"There you are. Come, sit down, I have so much to talk about with you," Kellenas invited Ether.
He dropped to the ground beside his ally. The two exchanged a look of worry and determination before starting the conversation they have so longingly waited for.
"Before we talk about the now, tell me about the before. How did this happen?" Ether started off.
Kellenas took a deep breath. "Well, it was the early rays of the morning. When I heard several distressed roars and jumps. That's when I saw some of those Glyker things jump over us."
He pointed at the sky. "Those damned beasts landed and began attacking my Ferals. Something I refused to let happen. I roared everyone awake and then the attack started."
Ether's eyes drifted down to see the resting Tekeni, she rested her head on her father's muscles. Her chest moved up and down, signifying she was still alive. Although her neck seemed rough.
It was still red from the attempt Dire tried on her life. Something she barely managed to survive.
"You're holding onto that little one very close. Is she important to you?" Ether changed the topic.
Kellenas looked down to see his sleeping cub. She continued to sleep soundly, despite all the pained groaning, moaning, and cries of her Ferals. Kellenas straightened his back with pride.
"This is my little Teneki. My new found joy. She helped me during the battle against Dire - "
"Dire?" Ether interrupted.
"Yes, Dire," Kellenas repeated. "He arrived with a several Ferals... too many to count. It was like those Ferals were from different packs."
Ether raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"Because some behaved differently than the others. Some took pride and fought my Ferals head-on, others waited for us to go to them," Kellenas answered.
"That's just called having different tactics for different members. Is it not?"
"No. Usually, a pack mirrors the Alphas. If they take pride in battle, then they will too. If they wait then punish, then they will too. There is no doubt some Ferals didn't belong to him," Kellenas concluded.
With that piece of information, Ether wondered just how many packs he had control over. He understood Dire came from a background of pain and trouble before rising the ranks.
So being respected, even feared, by his Alphas would mean he had access to forces unmatched by any other in Imbushko.
Teneki's leg extended, kicking nothingness as she continued recovering form her wounds. She sighed, relieved of an event that took place in her mind.
Judging by the looks of it, the event appeared to have been taking down some kind of bigger predator. Presumably, Dire.
"So now that you've lost Etek Dur, what is your plan on taking the forest back? Tell me what you need and I will aid in every way possible," Ether's voice cut the silence.
Kellenas looked up from his daughter to see Ether's eyes. "You have the heart of a warmonger, Zesher. To correct you, there is still hope for us. We knew an event like this was going to happen. So we broke the pack into several others."
Ether's eyes widened in disbelief. "Clever, clever. But how would smaller packs fight back against a Legion's worth?"
"Smaller? No, no. They have grown in size and alongside each other. What we rule, they rule. All I need is to find one of them and unite all my packs and Etek Dur will be ours to keep," Kellenas plotted.
"We have so many more packs at our ready right now. That's how the ambush happened not too long ago, before our crusades," Ether encouraged the plot.
The Alpha Male looked off into the distance. "Are they Etek Dur ready?"
"All I can say is you see a target and they see a corpse. I can inform some to help you with this attack," Ether answered.
He thought about it for a moment. If what Ether said was true, then he would have several other alphas on his side. With enough numbers and forces to rival the Light Legion's packs.
The sun gently burned Kellenas' face. Slowly but surely warming up the open wounds he chose to bare. Not because he liked the pain, but because he wanted his people to be treated first.
"Sernatacus, do you know who that is?" Ether's voice broke through Kellenas' trance.
"Who?"
Ether quickly got on his feet. "Big guy, big Feral. He brought a very small amount of Ferals to the crusade and came back with over half of them still standing. If he fought with you, I have no doubt you would take down Dire."
"If his pack accepts my own as a fighting equal, then I would be more than happy to battle alongside them... but that brings me to the question, why?" Kellenas wondered.
"Because that would make your pack harder to take down if your forces are combined," Ether answered.
Kellenas shook his head. "No. I know why I want Etek Dur back. But why do you want it back? Is it because you want us to go back home, or perhaps its because of some other reason?"
Without thinking about his response, Ether replied in the most honest way possible. "Etek Dur is our best route to their throats. Our Legion needs it if we want them gone."
"I see. But for now, Etek Dur is under their control for the most part. Until we can rid it of their forces, we cant attack them through the forests," Kellenas commented.
Determination struck its chord inside Ether's mind. "If Etek Dur is now a battlefield, then I will take the battle to them from another direction. From here on out, all Ferals are at the forest's grounds."
A slight grin appeared over Kellenas' face. "My precious forest. Passed down from the early alphas, to Celoker, to another pair, then back to me. It will come under our hands once again. Its a promise for me to keep."
Ether tilted his head. "Who is Celoker?"
"That man right there. He escaped from a starving pack that devoured his father right before his eyes. And from the tender love of his mother, he rose and helped bite back," Kellenas taught.
"Every time I hear a story like this it makes me realize just how important it is to reproduce with someone. So your memory lingers long after you pass," Ether commented.
Kellenas reached up to wipe the sweat and blood off his forehead. The sun burned the open wounds as he accidentally pushed some of that sweat inside. Causing him a stressful amount of pain.
But he kept his cool and pretended like nothing happened.
"I can imagine you already have been exploring that aspect of life yourself?" Kellenas tried to take his mind off the pain.
Ether shrugged. "I guess. Its about every other day, but me and that Thawed you've been seeing around still haven't had any luck so far. Been doing it for about a month or two now."
"Keep at it. Probably has to do with the fact you're trying to make a hybrid. It takes a lot more fertilization to produce a baby when you're from different Zegus Variants," Kellenas assured.
"On the good side, it's the most amount of fun I've had since my early days brawling with other Variants inside the Legion," Ether jokingly remarked.
Kellenas chuckled. Hearing his ally talk about his younger years brought him back to his own. Seeing he was still young, but time has been passing through him like a river.
Never stopping for any purpose. Not until the river runs out of water and his life fades away. After realizing that, Kellenas cleared his throat and turned his eyes down to his daughter.
She had her mouth wide open. A quiet, soft yawn came out from her open jaws. Instinctively, she sat up and brought one of her legs up to her mouth.
Kellenas and Ether watched as she began licking her leg clean. Her head bopped up and down as she swiftly moved from region to region until the whole thing was clean. Once it was, she brought the next leg.
"Well, now that she's awake. I have to get going. There are some plans going on in the background, one that continues tonight. Please, do not be afraid to ask the locals for anything," Ether urged.
He lifted a hand directed towards the distant homes. "Whatever you need, they will provide. And about your reinforcements, I will send someone over to search for packs willing to help."
Kellenas bowed his head. "Thank you, Ether. As time continues, this debt will be repaid."
Before he could leave, Ether turned around. "There is no debt. This Legion is your home, and you are my elite. I will do everything in my power to ensure you and your pack is happy."
Kellenas nodded, understanding there was no further pressure on his back. Letting Ether walk back to the main city and prepare for the next step in the plan to invade Digon.