Taming Destiny - a Tamer Class isekai/portal survival fantasy.

Walking away from Kalanthia, I see that some of the Bound I came up with are still eating. Bastet is one of them, with Ninja, Stormcloud, and Trouble pressed almost too tightly against her to let her eat.

Fenrir has finished eating, but is lying down and watching the environment around us attentively. Since his Evolution, he’s definitely seemed to take being a guardian to heart, and has set himself in a good position to watch what’s going on every time we’ve stopped. In the village, he went out hunting, but since we’ve left, he hasn’t gone more than a few metres away from me at all times.

Catch has also remained outside the cave, sitting on the ground with Pride serving as a backrest. His clawed hands are gently scratching at the scalla’s head and around the top of his sail. I’m a little surprised at how close the two of them have got – Pride is called that because of his prickly, prideful nature.

But I don’t feel jealous at their closeness; if anything, I’m glad. Especially given what Catch told me this morning – he has chosen to put me and our group ahead of the village in his priorities. If he can build a special bond with one of the group, that’s even better.

Actually, I have to wonder whether I could do something to facilitate the Bond further. I’m not sure whether Tame or Dominate could do anything to build Bonds between two other beings, but what about Alliance? Something to try later when I have time.

Are you doing OK? I send privately to Catch. He flashes a look over at me, the lines of his body speaking of some fatigue, but not exhaustion.

I am well, thank you for asking Honoured Markus, he replies.

Do you need anything? I don’t think we’ll be able to sleep in the alcove as normal – Persephone apparently has her clutch in there and is rather grumpy at the moment.

Amusement drifts over the Bond from him.

The brood-mothers always get very protective over their clutches before they hatch, he tells me. It is normal.

That, I believe – human parents get just as protective over their babies. Well, most parents, anyway. Looking around, I frown as I don’t see someone I was expecting.

Where’s River?

She’s already gone inside to sleep, Catch tells me. She was too exhausted after the journey to stay awake later.

I frown.

Is she OK? I check with him, a little anxious. Touching the Bond carefully between the other Pathwalker and me, I feel that she’s tired but nothing worse. Catch’s next words confirm my thoughts .

She is fine. A Pathwalker’s body is not suited to heavy physical pursuits: the power of the Evolution goes into their magic and their capacity to form eggs.

She should have told me, I grumble.

I suspect she didn’t want to ask you to slow down: she knew how important it was that we make it here before full dark.

That’s true, I allow, but she could have ridden Trinity or something. The cyran has loads of stamina, and could have easily taken on her weight when she got tired.

Catch pauses.

I do not believe the possibility occurred to any of us.

I sigh. That’s understandable, I suppose. Mounts are not something within the experience of samurans at all. Well, I’ll need to remember it for the journey down – we will try to make as good a time on the way back as we did on the way here.

Where did River go to sleep? And the other Warriors who came with us – did they go to sleep too?

After realising that there was a grumpy Persephone in the alcove guarding her clutch of eggs, amusement drifts over our Bond as I realise that I hadn’t needed to give him the warning in the first place, River realised that she would need to sleep in the other cave. The Warriors quickly ate to replenish themselves and then went inside to help guard her as she slumbers. He hesitates for a moment. I think they were rather glad to be out of sight of the Great Predator.

That’s something I hadn’t considered, and really should have. I know that most of the samurans had believed Kalanthia to have been killed by their party of Warriors and Pathwalker. I’ve been assuring them of the contrary ever since my arrival – and River even before me – but perhaps they hadn’t completely internalised it.

Kalanthia didn’t mention them, perhaps because they are Bound to me, and therefore part of the greater negotiations which we’re going to do tomorrow. Given that they’ve been travelling with us for the last day, she can hardly be concerned about Lathani’s safety around them.

Thanks for telling me, I reply to Catch after a short delay. Make sure you get a good rest too, OK?

Will you be coming to sleep soon? he answers my question with another question.

Shortly, I answer. I want to speak to Bastet first.

The hatchlings will be happy to see you, he remarks. I half-smile as I look over at them, my gaze soft.

Well, I’m happy to see them too. Pushing myself to my feet, I say a quick goodnight to Catch and Pride in case they turn in before I’m done, then walk quickly over to the raptorcats.

Seeing me, the three manage to detach themselves from Bastet long enough to almost send me head over heels as they butt against my knees and twine around my legs. Instead of falling, I crumple gracelessly into a small heap, doing my best to avoid actually landing on any of them. Bigger or not, I still suspect that I'd accidentally break their bones by doing that.

“I’m glad to see you too,” I laugh as they swarm over me, chirping sounds of pleasure. They rub their bodies all over me, as if to make sure that I regain their scent; the smell of their pack. Bastet sends me a grateful feeling – with them swarming me, she’s got some space to actually eat.

I reach out to rub each of the cubs, scratching heads and wing roots wherever I can. They probably see it as me spreading my scent on them; I’m just enjoying being able to reconnect with them.

Eventually, I manage to push myself to an upright sitting position. Storm practically climbs into my lap as Trouble and Ninja alternate between pressing against Bastet and against me.

“Have you all been good?” I ask them fondly. “You’ve certainly put on some growth!”

Although I have no Bond with the juveniles, and they aren’t capable of telepathy like Lathani or Kalanthia are, I can’t help but feel that they understand me. Partially, at least. And I get the feeling that they are well; that they’ve been growing and learning. That they’ve appreciated the opportunity to expand their horizons, but that they are happy to see us nonetheless. That they’ve missed us, their pack.

When Bastet translates a moment later, I find that I had actually understood almost everything they were trying to tell me, except for the fact that ‘pack’ includes Fenrir, Sirocco, River, and Lathani as well as Bastet and me. They are also apparently a little wary of how many new creatures have come with me, but trust that they will be safe: we’re here.

Their trust warms me and I can’t help but dedicate extra effort into stroking their downy feather-fur and scratching at the places they love most.

Eventually, I have to pull away. It’s late and we’ve been up a long time. The exhilaration of being…well, not really home, but with the beings I’ve grown close to again has kept me going this long, but I’m starting to feel the call of my bed.

Bastet has managed to eat a decent dinner with me distracting the juveniles so we turn in together. Kalanthia and Lathani have already gone to their cave – I don’t expect Lathani to want to sleep with us for a while yet. Fenrir, Catch, and Pride follow us into the secondary cave, and we all find a place to bed down together. No one is on watch, but I doubt that we’re likely to be surprised by enemies, not here with Kalanthia keeping watch with her earth-sense.

It’s very dark inside the cave, but Aingeal obligingly raises the light level just enough that we don’t risk accidentally stepping on someone while not raising it high enough to disturb anyone’s sleep. I cast a cursory glance around the cave, noting all my Bound present.

River is indeed surrounded by the three Warriors, making sure that she won’t be approached by any threat without waking them up first. She looks dead to the world; her guards not so much. The glinting of Poison’s eyes vanishes when he closes them again – I guess he realised that I’m not a threat to her. Or not one that he can protect against, anyway.

Hades isn’t anywhere to be seen – I suspect he’s with his mate, either inside the alcove or just outside it, guarding her and their eggs. Otherwise, everyone else I’m expecting to be there is present, which is something of a miracle, everything considered.

Even the three danaris hatchlings are there, still corralled by the wall of bone I created before I went away, lined on the inside with woven branches in case their mandibles are capable of eating through bone. It’s just as well that we have come back now – the hatchlings have grown alarmingly quickly and are already getting a bit squashed in the space I made for them. Clearly, my Bound have been feeding them well.

Sleep, Bastet tells me pointedly. She’s already made herself comfortable on a pile of dry plant matter, brought in as bedding. Fenrir looks up at me expectantly: they’ve left a space between the two of them in a clear hint. I grin in amusement and then obligingly settle down in the open area. Closing my eyes, I find sleep comes quickly to carry me on wings towards the morning.

*****

The first thing I do in the morning, once I’ve eaten and relieved myself in several ways, is to go find Hades. I left him and Persephone in charge, so I figure that they should be the ones to tell me about how things have gone.

Hades is in the first place I look: the obvious one. He’s guarding the entrance to the alcove – what used to be my bedroom, and is now a safe place for Persephone and her eggs. He eyes me carefully as I step closer, cautious pleasure at seeing me drifting over the Bond between us. As if he’s happy to see me, but concerned about what I might do. Paranoid, really – I thought I’d been very clear that I didn’t intend anything bad to happen to the eggs. Then again, I suppose having paranoia would make a good guardian.

“Good morning Hades and Persephone,” I say, looking first towards the male and then at the shadowy form of the kiina I can see in the alcove beyond him. “Congratulations on your eggs. How are you and they doing?”

As well as could be hoped, Persephone answers even as her mate makes a disgruntled sound. I’m not incapable of having a conversation! she snaps at him, her muffled intentions translating to words courtesy of our Bond. The male kiina makes further grumbling noises, but subsides after a moment.

My mate is exhausted by keeping our eggs healthy, Hades answers after a moment. This environment is difficult for her and them. My eyebrows rise in surprise.

“What’s wrong with it? Is there anything I can do?”

It’s nothing you can do, Persephone snaps, then I sense her doing her best to rein in her irritability. We are accustomed to more Energy. Our eggs are starving for it. I am doing my best to supply them with it, but I am limited with what help I can offer, she explains, sounding even more exhausted at just that brief explanation.

“Would an Energy Heart help?” I ask pulling one out of my Inventory. I see both kiina’s eyes snap to it.

It would, Persephone answers, even her mental voice sounding hoarse. Hades looks like he’s holding himself back from snatching at the glimmering blue Energy Heart in my hand.

“Then here,” I say, holding it out to Hades. I’d give it to Persephone directly, but I suspect that her mate wouldn’t be comfortable with me getting that close. The male kiina takes the Heart with his mouth, his movements surprisingly delicate given the amount of tension I see restrained in his body. He immediately passes the chunk of crystalised Energy to Persephone.

Instead of licking it as I’ve seen them doing to Energy Hearts in the past, she actually bites off a chunk of it, swallowing the fragment. Immediately, I notice a difference. She relaxes a little, the drawn tension visible even in her silhouette vanishing. A moment after, I sense a change in the air around. Quickly checking my status screen, I verify my suspicions: my rate of Energy absorption per hour has increased slightly.

Somehow, Persephone is able to transform the Energy Heart into a cloud of Energy in the room. The effect doesn’t last long: either the Energy dissipates or is absorbed by the eggs. Once my Energy absorption is back to what it was before all this, Persephone repeats her actions.

It’s clear that this is both inefficient and unsustainable. Fortunately, I have a much better solution to offer the two of them.

“How would you feel if I tell you that I’m intending on moving everyone to a place with a higher Energy density? One higher even than the place from which you were pushed out by the vine-stranglers?”