For the first time in several nights, I dreamt. Beyond the general feeling of desperation and confusion that frequently filled my dreams, I felt something looking over my shoulder, watching my every move, interested yet dispassionate. Nearby, I could sense others, with other things looking over their shoulders, but their observers were different, more twisted than my own. Their observers forced the others into painful positions, pulled in directions they didn’t desire, and finally my fellows were left contorted into gross approximations of what they had initially been.

The terror of being forced, of being at another being’s mercy began to swell within me, and I stepped forward, trying to flee, not daring to look at the thing watching me. As if trying to run up a rushing river, I stumbled and could make no progress.

I woke, panting and confused. With deep gasping breaths, I gathered myself. This was nothing more than a dream, a worry without any grounding in reality. Without allowing myself to worry any further, I stood and stretched myself. My right arm had mostly recovered from the hunt the day before, the aches gone unless I moved it too fast or too much. Still, I was far from having recovered all of my previous mobility, and it only took a hard step or fast twist of my neck for me to feel the twinges of pain shoot down to my fingers.

Forcing myself to stop lamenting my self-inflicted injuries, I looked inward and was pleased to see that my sonilphon had refilled itself as I’d slept, regardless of how restful the sleep was or was not. Before I could start something else and lose my focus, I began to manipulate the magic within me. Seizing on my feelings of success from the day before, I pushed the magic from my sonilphon in a concentrated wave towards my hands, feeling the vibration of it quiver and shake within me. As the magic passed through my right shoulder, agony shot out and I lost focus on the entire attempt. With my lost focus, the magic began to spread disorganizedly throughout my body, passing through me with nothing much more than strange tingles.

Again, after calming myself, I drew from the magical wellspring within me and focused on passing it through my body in a steady wave, this time moving solely towards my left, uninjured arm. As the magic flowed down my arm, my muscles spasmed and twitched, the vibrations becoming more and more minute before fizzling out. I sighed, frustrated at the lack of results, but tried again, with similar results as I bottomed out my sonilphon. I noted the counter ticking over to 16/50, and walked out of my quarters.

In the communal space, Sybil stood near my entrance.

“Good morning, Alpha.”

“To you too, Beta. What do you need?”

“I simply wished to ask if you have any further requests for me. There are not many things left that need doing within the den, and I refuse to become or remain idle for long.”

I thought for a moment. I really had no idea what Sybil was doing all day, but I couldn’t imagine that she spent much time without working on immediate or long term goals. “What have you been doing, Sybil?”

“We have expanded the den enough that we believe it will fit the entire pack upon maturity. Additionally, there is space to tend to bodily needs and excretions, food storage, egg laying, hatchling training, and disposal of refuse.”

My mind spun over what she laid out. Far-sighted indeed. “I… can’t imagine that there’s anything in the nest that we need to have done now, right?”

A clack of her teeth in assent.

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I thought for a moment. What could I need from her? Sybil was so far beyond useful, and I needed to continue using her best abilities, or it would simply be a waste. But what–a thought crossed my mind.

“You already knew what Redael’s name was before I spoke to him, correct?”

She flicked her tail in slight indecision. “That was about all I knew. I had learned as much from those that Shemira recruited to attempt to usurp your position. There is not much else I know.”

“Good. Then you need to use whatever Shemira knows about the other keelish to understand what is happening in the swarm at large. We know next to nothing, and I intend to continue growing. Knowledge will allow us to better integrate with the swarm and begin to conquer the rest.”

A flare of her frills. “I will do so. Shemira doesn’t volunteer information or obedience willingly, it may require some time.”

“Find out what you can without her for today. I think tomorrow she might be more willing to follow you.”

I suspected that Sybil wanted to ask what I meant by that, but after a moment’s silence from me, she simply flared her frills in acceptance and turned to Etra and Cree, beginning to confer together.

“Foire.” My voice carried through the space, even without anything from my sonilphon. I felt like my voice was transforming from the consistent influence of my sonic magic, more naturally filling space and echoing without effort. Foire was at my side before any such echoes faded.

“Alpha?”

“You’re accompanying me and Shemira on a hunt today. We’re looking for the deer like we hunted before.”

Without hesitation, Foire flared his frills and went to the mouth of the den, ready to leave whenever I was. Right as I was about to call for Shemira, Sybil walked up to me.

“Are you sure?” Obviously, she had been eavesdropping, but beside that point, this was the first time she had even begun to question one of my decisions. The realization shook me for a moment.

“Yes. It’s necessary.”

A slight irritated flick of her tail, and Sybil flared her frills in acknowledgement as she stalked away. This sudden flare of emotions was surprising to me, and for a moment my own surge of anger responded within me. She dared to doubt me? To question my judgment? My plans? I forcefully tamped down the anger that surged within me. It was reasonable that she be concerned, Shemira had a history of twisting minds and bringing others to her side. I just knew that I could resist.

“Shemira.” My voice carried through the den, and Shemira stepped close to me. Still she swayed with every step and carried herself, somehow, flirtatiously, but I could tell this wasn’t a deliberate attempt but her innate personality. She looked up at me, and I could see that she was expecting some punishment or other demonstration of my anger. Still, Shemira stood ready to accept my rebuke though I could sense some level of frustration under it all.

“You will accompany Foire and myself on a hunt. Be prepared, we leave soon.” I nodded then motioned for her to go prepare herself. After a moment’s thought and another instant to compose herself, Shemira bowed low and nearly flounced away.

“As you say, Alpha Ashlani. I’ll make sure to help you however you need.” She too didn’t take long before she was at the mouth of the den, waiting for me.

“Sybil.”

Again, she approached, stiffly formal. “Yes, Alpha?”

I fiercely forced the anger from my mind. “We’ll be back, and you will see changes then. Trust me.”

Sybil sighed. “I hope so. Don’t forget what she’s done.”

“Has she really done that much since we took over her pack?”

“Not done so much as constantly loomed as a threat.”

I shook my head. “Just wait. And find out what you can about the rest of the swarm.”

A slightly less terse flare of her frills, and Sybil was off to begin her investigation. I turned and approached Shemira and Foire, who immediately fell in step behind me as we stepped out of the den. There, we came face to face with an adult keelish I thought I recognized. Then, Wisterl spoke.

“There’s something we need to show you.”