Foire and Vefir had taken the eggs to a corner near my personal quarters and hollowed out a little space to lightly bury them, and as I looked at them, Vefir sent a brief burst of his magic into the sunken eggs. I couldn’t tell what exactly that would do for the small fetuses, but I could be sure that it wouldn’t harm their growth. With my steps sounding my approach, Vefir looked up at me. Foire, though, remained unresponsive and simply stared with dead eyes at where the eggs were buried.

“Do you think any of them will hatch?”

Vefir’s tail flicked in uncertainty at my questions. “I… don’t know. I can’t really say. They’re… eggs. I know they’re not as healthy as they would be if she’d been able to carry them until when she should have laid them, but if they’re still viable? I think some of them are? It’s too early to tell, at least for me. If I had more experience, then… but, I don’t. Sorry.” Then, with a bow of his head, Vefir excused himself and walked out of the little hatchery he and Foire had dug out. Even as Vefir left, Foire didn’t seem to respond or care, instead simply standing, looking down at his and Treel’s eggs.

I watched Foire for a moment, and wondered if I’d ever felt his level of… attachment. I couldn’t think of any time that I’d been totally destroyed by loss. When Oncli had died, I’d mourned his loss, and felt pain from his death, but I couldn’t bring myself to compare it to the soul-deep regret and agony that Foire seemed to be suffering from. Without any words that I could think of, instead I stepped close enough for my side to touch him, and as I towered over him, Foire slowly leaned over until much of his weight was settled into me. I stood, stoic, as his body began to shake with silent sobs.

It wasn’t too long before Foire gathered himself and stood tall. There were no tears that streaked his face, as a human’s grief would have, but instead his frills laid flat against his head, making him look even smaller than usual. “I go to hunt.” His voice was flat and emotionless, and I simply watched him walk away. Before long, Foire was gone, out of the den, several of his trained scouts with him. I didn’t give him any warnings or chastisements, only watching him leave to do his own hunt.

For my part, I turned and went to find Sybil. Since she and Shemira had returned to the den earlier than Took and I had, I wasn’t sure what exactly they were doing as I began to search for them. It didn’t take long to find them locked in some conversation.

“No, you’re still too cautious, Sybil. Ashlani isn’t willing to wait any longer, you can see it in how he walks and talks. We just need to start taking over the weakest packs and let him blow off some energy that way.”

“Even if the Alpha does not wish to wait any longer to begin assimilating other packs in earnest, it is in his and our best interests to ensure that any of the packs that we bring under his command will be submissive to his commands, as well as powerful in their own rights. Finding those who fall under those qualifications is difficult, and the Alpha understands that prudence will lead to greater success in the longer term.”

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I interrupted the two, and while Sybil was composed enough not to startle, Shemira nearly jumped out of her scales as I spoke, “Sybil, give me your best prospects. I’m going there now. Just the one pack for now.”

Sybil immediately dropped her head into a bow. “As you wish, Alpha. We will depart momentarily. Please wait as Took and I prepare ourselves.”

“Why would I need you and Took to accompany me?”

“I will guide you to where the den of those we will conquer is, while Took will provide additional support by her mere presence. If such a large and powerful individual is willing to follow you, it will serve as an additional impetus to submit to your power. Took’s presence, your power, and my magic combined will allow you to most smoothly overcome any resistance to your conquest.” I suppressed a sigh and my twitching tail at Sybil’s quick and sound logic, and instead flared my frills in acknowledgement. Looking out across the den, Took wasn’t in here, so I tasked myself with finding her, and quickly enough, did.

She was sparring with Brutus and Solia. Though Solia had now focused almost entirely on honing her magical control and ability, she still had evolved to become khatif, and thus was stronger than the vast majority of those in the swarm, much less those in the pack. Brutus still didn’t seem to have evolved to become a khatif, though he still was nearly as large and powerfully built as Took. He stood just a couple of scales short of six feet tall, himself, and that without the increased height of standing more upright as a khatif.

Took was handily holding her own, and I continued to watch as the three fought for superiority. Without Solia’s magic, she was much less practiced in direct combat, and her lack of practice was showing, especially in how little she communicated and worked directly with Brutus. For his part, Brutus was just as slow-witted as always, and I suspected that his lack of intelligence was one of the primary factors inhibiting him from evolution, for now at least. Whatever the reasons, though Solia and Brutus definitely should have acquired the upper hand by now, Took masterfully pitted her strengths against the pair’s weaknesses.

My Beta, or not, depending on if I was going to change that, continued dodging without delay or hesitation, and whenever one of her two foes began to move to try to surround her, she was able to press the attack on one of the attackers and gain clearance. Then, she would try to press the attack, but with her two opponents, Took couldn’t deal any decisive but nonlethal blows. I could see her frustrations simmering under the surface, and it seemed that Took had come to this moment with the hope that she could work out the energy and feelings that were fighting to cloud her mind.

“Took.”

At my voice, only barely reinforced by my sonilphon, all three immediately stepped back and assumed a resting but ready crouch. “Come with me. Who knows, you might have the opportunity to crack some heads if you do.” Even before the suggested incentive of violence, Took had been ready to follow command, but with my second sentence, she was trotting towards me without a word or question.

Luckily for Took, it wasn’t long before we got to the den where Sybil thought we had the best opportunities, and, Took had plenty of opportunities to crack heads there.