Cheep!?
Chapter 144
What was initially supposed to be a briefing with Anya had become more in short order. Food had been placed before them in the midst of a much more official room, which hosted the heads of other clans as well. They were, to Niko’s eyes, not nearly as unapproachable as he’d expected.
“This is troublesome news,” Karrak, the Stone Kobold head gnawed on a bone as he contemplated a map set before him. Their arrangement around the room was anything but orderly, as was the surface of the table before Karrak. “I don’t recognize all of the words, but it seems like there’s at least three major Dawr Tribes here, though I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more.”
Scillaz, the snake-like Yaunz gave a low hiss and dipped his head to Karrak from his own position set atop comfortable pillows with a low table before him, “I am glad you can read them at all. I admit I never particularly picked up on their written language.”
“They’re just Dawr. Before now, we had no reason to care,” A large individual rumbled. The Rava Clan Patriarch was intimidating to Niko, not only because he was as large as a bear, but because he seemed like he’d been built for combat. A slender, tube-like body rippling with muscle and covered in an array of spines that looked halfway to being spearheads and armor in one covered much of the back of the Patriarch’s body. He had two sets of arms, the upper set of which were powerfully built and held long, curved scything claws that were currently folded against his arms, with a smaller pair capable of more fine tuned grasping being beneath those. In spite of all of the scars upon him and the reputed battle-mindedness of the Rava Clan, Bexxil appeared in many ways to be a calm, cool, and collected individual. “Your reconnaissance is appreciated. It displeases me that we missed something like this.”
“You’re welcome.” Skye answered the Patriarch from her seated position alongside Niko, Charlotte, and the rest of the Wyldwalkers. Each of them were picking at their food while keeping apprised of the information that the strongest figures in all of Riizen were going over. While they were used to being in rooms with strong people, the presence Niko could feel in the room made the air feel heavy. Even with the Patriarch and Matriarchs of the various clans suppressing much of their auras from bearing down on them, there was only so much they could do.
Crowe set down a stack of his own papers with Camille beside him as she chewed her lip contemplatively. The essence in the air danced around the woman as she flexed her own pattern, lifting some of the weight in the room from the Wyldwalkers. At the collective sigh of relief, she paused her ruminations to give a quick wink to them.
“It would seem that these Dawr are much more widespread than anticipated.” Crowe began, “We can confirm based upon iconography used, and in some of this material, that they are successfully engaging in worship of Bant.”
“The ‘Bloody Father’ they speak of,” Karrak nodded, “I concur. I don’t know how monsters can do so, but we’d be blind not to see it.”
“Having fought them before, I would recommend any fight with them deal with the bigger targets first,” Ronald spoke up, “They become stronger with more bloodshed around them.”
“Annoying.” Bexxil grunted, “Unlike the Greenscale Clan, we’re not great at skullduggery.”
The Yaunz paused while sipping their tea, a conflicted expression evident on their face, “I’m not sure if that was a compliment or an insult, but thank you.”
Bexxil snorted, but Niko detected no bite to it, and Scillaz, the Greenscale Patriarch likewise didn’t seem all that perturbed.
“Will Riizen intercede?” A great bear with ice set in its fur spoke, every movement letting loose a clear tone from the many crystals that formed in the Frost Ursun’s fur. Gorm was so large that he took up a significant part of the wall to himself. He was also set furthest from the Wyldwalkers, but even so Niko could feel an odd sense of cold and stillness radiate from him from time to time, especially as he eyed the information before him.
Anya sat up straight, a severe expression on her face. The others turned to her as the silence lingered, until finally she stated, “My husband is attempting to break through his limits, and hasn’t been reachable in several weeks.”
Niko felt the tension in the room rise with that admission, with the other Clan Head’s expressions tightening. “I see… I thank you for your trust in telling us.” Gorm replied, seemingly speaking for the rest of the gathering.
Confused, Niko looked back and forth between the clan heads, and then to his team. Grave expressions abounded on those of higher tiers, but he was far from alone in his bewilderment.
“Is that a problem?” Niko decided to volunteer to be the first to question it.
Crowe and Camille turned to him, as though to address him, but Bexxil spoke up first, “You don’t know? Ah, no, I forgot, you didn’t grow up here,” The Patriarch seemed annoyed at first, but quickly shook his head, “Ascending the tiers from tier four and up requires time. It’s an especially vulnerable event for those of us that have grown in power, and interruptions can lead to permanent damage to one’s foundation. Anya telling us that Riizen is ascending is like saying that his belly is exposed and he’s at his weakest.”
“Yes,” Anya answered coolly, “It is a gesture of trust and goodwill, one that I hope everyone here can appreciate.”
Bexxil rumbled awkwardly, “Of course. I mean nothing by it, I was just explaining—”
“She was pulling your leg, Bex.” Karrak sipped his tea, a little smirk on his face as he regarded Anya, “Nobody thinks you’d stoop to anything like that.”
“Wh-Oh, uhh… Of course.” The Rava Patriarch blinked, looking to Anya whose ears tilted slightly in what Niko thought might be an apologetic concession, albeit spoiled by the little smirk on her face.
‘Man, I’m not bad with social queues, but I didn’t pick that up at all. Glad I’m not the only one, though.’ Niko thought, feeling sympathetic towards Bexxil.
“How long does that usually take?” Dachna asked, raising a hand briefly, “Or is that kind of up in the air?”
“It can take a great deal of time,” Sasha answered, “Going to tier five can take a month or more. Dad’s already tier six, trying to breach tier seven…” She tapered off worriedly, glancing to her mother.
“Tier seven is beyond rare, even for the beast mountains,” Anya answered placidly, “Whether it takes days, months, or years… We don’t know for sure.”
“Tier seven…” Stella whispered with no small amount of awe. Niko saw that his group was similarly impressed, “Mother’s Mercy, that’s incredible.”
“We must do without, then,” Scillaz hissed, “We should be able to take care of Dawr in any case, I would not bother the Head over an issue we should be able to handle. The Greenscale Clan will inform the lesser clans and organize our information network. Bexxil, I trust we will be working together closely once more.”
The spine covered beast nodded, “You find them, we’ll end them. Karrak, can we leave logistics to you?”
“Of course! We have plenty of manpower even with the relief efforts going to Greenleaf.” The Stone Kobold slapped his own leg and let out a hearty chuckle.
“I will send word back to our people, but Camille and I would be happy to help here.” Crowe spoke for the both of them, with Camille nodding her affirmation beside him.
Anya smiled, “Our thanks. The more help, the better.”
“I’ll bring in more of the Clan,” Gorm glared at the map, “We shall see if these Dawr can break our defense.”
For several more minutes, the meeting carried on, until finally the heads dispersed, leaving just the Wyldwalkers and their friends in the room with Anya’s blessing to relax. Still, the mood was somber as everyone thought things over.
While this was better than he could have hoped for, with Riizen taking note and immediately beginning to mobilize, he still wasn’t sure exactly what they were in for. He wanted to believe that the Dawr were dealt with, but he couldn’t help but feel like his gut was telling him otherwise. Whatever the case was, though, the problem was out of their claws now. Ruminating over it wouldn’t help him right now.
“Can we please get that bath, now?” Niko cawed forlornly, “I haven’t had a proper bath in days! My poor feathers are starting to lose their shine!”
The mood broke, with Skye adding, “Ugh… Yes. Please. And then I want to eat more.”
“Good, I didn’t want to say anything, but you both smell like—” Dachna started to speak before Mithel smiled a not-actually-a-smile at him and pinched his side. With a yelp, he started, “–nothing at alllll! Yes, you’re definitely just needing a very long and very hot ba—Ow! I’m just saying that they’ve definitely been out in the wilderness for–Ow! Mithel! That hurts! I’m trying to say that his feathers look kinda bad right now and–”
“You just caaaan’t help yourself,” Mithel sighed, letting go of her pinch, “Don’t say I didn’t try to help you.” She sat back as she noted Niko’s approach with a mischievous and vindictive glint in his eyes.
“What? What, it’s just the trut—Uh, Niko?” Dachna swallowed hard.
“Yes? What is it, Dachna?” Niko asked.
“I can’t help but notice you seem to be… err… looming over me a little. What’s up, buddy?” The rogue started to shuffle, ready to dodge backwards.
“Oh, I wonder?” The very large bird said, just as Dachna tried to dart away. Instead, Niko caught him, near effortlessly with his claws.
“We can negotiate!” Dachna shouted, “Whatever you’re planning, it doesn’t have to be—”
“Where’s the bath?” Niko asked, looking to a very amused Sasha.
“Just go down that hall, the door to the outside baths is already open.” The sabrecat said, watching the display.
“Great, c’mon Dachna.” Niko hefted the squirming man easily, rapidly running forward.
“Wait, wait, wait, what’re you planning!?” Dachna called out as Niko picked up speed even more.
“You’re being voluntold to help me out!” Niko happily supplied, “I have a lot of gunk that needs combing out of my feathers!”
The others followed along to the sounds of Dachna’s continued pleas as they grew distant, only to be broken up by a crashing sound, the splash of water, and Dachna screaming, “Tephone’s tits!” And then a great deal of spluttering from the bath that he was certainly dunked in, “Fuck that’s hot!”
“I did try.” Was the first thing Mithel said as the group followed after, “Do you like baths, Charlotte?”
The large spider shuffled on her feet, contemplatively, before nodding and shouting, “Friends!”
“Great, then Dachna can help you, too!” Mithel smiled, “I’m sure he’ll get over his arachnophobia quickly.”
“Friends?”
Cheep!?
Chapter 144
What was initially supposed to be a briefing with Anya had become more in short order. Food had been placed before them in the midst of a much more official room, which hosted the heads of other clans as well. They were, to Niko’s eyes, not nearly as unapproachable as he’d expected.
“This is troublesome news,” Karrak, the Stone Kobold head gnawed on a bone as he contemplated a map set before him. Their arrangement around the room was anything but orderly, as was the surface of the table before Karrak. “I don’t recognize all of the words, but it seems like there’s at least three major Dawr Tribes here, though I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more.”
Scillaz, the snake-like Yaunz gave a low hiss and dipped his head to Karrak from his own position set atop comfortable pillows with a low table before him, “I am glad you can read them at all. I admit I never particularly picked up on their written language.”
“They’re just Dawr. Before now, we had no reason to care,” A large individual rumbled. The Rava Clan Patriarch was intimidating to Niko, not only because he was as large as a bear, but because he seemed like he’d been built for combat. A slender, tube-like body rippling with muscle and covered in an array of spines that looked halfway to being spearheads and armor in one covered much of the back of the Patriarch’s body. He had two sets of arms, the upper set of which were powerfully built and held long, curved scything claws that were currently folded against his arms, with a smaller pair capable of more fine tuned grasping being beneath those. In spite of all of the scars upon him and the reputed battle-mindedness of the Rava Clan, Bexxil appeared in many ways to be a calm, cool, and collected individual. “Your reconnaissance is appreciated. It displeases me that we missed something like this.”
“You’re welcome.” Skye answered the Patriarch from her seated position alongside Niko, Charlotte, and the rest of the Wyldwalkers. Each of them were picking at their food while keeping apprised of the information that the strongest figures in all of Riizen were going over. While they were used to being in rooms with strong people, the presence Niko could feel in the room made the air feel heavy. Even with the Patriarch and Matriarchs of the various clans suppressing much of their auras from bearing down on them, there was only so much they could do.
Crowe set down a stack of his own papers with Camille beside him as she chewed her lip contemplatively. The essence in the air danced around the woman as she flexed her own pattern, lifting some of the weight in the room from the Wyldwalkers. At the collective sigh of relief, she paused her ruminations to give a quick wink to them.
“It would seem that these Dawr are much more widespread than anticipated.” Crowe began, “We can confirm based upon iconography used, and in some of this material, that they are successfully engaging in worship of Bant.”
“The ‘Bloody Father’ they speak of,” Karrak nodded, “I concur. I don’t know how monsters can do so, but we’d be blind not to see it.”
“Having fought them before, I would recommend any fight with them deal with the bigger targets first,” Ronald spoke up, “They become stronger with more bloodshed around them.”
“Annoying.” Bexxil grunted, “Unlike the Greenscale Clan, we’re not great at skullduggery.”
The Yaunz paused while sipping their tea, a conflicted expression evident on their face, “I’m not sure if that was a compliment or an insult, but thank you.”
Bexxil snorted, but Niko detected no bite to it, and Scillaz, the Greenscale Patriarch likewise didn’t seem all that perturbed.
“Will Riizen intercede?” A great bear with ice set in its fur spoke, every movement letting loose a clear tone from the many crystals that formed in the Frost Ursun’s fur. Gorm was so large that he took up a significant part of the wall to himself. He was also set furthest from the Wyldwalkers, but even so Niko could feel an odd sense of cold and stillness radiate from him from time to time, especially as he eyed the information before him.
Anya sat up straight, a severe expression on her face. The others turned to her as the silence lingered, until finally she stated, “My husband is attempting to break through his limits, and hasn’t been reachable in several weeks.”
Niko felt the tension in the room rise with that admission, with the other Clan Head’s expressions tightening. “I see… I thank you for your trust in telling us.” Gorm replied, seemingly speaking for the rest of the gathering.
Confused, Niko looked back and forth between the clan heads, and then to his team. Grave expressions abounded on those of higher tiers, but he was far from alone in his bewilderment.
“Is that a problem?” Niko decided to volunteer to be the first to question it.
Crowe and Camille turned to him, as though to address him, but Bexxil spoke up first, “You don’t know? Ah, no, I forgot, you didn’t grow up here,” The Patriarch seemed annoyed at first, but quickly shook his head, “Ascending the tiers from tier four and up requires time. It’s an especially vulnerable event for those of us that have grown in power, and interruptions can lead to permanent damage to one’s foundation. Anya telling us that Riizen is ascending is like saying that his belly is exposed and he’s at his weakest.”
“Yes,” Anya answered coolly, “It is a gesture of trust and goodwill, one that I hope everyone here can appreciate.”
Bexxil rumbled awkwardly, “Of course. I mean nothing by it, I was just explaining—”
“She was pulling your leg, Bex.” Karrak sipped his tea, a little smirk on his face as he regarded Anya, “Nobody thinks you’d stoop to anything like that.”
“Wh-Oh, uhh… Of course.” The Rava Patriarch blinked, looking to Anya whose ears tilted slightly in what Niko thought might be an apologetic concession, albeit spoiled by the little smirk on her face.
‘Man, I’m not bad with social queues, but I didn’t pick that up at all. Glad I’m not the only one, though.’ Niko thought, feeling sympathetic towards Bexxil.
“How long does that usually take?” Dachna asked, raising a hand briefly, “Or is that kind of up in the air?”
“It can take a great deal of time,” Sasha answered, “Going to tier five can take a month or more. Dad’s already tier six, trying to breach tier seven…” She tapered off worriedly, glancing to her mother.
“Tier seven is beyond rare, even for the beast mountains,” Anya answered placidly, “Whether it takes days, months, or years… We don’t know for sure.”
“Tier seven…” Stella whispered with no small amount of awe. Niko saw that his group was similarly impressed, “Mother’s Mercy, that’s incredible.”
“We must do without, then,” Scillaz hissed, “We should be able to take care of Dawr in any case, I would not bother the Head over an issue we should be able to handle. The Greenscale Clan will inform the lesser clans and organize our information network. Bexxil, I trust we will be working together closely once more.”
The spine covered beast nodded, “You find them, we’ll end them. Karrak, can we leave logistics to you?”
“Of course! We have plenty of manpower even with the relief efforts going to Greenleaf.” The Stone Kobold slapped his own leg and let out a hearty chuckle.
“I will send word back to our people, but Camille and I would be happy to help here.” Crowe spoke for the both of them, with Camille nodding her affirmation beside him.
Anya smiled, “Our thanks. The more help, the better.”
“I’ll bring in more of the Clan,” Gorm glared at the map, “We shall see if these Dawr can break our defense.”
For several more minutes, the meeting carried on, until finally the heads dispersed, leaving just the Wyldwalkers and their friends in the room with Anya’s blessing to relax. Still, the mood was somber as everyone thought things over.
While this was better than he could have hoped for, with Riizen taking note and immediately beginning to mobilize, he still wasn’t sure exactly what they were in for. He wanted to believe that the Dawr were dealt with, but he couldn’t help but feel like his gut was telling him otherwise. Whatever the case was, though, the problem was out of their claws now. Ruminating over it wouldn’t help him right now.
“Can we please get that bath, now?” Niko cawed forlornly, “I haven’t had a proper bath in days! My poor feathers are starting to lose their shine!”
The mood broke, with Skye adding, “Ugh… Yes. Please. And then I want to eat more.”
“Good, I didn’t want to say anything, but you both smell like—” Dachna started to speak before Mithel smiled a not-actually-a-smile at him and pinched his side. With a yelp, he started, “–nothing at alllll! Yes, you’re definitely just needing a very long and very hot ba—Ow! I’m just saying that they’ve definitely been out in the wilderness for–Ow! Mithel! That hurts! I’m trying to say that his feathers look kinda bad right now and–”
“You just caaaan’t help yourself,” Mithel sighed, letting go of her pinch, “Don’t say I didn’t try to help you.” She sat back as she noted Niko’s approach with a mischievous and vindictive glint in his eyes.
“What? What, it’s just the trut—Uh, Niko?” Dachna swallowed hard.
“Yes? What is it, Dachna?” Niko asked.
“I can’t help but notice you seem to be… err… looming over me a little. What’s up, buddy?” The rogue started to shuffle, ready to dodge backwards.
“Oh, I wonder?” The very large bird said, just as Dachna tried to dart away. Instead, Niko caught him, near effortlessly with his claws.
“We can negotiate!” Dachna shouted, “Whatever you’re planning, it doesn’t have to be—”
“Where’s the bath?” Niko asked, looking to a very amused Sasha.
“Just go down that hall, the door to the outside baths is already open.” The sabrecat said, watching the display.
“Great, c’mon Dachna.” Niko hefted the squirming man easily, rapidly running forward.
“Wait, wait, wait, what’re you planning!?” Dachna called out as Niko picked up speed even more.
“You’re being voluntold to help me out!” Niko happily supplied, “I have a lot of gunk that needs combing out of my feathers!”
The others followed along to the sounds of Dachna’s continued pleas as they grew distant, only to be broken up by a crashing sound, the splash of water, and Dachna screaming, “Tephone’s tits!” And then a great deal of spluttering from the bath that he was certainly dunked in, “Fuck that’s hot!”
“I did try.” Was the first thing Mithel said as the group followed after, “Do you like baths, Charlotte?”
The large spider shuffled on her feet, contemplatively, before nodding and shouting, “Friends!”
“Great, then Dachna can help you, too!” Mithel smiled, “I’m sure he’ll get over his arachnophobia quickly.”
“Friends?”
