipment. She tore off the lid of the crate and saw rows of energy cells within. Long objects, roughly half of meter in length were encased in the armor glass, yellow glow was within them. Metal lids were at the end of each object. At the top were several buttons.

What am I doing? Aranea asked herself, but then she stubbornly decided. I will win in my own way. Screw it all, I won’t become him. I won’t become another Tilden!

“Sly, I am in need of your advice,” She called wolfkin over her com network grabbing two fully charged energy cells, “You once told me that if you smack energy cells together and press red buttons something catastrophic will happen. This means, running for your life to the hills type of catastrophic, correct?”

“Yes. It will begin releasing energy and… The hell are you planning?” Sly asked, his breathing was hard.

“Want to cook someone, no biggie.” Aranea responded quickly, grabbing three energy cells.

“Aranea, whatever you do, do not use more than four energy cells at the same time. Otherwise, you will end up in…” Sly began to scream, but she turned off the communications.

She charged from the truck, just in time to see how the shield of Sonya went off. Bullets from jaw of the machine hit the wolf hag in the left hand, piercing through the armor. Sonya growled, but still stubbornly continued to lead the foe away from the cars and trucks. New scratches were on her black armor, she left a blood trail as she moved back. Booming laughter came from inside the chest of the giant machine, foe was enjoying himself. Few remaining members of the pack were locked away in a fight with mechanical enemies and few green creatures. Majority of the pack managed to escape, taking wounded members of the convoy and even prisoners with them.

The scout darted to the enormous beast of steel, evading a green creature on her way. The green creature turned after her, but a nearby scout charged at him. Aranea wished her kin the best of luck as she herself sneaked upon the massive body of the enemy. She slammed two energy cells together and pressed red buttons. There was some place where torso of the foe connected to the metal legs, and she dropped cells into this space. Suddenly torso turned around one hundred and eighty degrees to face Aranea, legs still facing Sonya.

“What are you doing, little beastie?” Allahkoliken asked in a mocking voice, and he moved backward with a deadly precision, leg had risen up to smash the.

“Oh, to abyss with this.” Aranea pressed red button on the remaining energy cell and dropped it. She jumped away, just before the steel leg could crush her. Mechanical leg collapsed the energy cell on the ground and the world of Aranea turned to white as explosion rocketed in the canyon. A shockwave carried her all the way back to the truck, slamming her into the steel side of the vehicle and making her croak from pain. Not even her armor absorbed all the impact from this collision. Cars were forced to fall on the side, fighters all around were thrown off their feet. Even the massive truck trembled. Allahkoliken was dropped into newly made crater that appeared under hum, smoke and dust covered him from Aranea’s view.

“One of this won’t do shit, beastie!” Allahkoliken laughed in an electronical mocking voice echoed in canyon, while he was getting out from molten crater. His leg was covered by a black substance, the steel on his leg was no longer gleamed shiny, but otherwise he was unharmed.

“How about two more, you freak!” Aranea shouted back. Laughter stopped for a moment, as the foe was looking at his body in something like concern. Red dots that covered his body moved, appearing to be a host of cameras on the wires. Red lenses of cameras were moving around his body, looking for anything suspicion.

He failed to find the danger in time and a new explosion started. For a brief moment Aranea could see the enormous black silhouette of her foe, before it too disappeared against a white color that seemingly engulfed the entire world. Aranea could hear nothing but the loud screaming of the explosion. Warnings of her armor came back online, turned on by the auto system. Loud noises began to scream, indicating that Aranea should escape from this location as soon as possible. No matter how she wanted to, she physically could not move anymore, as she was slowly pushed into truck behind her by the shockwave. Finally inevitable happened. Truck that was meant to endure an avalanche of stone from the canyon’s walls, fell to the side and Aranea flew backwards, her body dangling in the air, before being slammed into the wall. End came abruptly, white color disappeared from view, noise stopped and Aranea could finally breathe deeply. She lay on her back, looking at night sky, feeling that it was impossible for her to stand up.

“It’s over.” She told herself. Nothing could survive this hell. She won.

Stone cracked to her right, and she saw a mechanical soldier coming on her. Right hand of this cyborg was torn away, blood was coming from within the flesh, human eye was popped. Yet mechanical eye still worked, and the foe lifted his claw to finish her off. Aranea started to be standing up, feeling pain in all her body.

“Let’s dance pain away, then.” She mumbled, waiting for a strike. She can take first one. She should be able. Then she will tear off his head with her…

She was still thinking when a large form of the wolfkin smashed into the soldier, crashing him against the wall with her legs. Aranea blinked when she understood who this was.

“Hey, how ya doing?!” Olesya cheerfully asked, as she jumped away from the wall, grabbing Aranea before she could fall from exhaustion, “Girl, you look like shit, lemme tell ya that!” Aranea blinked again. Yes, it was definitely Olesya, she was even bigger than before. “Now lay down and let me and my pack take care of the rest. We will show you how it’s done.” Teased fellow scout, carefully holding Aranea with one hand.

She fell silent as they both heard loud steps. Something came to the truck, lifted entire vehicle and then tore it in two. Allahkoliken, his form blackened from the explosion, wires with cameras burned away, yet otherwise he stood unharmed. He held two sides of the truck in his hands, before throwing them several meters away.

“You dared to ruin the paint on my body. For this I will tear away first your right arm, then your left arm. Then I will tear away your head.” Boomed angry voice from the chest of machine.

“On the other hand, it is said in teachings, thou will share with your fellow sisters in time of need…” Olesya said in weak voice.

“No, no, he is all yours, I insist.” Aranea joked, feeling despair. This blasted thing seemed to be invincible.

The wolfkins of Siri’s pack appeared from behind the machine, firing shardguns into its massive bulk. Without turning, Allahkoliken shrugged his long shoulders and metal ropes shot back from behind his shoulders. Steel ropes wrapped themselves around the pack members and several wolfkins screamed in pain as restrains began to tear through their armor and burrowed deep into their skin. Allahkoliken raised his arm and blades on his fingers twitched in anticipation.

“Drop me and run,” Aranea whispered, “Look after my pack if you can. Someone needs to hit Sly in order for him not to forget to eat and someone should knock Kate around from time to time in order to keep her bile level down.”

“Eh, let’s try to get away together.” Olesya whispered back.

“This thing has lasers.”

“Oh, then we are dead anyway,” The scout said, swallowing her drool nervously. Despite her bravado, Olesya was scared.

“Beg for your live, bitch.” The machine was almost on them, arm moving to Aranea.

Screams of the wolfkins stopped as someone shot away wires that held them. The behemoth start to turn as two massive forms landed on the ground behind him. Warlord Martyshkina, large black wolfkin who wore no helmet stood up. Her armor was of brown color, a fur coat, rarity in these lands, was flowing from her shoulders, held by pauldrons of her armor. Large scar was visible in the space from her left lip to left ear, no fur grown on the damaged flesh. In her paws were two oversized revolvers, seemingly instantly she pointed her guns at one of the green creatures on the road and fired. Shot made the entire upper body of foe to disappear in explosion of gore. Near her stood up form of Janine Ironjaw, her oversized bulk dwarfing even the form of her fellow warlord. Legs and arms of Janine looked a bit too small for her massive torso and yet she moved around with ease. She raised her flamecaster, two rings run around the barrel of weapon until two red diamonds appeared above barrel and one below. White hot flame shot away from barrel of her weapon, turning nearby mechanical soldier into molten remains, flesh was scorched away instantly.

“New playthings,” Allahkoliken laughed, “Who will be first? Or you are ready to die together?” He turned away from Aranea and Olesya hurriedly began carrying her fellow away from the battle. Aranea could see how Siri in the distance was dragging Sonya away, other members of warlords’ packs have arrived, taking injured away and leaving space for the warlords to fight.

“Shall I kill him?” Martyshkina lazily asked, spinning the revolvers in her hands. She threw one weapon in the air, reloading second gun and repeated same process with first weapon. Instead of answering her, Janine moved forward.

“What was it that you told my kin before?” Janine asked in a calm manner, advancing on the huge machine and taking huge axe from her shoulder.

“Will this be a melee?” Allahkoliken laughed and beams shot from his eyes, stopping dead in the warlord’s armor. Janine not even bothered to defend herself. Machine lifted his hand and flame shot forward, but one swing of the axe cleared space before warlord, wind from her slash moved with such force that it dragged fire to the right. Janine continued to casually move forward, axe returned back on her shoulder, blade of her weapon looking at the skies above. Allahkoliken moved the hands behind his metal head and his spine column shot up from his torso. He closed his arms on the metal spine, taking it from his body, revealing it to be an oversized sword, “I love myself a good melee,” Smugly said voice from his chest, “Let’s see how long you can last.”

“Beg for your life, bitch. Were these the words that you uttered to my kin?” Janine asked, ignoring his boasts. Her voice still calm, without threat. Each sentence was followed by a metal click of her jaw.

You are reading story Duty, empty dreams and trying not to become a monster. at novel35.com

Fire shot from behind the legs and back of the steel behemoth, carrying him forward at a great speed, sword in his hand turned into a blur as he made his slash. Sword was almost at Janine’s head when she moved. Only once before Aranea saw such speed. When her mother faced against the sword saints. She failed to see clear picture before, and she nearly failed to see it now. While Janine was slower than either of the sword saints, she was stronger. Normies and wolfkins alike told legends about how she once cleaved through great gates of a walled city on the north. According to the legends, gates were as thick as entire tank, and could withstand rockets and lasers alike without any scratches. And yet they fell to a single blow when Janine took her weapons in both arms. Janine no longer had her left hand and many years had passed since them. Yet rejuvenation technologies kept Janine as young as before, no sign of grey fur was on her body. With the single hand she struck forward, speed of strike so great that it made air to scream and created shockwave that hit even Aranea, despite the distance. Tip of the steel sword broke, right shoulder of Allahkoliken cracked under the massive pressure as axe carved its path through his body. The steel behemoth recoiled back, first time in fear on this night, raising remaining hand to unleash torrent of fire and Janine struck again, slicing away his left hand.

“How… What the hell are you!” Allahkoliken roared, laser beams shooting from his eyes and bullets flying from his jaw. With a single slash of axe his head was send away.

“Let’s see you do the same.” Janine said, once again ignoring him.

“Don’t get cocky, you overgrown beast! Never will be flesh equal to the steel!” Allahkoliken jumped back, gaining the distance between himself and Janine, his chest opened, revealing a massive cannon inside. Spikes on his knees crashed into the stone road, going down almost all way, as cannon extended forward from the chest. With horror Aranea understood that there was something… no someone behind cannon. Brain, floating in a weird juice in a cistern of armor glass was behind cannon. No spinal column or eyes were present on this chunk of flesh. Rumors about the Bento tribe were true. They really were becoming one with a steel. Energy started flowing into weapon, preparing something deadly to be unleashed at the warlord, “I will blast you away in one shot. Not even a single bone will be left behind for your miserable whores to chew upon! Say your prayers!” Voice began to cackle madly.

Janine raised her left hand. Metal circles begun to run across her flamecaster, all three red diamonds appeared above her weapon. Form of the steel behemoth suddenly twitched, as if he sensed something. Aranea could hear tiny buzzing noise of an alarm within the machine’s chest.

“Wait… If you shoot this… Stop it, you idiot! Do you even know what King will do with you for this? Don’t you dare!” The voice boomed, as fire in its chest fired at the same time as Janine fired her own weapon. A ball of white flame left the hand of warlord, just as multicolored laser beam shot from the chest cannon of the machine. Ball of plasma hit the beam and pushed it back, energy striking away in all sides, melting the road and slicing through the stones of the canyon. Allahkoliken screamed in horror as his beam lost the struggle and plasma ball was moving at him. His screams were cut short when plasma ball hit him in the chest and the entire steel form evaporated almost instantly. Ball continued to move forward, making a new cave in the stone wall behind the vaporized foe. In a moment new cave collapsed as stones from above fell.

Rings on Janine hand wend dark as flamecaster began recharging process. She put her weapon down, turning to Martyshkina, who put her weapons back in a motion too fast for Aranea to see. One moment the warlord still had revolvers in her paws, in next moments they were in her holsters.

“All done it seems,” Siri and Sonya appeared. Wolf hag Sonya was limping, yet she walked all the way to her warlord and fell on one knee. Wolfkins of Sonya pack start moving back from the cliffs, carrying prisoners and injured members of the caravan, “We will count the losses and…”

“How long are you going to hide!” Martyshkina roared, throwing her snout to the skies. Surprise appeared on Janine’s face as she also looked up.

Aranea heard clapping and saw a figure standing on the cliffs. Figure was dressed in a simple leather coat the color of the sand, oversized pants held by the rope at the waist, a richly looking white shirt and black boots. No anti-heat suit was on newcomer, yet no sweat was running down his wrinkled face. His gray hair was receding. He looked like a usual normies, same size as almost everyone in the wastes. The only unique thing about him were the eyes. Whites of his eyes were of solid green colors, pupils of the eyes were of solid black color.

“Most excellent!” The old man shouted in welcomed voice, “Not many can notice me when I do not want this.”

“Only friends can sneak up on me.” Martyshkina said, cracking her neck. “Judging by the fact how hard it was to notice you and how you just happen to appear next to Resistance scum, I dare to make a guess that you are one of them. Ready to give up, or shall we make you shorter on a head?”

“Your guesses are both correct and incorrect,” The man smiled, “I am from Resistance, true, but these attackers here are most certainly not.”

“Bullshit,” Janine said without raising her voice, “For whom do they work for then?” She nodded at the prisoners and the dead.

“I could hazard no idea,” The man smirked, “I was actually sent to eliminate those who pretended to be us. I am so glad that you made my work easier. Truly, there are future for a cooperation between us. Now if you would just step aside and allow me to finish my job…”

He went silent as forms of Janine and Martyshkina disappeared, the ground underneath them exploded as they both jumped up. Martyshkina landed to the right of the man, Janine to the left.

“Friend, I think you misunderstand,” Martyshkina smiled, “We insist that you join us on the way to our camp. Our leaders have so many questions to ask you…”

“Ah-ah. I am afraid I must decline,” The man smiled back to her, “You see, this road down here is a neutral ground between our lands. No one really care what happens there. But these cliffs here are land of Resistance. Touch me and…” He put his hands in his pockets, “War just might break early. We would not want this stain on the honor of your master, would we?” Martyshkina only kept smiling and the man sighed. “Anyway, I am professional, so…” Something shot from his coat, tearing through the pockets. Small bones hit every prisoner in the head, striking with perfect accuracy. Some ricocheted from the stone walls and even cars in order to hit their mark, yet with single attack eleven people were dead, “Ah much better. You always got to finish the…” The old man was silent as Martyshkina pointed her gun at him, no longer smiling. He quickly raised his hands on the level of his head, pupils of his eyes moved to the sides, looking at both warlords, “Come on, no need to sweat over small things.”

Janine slammed shaft of her axe into the ground, causing stones underneath the old man and warlords to fall. As they were falling on the road, Martyshkina put a finger on the trigger:

“Damn shame that you are now on the neutral ground, eh friend?”

“Actually, I am glad.” The old man replied, “It is good to learn new things at my age. And dish out lessons for others.”

Janine slammed her axe on the man, but his form disappeared, reappearing standing on the axe as it sliced the ground underneath him. Martyshkina fired and the man threw up his right hand, somehow backhanding the bullet back into shoulder pad of the warlord, causing bullet to tear through the warlord’s armor and leave a mark on the flesh underneath. The man hit with his left palm, hitting belly of Janine. His palm pointed up and then he made half circle motion, turning the palm down. Aranea was unsure what happened, but the massive body of Janine flew backward, the armor on her chest cracked and drop of blood fell from her upper lip. Both warlords moved away from man as he jumped back on the cliffs.

“I was sent to also “sniff” you out, so to speak,” He smiled landing on stones above, “Pardon for the provocation, but I just had to know how good the warlords are. I must say that…” A blood suddenly flowed from underneath his right arm, wrist of his right arm was sliced by the round from revolver, long slash appeared on his right shoulder, blood pouring from it. Old man looked at his injuries with a mild surprise.

“I hope we didn't disappoint you, friend.” Martyshkina smugly said, reaching for her wound and sniffing her own blood.

“Just be glad that I was not paid for taking your lives on this night,” The man looked down on them. No smile was on his face, “Or there would have been few more dead bodies on the road. Enough for tonight. I bid you farewell.” He jumped away, crushing stones underneath his foot.

“Wheh. Quite the customer,” Martyshkina laughed, “Good to know that Resistance have someone worth of our time.”

“Check out the bodies. If some of them are still alive, save them, we need all the prisoners we can get. Tend to the wounds of caravan members, we will escort them to our camp,” Janine gave orders with disinterested voice, “How many of our kin are dead?”

As dead were counted and wounds of the survivors were treated, Olesya was busy bandaging wounds of Aranea. Aranea’s pack contacted her, reporting that two out of the six people that they saved are in critical condition, so Aranea gave order for them to go straight to the camp.

“Just sew the edges of the wounds together,” Aranea frowned as Olesya was cleaning her wounds from dirt and pulling out the metal remains, “It all will come out eventually.” Sonya came to her and Aranea stood up. Wolf hag shred her armor, giving it up to one of the wolfkins nearby. Her wounds were bandaged, but Aranea could see red color appearing on bandages.

“Drop your armor. Your friend can take it back to the camp,” Sonya gave order as Janine and Martyshkina came over to them, “It’s time. Follow me.”

“Is it reasonable to leave?” Martyshkina asked, “What if this weird dude…”

“Marty,” Janine said an a strangely kind voice, “Sniff the air. No one can stop this challenge now.”

Martyshkina threw her head back and sniffed the air for a long time. Finally, her amber eyes opened, shock and awe were in them.

“Holy Spirits,” She whispered, “Is this really?” She looked at Aranea, almost with pity, “Girl, it’s do or die this time. This will not be simple challenge. Two will leave, one will come back. If you want to win, let out your ancestry. Use the power.”

“I don’t understand.” Aranea said, “Challenges were never meant to be until death. One will submit, one will rise, and tribe will live on.”

“Not this time,” Janine shook her head, “Sometimes, very rarely, time of death comes. One must die, one way must end,” She weirdly looked at Aranea, “You want something different, am I right?” The scout refused to answer, and the warlord nodded “Two ideas clash. One way will perish.”

“My warlords, it’s not my place, but…” Olesya threw herself on the ground, “Scout Aranea is wounded. She is hurt. It’s unfair, not right to make her fight now…”

Martyshkina leaped on Olesya, biting her in the neck and lifting her in the air. Yet surprisingly this time punishment was light, the warlord merely bit the skin and forced scout to stand up.

“It is not your place,” Martyshkina said, hitting Olesya lightly with a paw by the side of her arm, “But… I am human too. Sometimes time come when everything is beyond our abilities to solve. Trust in your friend. If she fails, keep memory of her in your heart,” The warlord turned around, shouting to the packs to form up.

“You are injured. Let me make your burden easier.” Janine said as Aranea removed her armor. The warlord crashed shaft of her axe into the ground and grabbed both the scout and wolf hag with her good arm, jumping on the clips in a single leap and putting wolfkins on the ground. “This is all the mercy I can afford to give to both of you. Sonya,” She addressed wolf hag, “You served me well and never was I disappointed in you. If you perish, be reborn as someone happier in the next life. Aranea,” The warlord turned to the scout, “You are half breed, not truly my kin. And yet I always thought of you as one of us. Should you perish, may you and your family meet again in next life as friends or family. These are my farewell words to one of you. Fear nothing, for none can interrupt your duel on this night. Give it your all.” She turned around and jumped down.

Sonya looked at Aranea and took a breath.

“Follow me. Place is not far,” She turned around and run, leaving drops of blood on the ground behind her. Aranea followed after her.

Sense of dread fell on her as two wolfkin run across the stones to a lonely hill ahead. With back of her head Aranea could feel as if something was following them, unseen, unnoticed. She could almost feal how something was sniffing her from behind. She turned her head to the left and the presence shifted to right, always staying outside of her field of view, never allowing her to notice anything. And yet she saw something else. Drops of blood that she and Sonya left. Some of them were missing, as if something licked them away. They run, coming closer to the mountain and for a brief moment moon light was gone, they were running in the shadow of something. Aranea wanted to turn, but fear forced her to move forward. What could it be? They were in the open plains. Could it be a bird? Then yellow light fell on them, disappearing in an instant, moonlight returning back. And yet Aranea could not get rid of feeling that something truly scary was following them. Death itself accompanied them on this night.

Finally, they reached small clearing before the mountain. Crude shape of circle was made with six large stones, the hill towered around the makeshift arena, disk of moon was visible just above the hill’s top.

Sonya stopped in the middle of circle and turned, breathing hard. Bandages on her left side turned red.

“This is it kiddo,” She smiled, sweat visible below her fur, “This is where you go down. But I want to ask you. Just what are you want to change?”

Aranea stepped toward her.

“I will make us grow up. I will remove these idiotic traditions like killing elderlies. I will remove pits,” She said, circling around Sonya, reading for a strike, “Cubs will play with each other instead of fighting. Males and females will be equal. Cubs could go to schools, could choose life of peace instead of war. No more killing defective, no more mauling, no more pain.”

“You will destroy us, you mean,” Sonya growled at these words, “Softness leads to extinctions.”

“Are we really this weak, to keel over because of small changes? If so, then we are doomed either way!” Aranea shouted, ducking low as she was behind Sonya, “But we both know this isn’t so. The Ice Fang order live well enough without our traditions, why can’t we live new lives as well? It may sound arrogant, but I will make us open our eyes. All of us, me included. We all deserve to be happy.”

She leaped and Sonya turned, hitting her with elbow in the shoulder, sending Aranea rolling backward.

“If your way is so great, then how come you are so weak?” Sonya mocked her, “Some ways are destined for extinction. If only I was a better parent,” She sighed, “Your way might have lived. You were given to me to raise you, yet I always coddled you, treating you too softly. Even now I fail to see hatred in you. If only I had pushed you hard enough to accept your gift. My fault for ruining your dreams,” Sonya shook her head, “But it’s all over now, Aranea, for both you and me. Time for dreams is over. Reality cometh.”

The wolf hag lunged at Aranea, and scout jumped all the way back to a large stone pillar behind her. Right paw of her foe rose, and scout jumped to the left, as paw tore chunk of stone from the pillar behind her. Aranea rolled around and stood up. Wolf hag was walking to her, right paw pointing at Aranea, while left paw held wounded side of Sonya’s body. Right paw shoot up like a piston as Sonya speed up and covered distance between opponents quickly. Wolf hag always favored precise hits, ones that tear muscles and bones in a single strike. Yet now Sonya could barely run, her breathing was hard from injuries and her vision blurry. Her aim was no longer as great as before. Aranea dodged the paw and hit with the wolf hag her right paw, aiming for eyes of her foe. And yet even now, she was too slow. Right paw of Sonya slapped hand of the scout aside and slammed Aranea into her jaw, forcing the world to spin around as she fell. Aranea looked up and saw Sonya bending over, pain on her snout from this simple movement. That moment of pain gave Aranea a chance to dodge, as right paw slammed into stone ground, going into the stone up the wrist. Aranea jumped on her feet, as Sonya tore her hand free from the stone.

Wolf hag turned and charged at Aranea. She slashed with her right paw and claws left a wound across Aranea’s left eye. Yet the scout still managed to dodge, pain and lack of stamina made Sonya slower than usual. As right hand of Sonya missed the mark, scout hit her with an elbow into her wounded side and Sonya gasped for air. Aranea grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her knee into her belly, yet Sonya blocked kick with the palm of her left paw. Head of Sonya crashed into Aranea’s head, causing world to spin. The scout fell, rolling aside, trying to banish the dizziness. She stood up and saw Sonya clenching her side, also trying to gain control over her body. Two clashed again.

They fought in the night, claws against claws, fangs against fangs. Both left deep marks on each other body, neither was ready to surrender. A shadow fell on them, as moonlight was gone and for a brief moment they fought in utter darkness. Then each of them was in a circle of a yellow light. Aranea saw fear in eyes of Sonya, same fear that she felt as well. Death was looking at them, judging them. Sonya pushed Aranea out of the circle and Aranea hid behind the stone, listening carefully. Sonya threw stone to the left yet appeared to the right and scout hit her in the jaw with an elbow, pushing her way back into the circle.

They clashed again and Sonya threw Aranea on the ground, grabbing her by the throat with left hand, right hand was holding Aranea’s right hand. Aranea desperately tried to breathe, yet Sonya was choking the life out of her. With remains of her strength, Aranea punched with her left arm into left side of her opponent. Right into wound. Again. And again. And once more. Sonya growled and released her, backing down. Aranea charged after her and Sonya kicked with her left leg. Aranea grabbed the leg and crushed the knee, all strength was gone from Sonya’s body. Wounds of Aranea were slowly healing, wounds of Sonya were still open. The wolf hag let out growl of pain and Aranea slammed her in the ground. Sonya tried to protect herself with left paw, but Aranea broke her arm, slamming elbow of one of her arms under the elbow of Sonya and twisting the wolf hag’s arm until it broke. The she grabbed head of the wolf hag and slammed her into ground several times, before starting to simply punch her foe into the snout, into sides of her face. She stopped, when she noticed that Sonya was out cold, blood running from her left ear and mouth. Aranea released claws on her right paw. Something demanded death. Yellow light that engulfed both Aranea and Sonya demanded life. Life must be given. Adrenaline hit in her blood, as her power tried to break through to give her “reward”.

This time their lives are the coin that will ensure…

“Fuck you all!” Aranea shouted slamming her paw into the ground near Sonya’s head and forcing power to back off. “Screw it, screw your traditions and screw this power. Screw sacrificing others. My way! You hear it!” she looked up and saw nothing. Just the moonlight. It was all just a dream.

And then ground trembled as something softly landed on all four behind the scout. Loud sniff came from behind Aranea, and she turned around. Largest wolfkin she ever saw was standing behind her on all four. Her eyes were lamps of yellow light. Her fur was smooth and of color of the darkest void. Her jaws slightly open, threatening to devour Aranea whole.

“Who are you?” Aranea and strange wolfkin asked each other at the same time. The wolfkin had weird melodical voice, yet hidden rage was inside it. By her voice Aranea understood that being before her was female.

“I am Aranea,” The scout said weakly. This thing. She dwarfed even Janine. If she decided to kill her…

“You have shape of my descendants, yet you do not smell like one,” The wolfkin turned her head to left, looking at Aranea, “You have my power in you, yet it all watered down, and you share it with the power of others as well,” The Wolfkin tilted her head to the right, “One of your eyes bear my color, while other are not. What are you, cub? And why are you refusing the reward?”

“Your name first.” Aranea demanded, standing up.

“Me?” Creature let out a chuckle, “Forgotten at last. Ah, some freedom. Name’s Ravager.”

Ravager. Originator of the Wolf Tribe. Former commander of the third army. Original champion of the Dynast. One of great trio of Dynast’s champions was standing before Aranea, talking with her casually.

“I am the child of Kalaisa and Gregor Wintersong. Kin to the Ice Fang order and to the Wolf Tribe.” Aranea responded honestly.

“Ah I see now. I sensed a funny smell, and this is why I followed after you on this night. You remind me of other cub,” Ravager nodded, “But unlike her, you at least look like me.”

“Other cub?”

“Not my secret to give up. Ask her yourself if you ever meet her,” Ravager spoke calmly, not demanding domination, not trying to bite Aranea into submission. It was almost as if she had no ties to the Wolf Tribe, no care for the traditions. Ravager looked at knocked out Sonya, “Will you eat her?”

“Of course not!” Aranea responded in shock and Ravager opened her jaws, revealing numerous fangs inside.

“Then I will help myself.” Her head moved to the wolf hag’s body.

“Back off!” Aranea stood before massive jaws, showing no sign of aggression, but refusing to back down. She was unsure how to react. Legends told about the violate temper of the progenitor, yet she sensed no threat, “I won. Her life is mine.”

“Then take it.”

“No. I… I choose to make her live on,” Aranea responded, and Ravager blinked in a surprise, “I won, right? Prize is mine, the decision is mine. I refuse and change this stupid tradition right now, just like I will change the Wolf Tribe one day.”

“You want to become this?” Ravager stood up on two legs, pointing at herself with an enormous claw, “I overheard your dream. Let me tell you, to change something, you need power. To bring about great change, you need an even greater power. And with power comes change. Will you truly be happy be becoming like me?”

“Screw and screw your power!” Aranea shouted at her ancestor, “I won today. Won with my own two hands, my own claws, no power was needed. I will change all, in my own way,” She stubbornly said, and Ravager crushed on all four before her, putting her head on the ground.

“Stupid, stupid cub. Once I too tried to change something. And I created skinwalkers,” The great creature mused in a sad voice, “Let me show foolishness of your way. Attack me in any way you want, young one.”

“You made the skinwalkers?” Ravager nodded, lying still, “Do you… do you have any idea what you have done? Because of you, because of the filth like you, my mother, my mom is!” Aranea raised her paw, releasing the claws. Ravager was lying still waiting for her advance. She made no effort to defend herself, nor to attack. She only smiled. Aranea made step forward and made herself stop, breathing heavily. She shook her head. This creature here was not someone who ruined her life. Her mother would not approve taking her anger on the others. Her father would have never done such thing, “You want to pay for your sins, do a community service or something. Don't expect to be absolved of blame just because you let me beat you up. Best of all come back and help me reform the Tribe…” She stopped as Ravager began to laugh cheerfully.

“Pay for my sins…” Ravager was still lying on her belly, yet she was howling with laughter, “As if such thing is possible. Girlie, there are truly bad people in the world. I am one of them, a monster, not a human. From the first day of my life, I suffered. No one helped me, because no one helps monsters, so I had to save myself. One day someone will end me, and this will be the end of it. There is no redemption, no salvation for me, never was and never will be. No, girlie, all there is for me is fighting and killing,” She wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and extended her arm, “I am telling you to attack me to teach you about something. For you see, unlike me, you can do something good with your life. Potentially. But you must learn harsh truth of the world,” Ravager snapped her finger at the Aranea’s body, hitting her lightly. Force of the blow send Aranea back, flying all the way into the hill, smashing into it. Her left arm cracked in two places, bones tore her skin on her left arm. Aranea fell on the ground, fighting for each breath, “This. This right here is the limit to your dream. You are weak. Frail. Uncapable to protect even yourself, much less make your dream into reality.”

“Shut up!” Aranea growled, trying to stand up.

“Why should I? You can’t persuade me, you can’t make me stop, you can’t even hurt me… You can’t do shit as you are right now.” The enormous creature smiled.

 “I said be silent!” Aranea roared jumping on her feet and charging at the creature before her. She hit nostrils of her ancestor with her paw. Sharp claws, capable to leave marks on steel and stone failed to even scratch the tough skin of the first of the wolfkin. She kicked and clawed, failing to leave even a single mark. After a full minute she stepped back, thinking. There are two places where she can’t be that tough. Aranea thought and smiled madly. Her idea was crazy, but if opponent truly wanted to let her go all out… She grabbed with her right hand, ignoring pain in broken bones and climbed onto the snout of bored Ravager. She looked at scout with disinterest as Aranea lifted her paw and hit left amber eye with full force. “You will feel this, you…” She stopped in uncertainty as her claws failed to penetrate the eye of the creature.

“You done?” Ravager lazily asked as Aranea desperately tried to claw out eye of progenitor. Ravager did not even bother to blink. Finally the enormous hand rose, taking Aranea’s body into the grip, “Feelings of being sorry are unknown to me, so any apology from me will be hollow and fake,” Ravager admitted, “But this humiliation was a necessity. If you truly are wanting to help Wolf Tribe to grow, you will need power.”

“What do you care!” Aranea shouted at her, “You made all these stupid laws! You made us fight with each other. Do you have any idea how many cubs die because they are “weak”? Do you have any idea how many more end up being maimed, because being cruel is apparently good fucking thing in our tribe!” Bile and hatred flowed from Aranea’s mouth, she felt nothing but anger and hatred. This thing. No. This person before her had all the power in the world and what had she done with it? Left her offspring in the dark and let them rot. “What kind of a mother are you!”

“I am mother to no one. No one ever cared enough to help me, why should I care for anyone!” Ravager shouted, hint of aggression showed in her eyes, yet with effort beast pushed emotion back, “I made no laws, no traditions. My head hurt sometimes, and I forget stuff from time to time, but I know this fact for sure. I only taught my kin how to fight and survive. Eat this, don’t eat this, hit like this… This kind of stuff. Once talked heart to heart with Zero. That is all.”

“But the shamans say…” Aranea said in shock.

“They believe in whatever they want to believe. Girl, I can’t even read, do you think I am capable of creating something?” Ravager started to laugh, sadness and madness were in this laughter, “No. The tribe has made its own laws. I left the Tribe, so you all can grow up without me hindering your growth,” She looked at broken form of Sonya, “Even now she can kill you. When she will be healed, she will challenge you, it is in her blood.”

“Then I will beat her down again.” Aranea said stubbornly.

“No. You will lose. You only won right now because of her injuries. Let’s change this fact, shall we? Release it.” Last words were not a request. This was a command. Something hit mind of Aranea as Ravager unclenched her fist, allowing scout to fall on the ground. Something that Aranea blocked for so many years was finally unleashed. She screamed as her body began to change, her muscles grow. Over the years she lost two fangs and now they grew back in her mouth. Her broken bones were healed, becoming thicker. Her left arm healed itself, the bones disappeared under the skin. Her paws became bigger, her shadow slowly grew as she looked on the ground. Anger that Aranea hold bottled down inside was pouring out. She felt nothing but hatred, the world was coloring in red before her eyes. The scout slammed her fist into ground, breaking the stone. Small pieces of stone jumped in the air because of impact and Aranea took deep breath, initially she could do nothing but to accept this new power. But as her body grew, so too her mind changed. She could see the falling stone in a slow motion. No longer was she so utterly dominated by words of Ravager. Image came to Aranea’s mind, Ravager howling in some dark place without any light. There was no hope to escape, the wolfkin was locked in this place without food or water for months, surrounded by dead as the world above this place was dying as well. Only anger remained, the only thing that helped Ravager to go on. Same anger now flowed into Aranea, holding lid of sealed away power open.

“Back,” Aranea said, forcing flow of power back, forcing image to disappear, “I don’t need you or your anger,” Her growth started to slow down, muscles no longer hurt, “I don’t need this… this abomination. I… I will not end up like her.” She resumed control, forcing power back into deep place in her mind.

“Why do you stop it?” Ravager asked in a confusion, “There is still quite a bit more of it in you. You can become stronger yet. Release it.” Once again this was not a request. Like a whip will of Ravager hit the mind of Aranea, seeking to break the barriers and force her to open path to this power. The wolfkin bit her own tongue to feel pain, she pushed back with all her willpower. She felt something weird, as if two giant shadows within her mind pushed back along with her, forcing the will of Ravager away from her mind. “Ha-ha! Can’t believe that you also got “them” inside of you. Even if I and them in you are but ghosts, I must admit, it does feels weird, sharing place with “them”,” Ravager let out a laugh, not even a little bit angry about losing control over Aranea’s conscious and two new voices someone within Aranea chuckled at this as well. For a second a new image came into mind of Aranea. Darkness which kept Ravager locked was torn apart and unhappy looking Ravager found herself sitting in the plains, snowstorm was raging all around her, while two enormously large figures of white furred wolfkins with beaming crimson eyes were standing by Ravager’s side, trying to talk with her. A large hut was visible in the distance, light was in its window. White furred wolfkins spoke with soothing voices, trying to convince Ravager to go into the hut, where warmth and food were and work together with them, while black furred wolfkin stubbornly refused to even notice white furred duo, amber eyes shut as if she was trying to pretend to be asleep. Image disappeared as soon as it appeared, leaving Aranea alone once more, “Oh well, it’s your loss. At least now you actually bare your fangs at me, and you won’t be killed so easily anymore,” Ravager said calmly to Aranea.

Aranea looked at her suddenly huge paws. She was slightly bigger than Sonya now, her muscles felt like steel ropes in her arms. The night was suddenly no longer dark for her, she could see clearly.

“How dare you,” Aranea growled, struggling to keep anger in check, “How dare you force this upon me? All these years I struggled to keep this down and now…”

“And now the lid was open. And eventually, it will be open again,” Ravager cracked her neck, sound resembled a shot from a cannon, “You want to change the tribe, yet you reject part of us. Now you will know what it’s like to be one of the Wolf Tribe,” Ravager touched the back of Aranea with a single finger, suddenly gently as if to calm her down, “Your dream is nice. I would’ve really liked to see it become a reality. But we are monsters, we are not like the Ice Fangs. Surely you can see it now, just like I do. I can feel aggression in you. You gained strength to move on closer to your dream, yet you have also changed yourself. Will your dream survive this?”

“Yes, it will. I will change us. I will lead by example if needed. We… we can grow up, become better. Day will come, no matter how many years it will take, when even you admit this, Ravager,” Aranea slammed her paws in the ground, just as last remains of power were finally locked away. She struggled to keep sudden anger in check and took several deep breaths to calm herself.

“Then stand up, Aranea. Stand up and prove me wrong.” Ravager said and jumped away, disappearing in the night.

The wolf hag Aranea stood up, looking at her oversized paws once more. Then she shook her head and came to Sonya, gently picking up her unconscious body and placing her over the shoulder. Aranea took one last breath to finally calm herself and start running toward the camp.

***

She reached the camp when the night was almost over. First morning lights start to slice through the dark. The camp was located in the ruined city from before, now with two whole packs of the warlords the place was beating with life again. Worker teams made of wolfkin males, few warriors and locals were busy fixing the buildings. Engineers that came with the warlords almost restored lights in the city, although here and there were some explosions of energy and curses of normies among engineers, who hated outdated, and half broken local infrastructure. The shamans were busy sending dead warriors in their last path. Injured people from convoy were treated in the Free World hospital, meanwhile guards send Aranea into a newly made hospital nearby, the warlords brough their own doctors with them. Most of them were out by now, helping in Free World hospital, but few were still inside. To Aranea’s surprise, she was greeted by the doctor from Free World.

“To the left room,” The doctor pointed at room, “I will call your people, they seem to hate when I treat your kind without them.”

“Why are you here?” Aranea asked, placing Sonya on the large bed.

“Why not?” The doctor shrugged, “Apparently war is coming, if I will be with front line troops, I will have an opportunity to treat more people. And as that old guy said, I will stay alive for longer,” He smiled, extending his hand, shaking the paw of Aranea, “Name’s Marco. I and few of my fellows will be among you for a while. Find us, if you need help.” He disappeared, leaving to find doctors of the Wolf Tribe.

“Damn it,” Sonya moaned, waking up. She tried to stand up but fell back on the bed. Aranea could see how white sheet underneath her slowly turns to red, “You… you are Aranea, am I right? Cubs sure grow up fast these days.” The former wolf hag mumbled in a surprise, looking at Aranea.

“Try not to make any rash moves. I broke your arm and leg. And probably cracked your skull.” Aranea said, placing paw on the chest of Sonya.

“Not hard enough apparently, since I am still in this world,” Sonya whispered, looking at Aranea, one of her eyes was red with blood, “What the hell… wolf hag,” She forced herself to say, “You could feel it, you should have offered my life to our deity…”

“There was no one divine out there. No gods, just fellow humans. And I don’t kill humans for fun. I changed this tradition, at least for myself,” Aranea dodged the explanation about events of the night, “Heal up. There will be some changes in my pack, but this will wait.”

“Tent it is for me then.” Sonya said with anger and hatred, her head fell on a pillow as she closed her eyes.

“Don’t count on it yet. That too is something that I intend to change,” Aranea lightly slammed her palm across the good shoulder of Sonya and left as three doctors came inside. She heard curses about “barbarians and their traditions” as people start their work to nurture Sonya back to health. The warlords and shamans ordered the Wolf Tribe to ignore any remarks about the way of life of the Wolf Tribe from doctors of normies and their allies used it in full to constantly berate wounded members, mocking traditions in full. Aranea actually liked them because of this, it was good to someone who openly hated stupid duels for domination. But most members of the Tribe hated them. Not because of mocking, no. Being locked in any hospital was the worst thing for any wolfkin

The Wolf hag asked nurse for some spare clothes and man pointed her toward a nearby room. Once she finished dressing herself, Aranea met Kostya in corridor as she exited from the room. The wolfkin was returning after checkups. There were still few bruises and scratches on him, some part of his body was in bandages, yet he was mostly unharmed and received permission to return to duty tomorrow.

“Aranea? This is you, right?” Kostya smiled after a minute, having troubles recognizing her, bowing and baring his neck, “No, it is wolf hag now, right? Congratulations. Does this mean that Sonya?” he asked in concern.

“She is alive. Angry and bitter but will return to field in couple of months,” Kostya raised his brows in surprise, but not asked further. He moved to past by, but Aranea grabbed him by the shoulder, “I think you owe me an explanation. What the hell, Kostya? In my pack we do not throw our lives away. Why were you so intending to be in front line?”

“I…” Kostya licked his lips, “The shamans send their word to me some time ago. They expect me in tent in a couple of months. I am scared,” He finally forced himself to say, “To die in combat is one thing. To give your life for your friends is something to be look for… But being butchered is…” He clenched his fists, “I don’t want to go to the tent.” He said weakly.

“You won’t. Kostya, you still are able soldier, you can…”

“That’s the problem, I can’t!” He said with despair in his eyes, “You remember this incident with insectoids? I was late to protect Sly. Today I was also slower than usual. Kate is right about me, I am no longer as strong as…”

“Ignore her,” Aranea snapped at him, “I will talk with her to keep her in line.”

“Why? She speaks true and never hurt me unlike the others. Spirits, she saved me more times than I can count! Point is…” He looked at his hands, “I am getting old, we all know it. But just the mere thought of this day, day when I will have to walk all the way to tent, knowing that all is over, that inside…” He stopped, breathing hard in fear and horror, “I just want to die a proper death, to give my life for my comrades and not to be s… not like a cusack.” He whispered.

“You will not be killed by the shamans, I promise this to you,” Aranea grabbed him by the shoulders, “Listen, we can always talk with the warlord, Janine will approve you leaving the Wolf Tribe for good…”

“And where will I go?” He looked up in her eyes. “I don’t know about anything aside from fighting, so I won’t be able to work in Core Lands, they have no need for warriors there. I can’t join Free World, since I am not a medic, I will be just a burden to them. Oathtakers? They take away your soul. Pearl? You heard what happened there not long ago. And Iterna… Well, I don’t know them, but they too probably have no use for an old wolfkin like me. It’s the tent or starving in the wastes for me. Both options are scary, so I push myself to…”

“You will not starve, nor will you end up in tent. Kostya, have I ever lied to you?” He shook his head and Aranea forced him to look in her eyes, “Trust me, I will figure out something. Calm yourself and live on. Don’t you dare to give up now,” She waited for him to nod and pushed ahead. Just one more thing for her to solve. Aranea asked for directions to Kaleb’s whereabout, and they pointed her to the correct room. She arrived to see how a doctor was injecting something in the back of Kate, while she was sitting on the chair, playing with the beads in her paw. Kaleb was lying on the bed, his broken arm was locked in a steel construction that made weird buzzing noises. He hugged his knees with good hand and looked at his toes.

“Sister, you mind leaving us alone? This room is full, and this is Sonya’s pack here. We are currently mourning loss of our leader,” Kate muttered, without looking at the door. All her attention was on the beads in her paw.

“Don’t talk like this, she might come back yet.” Kaleb weakly said.

“She would have come back, if she actually used her power,” Kate angrily replied, “As of right now, case is clear. You think she would have liked the flowers on her grave? I can buy some, still have some tokens left.”

“Well, you are wrong as usual.” Aranea smiled stomping her leg proudly on the floor. Kate raised her hand and blinked, trying to understand who it before her was. Then she recognized the familiar features and smirked.

“You actually did it, you mad…” She quickly stopped, “I mean, congratulation on your promotion, wolf hag Aranea.” Kate almost forced these words out of herself, small smile on her snout. She tried to stand, but doctor loudly slapped her across the back of her head. Kate growled but submitted to the silent order and allowed woman to continue working on her back.

“Wolf hag, I am glad to submit to you.” Kaleb tried to look official in the presence of an outsider, but Aranea just laughed.

“How are your arm is doing?” She asked, still laughing.

“This idiot did it this time,” Kate angrily said, “His arm cracked in more places that I can count, doctors say it will be at least a week before they let him back into action. He is on leave by the orders of the warlord, probably will spend an entire week sleeping here like a cub. Not like you can actually do anything else in this hole. And I will have to do both his and mine jobs once again.”

“Sorry.” Kaleb looked down.

“Oh, don’t you worry right now,” Kate smiled angrily, “You will be sorry later, when I will force you to run the course again and again, until I finally beat it into you to be more careful. You thought that it was hard last time? This time your body will really be hurting, you useless, stupid sack of…” She fell silent as Aranea was on her.

“No more.” Right paw of Aranea pointed at Kate’s chest, as anger rose in the wolf hag. How many times she warned Kate before? Aranea felt her head spitting. She killed several persons on this night and still felt nothing. Ravager, rummaging through her head, forcibly releasing her power. Then worries about Sonya and Kostya, she needed to find a way to save from tent. And now Kate dares to add to the list of her worries? Who does she think she is?! fears, anger and frustration exploded in Aranea’s mind. Why nothing can work as she wants it to, why no one even tries to behave like a decent human being for once! She tried, tried to make the scout to behave. But once again Kate dared to threaten Kaleb. Fine then. Aranea decided. It was time to beat the lesson into Kate’s thick skull through the only method that the scout could understand.

Claw shot from Aranea’s paw, and she pressed it to skin of the scout, right below her right shoulder, “I warned you to behave,” Claw pierced skin of the scout, biting deep. Blood run from the wound and Aranea felt a drool in her mouth. Her instincts urged her to lunge forward, to bite… Aranea moved claw to the left side of the scout, feeling how her claw scratching across bones of scout. Kate was sitting calmly, despite the pain in her chest, only a tick in her left eye indicated that she felt pain. This lack of fear enraged the wolf hag, “You forced my paw. Fine, we play by your rules. Rule number one, you will never insult Kaleb again without my permission.” She looked for something that might cause the scout to break and noticed that Kate nervously moved beads in her arm. Aranea grabbed them away from her with her left paw.

“Aranea, please don’t break them,” Kate asked in a weak voice, trying to stand up, despite the claw still being in her skin. Kate’s eyes were looking madly at the beads, she was ready to leap after them. Aranea felt how the scout was slowly standing up, the claw going deeper in her chest. The wolf hag smiled. Finally, they were getting somewhere. Finally, she could sense real fear. The doctor stepped back pressing on some button on a wall, “Aranea, I beg of you, without them I…” Paw of Aranea closed, breaking beads into dust and fear ran in eyes of Kate.

“Rule number two, you will never hurt Kaleb again, is this understood?” She twisted her claw, tearing through more flesh, as the scout tried to speak, “We are still in the middle of the lesson, shut up your dirty mouth and listen to the teacher. Is this understood?” Kate gave quick nod and Aranea smiled. She felt ecstasy, she felt herself sublime, almost divine, “Rule number three, you will always speak to me in a respective tone from now on. I am no longer a scout, I am your master. Now apologize for your behavior, you defective trash.” Aranea moved the claw along the line of torn flesh, allowing it to bite a little deeper this time in places where bones allowed it.

“Aranea! This is not actually…” Kaleb tried to stand, his voice filled with fear, but he stopped as Kate threw glance at him.

“Lay down, you idi… Kaleb.” Kate forced herself to say, as claw of Aranea twisted in her body, increasing the wound and causing the blood to flow, “I am sorry for my behavior, wolf hag.” The scout bared her throat. Aranea’s lowered her jaws to bite the scout. She could sense pain and fear from Kate. These were such pleasant feelings. Before she tried to change her with words and actions. No more. Pain will force her to grow up. Mouth of Aranea watered as her huge jaws spread wide. This will leave her a mark she will never forget. Something chuckled in the mind of the wolf hag.

“Wolf hag! Aranea, please, she saved me today! She always saved me!” Kaleb shouted.

You are a disgrace. I can see that punishment is needed. Aranea heard voice in her head. But we are monsters, we are not like the Ice Fangs. Surely you can see it now, just like I do. I can feel aggression in you. You gained strength to move on closer to your dream, yet you have also changed yourself. The wolf hag heard a new voice and almost jumped back, forcing herself to stay in place just through sheer force of will. She quickly took claw away from Kate’s body, trying not to hurt her anymore. What was she doing right now? She promised herself to lead by example, yet just now she was acting just like Sonya. Aranea felt her paw trembling. What was I doing just now?! What example am I setting?!

“I…” She licked her lips, unsure what to say. She never went this far before. Kate was always an asshole and thorn in her side, but Aranea never used physical violence to punish her before. She wanted to change this rule in the Tribe, not to follow it. Blood was running down from wound on Kate’s chest. “There will be no further punishment. Kate, how much these beads costed to you?” Aranea wanted to move forward to treat wounds of the scout but stopped, suddenly afraid of the fear in eyes of scout. She sees me as monster. She understood. But then, what else can I be called? Mom, dad, what have I done? How am I supposed to fix that?! A panic run in her thoughts and Aranea forced herself to look calm at least, she forcibly clenched her fist to stop trembling and Kate look at her in fear, worrying that she will punch her.

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all. They were just a pretty plaything to calm my nerves, that’s all.” Kate quickly said, reaching down and grabbing dust of beads with trembling paw. Ignoring wound, the scout looked at ruined things in her paw with almost despair on her face, yet Kate forced herself to be calm as she stood up. Aranea understood that the scout was afraid of her, truly afraid for the first time. She could feel smell of fear from Kate’s body. This smell made Aranea feel sick. Even when they fought for leadership in the past Kate never felt fear, she just shrugged off the loss, “I will find some stones to play with, please don’t concern yourself with it, wolf hag…”

“What is going on here?” Marco said in angry voice, coming inside. He looked at the wound of Kate and frowned.

“This was just deserved punishment,” Kate quickly said, “I overstepped my bonds, insulted a fellow soldier and paid the price for this. This was my fault only. Please, excuse me, I need to visit the shamans as soon as possible.”

Marco came to Kate, noticing her trembling paw with ruins of the beads. The wolfkin almost tried to run, but doctor stood in her way. Aranea frowned, and Kate allowed herself to be pushed back into the chair. Marco nodded to the doctor and the woman approached, giving Marco instruments. He made Kate sit and began to work on her wound.

“And this “minor scratch” caused you to be in this shock?” Marco asked, looking at Aranea with suspicion. “There are constantly banter and curses here between your kind, yet no superiors dare to come here to punish the wounded. This “minor scratch” is no small thing, wound goes to the bone. I don’t care what she had done, but you will not abuse patients in the hospital, is this understood, wolf hag Aranea?”

“Please, this was really my fault…” Kate started.

“Crystal clear.” Aranea cut her off. The wolf hag felt herself like shit. Never before was she so suddenly angry. What happening to me? Aranea asked herself and decided that while she can’t fix the past, she will make sure to never snap like this ever again, “I apologize for overstepping my bonds. Scout Kate, I expect you to send me information about cost of ruined thing and where I can buy replacement.” Aranea never before saw the wolfkin turning pale from mix of horror and something else, yet there was first time for everything.

“There is no need to pay for anything, wolf hag.” Kate said almost hysterically in a strange high pitched voice, trying her best to keep her calm, “It’s… this is not something you can buy anyway. This is not something you should know about. Please, this wound is nothing, just a scratch, I need to go to the shamans, I really must go!”

“You will stay here, until this “scratch” is treated and healed,” Marco said in stern voice, “I am also quite curious about the reason behind your fear. I think that you will stay in hospital for this day.”

“No! You don’t understand, I must go! If I won’t get r…” Eyes of Kate were crazy with fear and despair as if she nearly revealed some dark secret, “Bad things will happen,” She finally forced herself to say, “Please, just let me go.”

“I will pick them up from shamans,” Kaleb said, standing up. Kate threw mad look at him, but he simply shrugged, “What? My arm is not going to fall off. Don’t worry, I will lie something to them.”

“Idio… Kaleb,” Kate forcibly stopped herself, “No. Don’t you dare. You need proper rest and…”

“It will be fine,” Kaleb dismissively said, struggling to put on his pants, “The shamans are nearby, I will be back here in few minutes.”

“Kaleb,” Aranea asked, “What is this all about? What are you going to “pick up” exactly?” She noted almost pleading look on Kate’s face as she looked at Kaleb.

“Nothing. Just some empty thing. It really is nothing.” Kaleb shrugged, clumsily, yet carefully pulling over jacket over his right arm.

“Then I will just walk with you, if this is really that minor thing. Don’t worry Kate, I will keep him safe.” Aranea glanced on the scout one last time and noticed mix of fear and relieve on her snout. Relieve was probably because she was leaving. But why fear?

She and Kaleb walked out of the hospital doors. Kaleb was walking a bit slower than usual, his snout became strained when he walked down the stairs from the hospital doors. It was just three stairs, yet pain showed up on his face and he took quick breaths.

“You probably should go on your way, wolf hag,” Kaleb said in sorry tone, “I am not yet used to walking with this.” He nodded at the device on his right arm.

“No, I think I will escort you. You have permission to speak freely, Kaleb. You may use any words you want, I won’t get angry.” Aranea said, waiting for him to collect himself.

“Well…” Kaleb took another breath, “I am glad that you came back and all of this. Yet did you really had to screw situation again? I just got Kate to speak with me and now it went to shit.”

“Kaleb. You are a good kid. But stop trying to be nice to everyone. Kate was bullying you since day one that you came to my pack. I overstepped myself, true, but don’t say that she had not had it coming in a long time.”

“Eh. You only think like this because you are lucky,” Kaleb looked at shocked face of Aranea and continued stubbornly, “I am sorry, but it is true!” He started walking forward along with Aranea, “I know about your family, everyone does! And I am sorry, so sorry that this happened to you. But…” He swallowed, “The worst shit can happen to others.” He showed his good hand, it was tiny compared to current paw of Aranea. He was small even compared to other males. “I don’t really know my parents, the shaman said I was just brought in one day and thrown into the pits. A single male in entire pack of girls,” He laughed, as if trying to force memories away.

“But…” frowned Aranea. “This is an impossible situation. You would never have survived…” Males were suppressed in Wolf Tribe. While cubs were still small, they were put in the pits, where they all had to fight between themselves for food. Strongest eat in full and even more, while weakest only got scraps. Males always received less, as females pushed them around, some of them even die during these trials. A single male, in the pack of females… It was impossible for him to survive as a cub.

“I know, but this is how it happened. All day long trying to get to milk and meat and…” He stopped for a minute before continuing, “There was however a girl with me. The shamans named her cursed child and teachers barely cared for her. We were not Branded, this much I know, yet our parents never came to visit us. Other cubs took after the shamans and despised her as well. Yet this girl was the one who always shared food with me. If you could only see her back them, covered in bites from head to toes, bleeding, yet still making me eat. For months we two only had ourselves to speak freely as the others ignored us… Until the day that Janine saved us from this horror,” Kaleb shrugged, “Point is, you had three years of a happy life. You never were truly in the pits. I and many others were. You have no idea just how horrible it was there. Please don’t judge our relationships by your standards.”

“What happened was horrible, Kaleb,” Aranea responded, clenching her paws. Even now, some cubs were suffering somewhere because of these miserable traditions, “But it was in the past. She has no right to treating you badly now. You have done nothing to suffer for.”

“Once again, you judge us,” The wolfkin angrily said and Aranea glanced at him. Kaleb was never angry, he always tried to solve all conflict in pack peacefully. Yet now he was agitated, “Kate made me promise that I will never reveal it… but fuck it,” Kaleb stomped his leg on the ground and growled as pain hit him in right hand. Aranea wanted to help him, but the wolfkin stubbornly moved on, “She never hurt me badly intentionally, I was the one who asked her for additional trainings, because I am weak. But initiative can’t come from the males, so she played these weird scenarios to make it look like she was the one who initiated the training. Was I hurt during training? Yes, but this was my fault! She explained to me what I did wrong after every mistake, helping me to avoid them and… I just want to do something for her. Just once. When Kate is herself, she is always so angry and bitter with everyone. I want her to loosen up at least once. As you say, past is over. I want her to move on. So I talk with her each time when chance comes.”

“Well, you are about to do something for Kate now, right?” Aranea put both hands behind her head, thinking about this weird situation, “You are about to bring her something, am I right? What is it? What is this thing that she needs so much? I thought that she hated the shamans.”

“No. Sorry, Aranea. You may beat me up if you want, but I won’t reveal this,” Kaleb stopped, looking her in the eyes, “I swore to Kate to never tell anyone about this and this one oath I will uphold no matter what.”

“I won’t hurt you Kaleb,” Aranea responded softly and saw doubt in his eyes. It hurt her but forced herself to be calm. She already proved her words false, actions and time will be needed to remedy this situation, “And I won’t her anymore either, well challenges aside,” The wolf hag smirked, and Kaleb relaxed a little as they both walked forward, “For what is worth I am sorry about what I did.”

They walked in silence for some time as they come to a building that the shamans took over as a place for staying. Aside from tent where old ones meet their final rest, shamans had no real use for homes. They could conduct rituals in the field if needed. To become a shaman, female needed to remember every single name of the Spirit of the Tribe, every single prayer and be able to recite them without single mistake. Books with all information about traditions and prayers existed of course, in rare case where all shamans of the pack somehow perish, but the spirit guardians of the Tribe rarely used them during praying, it was considered to be a bad tone. Sonya once joked that it is easier to became warlord than the shaman, you needed to know less.

The simple two-story building was before pair. Just yesterday it was badly damaged in a raid, but shamans worked themselves up, fixing cracks and roof, replacing the windows. They even tried to restore the water supply to the building but failed and had to ask for help in this from rest of the Tribe. As Kaleb explained, Janine wanted to send proper engineers to help, but shamans refused aid of normies, not until they fix the rest of the city at least. So now fifteen wolfkins furiously worked nearby, trying to restore the water supply to the building. Engineers brought massive device capable to produce water with them. Problem was to connect such device to systems in the town. The ground around the building has been excavated, pipes and rubber wires were revealed, team was busy fixing them to ensure that they won’t blow up when water will flow.

“Hey, Kaleb!” Yuki, neck deep in dirt, waved her paw to greet wolfkin, “They let you out already. Who is your new girlfriend, is she from Siri’s pack or something?”

“Actually...” Kaleb begun, but Aranea laughed.

“I will let this indignity slide, Yuki. Provided that you will wash yourself, before going to rest.”

“Aranea?! No way! How the hell are you so huge!” Yuki blinked in a surprise. Nearby wolfkin screamed in worry as one of huge wires nearby snapped, mud shot out from the torn rubber.

“How is it looking out of there! Is it water yet?” Aranea heard voice of Sly from inside of s nearby one-story tall building. Several wires were going into the basement of the building.

“It’s mud. Muddy water!” Yuki shouted back, laughing, “For the record, I am not drinking it! And you promised to wait until we fix…”

“Can’t sweat over every single detail! Now we know that this wire is not suited for our task and can replace it. Let’s test next one…” A loud noise came from building.

Flow of mud stopped. In the next moment a part of wire near Yuki exploded and torrent of water hit into her, throwing her away from the dirt.

“How about now? Is it clean water this time?” Sly asked from the underground.

“Yes, you bastard! Now come out so I could drown you in it!” Yuki angrily shouted, trying to regain her footing, as water washed away ground from under her and warrior fell on her face again.

“I will go on alone, from here,” Kaleb whispered as Aranea was laughing looking how Yuki tried her best to stand up, “Please don’t follow me. Do this one thing for me.” The wolf hag nodded and small wolfkin moved toward the building of the shamans. He knocked on the door and one of shamans came out, female in a richly ornate power armor. She glanced with disapproval at the situation nearby, before looking at Kaleb. He tried to say something, but the shaman raised a single finger stopping him. She put a finger on his forehead, uttering prayers for his future wellbeing, thanks to people who treated him and prayers for his speedy recovery. Deciding to trust Kaleb on this one, Aranea moved away from this place, just as screaming and angry Yuki was busy dragging Sly out of the basement.

Aranea walked all the way to the temporary command center. This wasn’t much of headquarters, just a place where both warlords could contact the command. The Wolf Tribe was not involved in military planning, they strike fast and then wait for new orders. Planning, rebuilding, all of this was new to them. Guards let Aranea go inside the single-story building, and she found warlord Martyshkina lying exhausted on the armchair, while Janine was standing nearby on wobbly legs, looking in the window. Martyshkina poured some alcohol into glass and noticed Aranea.

“Oh. You really survived, girl. Congratulations.” Martyshkina quickly drank from the glass, “And you all beefed up now. Finally, you accepted your gift, I see. This deserves shot of a celebration,” She poured more alcohol and swallowed it as well, “Also shot in memory of my dearest Sonya…” One more glass was filled and became empty.

“You never even talked with Sonya.” Janine calmly noted.

“Actually, Sonya is alive. She is currently in the hospital,” Aranea quickly said, “And I pushed power back.”

“Well, that deserves another shot of celebration and one shot of regret.” Martyshkina consumed two more drinks.

“Just drink the whole blasted bottle, will you?” Janine said with a hint of annoyance. She let go of the window and turned toward Aranea, “Aranea, was she the… No of course not,” Janine shook her head, “My congratulations with your victory. I approve your promotion. Now you are to rest until evening. Try not overextending yourself and eat more, such sudden change bound to have effect on both your body and mind. I will send some engineers to you, to make adjustments on your armor. Tomorrow we are to rest according to the orders of...” Anger and hate appeared in eyes of Janine, yet she finished speech calmly. “… our masters.”

“As you command, warlord.” Bowed Aranea. “Is everything alright? Never before I saw you so… so…”

“Don’t lie, you saw me without my jaw.” Janine snapped, calmness returning to her eyes, “As for right now, if you think me as weak, or as unsuited to lead, then challenge me. I will show you the meaning of power.”

“Don’t listen to her, girlie,” Hiccupped Martyshkina, reaching for the next bottle, “She just pissed that black and blue used as pawns once again.”

“Pawns?” Aranea asked in confusion.

“Our dear leaders just contacted us,” Ironjaw spoke calmly, turning back to window, “Tell me, have you ever met the wyrms? In person, I mean.”

“No, my warlord.”

“Enough with the warlord for right. For the next ten minutes I give you permission to speak freely and stand freely. Take away bottle from Marti, if you want to drink.”

“I will fight to the death for my precious!” The second warlord protested, “They are mine, all mine.”

“Wyrms can make you talk,” Janine ignored her and started to explain. “Not like “talk-talk”, not with physical violence, oh no. They look at you and you can’t help yourself but to do anything to please them. You know how you sometimes forget some minor detail? Well, wyrms can drag it out of you, because deep inside you do remember it. This process is mostly harmless but leaves you as a mess for a while. And tonight, they questioned us, thoroughly, about our encounter with Resistance. Every single detail, every minor thing that we saw,” Paw of Janine moved from window, clenching into the fist, “And why do you think this is so? Why all three of them, black, blue and gold were in Uglo when we called to make our report? What are we supposed to believe that they all just hang around all the time, despite hating the guts of each other? It’s because they used us, once again,” Janine growled, “Wyrms needed information about enemy. The blue one knew that the black one will never allow our troops to die in vain, so the blue one tried to play it all by himself, yet the black one ensured that Marty will be nearby just in case. Wyrms knew that I dislike the blue one, they knew that Marty would support me, so they sent me here to tip me off by allowing me to see this carnage. Then they, or one of them, have sent an unprotected convoy to tip off Resistance and here we are, everyone acted, without the wyrms ordering anything directly and without them breaking the truce. Now they know more, Resistance proved to be unreliable, raiding force destroyed as the blue one intended, Resistance contacted their spies in various places demanding to know what the hell happened, allowing minions of the black one to locate and capture spies and we are reminded that we are just pawns, pawns that can be easily predicted and controlled.”

“To be fair, Wyrm Lord apologized to us. He too was kept in the dark about this.” Martyshkina stated, “He promised to make up for…”

“Make up!” Janine roared in anger, before starting to whisper passionately, “Make up for allowing black and blue to use us! Weakling in chief indeed, he is unable to reign in his minions. Screw him. I hate being used as a pawn, I hate it! Ravager never treated us like this. We were the storm back then, we were the death!”

“Come on, it’s not all that bad,” Martyshkina tried to cheer her fellow on, “Our losses are vastly smaller under new leadership, we also have access to better gear. You said it, remember. Some changes are needed. Hell, Wyrm Lord even managed to convince shamans to allow the wolfkins to receive payments. We are no longer working for free and now we can buy all kind of stuff…” She went silent and smiled innocently as Janine looked at her.

“Trinkets. Trinkets for our honor. For our dignity,” Janine breathed heavily, trying to hold back anger, “We are growing soft.”

“Warlords, I have a question,” Aranea said, not wanting to waste any more time on the useless regrets about superiors. She had far more important things to worry about. Ironjaw looked at her and the wolf hag quickly corrected herself. “Janine, Martyshkina I need your help, please. One of my pack, is reaching the age when he should go to tent to the shamans for the final farewell. I was thinking, maybe there is a way to…”

“Yes, of course,” Janine let out a sigh, “I will issue a declaration that will postpone killing of our elderly until the war is over. For this I need vote of another warlord. Marty are you…”

“Don’t even ask,” The warlord saluted her with glass, “You have it. I hate this stupid law anyway.”

“Laws are laws. They were put in place for a reason,” Ironjaw looked at the fellow wolfkin, but the warlord simply showed her tongue, drinking another shot afterwards. Janine decided to ignore her and turned back to Aranea, “Until the end of the war, he should be fine. After the war, if he survives, however he will have to face his destiny,” Janine turned to Aranea, “There are still will be two ways to save him. One is exile…” Janine looked in the face of Aranea and nodded, “I see. No need to explain, I feel the same as he. Second way is, if you will offer your claws for his life. Ritual of declawing.”

***

Aranea left the warlords and went to the south of the city. She was ordered to rest, yet there was one more person she had to speak with.

Ritual of declawing.

She looked at her paws, releasing her claws. This was usually reserved for the criminals. In the Wolf Tribe, natural claws are treasured. Way in the past wolfkins used them to attract males for copulation, even in these days some wolfkin were obsessed with them. And on top of all, claws were a really good weapon. Declawing meant removing claws for good, unless you can pay for costly operation, the victim will never get his or her claws back. Aranea clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to remember shape of her claws forever. From what she knew, ritual was extremely painful, it was made like this on purpose.

“Guess I better start saving to buy these cybernetic replacements for claws,” She decided. Surprisingly enough there was a market for such things in Reclamation Army. You could even order them all the way from Iterna, although the shamans would probably strangle her for this. Claws were not important. Who cares which melee weapons you use, as long as it kills? Only lives were important. Still, there was problem with Sonya and her age.

“Maybe I can save enough to buy full set of natural claws, get declawed again and then buy some cheap replacements? I wonder if this is acceptable…” Aranea intended to check laws about it. One day she will force this stupid tradition to begone, but right now she had to work with what she got.

Siri and her pack were put in charge of finding orphans in the town. Tomorrow new settlers were supposed to arrive, along with forces to finally restore law and order in the town. Orphans will be given proper education and medical care as per laws of the state. Siri took her assignment quite literally and left no stone untouched, as her pack was busy hunting after the scared cubs. Martyshkina told Aranea that Siri reported that task was complete, then asked for additional time because a challenge was issued. Aranea hoped it wasn't what she thought.

A large half ruined warehouse was above, chanting of wolfkin was heard loudly from it, along with the loud sound of fighting. Roof of the warehouse was half gone, allowing light to come inside. Enormous booming sound shook the ground and for a moment all sounds died, before someone roared in a triumph. Aranea hit the rusted gates and stepped inside. Unconscious Siri was lying on a floor, the stone floor was cracked under her body. Countless wounds covered her body, her ear was connected to body with the thin layer of flesh. Olesya was standing over Siri, one leg on the chest of the fallen wolf hag. Half of her torso was covered with lacerations, ribs were visible on her left side, two fingers on her right paw were broken and yet her smile was that of true happiness and joy. The floor and walls of the first floor were covered with splashes of blood, as if someone was butchering cusacks here. The wolfkins filled the second floor of the building, looking above and chanting name of Olesya. Most of the wolfkins were holding one or more normie’s cubs under their arm.

“I can’t hear you bitches! Louder! Put your soul into it, will you?!” Olesya threw her arms to the skies, showing middle fingers to sun above and chanting increased, “Who is the best?! Who is the strongest?!” Her new pack chanted her name, “That’s it, me and don’t you dare to forget it!” Body of Olesya began to increase slightly, as reward hit her, and the former scout roared again in ecstasy.

“Stop fooling around, you ridiculous idiot,” Aranea laughed, standing in the doors, “You are scaring the cubs.”

“Bullshit! They enjoyed the show as well!” Olesya turned her head to the entrance and blinked, confused for a moment. Then she leaped from fallen Siri and charged to Aranea grabbing her in the hug, “Still alive! Still alive! You made it! I knew you would! And you all grown up and muscle head now, what did you eat Sonya or something?”

“Nah, she is alive, and all is well for now,” Aranea grabbed Olesya into her own hug and two struggle for a moment, “You ain’t so soft yourself either, I need to watch out in future, or you might beat me one day!”

“I can drop you here and now, if you want!”

“You are just a half dead buffoon! Know your limits!”

“Never! I will always aim to be at the top! Cause I was born to become the warlord,” Olesya laughed, letting go of Aranea, “To become the strongest among strongest. To dominate and win!”

Olesya turned her head back to her pack and roared:

“What are you standing for like a bunch of peons? Take scout Siri to the hospital right now, cubs are to be delivered to the base. Right now! Move it, move it lazy bums! The break is over!”

“Listen, Oles,” Whispered Aranea into ear of her fellow wolf hag, “Can I ask you to come over. I have something I need to talk about. Please, if you feel like you can put on hospital for a while.”

“Why so serious?” Olesya lifted her ears in surprise, “You met someone? Some boy caught your eye? Or someone bullied you?” Seeing pleading expression of Aranea, the wolf hag just shrugged and shouted for her pack to bandage her.

Aranea let out sigh of relief and hurried to her room. Janine told pointed on a map the building in which Aranea and her pack are to rest and sleep until next mission. It was a three-story tall, old looking building. First two floors belonged to her pack. Scouts and warriors on second floor, males on the first. As of right now her pack lacked numbers, fresh recruits were expected to arrive soon from Uglo fortress. Half ruined third floor with single remaining room was new home of Aranea. Her items were thrown in the corner, no one touched them. Simple looking bed was a sole commodity in the room.

“So, what’cha so scary happened, eh, girl?” Olesya stepped inside, looking to sit at the bed, but instead dropped on the floor.

“A lot Oles. I think I start in wrong order,” Aranea told Olesya how she snapped and mauled Kate, “I… I seriously have no idea what came over me! You know me, I never lost control before, so why now?!”

“Eh, who cares about few scars,” Seeing the face of Aranea, the wolf hag shrugged, “No, really who? You and I bear our share as well. No, there are something else that scared your birdie. Hm…”

“It doesn’t matter! What matters is that I snapped!” Aranea looked at her trembling paws, “What if it happens again?”

“Don’t beat yourself over it,” Olesya waved her paw dismissively waved, “It’s because of power,” She saw the confused face of Aranea and smirked, “You can feel the surge adrenaline when you win, right? But you bottle it down, forcing it to retreat. And then…” She looked at Aranea’s body, “It exploded, right? All at once went out. You feel like you can fly right now,” Olesya pointed at her head with a claw, “It’s like a drug. Feeling supposed to be short lived, but since you rejected it for so long… Well, you see the result. It’s unhealthy to reject yourself.”

Aranea looked on a wall. Could explanation really be this simply? She somehow doubted it. There was quite a distance from place of duel to the town. Surely, she would have come to her sense by the time she came back?

“There are… one more thing,” Aranea forced herself to start the confession, “I… killed a person on this night. Living breathing person.” She expected Olesya to laugh, but the wolf hag was calm.

“You can come over to my place for the night if you want,” Olesya suggested, “I remember my first kill well. We were taking over makeshift fort of cannibals, I was sent to free prisoners. Here I am, breaking down door and then there is this blonde dude, barely older than a teen, with a dagger in his hand. So I gunned him down. Then I come to the cells of prisoners and found that second team already busted them open,” Olesya looked at the wall. “I killed this dude and to this day I am not sure if he was a prisoner or the enemy. Even if he was one of the enemies, I could have easily taken him down without killing, right?” Olesya gulped, “Shittiest feeling, really. It was hard to overcome it.”

Aranea remembered this story. Olesya asked to sleep in her tent for couple of nights, screaming in her sleep. Olesya never showed sign of weakness during the days, and they never spoke about nightmares, but there was clearly something that bothered her.

“It’s… it’s not like this with me,” Aranea forced herself to speak truth, “I… I felt nothing as I was killing them. Even worse, when we arrived at this city, I saw dead bodies. And I felt nothing either. Humans are supposed to feel sadness because of this! And yet I… Oles, do you think this is bad? Do you think I can be a monster?”

“No idea,” Olesya shrugged, “All I know is, you tried to save people, this much I saw. Hell, you saved Sonya, if reports are to believe. Twice actually, since you did not kill her during the challenge. You may think as you want to, but no, I do not consider you a monster.”

They spoke for nearly an hour more before Olesya finally left for the hospital and Aranea started to unpack her things. She placed a broken mirror on a wall, she messed up during packaging and the stupid thing broke during travels.

“Just another bad omen,” Aranea let out a laugh. From the mirror an alien face was looking at her. Her snout was too big, both of her eyes glowed ever slightly. Amber and crimson, glowing like the small dying lamps. The single scar was over her left eye, barely visible right now. In fact, many of her scars were missing. No longer she had a slender form, now she was creature of brute force. She opened her mouth and saw pristine white fangs. They too were bigger than usual.

“I am no longer myself.” She chuckled and fell on the bed. Aranea decided that she could finish setting up her room later. The wolf hag felt herself tired, as if all damage from past day and night suddenly came back to her. Yet no matter how she tried, she could not fall asleep. She was tossing and turning on the bed, yet dreams refused to come.

Finally, she stood up and walked to look in the mirror. She froze in horror as she saw herself. Massive body was standing in the room, a single scar was over her left eye. And her fur was white. With horror, Aranea understood that Tilden was looking at her from the mirror.

Knock on the door woke her up and she jumped up, biting her own hand in order not to scream. Ignoring noise at the door, she charged to mirror and saw her new self. Still black fur, still Aranea. She breathed hard and screamed:

“Who is it?”

“Repairing team, ma’am. We need to take measurements from your body, orders came to adjust your power armor.”

Aranea blinked and let out laugh, opening door. This was true. She was huge now.

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