Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 51 - Cooperation is key - Part Two

 

Massaging my bony brow to alleviate some of the accumulated tension, I couldn’t help myself from smiling in satisfaction.

 

Contrary to my initial expectations and understanding, the local alphabet was mostly comparable to a crude system of braille. The epiphany had required sitting in on four separate instruction sessions covering the exact same lessons before something clicked and I was able to make the leap.

 

In its written form, Asrusian used similar strokes to the Chinese and Japanese alphabet. However, the use of the strokes followed the same general principles as braille, using a combination of up to seven strokes for each character. Not all letters from the English alphabet were represented, but this was because their language was spelt phonetically, and the complex sound combinations had specific characters in their written form.

 

With the Conquest still well in hand, and access to a steady supply of food, I spent over a dozen hours slowly translating a treatise on Asrusian warfare. Despite the dry nature of the subject matter, I found the repetition of certain words and consistency in structure to allow for steady gains in character and word recognition.

 

Ignoring and dissipating the physical fatigue was easy enough, but the accumulated mental fatigue was another matter entirely.

 

After eight straight hours of self-inflicted translation homework, I set the borrowed military treatise aside and set about partitioning a private area of my own to rest. With mana to spare, and the success of the Conquest functionally a foregone conclusion, I decided it would be worth the risk to Summon Lash, Pete and Suzy.

 

I had intended to just play with the twins a little and spend some time with Lash before going to bed, but Suzy seemed determined on exploring the cavern.

 

With Lash carrying Pete, we followed Suzy around the cavern while chatting quietly about nothing in particular, content with enjoying one another's company.

 

Despite being limited to her hands and knees, Suzy covered a great deal of ground before her projection depleted its mana and disappeared. Pete lasted much longer, having expended very little mana on providing his projection energy at the expense of mana. Lash’s projection lasted the longest due to being allocated the lion’s share of my mana.

 

I fell asleep with Lash in my arms and while I slept, the Conquest was completed.

 

With direct access to the foothold on the next floor, the battalion was given a half-day for recuperation while Visili and a small team were sent ahead to renovate the foothold on the seventh floor.

 

Most soldiers seemed content with resting, gambling or scouring the battlefield to acquire points for returning manastones, expended ammunition, and magic items.

 

Already equipped with the best magical armour and weapons that had been made available through public donations, I expected most of the magic items acquired from the Conquest would no doubt be donated as well.

 

Thankfully, none of the magic items seemed to pique Ushu’s interest.

 

After the midday meal, the Major began sending soldiers and supplies through the portal to prepare for the next Conquest.

 

Taking responsibility for Ushu, I led him through the portal to the next floor myself.

 

Somewhat similar to the sixth floor, the immediate surroundings on the seventh floor was a combination of rolling hills above woodland valleys. The foothold itself was located in the basin of a particularly large valley.

 

The foothold was surrounded by old stumps and saplings, making it clear that the Guild had taken at least some precautions in regard to the foothold’s security. However, the Major did not seem to think they had done nearly enough and sent out work details to strip back the trees even further.

 

With the seventh floor possessing most of the same monsters as the sixth floor, each team tasked with cutting down trees was accompanied by three others who would be on the lookout for danger.

 

The Kobold Beast Trainers, now almost exclusively mounted on Carnifexes, had leapt at the opportunity to volunteer. Many of the Kobolds seemed excited by the possibilities of mounted combat, but there were not enough Carnifexes to go around. Learning that there were Classes like the Cavalier had only increased their interest still further.

 

Of course, this had the downside of exacerbating the shortage of Beasts currently capable of serving as mounts. However, it only motivated the Beast Tamers to be all the more vigilant for fear of missing an opportunity to acquire more Beasts.

 

“Hey Tim,” Clarice sat herself down on a nearby stump while Dhizi kept a wary distance from Ushu, “Cooper looks like she is close to Evolving, so it might be a good idea to push it now rather than having it happen during the Conquest.”

 

“Hrm? Really?” I hadn’t given the matter much thought, so it came as something of a surprise.

 

“Well yeah,” Clarice snorted derisively, “These scalies have been eating monsters whole as often as not, and decapitating the rest. It was only a matter of time.”

 

I nodded in agreement, “Makes sense.”

 

“Sooo, that’s a yes then?” Clarice pressed.

 

“To Cooper Evolving?” I clarified, “Sure, I guess.”

 

Clarice grinned, “Great! Could you lend us a couple of higher-end Elixirs then?”

 

It figured that Clarice had other motives besides seeking my permission or advice, “Fine,” I sighed and conjured three tier six Elixirs from the stockpile, “But you owe me a favour,” I warned before handing the Elixirs over.

 

Clarice almost hesitated, almost. “Sure!” She greedily accepted the Elixirs and went sprinting off to find Cooper.

 

“How are you doing, Dhizi?” I asked conversationally without really expecting a reply.

 

Dhizi huffed and made a low warbling screech before turning her head to watch Clarice disappear behind the newly erected walls of the foothold.

 

“Well, you are doing a good job looking after her for me,” I consoled the giant flying lizard, “And I appreciate it.”

 

Dhizi chittered in surprise before lifting herself up on her batlike wings and raising her head proudly.

 

“For your trouble,” I conjured the roasted, thoroughly disassembled, but otherwise complete remains of a giant Sand Stalker, “It’s all yours.”

 

Dhizi screeched in anticipation before chomping her way through the first chitin-covered limb.

 

I personally found the idea of eating spiders nauseating, but the Desert Orcs couldn’t get enough of it, and I had a hunch that Dhizi had a fondness for venomous Beasts.

 

Ushu, still sunbathing, growled at a nearly imperceptible volume, momentarily frightening Dhizi.

 

“Hey!” I gave Ushu’s shoulder a hard thump with my fist to let him know I was serious, “That’s enough of that! It’s her food! And if you want another treat or a present, then you have to start playing nice while we are away from home. Got it?”

 

Ushu huffed indignantly and closed his eyes.

 

I removed a thick bristle brush from my belt and gave the scales behind Dhizi’s jaw a hard scrubbing.

 

The fallout from Ushu’s territorial hissy fit was getting on my nerves and I had just about had enough of it.

 

I reviewed the stockpile of donated magical items while continuing to brush Dhizi’s scales. Limiting my criteria solely to aesthetics, it didn’t take long to find another gold ring. Conjuring the item into my hand and investigating it more closely, it was easy to see why the plain gold band had been donated.

 

Temporary Poison and Venom Resistance was no doubt considered a low value item because of the plentiful supply of Serpent-Kin as potential party members and the current rarity of venomous and poisonous monsters in my Labyrinth. However, the ring was still magical, and that was the important part.

 

Concentrating, I pushed mana into the ring to increase its size.

 

Dhizi stared at me like a curious bird, cocking her head to one side and staring intently with a single eye.

 

“It’s a gift so you can settle things with Ushu for good,” I muttered quietly, “Here, open your mouth. Good girl,” I rested the bangle-sized ring on her lower lip and then gently but firmly closed her mouth to hold it in place while I increased its size further.

 

Once I finished increasing the size of the ring as much as I was able, I pointed toward Ushu and gave Dhizi a supportive nudge.

 

Dhizi made a small whining hiss and looked like she would rather swallow acid.

 

“C’mon, it’s worth a try,” I encouraged her.

 

Dhizi growled quietly and shook her head.

 

“Dhizi...” I sighed and stared her straight in the eye.

 

Before I could say anything more, Dhizi’s attention suddenly shifted.

 

Ushu was awake and was staring intently at the ring held in Dhizi’s mouth, “Gooolllld,” he rumbled with possessive hunger.

 

Dhizi slowly began backing away but I took a firm hold of a bony ridge on her jaw, stopping her in her tracks. Dhizi grew more distressed as Ushu slowly made his approach, but stood her ground when it became obvious that she wouldn’t be able to escape.

 

Ushu leaned in close and flared his nostrils.

 

Dhizi chittered nervously and shifted her weight from one wing to the other, conveniently dropping the ring in the process.

 

Ushu followed the ring with magpie-like fascination as it clinked against the the stony ground, “Miiiiiiine!” He rumbled greedily, reaching forward with his left foreclaw and hooking the ring with his middle claw before drawing it back toward himself.

 

“Yours,” I agreed, deliberately drawing Ushu’s attention, “Because Dhizi gave it to you.”

 

Ushu eyed me warily for a moment and then stared at Dhizi.

 

To her credit, Dhizi stood her ground and matched Ushu’s gaze.

 

Ushu glanced at the ring beneath his claw and then looked back at Dhizi. “Hrmph,” Ushu huffed indignantly before calming himself and slowly shaking his head down toward Dhizi. He stared at her for a while longer and then abruptly licked her snout.

 

Dhizi seemed just as surprised as I was and blinked in astonishment as Ushu backed away with his prize.

 

“Are you alright, Dhizi?” I asked, somewhat bemused by her sudden lack of fear.

 

Dhizi blinked several times before shifting her attention away from Ushu and toward me instead. She chittered uncertainly and then slowly backed away while keeping a wary eye on Ushu.

 

“That’s progress...” I muttered while watching Ushu toy with the ring.

 

The ring was still several sizes too small, so it wouldn’t pass over his first knuckle. However, before I made it more than a couple of steps the ring began to slowly enlarge itself and slip down his upturned claw.

 

“Clever boy.” I was genuinely impressed that Ushu had picked up the trick so quickly.

 

“Uh, Majesty?” A familiar male voice asked, drawing my attention away from the giant scaly magpie and toward the pudgy form of ambassador Byron. “I have reviewed the records of the Guilds and couldn’t find a credible reference to any existing communities of Variants on this floor. How, ah, how would your Majesty wish to proceed?” Byron asked somewhat nervously.

 

The act of integrating the floors of the Labyrinths into my Demi-Plane was inherently destructive. At least, it had been according to the methods I had employed thus far.

 

“Clarice and I will do a few scouting flights to see if we can find anything from the air,” I decided, thinking the solution through aloud, “If we can’t find anything, then we will proceed as planned. The territory will be partitioned off in the Demi-Plane until a more thorough search is completed. The military can use it as an opportunity for a training exercise or something.”

 

“As you say, Majesty,” Byron bowed respectfully, “I shall inform the Major of your decision so he can prepare accordingly,” he bowed again and retreated back toward the tower at the centre of the foothold.

 

Once the floor was a part of my Demi-Plane, the wild monsters would cease to respawn. It would make exploring the otherwise open territory considerably easier if performed slowly and carefully. The territory was not immediately required, so it wasn’t a terrible option.

 

Of course, that was assuming I couldn’t find signs of Variants on the floor.

 

If the Conquests weren’t so destructive, I would have seriously considered making isolation the standard procedure for annexing territory.

 

While I had the time, I began the slow process of absorbing the sixth floor and transplanting the Stonepaw’s new home. I used the remainder of the sixth floor to form the basis of my reform and recruitment territory. Isolated by the same means as the prison, the territory would be where all Variant tribes and clans would be sent if they refused to accept my authority but agreed to live in peace.

 

The territory would need to be expanded down the line, but for the time being at least the former sixth floor would be more than sufficient. The same was true of the prison, but I wouldn’t prioritise it to the same degree. While the prison wasn’t meant to be a hellhole, it wasn't meant to be overly pleasant either.

 

All the same, I felt like labelling the locations would make things easier for documentation and discussions regarding potential reforms down the line. After some thought, I decided that Tartarus would serve for the prison and Acheron for the reform and recruitment territory. If I remembered my Greek mythology correctly, and there was no degree of certainty that I had, there was a certain poetry to the naming scheme and purpose of the two territories.

 

I left the former sixth floor largely as it had been, but replaced the monsters with much lower-tier alternatives. The fortifications we had left behind would serve as a permanent safe zone and operating base for the recruiters. The Stonepaw’s former fortress would have similar protections but would be left for whoever found it first. I marked out several other locations with stone monoliths bearing Sanctuary’s sigil to denote locations of safety and barred the wild monsters from approaching those locations as well.

 

Acheron was not intended as a punishment. At worst, it was a forcible relocation program. With alternatives involving violence, I considered it to be the least of many possible evils.

 

With everything settled, I wasn’t surprised to find that a number of hours had passed while I was otherwise occupied. Judging by the height of the ‘sun’ I estimated that roughly three hours or so had passed. While not insignificant, it was still far less time than I had otherwise expected.

 

I made a mental note to have someone actively monitor the passage of time when the seventh floor was ready to be integrated.

 

Waving over a soldier standing guard nearby, I sent them off to find a Scout so I could go searching for Variants.

 

“You ready for some exercise?” I called out to Ushu while giving his saddle a quick once over to dislodge some dirt and debris.

 

“Huuuunnnt?” Ushu growled hopefully.

 

“Sure,” I replied, “We can make time so you can do some hunting, but we are looking for tribes of Variants who might be hiding out there. So keep that in mind.”

 

Ushu stared at me for a few moments before blinking and nodding his head to show he understood.

 

Partway through buckling on Ushu’s saddle, a young man with a jagged scar down his chin came jogging over from the tower. Judging by the mottled brown and green of his cloak, I assumed he was the Scout I had sent for.

 

“Sir! Uh, Majesty!” The Scout, Thomas, snapped a nervous and excited salute.

 

“You're my Scout?” I asked, intended as a confirmation rather than a question.

 

“A Pathfinder,” Thomas corrected with a broad grin, “Uh, but yes, I will be your scout Majesty!” He hastily corrected.

 

“Pathfinder?” I hadn’t heard of that Class before, “What’s the difference?” I asked while looking at his Status so I could see for myself.

 

“Mostly the same,” Thomas replied eagerly, “But the passives are better for long-distance travel and avoiding pursuit.”

 

From what I could tell, it was an accurate enough description. The Abilities all looked the same or incredibly similar to the Scouts. But one Ability in particular piqued my interest.

 

“Does Predatory Senses work like I think it does?” I asked curiously.

 

Thomas grinned broadly and nodded, “Spending mana, I can see the recent paths taken by any monsters.”

 

“And how far does that Ability go exactly?” I pressed, “I didn’t see a range enhancing component in the phrasing of the Ability.”

 

“As far as I can see, Majesty!” Thomas declared proudly, twisting his scar as his grin grew broader still.

 

“Which is passively enhanced by the same Ability,” I snorted softly and shook my head, “How far can you make out the tracks reliably?”

 

Thomas narrowed his eyes slightly and looked toward the nearby forest, and then continued panning over the treeline until he settled on a distant hill, “Most of the way to the hill over there, Majesty,” he replied honestly, “No further than that small pile of rocks before I start having trouble.”

 

I couldn’t see the rocks he was talking about, but the hill itself looked like it was perhaps a few hundred feet away. I didn’t want Ushu flying more than a hundred or so feet off the ground anyway, so it was more than good enough for our purposes.

 

“Find Clarice and let her know that I won't be needing her help after all. Dhizi wouldn’t be able to support the weight of another full-grown adult over the distances your Ability will allow us to cover anyway.” I waved Thomas off and continued strapping on Ushu’s saddle.

 

Thomas snapped a quick salute and went jogging off to find Clarice.

 

Despite his voracious appetite, Ushu remained as lean as ever. However, the shrinking length of the straps also made it clear that he was continuing to grow in overall size. Ushu was already close to thirty feet tall at the shoulder and fifty feet long excluding his neck and tail. His continued growth was a little terrifying because he was still very much a cold-blooded predator.

 

By the time Thomas returned, Ushu was well and truly awake.

 

After fitting Thomas with a pair of crude flight goggles and going over a few basic signs we took to the air.

 

With no real clue where to start looking, I encouraged Ushu to fly us in a gradually expanding spiral with the foothold and portal at our centre.

 

Four hours passed without anything to show for it. I was about to give Ushu the go-ahead to indulge in some hunting but stopped when I noticed Thomas was trying to get my attention.

 

#Found. Tracks.# Thomas signed emphatically before pointing down to the wooded valley below.

 

I nodded to show I had understood and then directed Ushu toward a nearby hill that would afford us a view of the woodland.

 

“Beasts! Majesty!” Thomas exclaimed excitedly the moment Ushu landed, very likely coming close to biting his tongue in his recklessness, “So many tracks! All headed into the woods!” He waved excitedly toward the woodland.

 

“Carnifexes?” I asked warily, more concerned with his safety than that of myself or Ushu.

 

“I am not completely certain,” Thomas readily admitted, “But the tracks I can see in the general area are at least partial matches,” he jogged a dozen feet and knelt down by a section of disturbed earth, “See?”

 

I had no idea what we were looking at but decided to defer to his expertise, “How many of them do you think there are?”

 

“A few dozen at least,” Thomas insisted thoughtfully while scanning the immediate area, “Definitely,” he nodded to himself while continuing to look around the area.

 

The news unsettled me somewhat.

 

On the sixth floor, Carnifexes had been found in pairs or on their own. The Conquests had disrupted that behaviour somewhat, but even afterwards the Carnifexes had been too territorial to form larger groups.

 

“Majesty?” Thomas pointed to another section of ground closer to the woodland, “I can see smaller tracks.”

 

“Another Species?” I asked warily.

 

It wasn’t unheard of for multiple Species to occupy the same spaces, provided each Species was capable of retreating to a space otherwise out of the reach of their competition. The swampland around Sanctuary was a prime example.

 

Thomas slowly shook his head, “I would have to get closer to be absolutely certain, but I don’t think so, Majesty...I think they belong to a much smaller Carnifex.”

 

Ushu was growing restless, flaring his nostrils and scanning our surroundings with predatory intent, “Meeeeeat,” thick rivulets of saliva began running down Ushu’s scaly jaw and spattering against the ground.

 

“No, not yet,” I warned Ushu, conjuring a pair of uncooked Swamp Lurker carcasses to satiate his appetite.

 

Shaking the scales on his neck, Ushu snarled and snapped up the Swamp Lurkers without hesitation, crushing their bones in his powerful jaws.

 

Thomas flinched and made a point of looking elsewhere.

 

Given he was quite similar in size to the Swamp Lurkers, I couldn’t fault him for being unsettled.

 

“Majesty! I see movement!” Thomas pointed down at the woodland and toward a large black furred Beast standing in the shadows of the trees.

 

Perhaps half again as large as the largest Carnifex I had seen on the sixth floor, there was something about it that didn’t seem quite right.

 

Five more Carnifexes joined the first, each similar in appearance to one another but by no means identical.

 

The immediate comparison was enough to confirm that the Carnifexes were almost certainly Variants. However, their collective appearance didn’t quite match the carnifexes from the sixth floor either. Chalking the difference up to an Environmental Evolution, I waved Thomas back to take shelter with Ushu.

 

Moving slightly downhill, I did my best to hold my fear in check. If the Carnifexes were indeed Variants then there was the possibility that we might be able to reach some sort of understanding. Shady had demonstrated close to human-level comprehension in spite of an objectively low Intelligence stat.

 

Conjuring another Swamp Lurker carcass, I threw it down the hill and in the general direction of the gathered Carnifexes.

 

Unsurprisingly, all but the largest Carnifex retreated to varying degrees, no doubt expecting some sort of foul play. However, the largest Carnifex simply snarled and moved closer to the carcass, investigating it while making sure not to let me out of its sight.

 

Seemingly satisfied with its investigation, the dark-furred Carnifex growled at one of the smaller Carnifexes who then moved forward and dragged away the carcass.

 

“This complicates things,” I muttered wryly, somewhat annoyed at myself for not having anticipated such a scenario.

 

Wanting to establish a favourable impression, I conjured more meat from Sanctuary’s stockpile and left it on the hill before mounting Ushu’s saddle.

 

Once Thomas was secure, Ushu reluctantly flew us back to base.

 

“Sorry buddy, but until we have a better idea of their numbers, I don’t want to risk you eating any Variants,” I apologised to Ushu while conjuring him his own little feast.

 

Ushu paid me little mind, opting to focus on his meal instead.

 

I had already sent Thomas off to make a report to the Major, so I had little to do besides wait for the final preparations for the Conquest to be completed.

 

The Carnifex Variants complicated things considerably.

 

As Variants, they were not prevented from entering the protected area generated by a foothold or a Settlement. The Subspecies also seemed to have overcome the extreme territorial nature demonstrated by their kin from the sixth floor. This meant that they were also potentially capable of launching an attack as a pack.

 

Lone Carnifexes were already a substantial threat to the average human soldier, and a pair attacking in unison was even more so. I didn’t like to think about what a pack of the things would be capable of in close quarters. I had seen more than enough articles on zoo handlers injuries to know that it wouldn’t be pretty.

 

I was interrupted from my musings as Cooper excitedly ambled out from behind the walls.

 

Cooper had Evolved just as Clarice had said she would, and unsurprisingly, she had evolved into a western Dragon not too different in appearance from Ushu. Cooper lacked Ushu’s flexible finned-crests, but she had short thick spines in their place. Cooper’s scales and the leathery membrane of her wings seemed to be thicker as well and were now muted shades of brown instead of a sickly off-white.

 

Cooper slowed as she drew closer, making loud mewling noises as she drew Ushu’s attention.

 

Ushu’s eyes narrowed and he released a low growling hiss as he looked her over.

 

Just as I became worried that he might do something violent, Ushu relaxxed and made a strange whooping noise while bobbing his head and undulating his neck.

 

Cooper chittered happily and then copied Ushu, repeating the whooping noise and bobbing her neck before making her approach.

 

As the pair paced in circles around one another, it drove home just how much larger Ushu was. Even after her Evolution, Cooper still looked like a child.

 

Not sure exactly why, I reviewed Ushu’s Status on a whim.

 

I found nothing new and certainly nothing I hadn’t expected. All the same, something continued to gnaw at me. There was something I was missing.

 

Glancing at Clarice and Nila as they made their way over, I felt a faint tug in my subconcious. There was something about the pair that seemed important.

 

Silently reviewing what I knew about each of them, the biggest difference I could think of was that Nila was married with children, and Clarice wasn’t otherwise, they both rode giant lizards, they both had lordship titles and Custom Classes, they...

 

I came to an abrupt halt as I felt a chill run down my spine.

 

“That’s it...” I muttered, looking back toward Ushu and Cooper.

 

Clarice had no Bloodline because she wasn’t mate-bonded, and so far as I was aware, she had no children. Nila’s husband, Maurice, was listed on her Status, and so were her two children, Bret and Dilia, under Nila’s Adaptive Bloodline. Both of Nila’s children had predated the mass integration into the Asrusian Kingdom’s Faction, but the Status had listed them all the same. Doublechecking their own respective Status confirmed that they each had the Bloodline listed and were benefiting from its effects.

 

I winced as I looked back toward Ushu and Cooper. Even knowing I would be able to reverse the action if needed, I felt a profound degree of reluctance. If my suspicions were correct, I had murdered one of Ushu’s children and forced Cooper to feed on her sibling’s corpse.

 

Already revolted with myself, I promoted Ushu and braced myself for the worst.

 

Ushu’s promotion to Underlord went through without resistance, and as I had feared, his Status updated almost immediately.

 

[ Bloodline: {Indomitable} +1 Toughness. ] [ Bloodline Progeny: Cooper. ]

 

“What’s up with you?” Clarice asked jokingly.

 

I shifted uncomfortably and considered whether I should tell her. Ultimately, my guilt won out. “I think I made Ushu kill one of his own kids and made Cooper eat her sibling...” I explained quietly, feeling a hot wave of shame settle in my gut and displace the numbing fear and hesitation from earlier.

 

Clarice’s grin slipped, “You’re joking, right?”

 

I slowly shook my head.

 

Clarice’s eyes widened in shock, “Fuck me...” She looked over at Ushu and Cooper, “You sure? They haven’t exactly tried attacking since their collars were removed.”

 

I was tempted to take the easy way out, but shook my head, “I’m quite sure...”

 

“Nah,” Clarice vehemently shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, “It doesn’t make sense. If you killed his kid, Ushu would have made a run at Pete and Suzy long before now in retribution.”

 

“...” I had been preparing myself to argue with Clarice but was surprised to find she made a very good point. As terrifying as the thought was, Ushu had ample opportunity to ‘even the score’ if he wanted to.

 

All the same, not knowing for certain was a risk I could not live with.

 

“Wait here,” I waved Clarice and Nila back before approaching Ushu and Cooper.

 

Ushu and Cooper paused what they were doing as I drew closer but there was a definite sense of familiarity between the two that I couldn’t deny.

 

“Ushu...Do you remember when we first met in the Mournbrent Labyrinth?” I asked stiffly, trying and failing to ignore just how much potential danger I invited by broaching the subject.

 

Ushu was quiet for a few moments and then slowly nodded his head, “Yessss.”

 

“I... just wanted to know...” Self-preservation instincts warred against my guilt and lost by a narrow margin, “The other Drake that was with you...was that another one of your children?...”

 

Ushu stared at me intensely and I found it hard to breathe. “Daaaarksssstaaaar,” he rumbled dourly and then hissed revealing his fangs, “Nnnnoooo! Nnnnoooot miiiine!” Ushu calmed himself and took a few moments to nuzzle Cooper affectionately, “Oooonly Coooperrrr.”

 

Cooper chittered happily in response and nuzzled against Ushu’s neck.

 

“The other Drake, Darkstar, he wasn’t one of yours?” I was relieved but also confused.

 

“Nnnno, nnnot mmmine,” Ushu repeated more quietly this time, “Foooorced toooo breeed, toooo fiiight, toooo diiiiiie. Nnnot mmmine,” he stated with dismissive finality.

 

As cold as his stance seemed to be, I could understand the sentiment. If the Vampyrs had been engaging the Drakes in a forced breeding program, then it made sense that Ushu would have little concern for Darkstar’s passing and subsequent consumption by himself and his daughter. Family came first.

 

Under the circumstances, it was a little surprising that Ushu cared for Cooper at all.

 

“Thank you for answering my questions, Ushu. I’ll leave you two alone.” I wandered back over to Clarice and Nila.

 

They both looked as surprised as I was.

 

“Bloody hell,” Clarice cursed, “I mean, I knew I should have expected something pretty fucked up, but this something else...”

 

Nila stiffly nodded in agreement.

 

“I know,” I agreed dourly, “But it’s about what I should have expected from the Vampyrs. If they can murder children, then the forced breeding of otherwise intelligent Beasts wouldn’t be beyond them.”

 

I considered raising the subject of how we more or less facilitated the same process under better circumstances on Earth, but there was a very real chance it would do more harm than good.

 

So far as I had been able to gather, animal husbandry was a complete unknown in this world. As hunter gatherers, they had never made the leap to domestication. Or if they had, then the knowledge had been lost when the Labyrinths outproduced all forms of competition and flooded the market with readily available meat, hide, and fertiliser.

 

“How did your scouting go?” Clarice asked, eager to change the subject, “Find any hidden Variant villages?”

 

“Kind of,” I admitted, “I’m quite certain we found a pack of Variant Beasts, some sort of Subspecies of the Carnifex.”

 

Clarice seemed surprised, “Really? How could you tell?”

 

I shrugged, “They don’t quite look the same as the Carnifexes from the sixth floor,” I explained while trying to bring an image of the large dark-furred Carnifex to mind, “They were stockier and had larger teeth.”

 

“Huh?” Clarice seemed confused for a moment before shaking her head, “No, I meant how did you know they were Variants?”

 

“Oh. Well, they had different coloured fur, from one to another, and slightly different patterns,” I explained slowly, “And Thomas, the pathfinder who went with me, he saw tracks belonging to much smaller Carnifexes in the area.”

 

“Different coloured fur?” Clarice didn’t seem convinced, “You’re sure that makes them Variants?”

 

I shrugged, “It might not,” I admitted, “But I’m reasonably confident that it does. All the Carnifexes have the same coloured fur in the same pattern because they are just copies of the same Carnifex. Fur is like hair, it’s an inherited trait,” I pointed at Clarice and then Nila, “For the most part, you will probably inherit a combination of your parents' and grandparents' hair types and colours, and it’s the same with animals and Beasts. There are, admittedly, a few things that can cause changes in hair colour. Like dyes, bleach, scarring, ageing or mineral overdoses, but it wouldn’t explain the number of patterns I saw in their fur.”

 

“I think I understand, Majesty,” Nila nodded slowly, earning a sceptical glance from Clarice.

 

“But what are we gonna do then?” Clarice asked, “Does your no Slave rule apply to Beasts too?”

 

“The intelligent ones at least?” I qualified, “Yes, I think it has to. For Variants in any case.”

 

Clarice shrugged, “I kind of figured that would be the case,” she commented, “But what are you going to do about cases where people do it accidentally?”

 

“I don’t know,” I admitted with a sigh, “I suppose there will need to be an agency or something to check on Beasts to make sure they aren’t being mistreated. They could check for Variants while they are at it. Your Class already shows that you don’t need to Enslave the Beast to establish a Bond, and I promoted Ushu just a minute ago. So theor-”

 

“Wait! You did what?!” Clarice demanded.

 

I had forgotten that I hadn’t told anyone yet. “I did it to try and confirm if Cooper was Ushu’s daughter,” I explained somewhat awkwardly, “I wasn’t sure it would work, but there hasn’t been any evidence to suggest it wouldn’t either...so...”

 

“I can’t even...” Clarice ran her hands through her hair and began energetically pacing back and forth, “Why do you always leave the biggest part until last?!” She demanded in a frustrated tone.

 

I shrugged defensively, “I didn’t think it was particularly important, and for the most part, it isn't. It’s only in this specific circumstance that it particularly matters. Because I figured If Ushu is capable of receiving a promotion and title, then it stands to reason that he might be able to unlock some sort of Class as well.”

 

Clarice’s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth several times without managing to speak before taking a deep breath, “This is what I’m talking about,” Clarice stated flatly.

 

“I, uh, I’m sorry, Majesty, but what do you mean?” Nila asked with palpable uncertainty.

 

Clarice rolled her eyes, “Tim said Beasts can probably have Classes. What’s so hard about that to understand?” She insisted rudely.

 

Nila’s lips pressed together and her right eye twitched slightly as she bit back a response. Unlike Clarice, Nila had higher expectations of her conduct. “I see,” Nila replied tersely.

 

“They might be able to,” I corrected in a warning tone, making it clear that Clarice had crossed the line.

 

Clarice winced and fell silent, although she appeared far from apologetic.

 

“I think there ‘might’ be some Classes exclusive to Beasts, or they ‘might’ be able to unlock certain Classes with a little assistance,” I continued, thinking aloud to better maintain my train of thought, “The Combat Classes would be out, for obvious reasons, but I don’t see a particular reason why a Beast of sufficient Intelligence couldn’t be a Warlock. All it requires is knowledge of a True Name. So a personal introduction by one of the Daemons or Angels would, theoretically, be sufficient for a Beast like Ushu.”

 

Clarice frowned, “But Ushu’s been around Gric and the others before, and last I checked, he didn’t have the Warlock Class unlocked.”

 

“That’s true,” I agreed, “And it’s true for Shady as well. But you are missing an important point.”

 

Clarice’s frown lightened somewhat and gave way to a more curious and open expression, “What?”

 

“You haven’t unlocked the Warlock Class, or any of the others, either,” I replied, doing my best to appear overly smug.

 

Clarice’s eyes slowly widened and her brows rose in surprise, “Oh...Wow, I...Wow...How did I not notice this until now?”

 

“The true names have an encryption, a special defence, that replaces the names of the Daemons and Angels in the ears of anyone who doesn’t know their true name already,” I explained slowly, “Whenever you use their name, it’s like there is a piece missing. However, I can still understand what you are saying and who you are talking about in the same way that we can magically understand one another in the first place.”

 

Nila nodded in understanding, “The Labyrinths’ translation magic.”

 

“Exactly,” I agreed, “Except the true names twist that magic to conceal themselves instead of making themselves understood.”

 

“Wait, so...” Clarice rubbed at her temples, “I have been calling Gric, Gric, this whole time. What the hell have you been calling him?”

 

“Gric,” I replied and raised my hand, “Clarice, I know their true names, all of them, but I can’t reveal them, not without real effort.”

 

“Huh...” Clarice narrowed her eyes and stared at the ground for a few moments, “Okay, yeah, I think I get what you are saying now. It’s like if I called Nadine Dina or something but you still hear Nadine?”

 

“Exactly,” I agreed.

 

“Well that's...weird...” Clarice sighed with a mildly confused expression on her face. She shook her head and looked thoughtful for a moment, “So wait, you think Dhizi could unlock the Warlock Class too?”

 

“Maybe?” I shrugged, “I haven’t really tested anything at this point. I was just saying that it might be possible.”

 

“What about Pact Binder?” Nila asked curiously, “I am not overly familiar, but as I understand it, they are very similar in nature. Furthermore, being able to Summon Daemons and Angels while also being incredibly mobile would be an incredible strategic advantage.”

 

“That’s actually a very good point,” I agreed thoughtfully, “I hadn’t really considered that.”

 

If Ushu, Cooper or Dhizi were capable of Summoning Cin or Qreet of their own accord, then it would save the need for flying out Visili. Or alternatively, it would allow the fortifications to be erected that much faster.

 

“Hang on a minute...” I muttered, surprising both Clarice and Nila who had been caught up in musings of their own, “Clarice, Nila, Don’t you both have a Class Ability that shares access to Class Abilities with your Bonded mounts?”

 

Clarice and Nila both stared at me with mouths gaping open in complete surprise.

 

Clarice recovered almost immediately and grinned so wide she could have given the Grinch a run for his money, “Yeah, we totally can!” Clarice agreed eagerly and went sprinting off. No doubt going to find Dhizi.

 

“Uh, Majesty, I’m sorry,” Nila apologised, “But the phrasing of the Ability doesn’t match what you said. It only says the Beast gains access to the Class Abilities of the rider, not the other way...OH!...” her eyes widened in shock as she reached the same conclusion as Clarice.

 

“The Beast gains access to ALL of the Class Abilities of the rider,” I stated with a broad grin, “This includes the Bonded Class Ability itself.”

 

*****

 

Ushu stared at his liberator for a long while, taking his time to digest what he had been told. It wasn’t particularly difficult to understand, but his liberator had insisted that he think it over thoroughly before making a decision.

 

The fact that he was being offered a choice in the first place meant a great deal to Ushu. His liberator seemed to always take great pains to present Ushu with choices instead of commands where possible. The only commands Ushu recalled being given after his immediate capture was to facilitate coordination in combat. So Ushu didn’t think they counted.

 

Cooper, his offspring, had been presented a similar choice, although her small mammalian caretaker seemed more interested in keeping Cooper out of the thick of the fighting. It was a sentiment Ushu shared.

 

On a primal instinctive level, Ushu knew that Cooper needed to engage in conflict to become strong enough to not just survive, but thrive. However, Ushu had seen enough fighting to know that there was a large difference between fighting in a battle and desperately trying to survive in the thick of the fighting.

 

The former afforded less life-or-death experience and was less valuable. However, the latter meant that you likely wouldn’t survive long enough to make use of it.

 

This was why Ushu made no attempts at influencing Cooper’s decision. The ability to call upon allies at a moment's notice, even if they were weaker than herself, would greatly improve Cooper’s chances of survival in the long term.

 

Ushu was leaning toward a different path.

 

After everything he had experienced while at the mercy of his former masters, Ushu wasn’t keen on the idea of relying on allies weaker than himself. However, if their strength could be added to his own, that was a different matter entirely.

 

Besides The Liberator and Cooper, Ushu felt he only had one true rival from the ranks of The Liberator’s followers.

 

Dar.

 

By no means as large as himself, Ushu was not foolish enough to allow size alone to measure the strength of his rival. Dar was smaller but his bones and tendons were thicker, his muscles more compact. Just as capable of inflicting harm as Ushu himself, Dar had the added advantage of weathering those same attacks in turn without risk of critical injury. Not being able to fly was one of the few weaknesses Ushu had been able to attribute to the thick-limbed reptile.

 

Only, Ushu also knew that there was more to Dar than he appeared, and that was the point.

 

“Darrrrr,” Ushu growled with absolute certainty, “Shoooow meee Darrrr.”

 

The Liberator settled his lips into a position Ushu recognised as expressing happiness or enjoyment, “I thought you might lean toward the Warlock, and Dar in particular.”

 

*Tingling*

 

A quiet chime sounded and was immediately drowned out by deep Rasping breaths as a giant scaly figure materialised beside The Liberator.

 

In spite of his own recent growth, Ushu realised that Dar had grown as well.

 

Dar stared back at Ushu with his six brightly coloured eyes from beneath a pair of horned brows, slowly waving his thick scaly tail over the ground and ripping up the earth in the process without conscious effort. There was no malice or challenge in his eyes, only curiosity and a wary and respectful consideration that Ushu himself reciprocated.

 

“I want you to share with Ushu your True name,” The Liberator explained, drawing the majority of Dar’s attention in the process, “I want to know if he can become a Warlock.”

 

Dar seemed surprised, shifting his prodigious weight as he shifted his attention back toward Ushu. The imprints left by Dar’s foreclaws in the dirt were far deeper than Ushu’s own, serving as another reminder that his smaller stature was not to be trusted when comparing their capabilities.

 

As Dar’s eyes locked onto his own, Ushu felt ‘something’ inside of his consciousness that had not been there before.

 

<Hello.>

 

Ushu very nearly baulked as his senses were thrown into confusion. His ears had heard nothing and neither Dar nor The Liberator had made any sign of having spoken.

 

<You are Ushu.> The deep voice stated calmly. <I am Dar.>

 

Ushu shook his head, snorting, blinking and huffing as he tried to process something he hadn’t heard but now knew.

 

“It’s a strange sensation,” The Liberator said sympathetically, “Like when someone says your name just out of earshot. You know someone has said something, but you don’t know exactly what. You get used to it. Also, Dar was speaking with you telepathically, I assume, which means he was communicating with you mind to mind. It’s another weird thing to get used to, but it’s probably easier for you than talking.”

 

<Concentrate thoughts and push.> The deep voice in Ushu’s head agreed.

 

Unwilling to back down from a challenge, Ushu did as the voice suggested and pushed.

 

Dar hissed and rolled his head slowly from side to side.

 

<Concentrate. Then push.> The voice amended.

Ushu concentrated. <Irritation.> Ge snorted in surprise before realising that the new voice he had heard inside of his head had been his own. <Strange.> Ushu shifted nervously and wondered if he was making the correct decision.

 

Cooper keened with concern.

 

Ushu’s protective instincts surged as memories of his Enslavement were dredged from the dark corners of his mind. <Never again.> Ushu felt newfound confidence in his decision. <Together. Protect Cooper.>

 

<Agreed.>

 

The reply sent shivers down Ushu’s spine and large walls bearing strange scratch marks appeared in front of his eyes. He had been around the Humans long enough to recognise the markings as words given form, but he could not read them.

 

“Oh wow...” The Liberator exclaimed in surprise, “This is...a lot better than I expected...”

 

Recalling part of what The Liberator had explained to him before they started, Ushu realised that things must have gone according to plan. Adjusting the muscles in his throat, Ushu took a deep breath, “Acccept.”

 

The wall and its scratching marks disappeared and was replaced by another. Only this time, Ushu understood the meaning of each collection of scratches. To his own amazement, Ushu realised that he could now read.