AR Chapter 521 (Patreon)

Ragzak

As most mornings did, Ragzak woke to pain. Even before he opened his eyes, he twisted to grab the back of his sister’s head. He growled as he used his other hand to pry open her mouth to stop her from chewing on his tail. She whined in pain, but all he could do was open his eyes and shove her away. He was just in time, and, as he tried to take in his surroundings, he saw Hashthi jumping to land on his chest. He rolled, her thick toe claws barely scratching into his back as he escaped.

Settling into a low crouch, he bared his teeth at his sisters as they worked to flank him. The bullying that had been so easy for them before was becoming more and more of a disadvantage fight instead of a time for him to take his lumps. He was growing bigger faster than they were for some reason, and as they could all walk and run now, the fights were getting fiercer.

Thia snarled as she went in low. Hashthi would, of course, go high to make it so he couldn’t escape both of them. Making his decision in a split second, he jumped up and towards his darker sister. Thia’s attack caught him in the feet, but his momentum carried him into Hashthi. Both of the airborne siblings fell down onto the mostly white Thia, and she yelped as she was squished. She scrabbled underneath him to drive him away, but Ragzak twisted to pin Hashthi beneath him.

For a moment, he had success. He shook his darker sister, her frills poking into Thia’s face, but he couldn’t hold them both down like this. In a split second, his victory was lost, and he was left holding only one sister down. Thia didn’t hesitate to slam her full body weight into his hip, and he fell with a cry. Having a less-than-solid hold on one sister, he twisted to roll the second underneath him again. He only got that for a brief moment, his claws scratching down her chest as Hashthi jumped on top of him, her jaws clamping on the back of his head.

Like that, the battle was quickly lost, and the sisters enjoyed getting him back.

“Ours is the throne,” Thia mocked as the nannies came and split up the fight. “If you were wise, you would submit.”

“If you were actually strong, you could do it by yourself,” he snapped back. “Even if I had ten seconds alone with one of you, I’d win! You two cheat because you’re weak.”

“It’s not cheating,” Hashthi waggled her head. “It’s called tactics. If you ever listened to Mother, you would know what that is. Yes, the Keel are strong, but we are hunters in groups. You lose because you don’t have any friends.”

“I have friends,” Ragzak growled. “You just work together because you two are jealous.”

The argument continued, the point becoming less about the fight and more about trying to hurt the others’ feelings. Ragzak hated that, because there were two of them and just him. Sometimes, after the arguments, he had to be by himself for a while because it felt like the sisters just hated him.

“Children,” Mother’s voice came. Any thoughts of argument disappeared as Mother stepped into the room. The sisters tumbled over themselves to rush into Mother’s arms, and she grabbed each individually. She held them tight, nipping at the base of their necks in an affectionate display of superiority, and they giggled as she put them down. Before long, though, she put them both down and gestured for Ragzak to approach. He did so, clenching his jaw to make sure that his emotions were completely controlled before she could see them.

“My son,” she said, holding him tight before stroking the backs of her fingers down his face. “What troubles you?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “I am your and Father’s son. I’m fine.”

“There is no doubt of that, my little warrior,” she said with a small smile. “However, my children are still allowed emotions, regardless of how proud of them their parents are.”

Instead of continuing to pry, she turned her attention to all three of the children as she put Ragzak down. Then, she looked into each’s face, the attention somehow heavy. Ragzak felt his chest grow tight under his mother’s undivided attention. As the Zaaktifi of the Empire, she could do things that nobody else could.

“You are all allowed to fight,” she said, her face severe. “It would be foolish to attempt to tell you otherwise. It is in our nature to strive for superiority. However, you must also remember that, despite any arguments or fights that you have between yourselves, all three of you ought to be each other’s best allies.”

For a few moments, Ragzak, Hashthi, and Thia remained silent. Then, they looked at each other, and they all realized that none of them understood what their mother was asking of them. Sybil sighed as she settled into a sitting position and seemed to try to change how she expressed it. 

“I forget that you are growing so differently from how my clutch did. Thia and Hashthi. Ragzak is your brother. You are allowed to fight. However, cease being cruel. He deserves your care, and you should be allies. This world is one that will hate you simply for existing. If you allow it, it will destroy us all. Stand together or you will die.”

After Mother’s words, Thia and Hashthi both looked at Ragzak, and though they weren’t suddenly kind, they did bow their heads and give quiet apologies. He accepted that, and then they all had to stand in grumpy silence as they were dressed in the robes they needed to wear. In that, at least, they were united. The clothes were terrible.

The meal, though, was delicious. Ragzak was constantly starving, and he found himself looking for more even after he was told to wait for a second meal. The adults only ate one meal a day, but he could eat at least two. Maybe three, if he was able to ask the right people at the right time…

His musing over how to make sure that he got more food, an announcement came through the building that thrust every other thought from his mind.

“The Zaaktif’s pack is returning!”