Aranea had expected to see a place similar to the one she saw in Scorpio’s mind. Instead, she was greeted with a golden void. She looked to her left, then to her right, seeing nothing but countless golden shimmers filling the black void.

This time, the halfbreed was much more in control of herself. Rather than becoming a child or a mismatched monster, she used her willpower to transform into an exact replica of her true body. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to wear a blue dress similar to the one she wore in her distant childhood. For no particular reason other than that it looked pretty.

The golden shimmer around her stirred, forming images. She had seen a pair of young kids, bruised and beaten, who were hiding behind a table. Another image appeared after a flash. The same two kids have grown into massive wyrms, one golden and the other blue. Ivar and Wyrm Lord. They stood before the far bigger wyrm, wreathed in countless thunder clouds. A gigantic, clawed hand struck from within the clouds, swiping both wyrms off their feet. Aranea had felt a tinge of fear and realized that Wyrm Lord's memories were infiltrating her. Not wishing to pry, she had flown forth, toward the place where she had felt another being.

Her other persona also came here, sucked in by Wyrm Lord’s mind. Aranea/Ravager was immediately caught with golden wires before she could unleash even a single roar of defiance. She was thrown right into Aranea/Twins' floating house in this golden paradise. Following Wyrm Lord’s will, the door slammed shut, forcing all three to stare at each other in confusion. For a moment, Aranea felt a tingle of calmness in her soul. Aranea/Ravager was too scared to try anything, and Aranea/Twins tried to calm this monstrous beast.

Wyrm Lord’s mind power felt far different from the brutal, but efficient, mind power of Ivar or the elegant and almost gentle mind power of Scorpio. The golden wyrm’s power felt raw, untapped, he wasn’t so much breaking other entities with his power as he was simply overpowering them, engulfing them with his will, and making his will impossible to resist.

It also made him easy to detect. The center of his mind was like a raging cauldron, but instead of heat, his mere presence radiated from the center, causing the golden void to tremble and change shape. Forcing her own will, Aranea had tried to reach this nexus and failed, understanding that this void was simply too big for her to traverse on her own. She could fly for hours and still fail to reach her destination.

Wyrm Lord had sensed this and pulled her with a single thought, transforming the golden shimmer around her into blinding streams of light. Aranea had found herself sitting in an armchair floating on a single square-shaped patch of land in this place. Next to her stood a statue of Ravager. Wyrm Lord’s mind made the statue the exact same size as the Blessed Mother's natural size, but aside from that, she looked all wrong. Her features were distorted, a warm smile on one half of the face was mixed with an ugly leer of bloodlust on the other. One side of a statue was clean, the other was covered with cracks and what looked like dried blood. Even the posture was weird—a mix between standing upright and leaning forward into a weird hunching meant for a murderous leap.

"This is how I remember her," A soft voice spoke, "A deeply flawed person. Hero, killer, protector, and destroyer. Savior of millions, butcher of thousands," A golden light had coalesced at the edge, and a figure stepped out of it, "But above all, she is a friend like few others. Greetings, Aranea. Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the passing of Janine."

"Commander," Aranea gasped, standing up from the armchair and lowering herself to one knee, "Thank you for your kind words."

In his mind, Wyrm Lord was a young-looking man in his early twenties, human in shape, but covered by golden scales instead of skin. He was dressed in a doublet of a deep blue color, a white scarf held the collar of his blue shirt, while a purple sash was wrapped around his waist, keeping his brown pants in perfect shape. Two massive wings were behind his back.

"Off the record, remember?" Wyrm Lord smiled and motioned with his five-fingered clawed hand. His eyes shone like stars, their light overpowering even the golden shimmer around them. His short blonde hair rested on his mighty shoulders. Snapping his fingers, Wyrm Lord had created two cups of tea for himself and Aranea and seated himself in a similar-looking armchair.

"Of course," Aranea instantly jumped back into her chair, taking a sip of the tea. It felt… bland, nothing compared to the ones she had tasted before. "What are you planning to do with Tehuoto?"

Wyrm Lord looked surprised and set the cup aside, allowing it to float in space.

"Unexpected question."

"With all due respect, sir, Jekaterina has saved and spared my life several times. This much I owe her...That, and with captain Ivar around, I am worried for any cub in the vicinity." Aranea admitted after a brief pause.

"Do you think I'd let him harm an innocent kid?"

"Won’t be the first time, sir," Aranea responded bluntly, preparing to be smashed for her insolence, "I know that you allowed him to keep custody over Leila for a long time. You knew what he was doing."

She expected to see an outburst of rage. Or a mocking laughter, followed by the inevitable punishment for overstepping the bonds. Wyrm Lord simply sat there, looking down at his hands before raising his gaze to Aranea.

"Yes, I knew," He admitted, "Just like I know about the cruel traditions of your tribe. Just as I am aware of orais' cruel traditions. I'm aware of everything dark and shady in the state. The guilt of standing still, knowing that there were people I could have saved, bores down on me like no mountain can. Not even my father could have hurt me as much as this knowledge."

"Why didn’t you put an end to this?"

"Because of laws," his fists tightened, "Traditions take precedence, unless they involve people outside the tribe. In the past, the Dynast tried to change several groups of people by force. Some worked. Others... were wiped out. Never again will we act rashly, never again will we hasten the maturation of people within the state, no matter how cruel it may be," He let out a sigh of frustration, "I won't argue this position of mine. The future is not mine to shape, I am merely a custodian who obeys the population's whims. You asked about the kid. The standard rule is to send him to the Dynast to be trained as his bodyguard. His name would be erased and forgotten."

"Commander," Aranea had pressed a paw to her chest, "Please, spare him of this fate. He is just a boy, guilty of nothing…"

"I agree. This is why I already asked the Dynast and received permission," Wyrm Lord nodded and smiled like a boy, "Our liege will not recruit new bodyguards from the Ravaged Lands, the people here have been through enough," The champion leaned back, "At first, I intended to have a long talk with you, learning more about you. No longer, my curiosity is satisfied. Carry on, Aranea. As promised, your pack will be sent back to recuperate, these lands will be brought back into the fold by me, Ashbringer, Alpha, and Zero. Ivar will return with you."

"Oh, thank the Spirits," Aranea meant that. Scorpio, for all his unruly behavior, at least tries to preserve lives. She would even go so far as to call this conman of a commander a decent human being. With him around, the Bento tribe may be persuaded to surrender rather than being smashed to bits. "What about the creatures who showed up during the siege? Won’t we be outnumbered if the Resistance can mass produce them?"

"The autopsy revealed that they are all clones," Wyrm Lord has picked up the cup. "It is a bit premature to tell, but their genetic signatures look suspiciously similar to the ones we found at the Arena. Someone creates monsters out there," He looked aside, examining the floating house in the golden void. "Till Ingo assured me, the creation of the most massive beasts, like the ones who were downed by Ivar and Scorpio, takes from a year to two. From this, the Dynast summarized that our new foes had merely staged a field test, it is doubtful that they will side with the Resistance at this point," He looked back at Aranea, "Now I have a question. Who is this person behind you?"

"Sir?" Aranea stood up and looked around. There was no one here, "I am not sure that I know what you mean."

Wyrm Lord had risen from the armchair and walked to the halfbreed, lowering himself on one knee. To her surprise, she understood that the champion was looking simultaneously at her and past her. A small smile appeared on his lips.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"It must be hard, remaining unnoticed by someone so dear, eh?" He had moved his arm, his long, clawed fingers easily passing through Aranea’s body, toward someone else. She took another look behind her and saw nothing but emptiness. "But you have to admit, hiding all the time is just not do. To be noticed, you have to show yourself," Aranea heard a gentle pat against someone's head, "But don't worry, both of you will reconcile in time. No one hates you, honest. Warlord Aranea. Aranea Wintersong. It was a pleasure, truly. Enjoy the new year’s celebration. I wish your pack luck at the challenge."

Aranea still had countless questions and suggestions that she wanted to present to her liege. She wanted to ask for his help in reforming the tribe, she wanted to know what exactly he plans to do with the boy and what plans he has in store for the Bento tribe.

But the might of his brain had already pushed her out, returning Aranea to her own body. For a split second, she thought she saw another form flying next to her, Aranea/Ravager and Aranea/Twins, but upon closer inspection, she only saw the familiar snowy clouds of her own mind closing all around her.

Must be a figment of my imagination.

****

Aranea had reached the barracks, noticing an increasing number of wolfkins from Annie’s pack all over the streets. They knocked on some doors, asking the locals for permission to check their houses. Some even crawled from the sewers, cursing and snarling at each other. Aranea lifted her brow, unsure what to make of this.

The orders specifically put all packs, safe for the Alpha team, on leave. The new year’s Challenge was a big event for all wolfkins, she herself saw how Virginia had been busy doing squats on the main plaza with a jeep over her shoulders, competing against the wolf hag from Ashbringer pack, who was holding a similar vehicle. This had caused a small gathering from the locals, a gathering that later turned into a full show with bets on who would win.

The other units have been busy preparing the local theater for the challenge. Most of the artists either fled or were still too shocked and agreed to let the wolfkins use this massive stone building for the challenge.

The city was coming back to life. After receiving promises that the prisoners would be kept alive and cared for, the locals relaxed a bit. Scorpio even released a few hundred low-ranking soldiers, convincing Wyrm Lord that it was pointless to keep potential workers imprisoned. The city’s streets were slowly getting crowded anew, trucks, cars, and even some carts raced along the main road.

Kindergartens and schools had been opened, the new teachers had arrived from the Core Lands to help with the education of the new citizens. The university was hit by a few missiles during the first siege, but Till Ingo and the captured elder of the Bento tribe took it upon themselves to reopen it pronto, sending drones and convincing a few captured flesh carvers to help with repairs. Geldi had admitted to Aranea that it was nice seeing these halls filled with life once again and meeting with a few of her former teachers.

After some consideration, Wyrm Lord gave the order to keep Jekaterina’s statue at the university’s square. Her name will forever be tainted by her last decision, but to the majority of the locals, she was still the national hero. A memorial service dedicated to honor Jekaterina’s passing has been scheduled to happen in ten days.

“Warlord! A moment of your time!”

Aranea saw the blonde reporter from Belaz. The iternian was still alive and well, crossing the busy street to get to her. After seeing how he had stumbled on the main street, the warlord was about to jump to get him from under a truck’s wheels before the idiot could get hurt. Thankfully, it was unneeded. Another man, with the iternian emblem on his anti-heat suit, had grabbed Larry Kosh by the nape of his neck, jerking him away from danger.

The group was joined by another iternian, a woman, who carried a metal container under her arm.

"Whew, always find a way to get myself into trouble," Larry flashed a smile, extending his hand in greeting. Aranea ignored him, remembering all too well what trouble the man caused for Annie. "It's clear that we got off to a bad start. This right here is Paride Motto."

"Nice to meet you, warlord Aranea." The attractive and young-looking man smiled and shook Aranea’s paw. Just like Larry, he wore no cowl over his head. Unlike Larry, he and the woman were not sweating at all. Both he and the woman had short black hair, their faces were free of any scars.

"And this is Talsi Fiorenza."

"Greetings, warlord," The woman had gently shaken Aranea’s paw, "I saw you on TV when you were giving the interview. You seem to have a habit of saving cities. Have a couple of minutes for another interview?"

"With all due respect, miss Talsi, I had little to do with saving Belaz," Aranea sized up both people. They looked innocuous, but each of them matched her size, leaving Larry to look like a dwarf, "Belaz was saved thanks to captain Ivar’s preparation and the bravery of Chochmingwu, a noble warrior of the Bento tribe. And my involvement in saving the Moon City was miniscule at most, it was warlord Olesya who did most of the work while I was trying not to die. As for the question, no."

"I wasn’t expecting you to be this humble," Paride smirked. "Usually your side likes to boast."

"Alpha?" Aranea sighed.

"And warlord Valerye." Talsi added.

"Anyway, I was given a right to interview whoever I want in the city…"

"Make sure you don’t leak out private prayer ceremonies this time, mister Larry." Aranea pinned the man to the ground with her cold gaze.

A few years before, Larry Kosh and a group of journalists had been invited by none other than warlord Zero. The goal was to open up the Wolf Tribe to the world, to show their everyday life, and so on. This was unfortunately timed with Chosen Prince’s invasion into the Oathtakers’ lands, and the entire tribe was stirred into action, helping the refugees coming from the warzone. Amidst all of this, the Dragena pack and Annie, in particular, saved the iternians from a terrorist attack. Larry repaid the favor by publishing Annie’s and others' private prayers without their consent, earning the tribe’s enmity toward all journalists.

She had noticed something strange. The man's suit bore the markings of a military correspondent, as well as Iterna's emblem on his chest. His fellows, meanwhile, only had markings of Iterna on their suits, leaving Aranea to wonder who they might be. Their unnaturally tall size and perfect features hinted at artificial improvements. The warlord had little doubt that these two were in Iterna’s military labs at some point in their lives.

Why would Iterna’s man-made new breeds be here? She was aware of the Problemsolvers, an elite Iternian military unit. Each and every one went through massive therapy, gaining the ability to heal wounds at a faster rate. Their bones became tougher than steel, and most of them were a match for a wolf hag in combat. Their brains could process information at a faster rate, allowing them to sometimes block even bullets. These women and men could and did match wolf hags in the past, often coming on top thanks to superior gear.

Problemsolvers were responsible for guarding embassies, fighting at the front lines when the situation demanded it, and protecting the peace back in Iterna. They also had a particular expression in their eyes—the expression that these two were missing. So, who else is left? Shadows? No, they are made of steel, these two are made of flesh. And these two looks too similar to be naturally-born new breeds.

Aranea reached for her terminal and clumsily typed the question about these two to the command, unconcerned if iternians will think her rude. In a moment, Ivar had responded, telling the warlord to stop being daft and wasting his time on trivialities.

Fuck you too. At least tell me who they are and how I should behave with them, you miserable, self-absorbed, egoistical, sadistic freak! Aranea deleted the message. She will make an official report later. Anything to make Ivar’s life a bit harder.

"Worry not, warlord," Talsi patted Larry at the shoulder, "Paride and I are keeping an eye on dear Larry this time. Nothing heinous will happen ever again."

"Thanks. Just call me Aranea," She put the terminal back, "Sorry, the recent attack got me on edge. Can’t be too careful."

"Naturally," Paride nodded to her, "And I swear to you, Aranea, neither of us plans to harm either side of this conflict."

"Listen, Aranea…"

"And you can use my rank."

"Sure, my apologies, warlord. I understand your frustration," Larry raised his hands in a gesture of peace, "And in some ways, yes, I went overboard. But I was punished, demoted, and now I work alone with my pal." He pointed at the drone resting on his back.

"And who are our new friends, then?" Aranea lifted her brow, indulging her curiosity.

"Just accomplices," Larry flashed a quick smile, unwilling to spill the beans, "Back to the topic. Can I interview your pack right now?"

Now I know how Janine felt.

"First, show me the permit," Aranea replied stingily, extending her good paw to take the document from him. She took her time, reading the paper permit deliberately slowly, pretending to check in to see if the man was allowed inside their barracks. In truth, she simply wanted to make this ungrateful bastard uncomfortable. Spirits damn it, Scorpio. She cursed to herself, seeing who approved this. "Fine. Let’s get it over with. Follow me."

"One question. What is this ‘bonding hunt’ all about?" The man pointed at the wolfkins on the street.

At first, Aranea wasn’t sure what he was talking about. In the second moment, she saw. Two members of the Omega team came from a store, shaking their heads at Ultis’ look. A few houses further, right next to the newly reopened church of the Sun God, Velka jumped on some crates, pressing both paws behind her back. The scout immediately started giving orders to a mixed group of wolfkins before herself, ordering them to check ventilation shafts in the city and every sewer, giving the command to find this stubborn blue-furred moron at any cost before six o’clock. Aranea’s ears had moved up upon hearing about a reward of one thousand tokens for any group that would find the wolfkin.

And I am stuck with iternians! Aranea wanted to bite her tongue out of disappointment. A thousand tokens! With this money, she could replace her old TV back in the village, buy herself a proper refrigerator, and finally get a proper set of civilian clothes at a ‘second-hand’ shop.

"I have no idea." The warlord told the journalist, gesturing for the group to follow after her.

She was half-interested in what exactly Carty had done this time.