Chapter 126 (Patreon)

The next days after my initial attempt to look into finding some humans passed without any noteworthy occurrences except for the hatchlings’ first hunt and my first address to them that came immediately after. That and disconcerting information I gained exclusively through my [Status]. 

Their first hunt went without any incident, without any of the excitement that had filled my own. Took and Foire had found a small herd of the pygmy deer, and with enough of the pack cornering them, they had been able to capture ten of the small prey animals. They’d squealed and cried the entire time since being trapped down in our den, but I wasn’t surprised, given that they were trapped where they couldn’t see and alongside their predators. Predators that would hunt and kill them with their least effective and efficient members. 

Regardless and uncaring of the pygmy deer’s panic, Sybil commanded the hatchlings to follow her to the den where the prey awaited their inevitable demise. There, the invitation to form their own packs for their hunts was different from the one that our brood had received. In the three days since their hatching, the little ones had grown by nearly half, over a foot long and about half as tall. Additionally, over the past days my pack had already figured out which of the hatchlings was a potential leader, with there being five of the more intelligent hatchlings. Thus, Sybil and the rest of the pack nearby had gathered the little ones into groups of what they thought the hatchlings’ potential roles could be within their established packs, such as hunter or a more domestic role. 

Once the non-leader hatchlings had been divided according to what we perceived to be their strengths, the leaders were left to select their own packs, with the numbers of their pack being either twelve or thirteen. With my own knowledge of how to become an Alpha, I was pleased to see that each would be guaranteed to evolve under the conditions we were forcing on them. For their part, the spawnlings didn’t seem to mind being commanded by the khatif. I was relatively sure that between the suppression automatically granted by being a more highly evolved creature combined with the submission that came automatically to young keelish, the hatchlings didn’t even entertain the possibility of their lives being different.

With the specific instructions given to them, the hatchlings quickly set to squalling and crying out for more followers in their way. It was interesting to note the struggles they had in trying to communicate in their broken words to their less intelligent broodmates but eventually, there were five even packs standing together in the den. They stayed looking between Sybil, who stood imperiously before them, and the prey that they could see and smell. And they were hungry. 

“One at a time, you will hunt a deer. Then, after each pack has had an opportunity to hunt and feed, you each will have a second opportunity to hunt. Improve between hunts, and always improve.” Then, with those… rousing words, Sybil stepped to the side, gestured to one pack to begin the hunt, and let the hunt begin.

The hatchlings were clumsy, weak, uncoordinated, and enthusiastic. Without the sheer mass or gaping maws of the Toothy Bullfrogs, the pygmy deer didn’t pose any danger to the ravening horde of keelish. The poor deer were not subject to slaughter at the fangs of the keelish though. The hatchlings had plenty of experience with meat, but none at all with killing. Instead of killing the deer before beginning to eat, the hungry hatchlings simply tore into the deer where they could reach them. 

The pygmy deer were under two feet tall at the shoulder, and though they were much larger and heavier than the hatchlings, the keelish could easily reach their ribs and bellies. Those soft sides were where they began to rip and tear into the soft flesh of their prey. The deer quickly succumbed to the weight and attacks of their hunters, but the keelish weren’t wise enough to understand the benefits of killing their prey to keep them from continuing to struggle. Instead, the deer struggled and screamed until they were lucky enough to have one of the hatchlings reach their head, where they would quickly finish the deer off.

As more and more of the deer were picked off, the remaining few began to bleat more nervously, gathered together, and tried to protect themselves. However, given that they were in a totally dark and closed off den, they had no prayer of escape from whatever creature it was that lurked in the dark, lunging out and picking them off one by one, only to crunch through their companions. I felt the briefest flash of pity for the deer that was quickly replaced by pride seeing my little hatchlings successfully complete their first, and then second hunts. By the time the final pygmy deer lay dead on the ground, every one of the hatchlings was round and heavy lidded with exhaustion. 

Sybil strode forward, about to lead the hatchlings back to their den, but at that time I walked out from the nearby tunnel I had been quietly observing them from. Without prompting, Sybil spoke loud and immediately garnered the attention of every one of the hatchlings.

“The True Alpha will speak now. Listen and obey.” After that, she stepped to the side and slightly bowed. The hatchlings didn’t bow, but they did look up at me with wonder apparent in their eyes and postures.

“Hatchlings. We will guide you to strength, power, and victory. We will guide you to becoming more than a keelish could ever be by itself. You need only submit to me.” As I spoke, I gradually increased the influence of [Dominance], and I could see the influence of my [Skill] begin to settle over the hatchlings as they involuntarily bent the knee and bowed before my presence. Surprising me, I could feel the descent of the divine, the feeling of sacred words beginning to tumble from my tongue.

“Mine is the throne, the true throne above the swarm! I am the true ruler of the swarm, and you will submit to me to find success, glory, and victory!” As my words rang throughout the small den, I could feel the completion of several quests surge through me, the gains in stats combining with the sublimation of a [Skill], and, to me, coming just in time. After all, looking at my [Status], and at a single [Quest] in particular over the past few days, there was something significantly less positive than the completion of some [Quests], something that only I knew among my pack.

Even before the submission of these hatchlings to me, my percentage of control over the swarm had been increasing, even without any additional keelish beginning to follow me. It could only mean one thing: the numbers of the swarm were steadily declining, at least ten dying a day. The humans were actively hunting us, and were seeing no small success.