Chapter 69 – Meet & Greet

The city lord rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes. Last night had been long. By the time they’d made it in, the sun was just peeking over the horizon. He’d sent the warriors off to rest and told them to sleep until midday.

Of course, Boney had demanded he and the Red Claws be allowed to explore their new abilities. With some hesitation, he’d acquiesced.

Now, seeing the dust covered fur of the massive wolf entering the citadel, Kairon was once again in awe of what his little wrath warrior had become.

A true demon.

However, there was one difference between last night and now. One that Boney himself had only learned as they traveled back to the city before he set off again. His enormous claws could be retracted into his skin at will. Currently, you couldn’t even tell he had them. The demon’s paws were bare to the fur.

Is he trying to appear less intimidating?

That was an interesting decision. He thought he’d want to leave a mark on the other demons’ opinion of him, so to speak.

Though judging by Sythara’s face, there’s no help needed on that front.

The demoness was practically salivating as she took in the sight of Boney’s transformation.

“My, my,” she cooed. Without hesitating she strode towards him, tentacles spilling outwards and covering the wolf in mere moments. They poked and prodded, brushing through fur and coalescing around the massive shoulder pauldron. “Just yesterday you were a little one. And now you are fit for the plane…. Oh? What is this? This…” she inquired, paying special attention to the shoulder maw.

“This is the signet of the pack, Sythara. Do you like it?” he asked, a toothy smile coming over his maw.

“I… I have never seen anything like it,” she gasped, prismatic pupils nearly spinning. “Child, how did you make this warrior become such a… marvelous specimen?”

Boney practically preened under the praise.

“Demon, Sythara. Boney is a demon,” Kairon corrected with a sigh.

Unfortunately, not everyone was so keen on the happenings.

Vorathrex stomped up, stopping but a pace away. He was still taller than the wolf, but not by much. Kairon considered intervening, then decided against it. This was an interaction that needed to occur at some point. The sooner the better.

Seeing what was to come, Sythara took one last long glance at Boney before receding into the shadows.

The big demon sniffed, his nostrils flaring. He pointed a big finger at Kairon. “Fledgling! Explain yourself. What has happened here is not right.”

“I have no idea what you mean, Vorathrex. Boney displayed his prowess, and the plane saw fit to name him.”

“His prowess has nothing to do with it. This is not how—”

A low, throaty growl came from Boney. Without warning, the furs along his body bristled. Inky splotches of crimson coated darkness began to pool around him, the claws on his cheek shining a stunning gold.

The effect was similar, yet different than Sythara’s shadows. Hers reeked of unknown depths and the foreboding. But Boney—he was wrapped in a sort of twilight-like haze. Like dusk itself blanketed him.

The Night Caller.

At his will, that effect grew.

Breathing in sharply, Sythara and her appendages drew ever further back. Vorathrex too froze, before taking a half step in the opposite direction.

The light in the tower dimmed noticeably, despite the golden moats in the floor never changing.

Boney’s eyes, one crimson, one gold, narrowed. “Vorathrex. I thought you would be proud of what I have become. Am I to take it that you see me as something that is… how did you call it? Not right.”

Vorathrex tensed, craning his neck to gain even more height. “A demon should be born in the plane, not elsewhere. This is not how it should be.”

Boney only shrugged. “It does not matter. I am here. The pack is here. We are here. Master is watching, and he needs our service. Is that going to be an issue? I hoped we could work together, but now I wonder if that could be… troublesome for you.” He cocked his head, gauging the muscled stature in front of him.

From the sidelines, Sythara couldn’t help herself. “Well, councilor of wrath?” she teased. “Is a new wolf of your blood not exactly what you should be celebrating?”

Vorathrex tried making his jaw work. It opened, closed, and opened again. Boney’s new form, his change in speech, his new attitude, and Sythara’s love of it—Kairon could tell it was just too much for the big guy.

“Okay,” began the city lord. “I think that’s enough for today. Vorathrex, how about you go see to the morning training. Boney and I can handle the war board for today. We can—”

“No!” roared Vorathrex. “I am the councilor of wrath!” With a snarl, he slammed his fists against the stone wall. “The war board requires my attention. Are you trying to replace me?”

“What?” Kairon was genuinely surprised the big guy actually cared. “No. Why would you even think that?”

“You went out last night with a warrior. You have come back with a demon reeking of the plane and the golden energy at once. Is this not your intention? To usurp my place with him?”

Boney gave Kairon a knowing look.

I guess he was right. He’d expressed that Vorathrex might react this way as they returned last night.

“Listen, Vorathrex. Let me make one thing clear,” Kairon said slowly. “You are an invaluable part of this council, and no demon is taking your chair. I could not imagine a scenario where you, our bastion of muscle and rage, are not here. Is that understood?”

Eyes narrowing, he shook his head. “I… This is just. This is not how it should be,” he replied again, quieter this time.

“Consider our city in general, Vorathrex. Wouldn’t you agree that much of it is… Not as it should be?”

Vorathrex grunted in affirmation. “That would be an understatement, fledgling. This is beyond anything anyone in the pits ever spoke of.”

“Then maybe, my councilor of wrath, that does not mean it is wrong. Rather, what if it is simply…” Kairon thought for a moment, before finding the right word. “Evolution.”

From his side, Boney nodded in approval. Even his armored shoulder maw shone red at his words.

Out of the corner of his gaze, Kairon caught Sythara trying to nudge her way just close enough to Boney to resume running tests on him. She was doing an admirable job of it too—her tentacles slid along the floor like vipers searching for prey, shapes glowing intermittently on her arms.

The variation of his councilors’ reactions was rather large, but both had one item in common. Extremity. Clearly neither had expected this.

In Sythara’s case, he was fairly certain that the moment this meeting ended, she would be begging Boney for a more thorough examination.

As for Vorathrex…

“I…” Vorathrex glanced at Kairon, then Boney, and finally Kairon again. The city lord could tell a battle was raging in the big guy’s head. One that was between the two halves he’d been showing. Rage, and intelligence.

This is one of those times, Vorathrex. One where it is up to you. Will you evolve with Boney? Or will you let him leave you in the dust? Only you can decide.

The latter won out. Mostly.

“I will need time to come to terms with this. But… Perhaps you are correct.” He turned, looking at the inky splotches of night along Boney. “Perhaps another fledgling has joined our ranks.”

Boney licked his lips, setting a paw on Vorathrex’s shoulder. “A pack, Vorathrex. A pack.”

A sort of demonic brothership formed. It was tenuous—and judging by the clenching and unclenching of Vorathrex’s hands he knew it. But it was enough for now.

Besides, blood forged warriors. And soon, there would be blood-a-plenty to go around.

Feeling that was about as good as this could have gone, Kairon clapped. “Good! Now, my wrathful demons. Let’s get to business.”

He returned his focus to the war board. “Green fists have spotted the main clans’ force, moving as expected.” Kairon looked at the crude clay modeling, studying it in the morning light. “If all goes to plan…” he leaned forward, tracing his claw over the baked mud, “the clans should arrive to our domain’s edge… tomorrow. Late afternoon, if I had to guess.”

“The pack is eager for our first true hunt, master,” pronounced Boney. He’d separated from Vorathrex, furred arms crossed.

Kairon turned, smirking. “You know, only days ago you were asking for more time. More nights to grow.”

“That was before my naming. Now, not only I, but the pack is truly ready.”

“That’s good, Boney. That’s good. We’re going to need you all. And you too, Vorathrex,” he added, glancing at the giant.

He turned back to the map, humming thoughtfully. “As for our paladin friends, recent reports from gray squads had them about… here.” He pushed a claw on a spot nearly to the end of the pass. “I’d say no more than two days out. A bit later than I’d hoped…”

The timing was going to be tricky. Very tricky. Thankfully, the various X’s on the map demarcating brown squad’s preparations took this into account. They had three different containment points, two of which were nearly done. The third, the southern of the trio, still had some work to go. But Kairon had Bean already out today, doing his best to have it ready for use if needed.

“Besides, I think it’s time to prepare one last little surprise for—oh?” He cut off, sensing a disturbance. Calling up Sovereign Eye, the city lord’s vision shifted. Mentally, he flew from the city, to the distant treeline being harvested by Shiny’s crews, to the riverbed of stone beyond, the wastelands of trees, and finally…

“Well, hello there.”

A dozen humans on the north eastern side of his domain were currently trekking head first inwards. They wore the furs of the clan, with large travel packs overflowing with supplies, sleeping bundles, and forest weaponry—bows and daggers for the latter, it appeared.

“Shake!” he barked. As always, the little DR assistant was present for war table meetings. On loan from Nod, of course.

“Master?” Shake replied in question. He shuffled forward, having hidden in the corners while the demons were having a meet and greet.

“New movement for the board. Label as clan forward scouting party. Separate from the main group. Right about there,” he ordered, marking the spot.

Vorathrex and Boney both leaned forward, making their own mental math of the situation.

“Why are they so far north of the main force?” asked Boney. “A pack should hunt as one. Yet, they are on the very north eastern tip of our domain.” The wolf looked to Kairon. “And their main force lies towards the south east? Entirely opposite, nearly.”

Vorathrex grunted. “He is right, fledgling. It does appear quite irrational. If I were them, I would never have let my scouts get so far ahead. What value does knowing our North bring if they are not even entering that area?”

“That’s a fair point. From the perspective of the upcoming conflict. But, consider this instead from the lens of the last several weeks. I don’t think these two operations are directly related.” He paused, considering the pathings. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

“For the scouting group to be that far north of the main force and already in our domain, they’d have to have left… Probably four days ago. That was before our final raid that finally made the clans move in number.”

Boney cocked his head. “Ahhh,” he breathed in understanding. “So you believe they sent this force on a scouting mission some time ago. To learn for their pack, and return with information.”

Vorathrex shook his head. “But if that is true, why did they not wait? Why is this main force here now?”

“Like I said. That raid. We weren’t just forcing them to leave their homes. We were burning them, and doing so as obviously as possible. The clan’s people were literally watching their houses go up in smoke, and seeing more and more evidence of Valdren being the culprit.”

“But, why North?” asked Vorathrex. “Why not send them directly east, and save time?”

Kairon rubbed his chin. “If someone over there knows anything about these lands, they’d notice a clear pattern in our raiding activities. Directly east. And if you wanted to avoid that pattern, you’d have to go north of it. Which they did. But that takes time. Time they probably thought they had, but someone else over there decided otherwise. Courtesy of Fang and the green pack, I’ll add.”

Boney drew his gaze from the table to the entryway, gauging the sun. “The Red Claws have had little time to sleep, but we could make for the scouting party now. As a small unit, we could have our first hunt and then rest before we return.”

“That would stop any information from returning to our enemy,” agreed Vorathrex.

When the topic is tactic, these two actually get along quite well. Kairon smirked internally at that.

“But what enemy specifically?” he prodded them.

Vorathrex and Boney both frowned.

“Master…” began Boney slowly. “Isn’t information containment important?”

“And these are enemies,” added Vorathrex. “We should not let them wander our domain carefree.”

“First of all, I think they’ll find our domain to be quite inhospitable to any exploration.” Thoughts of how just half a day in the area had nearly driven the Valdren soldiers mad came to mind. “More importantly, to your point, Boney, information containment is important when there’s a party to contain the information from. In this case, who are we worried about word getting back to? And what information?”

For several moments, both the wrath demons pondered that.

“Well. Their original base, and then the…” Boney stopped, seeing Vorathrex shake his head. He thought for a moment, before understanding dawned. “No one’s at the base. At least no one we care about anymore, if your theory is true. And they’re quite the distance from the main force.”

Kairon waved a claw. “Meaning…”

“Meaning that any information that they actually gain would be of no value unless they can somehow rendezvous with the main force,” summarized the wolf.

“Precisely!”

“But to just let them enter our domain… It does not sit right with me,” grumbled Vorathrex. “Could this not be a good training exercise for Boney’s pack?”

“It could… but I have another purpose for them in mind.”

Kairon shifted his attention to the board. “You see, I’d actually like them to witness what happens. But the timing and positioning will be tricky…” Kairon muttered. “Close enough to see the paladins strike the clans, but too far away to have any chance of actually reaching the field before it’s over. And they need to be gone before anything is visible the following morning…”

“You want them to see the battle?” asked Vorathrex. “Fledgling, whatever for?!”

In his typical fashion, the city lord simply grinned. “You both said it yourselves. The base is empty, and assuming the next few days tip in our favor, what remains of the clans will largely be noncombatants. Which means we no longer have a hostile competitor, but customers for the taking. And I can’t think of anything more convincing for a future prospect in their position than front row seats to Operation Shakeout.”

Neither demon had a reply to that.