Several days had passed since my pack’s mass evolution and reaching maturity as a whole. With Took’s evolution, she was taller than my six and half feet, standing just under seven feet tall herself. She and Treel were among the few exceptions within our newly khatif pack. Most of the khatif had some amount of magic, even the less obvious ones like Foire and Ytte. Took and Treel, though, were a different breed, their scales had become nearly as hard as stone, and their arms and shoulders were thick and corded in muscle.

Among the rest of the khatif, there seemed to be natural distinctions in their bodies, and, I presumed, their races. I could feel that these differences weren’t fully developed yet, something sure to come upon evolution to Keel. Or perhaps beyond. And looking at the requirements to evolve to a Keel, I couldn’t say how soon that could come.

[-Sonic Khatif Swarm Alpha: Become the undisputed leader of a swarm of at least 250 keelish.

-Sonic Keel: Speak the entirety of the True Iteration of the Words of Power of Nievtala. Progress: 0/1

Other evolutions possible, but not currently foreseen. Progress further, and such possibilities will be presented to you.]

I had no idea or way to predict when I would encounter the next opportunity to Speak even the last of the First Iteration of Nievtala’s Words of Power, but the [Administrator]’s advice from my evolution to adulthood stuck with me.

Unlike usual, I didn’t receive any notification from the [System] that I would be evolving when I’d gone to sleep. In fact, since I hadn’t heard nor seen anything indicating that there would be an evolution, I’d almost forgotten that the growth to adulthood was listed as an evolution. Initially, I’d simply thought that I was dreaming, but I was far too lucid for that. As always, I had found myself floating, and the moment I realized this was not a dream, I was submerged in constantly vibrating and scrubbing warm sand.

The vibrating sands were nice, but, unbidden, the thought of Sybil scrubbing my back crossed through my mind, and immediately the mental image and perception shifted to Sybil gently massaging my body. I, uncomfortable with forcing my friend and subordinate, even imaginary, to serve me like that, stopped all imagination of any bathing. As I tried to clear my mind entirely, the Administrator’s laugh washed over me.

I cannot understand why you would do that to me.

[Do you honestly think that I did? Or are you smart enough to disbelieve yourself?]

I shook my head, and from it, the thought that I wanted that. I didn’t think you were going to come for this one.

[It is an evolution nonetheless, and thus you receive another opportunity to receive guidance from me. Count it as one of the… perks, I suppose I will call it, of Administrating a lower species. Keelish have much more room and opportunity to evolve than a human, Moonchild, Misti Hawar, Indlovu, beastkin, Sunkindred, or any other of the “enlightened” species would.]

If we want to consider this a benefit, I suppose we can. Before I could begin to think out a specific question, though, the Administrator spoke again.

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[I feel now is a good time to let you know that there is an additional option for your question while here. Instead of a specific question, you can ask me for general guidance. That removes much of the limiter from me, since I can give steps of advice, which may prove more helpful for you moving forward, given that your next evolutions will be fewer and further in between. That said, the drawback is that I will not necessarily answer a question that you wish to ask, and will instead give advice according to my own knowledge and bias. There is a trade here–specific questions for specific answers, or general advice according to me.]

I mused over my options for a moment, worrying what I could be missing out on with whichever option I chose. After thinking for a short time, though, I realized something important–I didn’t have any specific questions for her right now. The general advice would absolutely be more beneficial to me right now, since I already had advice on how and where to go to find more of the Words of Power of Nievtala. The Administrator seemed to understand the moment I thought as much, and began speaking once again, a self-satisfied grin somehow audible in her tone.

[Glad to hear it. Now, for now, you need to focus on strengthening your pack and yourself as fast as possible. I can’t tell you why, but another Administrator’s plans are finally becoming clear to me, and it won’t end well for you and your swarm when that happens. Beyond simply strengthening yourselves, prepare to escape to the east. I told you Nievtra was to the east, and that would need to be your goal for Speaking the Words of Nievtala. Move those plans forward, fast. There will be a time that comes soon, a time that is obvious to you, that you will need to lead the swarm to escape. And, when that time comes, move quickly.]

I could feel a shrug of sorts from her. [That is my advice. Take it if you want, just know that all of that is what I would do, were I in your situation. Good luck.]

Before I could do anything more than begin to understand the instructions or thank her for the guidance, I’d felt as if I were falling, and had slipped back into full unconsciousness.

These days later, there had been a couple of hunts, and members of my pack were finding themselves bored by the hunts. With the thousands of pounds of wolfstag flesh waiting for us to eat, there was no need to hunt for anyone except Arwa, who I was unwilling to force to be a cannibal. Took had gone on a hunt and returned with a couple of Martanimis Pythons and other smaller game, but she’d been rather frustrated by the lack of challenge. Her new khatif form was amazingly strong, stronger than I was. I’d guess that my gross total of Stats surpassed her by a fair margin, but that came from my Magic and Intelligence Stats, not my physical ones.

Treel too relished the hunts, and had begun to spend time one on one with Foire to hunt together. With her brawn and his scouting abilities, they never returned without something to show for it. Brutus, however, was falling behind most of my original pack members. He had not evolved to khatif, and I wondered if he simply hadn’t passed a requisite benchmark for Intelligence. Most of those who had evolved had developed some level of Magic, and even those who hadn’t remained much more intelligent than the average keelish. Brutus, though… remained about as sharp as a rock from the banks of a river.

I couldn’t say what the absolute requirements were for evolution to khatif, and that itched constantly at the corner of my mind. Regardless, though, I could feel that staying near the rest of us khatif helped to encourage and compel that same evolution within the regular keelish. I welcomed that change, since the more time passed, the more I couldn’t help but look down on and dislike the weak keelish. With a stretch to shake my mind from my thoughts, I stepped out to observe the pack.

Sybil and Shemira were working with the rest of the pack to dig out and develop smaller, more private spaces for pairs and smaller groups, as well as just continuing to develop the space within the den. Arwa playfully wrestled with her pups in a space nearby, and several of the keelish watched their play fighting. Solia and Vefir worked together, exercising their magic. Others were leaving to go on a hunt.

What could be the thing that would impel us to flee? Before I could think too long about it, Histy poked her head into the den, and, seeing me, gestured for me to approach her.