Are you sure you want to come with us? I ask Lathani for what feels like the fiftieth time since we left the remains of the vine-strangler forest, though it’s probably only been a handful of times in reality. I send the message mentally since I’m panting too hard to say it aloud.

We’ve been running for three hours already, and I’m desperately hoping that we haven’t delayed too much as it is – the messages I’ve received from River seemed to indicate significant urgency.

I will be fine pack-leader, the nunda juvenile seems to sigh even as she runs alongside me, grace incarnate. Her muscles ripple under her spotted fur, every stride a lesson in economy of movement. She’s not panting.

At least this time I’m not the slowest of the group – that’s my newest Bound, Komodo. It would have been Trinity, but given the urgency of River’s message, we’ve left her and Spine behind to follow after us at their pace. Komodo, though slower than me, is only just so – I figure it makes sense to have the highly venomous Tier two bound with us even if it delays us slightly. Hopefully my gamble will be proven to be the right thing to do.

Because it’s fine if you’re not, I reply to Lathani. Previously, I dropped it after she said she wasn’t worried. And then I would find my own concern rising again, only to once more ask the question with the same response. This time, I’m going to dig a bit more into it – to make sure she really is as fine as she says she is. We’re heading back to confront the creatures who shoved you in a cage and were going to kill you and use you.

And are they going to be allowed to do that again? she asks me pointedly, impatience drifting across the Bond between us.

Of course not, I reply immediately – as if I would even consider it.

Then all is well. If anything, I am relishing the opportunity to show them that they were terribly arrogant to think that they could capture me and get away with it.

I search the Bond between us but see no indication that she’s lying in any way. Though she’s not quite as lacking in concern as she would like me to believe, it seems more to be a sense of uneasiness which is bothering her slightly than the fear or trauma which I half expect.

Are you sure it’s not you who doesn’t want to return? asks Lathani a moment later.

Of course it’s not, I respond again, automatically, but her question does make me think. A moment later, I have to admit to myself, even if not to her, that she might have a small point.

I’m almost as nervous now as I was right before starting the fire among the vine-stranglers. Partially because of my previous experiences, I have to admit that. After all, though I didn’t suffer through what Lathani did, I too was shoved in a cage and not entirely sure I would get out of the whole thing with my life – it’s not one of my best memories, that’s for certain.

But it’s also because of what this means. Even assuming that everything goes well and I can take control of the lizard-folks’ village with minimal casualties, which is not at all a guarantee, everything will change afterwards. I will be in charge of a whole village of sapients and responsible for their actions. I’m planning on changing their whole way of life and it’s on me to make sure that I don’t doom them in doing so.

More personally, it will also mean that there are no obligations remaining between River and I – I will finally find out exactly what he feels about me, with no Bond between us to affect his emotions. That is a surprisingly large part of my nervousness, actually.

We’re getting close – I can see the tree line only a short distance ahead. The field of ash curls around the trees, like arms reaching out to embrace the village, yet they have somehow maintained a small margin of normal trees between them and where the vine-stranglers were.

It means that we can’t see anything of the village itself, not yet. We wouldn’t be able to even if it was light; with it being only lit by the moons, our visibility reduces further. At least both moons are more than half full tonight.

And Aingeal, the inferno-turned-fire-elemental, is actually pretty useful at lighting our path forward too – by offering it a little mana, it glows more brightly and basically acts like a torch-less light. Even better, it seems perfectly happy to do so, pleased to be given more fuel to burn.

Suddenly I receive a message from Sirocco. The bird, as usual, is scouting ahead, though since her vision is more day-adapted than night-adapted, she’s not able to see as much as usual. Nevertheless, I can see well enough from what she’s sent me to know that we need to speed up.

There’s some sort of fight breaking out, I tell the rest of my Bound tersely. Quicker!

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Pulling stamina from reserves we didn’t know we had, we pile on the speed for the final sprint. This time, we don’t move at the pace of the slowest member, instead each moving at their fastest pace. We’re close enough that the differences between us are not too significant now.

Entering the trees, we have to slow down a bit to avoid running into something, though the footing is actually a bit more secure than the drifts of ash we’ve been running through otherwise.

There’s a flare of light through the trees ahead. Very brief, but it sends unease down my spine. While not easily identified, it was the right colour for fire, and there’s only one being I know who might be using that in the samuran village.

Breaking through the last of the trees, I’m met with a sight which makes my heart rise into my mouth. We’ve got a view right between the gates and through the open central area of the village. All the lizard-folk are gathered together in a massive clump, but thanks to our position with them facing us, we can actually see what they’re staring at.

River, his arms and legs being held unnaturally widely outwards, none of his limbs touching the ground. And towering above him, a large knife gleaming between her claws, a samuran, clearly identifiable as a Pathwalker from size and shape.

Even the fastest of my Bound won’t get halfway between us and them before the knife comes down to give River a wound he may easily not survive long enough for me to get there and heal him.

Without thinking, I whip my strung bow out of my Inventory, nock a bone arrow to it, and release with only a moment to aim. I can only hope that my twenty-one points in Dexterity will mean that I manage to hit at least near what I aimed for, despite the speed.

Even before I see the arrow land, I’m running again. The rest of my Bound never paused, so I need to catch up with them. My eyes on the Pathwalker, I see with a sense of relief how she abruptly jerks. My arrow must have hit somewhere important, I conclude. River falls to the ground, hopefully out of danger.

Then, just before Bastet and Honey, the fastest of my Bound, reach the pair, I see River spring upwards, jaws first. Liquid sprays out, black in the light of the moons. It takes me a moment to realise what it is: blood.

All the lizard-folk are frozen for a long moment. Bastet reaches the pair and plants herself next to River. After a brief glance at the dead or dying Pathwalker, she positions herself between River and the rest of the lizard-folk. I approve – we don’t know exactly what the situation is here. Even if Joy, Lee, and Peace shouldn’t have been able to betray River, there’s no guarantee. Better to make sure that River is protected for now.

Honey pauses next to her, but just starts growling at all and sundry, seeming to indicate that the next to move will feel her teeth. No one seems inclined to test her on it. A moment later, the rest of us are able to catch up and I slide to a stop next to River, my spear in my hand, my magic ready to set anyone who moves on fire.

By this point I’m rather winded, but know that it won’t take much time for my stamina to regenerate a bit. If the samurans decide to attack, I’ve definitely got enough Bound with me to make them reconsider, even without my magic.

River looks up at me with relief both on his features and pouring through the Bond.

Master, you made it.

“Just in time,” I say, wheezing a little.

“This is your new ‘master’?” a voice asks incredulously. I look up to see a Pathwalker stepping forward from a small group. “This prey beast? You can’t be serious.” She looks towards Joy who I abruptly realise is standing with four other Pathwalkers. “This is your unexpected power?”

I watch as Joy’s eyes narrow and her jaw sags open a little to reveal her teeth, irritation spilling over the Bond.

“Wind-whisperer, hold your tongue. You do not know what he is capable of.” The other Pathwalker, Wind-whisperer, apparently, makes a sound that my Animal Empathy translates as a snort.

“Clearly it’s capable of deceiving even you, sister. But I will not believe it capable of anything else. And now Runs-with-the-river has killed Shaman with its help – another of our sisters murdered by this duo. What are we to do now?”

I glance at River, more than a little surprised at the identity of his opponent – and slightly disappointed that I won’t be able to battle her myself. Then, I pull myself to my full height – first impressions are important and I’m not only speaking to this insulting Pathwalker, but also to everyone else standing silently around the scene. I sense that the situation hangs on a knife’s edge, and, even if I’m confident that I have enough numbers on my side to make it out alive, I have no desire to engage in a full-out battle.

Instead, I step forwards confidently, stopping a bare half-pace away from the Pathwalker who turns to glare up at me. Shorter even than River, she only reaches my shoulders, making it easy to appear physically imposing. Bastet hisses at me about putting myself in danger, but I just ask her to keep an eye on my surroundings – if any of the lizard-folk move towards me, I'll step back. But for now, I need the closeness.

“You ask what I am capable of,” I say, concentrating on being understood. At the way both the Pathwalker and several others around rear back in shock, they weren’t expecting that. “I defeated your sister and several of your Warriors in single combat. I convinced the Great Predator to spare your lives. And I destroyed the Forest of Death.”

At those final words, I send a large chunk of mana to Aingeal and ask it to move above the gathering. It does, and abruptly it’s like the sun has just come out from behind a cloud.

The lizard-folk hiss and cover their eyes as colour washes over the whole central area. By the time they are able to see again, they are met with another sight: though I’m spending mana like water, I’ve created a cloak of fire which flares out around and above me, hot yet not burning my flesh.

With another flick of a finger, I send a line of fire spooling out from my cloak, circling around the whole of the group of samurans.

“What say you? Will you submit to me and my rule, or will you be the next obstacle in my way?”