Merian, along with the rest of the Murmosa pack watched several Sky Beasts land inside the stronghold. Their elegant white wings folded to allow the riders to dismount.
Ferals from four different packs, along with their Alpha Males, dropped down. Upon touching solid ground, they began to stretch and yawn.
After hearing the first signs of drowsiness, some Ferals chirped out of instinct. Which caused other Ferals to join in, even if they weren't part of the same pack.
During that moment, everyone there felt like they truly stood together. Shoulder to shoulder. Against a Legion that fell from grace.
After everyone got off, Ether jumped down as well. He instantly turned to face Merian, who stood several steps away from him.
She wore a black cape with an equally black hood. Her green eyes were the motherly type, focusing on everyone there.
"Hey, is Risk doing okay?" Ether asked.
"I wish my mate better days, but it was the gambit he chose to make. For that, I respect him, and you too for shielding us after our departure," Merian replied.
Ether nodded once. "I'm glad you're doing okay and taking care of him. He has been a real useful asset to the team. But now, we need this stronghold for the up coming days."
Merian understood, she bowed her head and took a step back. The Ferals around her did the same, telling them they were welcomed to do as they pleased inside the stronghold.
"We need your pack's help for this plan, Merian. One of these packs will chase some of your Ferals and you out of the stronghold. After you're out of sight, head over to Volknair. That's where you're free to stay until the plan is over," Ether ordered.
Murmosa Ferals understood. They started looking at each other. Seeing who was fit for the wild sprint across the coast.
"I'm afraid we have to leave Risk here. He is in no condition to run that distance, especially after that sprint from the battle," Merian's disappointed voice notified Ether.
He looked at a nearby entrance to an underground storage space. "Bring him down there and leave some of your Ferals here."
Merian nodded, then she got to work assigning guards and ordering her pack to move Risk inside.
While she was busy with that, Ether turned around and lifted one fist. The Feral packs instantly disbanded.
In minutes, the entire stronghold was full of lurking predators. Waiting to ambush whatever Light Legion warriors stumbled inside.
He walked around the seemingly empty stronghold. With every step he took, his survival instincts were going crazy. He had the urge to look over his shoulder every half a second.
Along with that, Ether's footsteps naturally become quieter. Hoping to not catch whatever beasts that were out of his sight's attention. Which was useless.
Several Ferals from a pack called Mare pounced right on him. He felt their death grip tighten around his neck, legs, chest, and arms. The weight was enough to send him crashing onto the ground.
"How was our performance?" A Feral jokingly asked.
Ether crawled away from the Ferals. "That was horrific. Good stuff, hit them with that same energy whenever they start showing themselves."
They widened their permanent smiles at one another, showing their happiness at the compliment. Then returned to the Sky Beasts. Where they would remain until Ether finishes looking around for Ferals.
After they left, he got back up and dusted himself off. Despite their great performance, Ether felt like they were too excited. He wanted the element of surprise, not to have their natural instincts go crazy.
But he also wanted them to be deadly during the process. Not deadly enough to kill, but deadly enough to frightened the warriors. He continued thinking of ways to modify their positions to better compliment his goal.
Just as he stepped around a corner, he heard chirping sounds coming from behind him. Ether looked over his shoulder, hoping to find a Feral back there.
But there was nobody there.
Then there was some more chirping in front of him. Which caused him to look forward. Realizing there was no one there either, he continued walking.
A few more steps later, and Ether found himself staring into a space between two buildings. The darkness was perfect to hide a Feral inside. And judging by the chirping coming from there, they thought the same.
Ether continued to look intently at the darkness, until he heard something drop behind him. Before he could react, he felt himself back backwards.
"I'm glad we were chosen for this," the Alpha Male of the Sivro pack commented. "We are capable of sharpening our now-dull ambush skills."
"You sure they are dull? I mean, that was good teamwork and mind games," Ether replied.
The Alpha Male laughed. "We thank you. What do you want us to do next?"
"Go back to the Sky Beasts and wait for me there. Once I find the other packs I will come back and assign roles," Ether ordered.
Sivro leapt from rooftop to rooftop and dashed through the ground to quickly return to the Sky Beasts.
This ambush was more like he hoped for. Playing tricks on victims while also leading a successful ambush.
Just as Ether was about to walk away from the dark space, he heard some voices coming from between.
"Psst, sizzily, yavi, yavi. Nonoro kamio, (Psst, hey, help, help. They Ferals are gone,)" A Yonie's voice begged Ether.
Startled by the sudden visit, Ether continued to stare blankly into the darkness. Despite knowing it probably was not a Yonie, Ether still felt a shiver go down his spine.
It felt too real. The strong urge to climb inside the darkness and shield the innocent Yonie increased by the second. Which was odd. Ether had Yonie genes as well, meaning he should only feel sorry for their situation.
Wanting to shield or protect another Yonie was a trait exclusive to the Yomies. In that moment, Ether realized he probably wasn't entirely male like he thought he was.
But that thought was broken the second a Feral erupted from the ground below him. Her claws wrapped around his neck and face, leaving him at the mercy of his predators.
"You gave up already? That's not how to do it, sir," she commented.
Ether forced himself out of her grasp. "No, it's that I'm half Yonie myself. Although I believe I might be half Thresher instead."
The Feral grinned, revealing a hungry smile. "Thresher, you say? Mmm, delicious little treats for the whole family to enjoy. Don't you think so?"
"If that was your attempt at humor, please don't try it again. And don't call me 'sir,' I am Ether, your ally," he corrected.
She helped Ether out of the hole, then she climbed out. Her body halted, then turned around to face the hole once more. Then, she dropped to the ground and yelled something in Kenekuor. <
"While you wait for your pack, did you really dig that tunnel out?" Ether asked in amazement.
"Yep, yep! It's the result of crossbreeding," The Feral replied while getting back up. "Speaking of crossbreeding, great to see there's someone we can relate to."
Ether blankly stared at her, his green eyes increased in size. "What? Oh, do you mean your Ferals have ended up reproducing with Threshers in the past? But how?"
"When nature calls, anything that seems tight is an invitation. We don't want to face extinction, you know. Besides, we have been outfitted with some really nice abilities now," she answered.
Just as she finished speaking, several Freshers emerged from underground. Allowing Ether to get a closer look at them. And like he expected, they shared traits.
For example, the males were smaller than females. And they appeared to hang in couples, like a Yonie and Yomie.
"Return to the Sky Beasts, I will find the last pack, then head back to assign roles," Ether ordered.
The pack heeded instructions, and walked off. They were unusually tame, which made it difficult to believe the story of the crossbreeding. But there was undoubtable evidence of it happening.
Now, it was time to look for the last pack.
He wandered around the entire stronghold. Making sure to look into every little gap or hiding space in search for them. But he didn't find them.
Which concerned him. Ether began to worry something must have happened to them. So his first reaction was to return to the packs and calmly explain to them the situation.
Upon reaching them, Ether felt a sense of guilt for losing members already. It felt horrible to lose allies during battle, but even worse to lose them outside.
"Well, you may notice there are three packs in here. And... uh... that's because the fourth disappeared. I don't know where they went," Ether announced.
The three towering Alpha Males looked at each other. Disgust crept into two of their faces. It meant someone betrayed them already.
Until they realized something. The third Alpha Male, along with other Ferals, stepped forward. All of them built a wall around Ether.
That's when he realized their marks and colors on their pants. He didn't lose the Ferals; they were still there. Just split into different packs.
"W - what..? H - how did you... blend in so well?" Ether's shaky voice asked.
"A Feral is most dangerous when their victim is unaware, that's how," one answered.
Not wanting to dwell on it for too long, Ether brushed it off as a simple trick Ferals could do but not say they could. Then he turned to look at the packs around him.
"Reunite with your packs. I will begin handing out instructions to everybody," Ether ordered.