The Bloodforged Kin

Chapter 205 - 199: Maisy - Judgement Day

Day 2: Morning

The animals were gathered in a wide, dusty field where the Torres family had once threatened to be overtaken by a swarm of beetles. It was the only space where all could gather without trees blocking their views. Solstice and his Radiant Stags had spent the morning ordering, gathering, threatening, and, at times, forcibly carrying the animals to the grounds. They formed a large circle, each bunched up in groups with the others of their species. The center of the circle was wide, flat, and empty. Dawn's light touched the center of the circle at last, and Maisy arrived with it.

She walked a slow, circular path, laying eyes on each and every creature she passed. Some dipped their heads in subservience, others looked disinterested or distracted, and one looked back at her with eyes that bordered on a challenge.

She moved to the center of the circle, her lithe, powerful body communicating supreme confidence and deadly intent.

"Thornjaw, approach."

The pack leader and alpha of the Frostfang Wolves gave her a challenging stare, refusing to drop his eyes. Maisy waited, the tip of her tail flipping impatiently. She wondered if he would refuse to obey her command and what that would mean for her. Although, she considered, the end result would be the same either way.

He huffed loudly enough for all in attendance to hear, a sound that clearly communicated 'because I choose to,' then began a casual lope into the center.

Maisy's skill would allow her to communicate to him individually, but she spoke so everyone could hear. This lesson was for all. "When the creatures came I gave an order. You disobeyed. Explain."

All animals were capable of deceit, that was known. It was a tool to be used, but also a sign of cowardice in many of the species - especially for their leaders. The Frostfang Wolves were a proud species, and lying would imply that they had made a mistake and that they feared the consequences. Thornjaw was no coward - he led the pack through power and confidence, and any sign of fear would be interpreted as weakness. In the wolf packs, weakness was answered by expulsion or death.

"We accomplished our mission. We cleared our area and the pack was safe. There was no need to leave."

"The need," Maisy kept her thoughts level, calm, but forceful, "was spoken. The order was given. It is not your place to question my orders. You do not determine the need, I do."

Thornjaw exhaled in a way that even humans would have understood as a sigh of irritation. "I lead the pack."

"You lead as I say you lead. I have allowed your pack to reside in my domain, I lead all."

Thornjaw was clearly rankled and he pawed at the ground in front of him, tearing chunks out of the earth. He didn't need to reply with words, his actions demonstrating his disagreement and that he considered her words a threat to his leadership. Maisy watched carefully as he dipped his head slightly while doing it. 'You have threatened me, but I choose not to challenge you over it,' it said.

She knew she was walking a fine line. Before The System the alpha's command of his pack would have been unquestioned, undeniable, and challenged at the risk of death. She didn't want to depose him as pack leader, but she needed to establish domination over him or he would continue to disobey her. That disobedience would spread like an infestation of parasites throughout her domain, infecting all who looked to her for leadership. She looked past him at the leaders of the other species, gauging their positions.

The Thunderclaw Bears, Hearthmane and Stonefist, were watching with interest, their bodies communicating only curiosity at how this would play out.

Gravelguts and his Badger Sentinels were laying in a pile of bodies, some snoring, others chewing on clods of dirt. He could have been mistaken for being uninterested as well, if it weren't for the glint of sharp intelligence in his eyes as he carefully watched the exchange.

Ashclaw and the Cinder Lynxes were in a loose group, none invading the space of the others around them. She was also watching closely and Maisy understood the compact cat's body language better than any of the others here. 'A challenge, even if it goes unsaid, must be met.'

Moonshade's Shadow Fawns were interspersed throughout the crowd with the Radiant Stags, loyal and ready to subdue any chaos that erupted.

Tempestwing and her Skyreaver Raptors floated in lazy circles above them, their thoughts and positions unreadable. Maisy didn't know how to interpret their movements, the large birds too foreign for her to easily grasp their intentions.

Echo of the Moon, the largest of the Whispering Owls, stood placidly on the ground, clearly uncomfortable with not being in the trees, but otherwise unknowable.

The Arcane Scamperers, Abyss Vipers, and Bloodthorn Vines were in attendance as well, but they were all so mindless that Maisy was just grateful that they had been able to be herded here at all.

All waited, none interrupted. Animals were patient. Unlike humans, they acted only when needed. They had no concept of time, and thus felt no rush when not being threatened.

Maisy turned back to face Thornjaw, but her words were clearly meant for all. "This is my domain. Mine. You are here because I have allowed it. My orders are not to be questioned. Before this System arrived we were not together. We did not act together. This has changed and we must as well. We will survive this together or not at all."

Thornjaw growled, a low, rumbling tone that caused susurrations of movements throughout the crowd as their primal instincts registered a threat. "Your domain, yes. But I lead the pack. Any who are too weak to survive do not deserve to live."

Words and explanations were difficult for Maisy, even now. She wasn't accustomed to leading others, to fostering cooperation. Her life had been blissfully solitary before this, and she had answered to nothing beyond her own desires. She understood the packs, herds, and flocks - all animals did - but she had never had to experience that for herself. Every instinctual part of her was telling her to attack, punish insubordination, establish dominance. And yet, she knew that that could work against her as easily as it could work for her.

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"Solstice," she sent privately. "Your advice is needed." She didn't look at him - didn't want to give an impression of needing advice.

A rumble came across their connection, a sign that he was considering her words before answering. "Explain first. They must understand."

"And if I can't make them understand?"

"Then make them follow."

She didn't thank him, it wouldn't have been appropriate. Instead she spoke to the assembly. "What we faced was only the beginning. More will come and they will grow stronger with each night and day. We have not needed each other before, but we do now. As we work together we will grow stronger. Can you feel the strength gained from last night?"

There was shuffling and wriggling as animals who were unaccustomed to introspection peered inward, most for the first time. She felt a flood of emotions - pride, power, success, strength. They had finally seen what success could do for them and they were hungry for more. Still, though, she did not feel unanimous support.

"You have shown them a path to power," Solstice sent to her, "now you must show them that you are the one who will bring them there."

Maisy understood. They saw that they could become more powerful, but the domain was only hers for as long as she held it. Any could lead. Any could bring them to that power, so long as they were strong enough to do so. She turned back to Thornjaw and saw hunger in his eyes.

"Only the strong deserve to live," he said. "Only the strong deserve to lead."

There. That was the moment. The challenge was issued and there was no reversing it.

They met in a rush, no hesitation in either as they vaulted from their positions. Thornjaw was massive and strong, his shoulders rising above even Maisy's. She was the size of a full-grown tiger now, but even that seemed small next to the massive wolf. Icy Howl slammed into her with the force of winter, slowing her reactions. Frostbite froze her leg where his fangs punctured it, ice growing from the wound and spreading upwards to her shoulder.

She was not so easily overpowered, though. Her fur's Arcane Sheen caused the ice to slip off of it in chunks and she swiped out with Ethereal Claw, opening a rift in space in front of her. She dove through it just as Thornjaw snapped at the place where she'd been. He looked around in confusion, never thinking to look up.

Maisy appeared from a rift above him, Shadow Pounce empowered by the pure darkness within her rift. Thornjaw's hackles rose as Fear Inducement drove him into a panic. Surprise Ambush landed its critical strike and four deep gashes appeared in his side, sending him flying sideways with a painful yip.

He was back on his feet instantly, Icy Howl coming at her again. This time it was empowered with an alpha skill, the freezing cone of power carrying spikes of hardened ice. Maisy was ready this time and she swiped Ethereal Claw again, sending out a wave of pure cutting power at the skill. It shredded before the attack and Maisy was through it before Thornjaw registered that his spell had failed.

Then she was on him, the bonuses from her domain making her a match for Thornjaw's power. He was fast, but she was faster. He was powerful, more so than her, but she was chaos incarnate. His tough nails slid off of the defensive magic of her fur. He bit at her, his fangs smoking with cold power, but she was always just out of reach. The fight was dirty, fast, and chaotic as they tumbled around the space, rolling and twisting. Neither pulled away, neither retreated - this was not a battle of tactics and strategic retreats, this was pure and animalistic.

The fight was over as abruptly as it began, blood and drool wetting the ground around them. Maisy hadn't escaped unscathed and her fur was matted, trails of deep red blood coursing down her tawny flanks.

Thornjaw looked like he'd been sent through a shredder, his muscles twitching with potent fury even as Maisy sat on his back, jaws around his neck. He yelped and wriggled, trying to pull himself out from under her, but she only dug claws and teeth deeper into him. She felt her teeth touch bone and Thornjaw finally froze in place, realizing that any movement could have his spine crushed and torn apart.

Silence weighed heavy in the morning air and every animal was looking at the pair with rapt attention. If they had been human there would have been words, confirmation of victory, pleading cries for mercy. But they were not human and no words were necessary.

The silence lasted only a moment longer before Thornjaw's tail hit the earth with a deep thump.

The fight was over, but the battle was not complete. Maisy felt a swarm of emotions come at her from the bond. Death. Victory. Strength. He is strong. You are stronger. He is the alpha, but you are also alpha. That last was obviously from the pack, their emotions confused and unsure. If she killed him they would accept her as their new alpha, if she let him live he would forever be considered weak.

"Finish this." Maisy started at Thornjaw's thought, sent only to her.

Her reply wasn't words, only a collection of emotions that offered him a chance at leadership, to regain his honor, to hold his place, and a demand to follow her orders at the risk of death.

This time the pause was longer. Maisy's heart beat heavy in her chest. She would kill him and not look back, but it wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want to lead the pack, she wanted to lead them all. She didn't want to kill her own, she wanted them to bond together and kill the real enemy. She wanted to hunt, and she wanted Thornjaw at her side when she did.

Thornjaw felt all of this and understood the choice in front of him. He was disgraced, and the path to remaining the alpha would be fraught with danger and challenges. Death would be the more appropriate response.

Maisy felt his intent, tasted it. "Are you alpha? Are you strong enough to lead your pack still?"

Anger and pride came at her and she warmed from it.

His tail thumped one more time and Maisy pulled teeth and claws from his body. She jumped lightly off of him and onto the ground, hiding the pain of her injuries. She refused to lick her wounds, letting them bleed for all to see. Letting them see how little the wounds concerned her.

"Thornjaw is strong. He is alpha of the pack. I am alpha of all who reside in my domain."

It wasn't a question or a request. It wasn't even a declaration, just a statement of fact. None missed the threat behind it, and all were happier for it. They would be safe here. They would be led by the strong. Thornjaw was strong. Maisy was strong. Their leaders were strong as well, and would become stronger, together.

With a flip of her tail and a glance one of the Radiant Stags trod into the clearing, antlers glowing as it touched Thornjaw, healing his wounds.