Without a moment of hesitation, the large Wolfkin planted herself on one of the seats, grabbing a roasted piglet and making short work of it with a single chomp. Ratcatcher had a certain pride in her own fangs, she once chewed through an iron chain, but seeing these fangs was something entirely different. Looking at the oversized muscles and slightly longer than usual arms, the explorator caught herself thinking that she was comparing Kayleen and Augustus and wondering who would’ve won.
The Wolf Tribe was a longtime rival of Iterna. Well, not the Wolfkins themselves, but their home nation, the Reclamation Army. Founded by a warlord Dynast, Reclaimers announced to the entire world their goal of reuniting all humanity under their banner, by force if necessary. Wielding a considerable armory, these people clawed their way to being one of the top three most influenced countries in today’s world.
The Reclamation Army and Iterna had a long and bloody history. Both states fought each other over the ruins, both states later decided to form certain pacts, like banning weapons of the MAD category, and allow their armies to duke it out. Like Iterna, the Reclaimers had their own champions too. Outsider, the world’s second strongest known abnormal, Ravager, the progenitor of the Wolf Tribe, the Twins, the founders of the Ice Fang Order, and Devourer, the gigantic ruler of the Core Lands. Out of these four, only two were still in action, the Twins are supposedly dead, and Ravager left the army, replaced by her right hand, Wyrm Lord, who was currently busy with the subjugation of the Ravaged Lands.
To say that both countries fought each other a lot is to say nothing. Eugenia alone met Ravager in the field over a hundred times, leaving immense devastation in their wake. Abandoned cities were turned into ruins, hills were turned into plains, and new roads were paved with the fighters bodies through the mountain ranges. And Iterna’s military faced off against Reclaimers on a regular basis, killing and dying to uphold the country’s ideals, until finally, one hundred and twenty years ago, after countless dead on both sides, a treaty of non-aggression had been signed. Dynast and Iterna shared their spheres of influence, and both countries started cooperating in taking down various threats and helping each other to rebuild.
Kayleen technically wasn’t an adversary. But the Wolf Tribe as a whole had massive problems. Each time Iterna’s government integrated someone into a country, countless specialists were sent to help overcome some of the most deeply rooted prejudices and eliminate cruel traditions. Reclaimers had a different view. They allowed the Wolf Tribe to keep the brutal culling of ‘defective’ newborns and their brutal society of constant struggle, where the strong ruled and the weak must obey.
Kayleen looks like she could be either a scout or a wolf hag. Nope, she definitely looks like a wolf hag. Ratcatcher decided, looking the woman all over and feeling a nervous itch at the end of her tail. She met Wolfkins three times before, on missions to ‘reappropriate’ ancient artifacts for Iterna. For all their supposed barbarism, they were no joke, nearly foiling two missions. Their last mission went the way of the Old World, and the young explorator nearly lost her eyes to a Wolfkin scout, one of the lowest ranks in their matriarchal society. Only a wolf hag stopped the would-be massacre, sending the prisoners to the regional commander named Scorpio, who later traded Ratcatcher and other captives to Iterna. And that wolf hag was a head smaller than Kayleen!
“You want to challenge me?” The amber eyes looked into Ratcatcher’s eyes, slowly filling with rage and aggression.
“Not at all! My name is Ratcatcher…” She tried to sound as innocent and calm as she could.
“Her name is Elisa Vong,” Augustus cut her off again.
“Can it, male,” Kayleen threw to him, shaking hands with the nervous Ratcatcher. “I’m Kayleen, a wolf hag from Warlord Annie’s pack. If you want to try and dominate me, I am ready to test your claws and fangs at any time, Ratcatcher.”
“Why would I want to?” The explorator laughed, banishing her fear. “As I was saying, I am a B-class explorator from Iterna. Nice to meet ya. This is Augustus, and the lady here is Smar. There is also…”
“Elirob, yes, I have seen and scent-marked him,” Kayleen’s large snout moved, closing the distance between the two women in an instant. Her cheek rubbed against Ratcatcher’s left cheek, leaving something smelly and wet in her wake. “Now I’ve marked you too, ally.”
“Thanks.” She scratched her cheek. “I guess I can’t just wash it off?”
“You can try.” The wolf hag returned to devouring food, speaking with a full mouth. “In a month, it’ll disappear on its own. Killed anyone before?”
“Yes.” Ratcatcher answered quietly, feeling Kayleen’s questionable gaze. “Four people. On a mission.”
“That’s all? Baby numbers. I slaughtered more Numbers in Belaz in a single day!” Kayleen’s ears moved, sensing Augustus’ movement. “Something to say, male? Feeling bad about those poor, enslaved souls claimed by the Iternian plague? Have you ever killed anyone?”
“My mother, for one. I skewered her with a saber just like this one.” Augustus tapped on one of his weapons.
“Why in the Abyss did you do that?” Kayleen snorted.
“She was a traitor,” Augustus replied coldly.
“Loyalty. I can respect that.” Kayleen gave him a nod and turned to look at Smar. The woman shrugged nervously, looking down on her plate and picking up vegetables. Just to be safe, Ratcatcher moved closer when Kayleen loudly sniffed the air, tilting her head to the side like a dog. “You smell strange. Everything about your posture speaks of submission, but your smell tells me to run. What are you? Just how many lives have you ended?”
“N…None that I can remember of!” Smar forced herself to look into the amber eyes before throwing her chi up and showing the neck. “I… worked in several hospitals, but to my knowledge, I have never killed a soul.”
“Ah, you are a field medic then. Must be chemicals that are messing with your smell.” Kaylen lunged forward, rubbing a scent mark on Smar’s cheek. “On my life, I swear to keep you safe if you will help up the pack.”
“Sure thing.” Smar nodded nervously.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“Great!” Ratcatcher gave the woman an encouraging pat on the shoulder and hurried to fill glasses with wine for every member of the team. Grabbing the glass, she jumped to her feet. “I’d say this deserves a toast. to a successful mission!”
“To return alive,” Smar said quietly, clinking her glass with Ratcatcher’s.
“To great slaughter!” Kayleen drank her glass, frowning at the taste. “What is this piss? A wine? This can’t even make my blood boil!”
“You’ll get over this.” Augustus drank his own wine, turning to look at the Wolfkin. “Kayleen. If the information sent to me is correct, you will be using a power armor and a shardgun?” Seeing the woman nod, Augustus sighed. “Great, a dead weight in need of babysitting on the team.”
“Who is going to babysit who, Iternian?” Kayleen stood up, cracking her fingers. “My gear passed the test on both the fields of battle and in the maintenance bay.”
“A shardgun is just a glorified shotgun.” Augustus too stood up, gesturing Ratcatcher to keep on sitting. “Short range, its armor-piercing projectiles will be a danger to your teammates in the heat of battle. And your power armor… I read the specs, and frankly, this is just a piece of junk. Only a fool would take it on a mission.”
“Is that so?” Kayleen loudly inhaled air through her nostrils, the fur on the back of her neck rose. With each breath, rage started boiling up inside her, threatening to break out at any moment. She came closer to the man, looking him directly in the eyes… And threw her head up. “I submit myself to your leadership. Feel free to take a bite, male. Have I passed the test?”
“With flying colors.” Augustus sat back, making a triangle with his fingers. “Apologies for my rudeness, but I heard about the Wolf Tribe and had to know if I could rely on you or not.”
“And this is why you tried to rile me up. Cause we Reclaimers are all savages to oh so noble Iternians, right?” Kayleen laughed, sitting back. “Some things never change, eh? Don’t worry, his excellency, Dynast, has contacted me personally. Consider me your slave for the duration of this mission. You tell me to jump, I ask how high. You tell me to lay down my life, no problem about this, male,” Kayleen smiled, showing white fangs. “But once the mission is over, and should I still live, you and I are going to have a dance of blood and pain.”
“Duly noted. I consider you a valuable teammate, Kayleen,” the explorator pondered for a moment before continuing. “Speaking of slaves. That partner of yours will have to stay here.”
“Wait just a second.” Ratcatcher turned to Kayleen in a burst, ready to smite the woman with the mancatcher. “You own a slave?”
“Bullshit! I don’t own Andrea! It’s against the law!” Kayleen looked at everyone at the table in something akin to panic. “I am serious! She just follows me everywhere because her leader gave the order. I tried to shoo Andrea away, but the stubborn moron followed me all the way here, watching over my recovery… You have no idea how creepy it is to have someone puffing your pillows and cleaning your room…”
“That sounds like a friend to me.” Ratcatcher relaxed a bit.
“She literally tor…” Kayleen stopped herself, taking a breath. “I don’t need a friend who cleans my room! Drinking buddy, sure, I don’t mind, and… And this is too embarrassing. Of course, Andrea is staying here.”
“A wise choice,” Artificer said, coming inside the room. The sentient AI inhabited a humanoid-looking frame with a visor covering its featureless head. Several green flashes danced behind the dark screen. “Since everyone is here, we may begin…”
“A member of our team is absent, sir!” Ratcatcher jumped to stand at attention.
Artificer. The first and founder of the Elites. A living legend who solved numerous crises and helped Iterna in its darkest hours. And the one who also worked as an instructor for all explorators. Ratcatcher felt something akin to divine reverence each time she was in his presence. Just standing here, looking at his calm posture, and hearing his assured voice filled her with hope that everything would be okay. The Elite walked around the table, shaking hands with everyone and gesturing for her to sit.
“Elirob knows his duty. Now then, at ease everyone.” Artificer walked to a wall, and a holographic projector appeared from the ceiling. The AI took time looking all too human at each member of the team. “What I am about to reveal is fully confidential. What I can tell you is that this mission will be highly dangerous. The risk of death is real. If you have any second thoughts, no one will begrudge you for stepping down.”
No one responded to his offer. Ratcatcher tried to calm herself. Risk of death. Now this is a first in her line of work. B-class explorators were nothing to be laughed at, some of them, her included, could beat a problemsolver or two. But no one ever sent her on a mission where death could be a certainty. She wasn’t a coward, the recent attack on the mental ward proved to her that she can and was willing to lay down her life for others… Still, this begs the question. Why is she here? From the sound of it, A-class explorators, like Augustus, would suit the job far better.
“Good. Here is the situation.” The holographic projector came online, showing a map of the Desolation, part of Iterna, and the Ravaged Lands behind Artificer’s back. Where cities in two more developed regions were clearly marked, down to the little hamlets, the Desolation’s map still held many locations with ‘approximate’ written next to them. “Around the time when the truce between the Resistance and Reclaimers had been declared, we picked up a signal in a most unusual way.”
“In what way, sir?” Ratcatcher asked.
The machine turned to look at her, and the image behind him shifted, showing a skinwalker slightly larger than Margot. The woman curled into a ball, suspended in a cocoon of energy that did not allow her to touch either the floor or the walls. Judging by the purple-colored walls, Ratcatcher understood that this was another mental ward. Out of the sudden, the skinwalker growled, stood in full size, and started trotting back and forth on all four, her breath increased, and a long tongue came out, touching the energy field.
She howled, standing on two legs, and started punching the energy. Ratcatcher felt sick, seeing how the woman’s paws turned into a bloody mess. First, the skin cracked. Then the bones. And the skinwalker still kept on punching and punching, regenerating the injuries just to break her paws again. Kayleen whistled, seeing how even regeneration failed to keep up with the damaged, after the mad woman sped up her punches, turning into a blur of milky white and crimson, leaving pools of blood to gather around her legs.
By all means, this should be impossible. The energy fields were used in the mental hospitals for a specific purpose. They never allowed a patient to hurt themselves. Acting like cushions, fields changed their form, elongating or getting more rubber-like to avoid a hard contact with flesh. Unless you are hitting them at the speed of sound, you can’t physically feel pain from the contact. To think that the skinwalker found a way to hurt herself, and in such a short span of time… We have no idea of their upper limits.
“They are not supposed to do that.” Kayleen tapped on a table with a claw, more confused as to why the skinwalker acts like this than with the suffering of her kin. “One of their ilk sneaked up to our village once, and after the honored Dragena and we shot away her leg, she ran away. They are mad, not self-destructive.”
“It’s disgusting,” Smar coughed.
“The personnel should be disciplined,” Ratcatcher said, and Augustus gave a quick nod. “I don’t care how dangerous a patient is, if fucking Twister can be held safely, so can she!”
She saw how mechanisms within the skinwalker’s prison came online. Several darts were shot by turrets from the ceiling, the energy field let them through. Ignoring the darts in her back and enough sedatives to knock out a small village, the woman had managed to bite the field. Ratcatcher felt her eyes widen, seeing how fangs came through the upper and lower jaw. The poor woman tried so hard to break free that she had pushed her own fangs through her jaws!
The skinwalker was hit with low-power energy whips meant to relax her muscle control, which left her sprawling for only a moment. Sleep gas came pouring in. And still she kept on going, her arms turning into a bloody mess of dangling claws, bones, and muscles all the way to her elbows.