The knights’ armor, two full sets of them, stood by the wall, holding dulled great swords pointed at the ground, the metal was carefully cleaned from dust and gleamed in the morning light that was coming from windows. The warlord bought a whole ten sets of them from scrap traders. The museum accepted only eight sets due to the abundance of such relics. Ever since then, the warlord kept them in her pack as a reminder of a bygone era. Lastly, several pots with plants stood in the corridor. The large green leaves were almost half the size of a normie. During a mission to take down a local tyrant, Dragena and her troops recovered seeds of these and other plans from a half-ruined laboratory in the Ravaged Lands, right on the border with Oathtakers. The warlord ended up teaming up with the Oathtakers for the task of defeating the enemy. Amidst battle, allies found a buried lab and split seeds between themselves. Despite the fact that no one expected seeds from the Old World to survive, Dragena donated them to the botanist's lab. As a reward, the researchers presented the pack with several restored plants that could withstand the climate of the Wastes. One would expect that wolfkins would lose, break, or allow plants to die, but under the orders of the warlord, plants were watched over and always kept in top shape by scouts.
Annie's eyes narrowed in worry when she came toward the door leading to the working chamber of the warlord. A sturdy door made from simple wood was torn asunder, its remains lay on the floor. The walls to the left and right of the door bear claw marks the size of Annie. Despite this, the cameras in the corridor were operational, and the alarm was not rigged. Whatever this was, it was not an enemy attack.
"Warlord," Annie knocked on the doorpost, not daring to come or peek inside the room, "Scout Annie here. Can I speak with you?"
"You may come in, scout. As it happened, I also have a reason to speak with you." An icy response came from inside.
Swallowing nervous drool, Annie stepped inside. The working chamber of the warlord looked simply. Rewards were visible in glass case to the left. Rows of cookbooks, books about physics and biology, and several self-helping pamphlets titled "Twenty Reasons to Live", "Proper Parenting", "Social Communications during Depression", several large encyclopedias about the world, "Brief History of the Iterna", "Birth of the Oath", "Foundation of the State", "Famous Paintings of the Old World", books about medicine, all stood on bookshelves, looking worn out, but clean from any dust. Across the room was a massive wooden table, behind which sat the warlord. An advanced terminal was installed on her work desk, a holoprojector stood to the left of the table. Another pod with plants, this time with sweet-smelling orange flowers, stood to the right of the entrance. The iron hatch, which led to the warlord’s private room on the first floor, was on the floor to the right of the table. Sheaths with knives inside them were visible on the hook behind Dragena, a small camera was installed in her terminal.
Annie walked nearby, noticing countless papers on the table of the warlord. Dragena waited for Annie to sit in one of two chairs before her working table, reading through papers and signing some of them. On the left paw of the warlord was paper with calculations of personal spending. Annie noticed that the warlord scratched out lines with books and furniture for her tent, writing "Can’t afford it for now" to the left of them. Annie was confused by this. The warlord had no need to pay for the treatment of Alsyn’s cub. On what exactly was she spending her tokens? Even Annie could afford some cheap furniture and electronic books.
"We will speak plainly, scout," Dragena put aside a list of paper with a request for aid in dealing with raiders made from new breeds from the Ravaged Lands, co-signed by the head of the northern farmer union and the police chief of the northern capital, "I dislike being lied to."
"Warlord? I am not sure that I understand. I never lied to you." The scout said honestly.
"You sent me a request to update records with a victory of wolf hag Virginia over you," Shining amber eyes looked into the eyes of Annie, burrowing to her very soul, "I approved it, fully trusting in your words. Today I received a visit from wolf hag Virginia and warlord Alpha," The warlord looked at the ruined door behind Annie, "They… Alpha refused to respect the sanctity of my privacy and forcibly came into my working office. Aside from the destruction, they brought up some interesting points during the heated debate and exchange of insults. Wolf hag Virginia, very passionately keep in mind, tried to explain to me that she was joking about winning against you by default. She explained to me, in a badly formed manner, how such situation came to be. To be honest with you, such situation is a first in my career. Thus, I want to know, why did you lie to me about suffering defeat at the paws of the wolf hag when no actual fight took place?"
"This was not a lie, warlord," Annie dared not to break eye contact with her leader, "Wolf hag Virginia saved me and my pack from my incompetence. She is stronger than me and a better leader than me. Straight up confrontation is merely a formality, we all know who will win."
"I see the reason for your lie now," Dragena folded her hands in the form of a triangle before herself, resting her jaw on her knuckles, "I believe this is a result of the so-called "rivalry". You think that you have lost the challenge, started to believe that you would never catch up with your rival, and now your spirit is crushed. Records will stay untouched, no matter what Alpha wants, yet I will see what can be done to make you personally stronger."
"Warlord, there is no need to waste any time on me. My defeat is strictly my fault and…"
"And this is where you are wrong. Annie, let us speak without ranks for a while. You are part of a pack," The unblinking eyes of Dragena kept looking at the scout, "For the pack to function at peak efficiency, all members of the pack must work as one. Your problems are my problems, just as the Branded's problems are yours. Yes, I know about who really won between the wolf hag and you, Annie. You protected your soldiers out of a sense of duty, how can you ask me to do any less?" The warlord leaned back on her chair, putting her paws on her chest, "My only regret is that this situation happened so soon. Now everybody will know."
"Warlo… I mean, Dragena?" Annie quickly corrected herself under the gaze of her leader, "I don’t understand."
The warlord stood up from her chair, allowing Annie to see her in full size. She was dressed in a blue military coat with black trim. No medals or military insignias were on her, belt was missing. The form of the warlord was imposing as always, her arms looked like trunks of hundred-year-old trees, muscles, like steel ropes, ran under the skin of her neck. And yet there was something new, something strikingly new. Her coat of warlord was unzipped below her chest, her shirt was unbuttoned in the same area as well. The belly of the warlord was oversized, pushing forward and making the fur thinner than usual, allowing Annie to see tanned skin beneath. Dragena was…
"You are bearing life?!" This was not something incredible, some warlords produced offspring on a regular basis. But among all the warlords, Zero, Alpha, and Dragena had never had cubs before. For three hundred years, they chose to live solitary lives.
"I prefer the word pregnant. Shamans are right about the need to diversify the gene pool of our Tribe. Now that we are living in a relative period of peace, there is no longer any reason to ignore any of my duties. I found a male who was willing to spend the night with me and did exactly what my duty required of me. Confusion was made by me and my partner that night, as it was my first time knowing the male so intimately, but we all have to make sacrifices for the future. Annie, we are a small group of people. To keep the Tribe healthy, each and every one of us has to do her du…"
"It is true!" A shout came from the doors, and Annie turned around, seeing Carty and several scouts. Even a couple of wolf hags were present. The blue-furred wolfkin pressed her paws together to her chest, "I thought that Virginia was bullshitting everyone! Warlord, can I be a godmoth…"
A knife appeared in the doorpost, buried all the way to the handle. Annie's ears caught the tearing sound of metal going through the air way after the weapon was already in the wood. The movements of the warlord produced no sound that Annie could hear.
A forcefield spread in a radius of about two meters on all sides of the large knife, completely covering the entrance, muzzling all sounds and blurring Carty's and other wolfkins' forms.
"Now we can continue to speak in relative peace," Dragena said, lowering herself back in the chair, "I am sure you have questions, why I kept this in secret. The first half of the answer is that, according to materials available to Ieshua and me, I should have experienced swings in temperament over the course of pregnancy. This is why I passed some of my duties down to the wolf hags. But this theory was incorrect, and my mind is as clear as it has ever been .You saw the second half of the answer. Our people treat lifegiving overly emotional, to preserve discipline, and for purpose of having a calm time for myself to some extent, I kept my temporary weakness secret."
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"I… see, warlord." Annie was not sure what to say.
"My name is Dragena. Now tell me, why have…"
The eyes of Dragena shot toward the terminal when a loud call came from within the machine. Dragena's paw froze over the button with a decline symbol before motioning Annie to sit and accepting the call. The Holoprojector came to life, creating a pale figure made of countless strands of light frozen in the air. Because of the holoprojector's coloration, warlord Ygrite's burning amber eyes turned into two shining stars, and her paws were folded across her chest. The warlord's countless fangs were bared in front of Dragena.
"I demand full disclosure of the feeding program and training program for the Branded in your pack." Ygrite growled.
"Having trouble with your own soldiers, am I correct?" Dragena asked plainly.
"Yes," Ygrite admitted without hesitation, "Their bodies are still underdeveloped, while the Branded in your pack are just fine. As their CO, I am failing my troops. Name your price."
"Support Zero," Dragena turned her chair to look at Ygrite, hiding her belly below the table, "When the test is done and finished, throw your voice together with Zero."
"You are mad!" Ygrite laughed. Her laughter soon turned into a hissing sound when the warlord tried to suck in enough air to support her massive body, "Alpha is against the idea! The shamans are against the idea! Valerye stands by Alpha! It makes no difference how many warlords join your cause," The mutated wolfkin snapped her fingers, producing a clinging sound, "It will all be for naught, because you have none who can stand up to either Valerye or Alpha herself. They will just use physical might to veto your inane idea!"
"Not mine. Zero’s idea," Dragena looked at her kin dispassionately, never raising her voice, and said, "This is half of my price. The second half is that you will submit yourself to medics, after the Gathering."
"I am fine. I have no need for the help of others" The fur of Ygrite bristled from rage, the shining stars of her eyes turning into a pair of blinding suns. Blood dripped from her jaws when several fangs pierced her skin.
"You are dying, sister. How long will it take until your lungs are pierced?" Without an ounce of warmth, said Dragena, locking her gaze with her fellow warlord, "If this will make you feel any better, I allow doctors to check my condition regularly. There is nothing shameful or…"
"Fine. I agree. I expect a full report and your personal cooperation in bringing my troops up to standards," A smug smirk appeared on the face of Ygrite, movement of the skin on her cheeks caused fangs to tear through a bit more skin, "I wish you a proper and safe lifegiving, dear Dragena. Will you make me a godmoth…"
The image of the warlord disappeared when Dragena quickly cancelled the incoming call. She turned toward Annie, saying nothing and looking through something on the monitor of her terminal. Her paws reached the mouse of the terminal, making several clicks.
"What was this about, Dragena?" Annie dared to ask, "There is some conspiracy about the Branded? They are good soldiers, whatever this test is, please do not…"
"Even Dynast sends his congratulations," The warlord once again leaned back in her chair, looking at Annie, "I know that I ought to be angry at this blatant disclosure of my personal medical condition, yet at the same time I must admire the unintended efficiency of wolf hag Virginia in spreading the information around the center. Maybe we should also give her the job of announcer?"
"If this is a bad time, I can…"
"Sit, Annie," Dragena reached for something in her table, putting two wooden cups before herself and Annie. Then she put a large electric tea kettle in the shape of a sphere on the table. A flick of the finger turned the machine on, heating the water with tea leaves, "About your question. Branded are safe and sound, nothing will happen to them no matter what. "Test" is something that must remain secret. All I can say is that it involved you once, but you are free from playing any role in it for some time now. Speak your mind. Problems of my pack take priority over anything."
"Fine," Annie was confused. Role? Test? This was the first time she ever heard anything about it. What role could she even play, if she was not one of the Branded? No matter, I have other things to speak about, "Warlo… Dragena. I'd like to ask you to ban domination in our pack and allow merit promotion for males as well," Annie shuddered, expecting punishment, but the warlord simply looked at her for a moment. The warlord raised a massive paw, casting a shadow on a tiny scout who was suddenly feeling vulnerable. Instead of hitting, Dragena poured tea into Annie's cup, then poured tea on herself. Dragena elegantly picked up her cup with two paws, looked at the swirling black tea in the cup, sniffed, and then took a small sip. Annie tried to imitate the movements of the warlord, accidently drinking the entire cup. While hot and sweet liquid flowed to her belly, Dragena looked at Annie and poured more tea to scout silently. Annie put the cup on the table and forced herself to be calm, stopping trembling in her paws, "I understand that this is an unusual request…"
"It is not. I reviewed your ban of beating very carefully," Annie blinked in surprise, while the warlord took another sip of tea, "Do not look so surprised. It is my duty to know everything that happens in my pack. Your desire is… Admirable, I think. The grades of your pack have not decreased and are, in general, adequate. Therefore, feel no worry, your rule stays in place. Yet I must decline your request."
"But why! Dragena, you said yourself that we are on the same level as others! And compared to other scouts, I have two more males in my pack, yet on average we are equal to other packs!" Annie almost jumped from her seat.
"What you speak is true, Annie. On average, your pack is equal to others," Dragena nodded, setting the cup aside and clasping her paws together, "However here is the thing. Wolfkins, all of us, shine brightest because of spite. When a slight is inflicted upon us, we aim to get better, to get payback. We strive to the greatest heights. This is simply who we are. Taking spite away will only weaken us, Annie. However cruel it may look to you, to preserve the lives of our soldiers, to preserve our way of life, we must stay on course. "
"How can you know such things for sure, Dragena!? You saw what the cruelty of the Tribe drove Alsyn to! How many talents… Screw it, how many lives do we lose each year!" Annie shouted into the face of her warlord, "Forgive this outburst, but please rethink your decision. Dragena, you are ideal for us. Each and every one of us aims to become half the soldier that you are now. You never use a claw on a fellow soldier. With this in mind, how can you say that domination is needed for us?"
"Fear drove Alsyn toward betrayal, not cruelty," Dragena responded with a stone face, unbothered by the outburst of rage from Annie, "We are not slaves, Annie. Each wolfkin could leave at will. The tribe will watch over stragglers none the less. Were it the shamans who made Alsyn kill her kin? Were it the shamans who made Alsyn disregard the lives of civilians? Your heart bleeds for the villain rather than for the victims. Once, Alsyn was someone with a duty, a reason to live. Had she found the strength in herself to resist fear and to trust others, she would have lived side by side with her cub in the Core Lands, safe and sound. She made a choice, a wrong one, and suffered the price. Yet you raise a valid point," Dragena lifted one finger up, like a teacher, "How can I know it? The answer is, I felt the effect of the spite. You see, when Zero and I were cubs, we were "rivals". It was a one-sided struggle, for I never considered Zero an opponent, I only ever viewed her as a valuable ally. Yet Zero tried, and oh how she tried to beat me. I am an anomaly, I feel no anger, no love, no sorrow, nothing," Dragena admitted her flaw plainly, "I feel natural urges of the body, pain, hunger… Emotions on the other hand... They are the mystery for me."
"But… Dragena, you always help the village cubs..." Annie desperately tried to think of some arguments to win the discussion. To be honest, discussion was the last thing she expected. She was afraid that the warlord would beat her or throw her out of the pack. But speaking? She was not ready for it.
"Because this is what a good person will do, in my opinion. Ravager gave me the order to be a good person. Just because I was born defective does not define my future. No matter how hard it may be, orders are sacred, and thus I try. And..." Dragena stopped, trying to find the right words, "I believe that I want to be a good person. Yet without emotions, there is no fury, no spite, no anger. There is no drive to be better. And because Zero can feel emotions, they forced her to be better and overcome obstacles in her way. Her rage saw me bite the dust. Where I was stale, she innovated. She defeated me fair and square and proved her superiority once and for all. So you see, Annie. Domination is in our nature. Denying our own nature, will only make us weaker."
"Zero told me a similar story," Annie remembered the voice of her previous warlord as she told her ancient story, "She still feels bad about how she treated you."
"Why?" Dragena asked, cocking her head to the side, "My wounds are long since healed. Defeat gave me valuable input on how to be a better leader. Why would she feel bad? It makes no sense. My sister did nothing wrong. Back to your question. If you want to bring change, you will have to… " The warlord wanted to continue speaking, when a new call came upon her terminal. Her eyes quickly glanced at the screen. One paw raised in the air, running down her lower jaw, "I must apologize, Annie. We will have to stop our discussion for now, because something unexpected has happened in your life."
"My life?" Annie asked, trying to remember if she had ever done something bad recently. No, everything seemed fine.
"Captain Scorpio informed me that we received a call from your lost sibling. Annie, Svetlana is still alive. She found you and now she wants to meet with you."