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Chapter 160
🕑 Added 2024-06-22 02:39:35 +0000 UTCAfter a quick bath, only long enough to cleanse my body of the stubborn clots of blood and viscera that had resisted being washed away by the light rains, I settled onto my bed. Only after I finished my businesslike bath and stepped out of the sands did I realize that Sybil had been one of those that had followed me back to the den. She stood, patiently waiting for me to be ready to speak.
“I didn’t realize that you had followed me. I had assumed that you would stay back to organize our new followers in preparation for my ascent to Swarm Alpha tomorrow.”
Sybil flicked her tail, dismissing the thought. “They need only to feed and return, for that alone they can police themselves. If they are incapable of that, then they do not belong as members of your swarm.” The derision in her voice mirrored my own at the thought.
The analytical part of my mind recognized that our sense of superiority came from our khatif bodies more than from our minds themselves, but even so, I couldn’t think of any reason why I should concern myself with the affairs of the weak. They were pleased to follow me, and I would guide them to greater success, strength, and safety than they could ever have dreamed of before. That was the exchange of the strong and the weak: the strong guide and lead, while the weak follow and support.
I settled onto the wolfhound pelts that made up our bed and looked up at my mate who still stood. “So why did you come now? Didn’t you need to eat?”
After looking down at me for just a moment, Sybil flicked her tail and settled down near me, but not quite close enough to touch. She continued looking at me, her face carefully controlled. After continuing to look at me for a moment and I let the silence stretch onward, Sybil spoke. “Do you think I am as intelligent as you are?”
I snorted. “I suspect you are significantly more intelligent than I am, and are gracious enough to hide that fact most of the time.”
Sybil bowed her head in response, then asked, “I know you didn’t learn the humans’ language the moment you heard it, and you have said as much. I also remember that I said I was willing to wait to hear your explanation, and I remain willing to wait. However, is there any reason why you have not yet explained it to me? Have I done something to give you a reason to distrust me? Am I not worthy of your trust?” Her tone slowly bled to become pleading, almost desperate. The always composed Sybil was begging me for information, and that reality shook my previously blase thoughts.
“Sybil.” I leaned forward and cupped her head in my hands. Her scales were warm to the touch, and I could see that in her anxiety and frustration, her body’s temperature had risen from a dark red nearly all the way to a warm orange. “I trust you, that is why we share a bed, that is why you are my Beta, that is why you are my mate and I am yours. My strength comes in large part from you, and the rest of it comes from something that I will tell you in just a moment. But I wish for you to realize that I retained this information simply because I didn’t think it mattered to tell you.
“Now, in response to your question: I remember a past life, one from hundreds of summers ago.” As I said so, Sybil cocked her head to the side, listening intently. “That is… we hatched about one third of a full year ago, so three times how long since we’ve hatched is one year. I didn’t know how long it had been until I spoke with the human from the first pack we hunted.” For a second, I let myself realize just how short this new life had been so far. Born in the middle of the winter, and it was now most of the way through spring. Not even half a year old, and I could kill a True Earthspeaker in individual combat, discounting any efforts she had made that exhausted herself before our fight. With a shake of my head, I refocused on my story.
“She and the other humans spoke strangely, but I didn’t realize–no, that doesn’t matter. The past life I remember was one I lived as a human until I was betrayed by one I considered the closest of friends and companions. I was then killed by a weak swarm of keelish.” For the first time, I realized I didn’t care that I had been torn apart by keelish. They had hunted what had delivered itself to them, and I would have done the same. Viilor, though… I lamented my own inability to take revenge on him, vengeance wrested from my hands by the implacable hands of time. The oldest woman I’d ever met had lived to nearly ninety summers, and she’d been beyond derelict at that time. Some High Speakers had lived nearly as long as that crone had, but… never had a human lived that long.
Sybil was looking at me, obviously engaged in my meandering and unplanned deluge of words. I refocused myself on the task at hand, “Anyway. I recall being a human, and I can mostly remember the language, though my tongue and jaws are no longer made to speak that way. Beyond that is the thing that has allowed me to increase in power so significantly so quickly.” Sybil perked up as I mentioned this “extra” information. “When I hatched, I had access to something that calls itself the [System]. That [System] has given me instructions on how to gain magic, on how to get bigger and stronger faster, on how to achieve all that I have. Basically, it has been an additional resource that’s allowed me to be… me.”
My explanation died off, and Sybil continued watching me as I let the silence continue to lengthen between us. Then, she flared her frills and spoke, “I can see why it would be that you did not think it important to share this. After all, what would I do with this information? Help you to understand it? Ask questions? Learn how to grow, myself?” Thankfully, there was no bitterness in her words, just light frustration.
“I… don’t think it works that way?” I realized I’d never even thought to ask someone else’s questions to the [System] or the Administrator. If I’d never talked to another about the option, why would they ask me these unanswerable questions? I began to feel a little stupid.
“Is that so? I wouldn’t know anything about it, but do you know how I can grow my personal combat abilities more quickly? I have worked to improve myself, but I remain mediocre at best, only noteworthy among the rabble.”
This question was more pointed than the general guidance given by [Evolutionary Guide], and I felt a slight twinge of possible guidance from the [Skill], to say nothing of a direct question to the [System] or the Administrator.
“Nievtala guide the fool that I am.” I muttered. “Sybil, we’ll talk more about this tomorrow, but for now, I need to rest.”
Sybil refocused herself before nodding and sighing. “Thank you for telling me, Ashlani. Rest well, for tomorrow you shall ascend.”
Thanks for reading! Last chapter for the week. Whew, I’m tired.
