AR Chapter 509 (Patreon)

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Beginning the journey with a firm display of my people’s superiority was perhaps contradictory to my sentiment of wanting to negotiate mostly peacefully with the Misti Hawar. However, if they were unable to grasp the fact that even their strongest, most important clan leaders were still lower in the hierarchy than any one of my people, then that was a lesson I was happy to help them to learn, however long it took.

With hardly a word spoken between the two species, the journey began. Each stuck to their own, the Misti Hawar leading the way towards wherever the summit would take place while me and my pack followed along. 

Traveling the way we did let us all move quickly, even as the Misti Hawar slipped into shadow to zip ahead, acting like they were somehow superior for being able to do it. The little flicks of their tails and smug glances they shot each other were obvious, but those same moments of superiority faded and then fully disappeared when, after an hour of pushing themselves to go as fast as possible and only maintaining a distance of a couple hundred feet at most, every one of the members of my pack was still just fine. We hopped from one stone to the next, leaping over dry washes and small roadblocks that the Misti Hawar had to slow and adjust for.

Each of the Misti Hawar slowed the pace as their reserves of magic, however it worked, started to run dry while every one of the Saharliard was just fine. The gap between us narrowed and disappeared as the idiots were forced to walk instead of use their magic. As the time stretched on, it was apparent that they were not people who appeared to be particularly used to long, grueling hikes. At least, most of them seemed that way. Only a quarter of the Misti Hawar seemed to be in marching shape, and given that there were only twenty of the furry people here, that meant that we were constantly waiting for fifteen Misti Hawar to catch their breath and catch up to us.

“Did they leave behind all of the fattest, laziest people while the strong and hardworking went to war?” Trai asked after the fifth waiting break we had to take for our “escorts” to catch up. A few rocks tumbled down the mountain face as they scrambled up a steep wash.

“It would appear so,” Vefir agreed. As the smallest member of the pack accompanying me, it might have been expected of him, as a healer, to perhaps need to slow down. Instead, he reminded me of the fact that, before he gained his magic, he had been one of the hunters in my pack. Yes, he’d been smaller and more hesitant, but he’d never shied away from a challenge and he wasn’t about to now. If this journey could be called a challenge, that was.

“It makes sense,” Trai jumped in. “I mean, the strong and the brave are willing to go to war, the fearful and the weak aren’t. I don’t know how these egg smashers choose their leaders, but it doesn’t seem to be a very good way to keep themselves strong.”

The conversations continued like that, none of my people caring to feel even the slightest bit of compassion towards the weak creatures that had once, and perhaps still did, believe themselves our betters. Maksulah, one of the few who was able to keep up with us, though she was panting in exertion, approached me.

“Zaaktif,” she said, bowing her head.

“Speak,” I commanded, flicking my tail.

“I simply wished to express my sincerest admiration for you on how you have already presented such a strong front.”

I cocked my head to the side, a part of me preening at the praise, but the rest of me unsure about what she was saying specifically. “You mean this journey?”

“Yes, Zaaktif. To have brought an elite squad, capable of maintaining this pace, is a testament to your foresight. Proving your strength so early, while none can deny it, is a wonderful first step.”

I narrowed my eyes at the female that was attempting to flatter me. Then, I asked, “How do you not know that this isn’t—wait. You weren’t a part of the war, not really. You never fought in any of the battles on the walls. So, do you remember when you were taken prisoner?”

“Of course.”

“Do you think that any of the people who marched you and the rest of your companions back to Nievtra would struggle with this journey? Need I remind you, it’s been, at most, five hours.”

She paused, then, very slowly, she shook her head. “No, I do not.”

“While it’s true that I led that expedition south with some of the most battle-capable people I had to spare, I didn’t take the strongest, most impressive soldiers at that time. Those had other places to be.” As I clarified it, Maksulah’s face twisted further. “You can ask any of your war survivor friends if I’ve brought all of my strongest warriors here. Because I can guarantee that the people who manned the walls, the ones whose faces would bring nightmares to your survivors, are not here.”

As I continued to speak, the female that stood in front of me went completely still, her fur laying flat across her entire body. The congratulations she’d offered had never felt hollow, but, as she very clearly displayed fear at what my fledgling Empire could be capable of, she went from comfortable in her role as a guide, to terrified at what we might be able to do to them if this peace deal fell apart.

“How many of your people would struggle to keep this same pace?” she asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, she stiffened and started to apologize, realizing she just asked a subjugated commander what the limits of his troops were, but I felt no reason to be offended or to lie.

“Perhaps half,” I shrugged. “If we are moving at about three quarters of this speed, everybody would be able to keep up. Pushing this hard? It would just be the elite pressing on the heels of whoever was clearing our advance. Then, when the rest caught up, the army as a whole would be ready to throw themselves into battle.”

She nodded, swallowing audibly as she inclined her head to me once again. “I will ensure that my people do not rise up against you. Everything in my power, I shall do to ensure that you do not have to prove that strength to us, Zaaktif.”

“Then I wish you the best of luck in convincing what appears to be a very stubborn people,” I smiled. “Like I already said, if people refuse to learn lessons the easy way, then they shall be taught through whichever manner I deem fit. And I would like to believe I can teach the hard way.”

Being reminded of her incarceration, Maksulah bowed her head a third time as the last of the Misti Hawar stragglers finally caught up. I could only smile at the opportunity to finally take more revenge on these egg-smashing fools.