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

Finalising the Bonds between me and the other two lizard-folk doesn’t take much more time. Though I recognised Eats-dirt’s annoyance at not getting a proper battle – and what nickname am I going to use for him? – I decide that the time would be better spent elsewhere. Of course, there’s also always the risk that, out of tiredness, I accidentally make a mistake and lose the physical battle, rendering the soul one more difficult.

On that note, I manage to complete the final Battle of Wills, but only just. The last two resist more than either Lee or…Iandee. That would work, I say to myself in satisfaction. It’s a bit of a play on letters – E and D: Iandee. More syllables than the original, but it rolls off the tongue far more easily.

In addition, it seems like I really do have a limit when it comes to conducting soul battles. I remember how it felt after I'd had the battle with Persephone; even though Hades hadn’t resisted much after, I was still exhausted. If I hadn’t increased my Willpower so recently – and probably fixing my soul has had an effect too – I doubt I’d have managed to complete all five of these Bonds in one day, even if the only real battle was with Joy.

The last two samurans – Murmurs-quietly and Sleeps-peacefully – resisted at first, but as I proved that I could push through their resistance easily enough, and had already proved my physical might against their superior, they gave in. I did my best to convince them about why I was doing it, but feel like my words were falling a little on deaf ears.

Well, not deaf ears, but more uncaring ones. It just…seemed irrelevant to them. Unlike Joy who was clearly very concerned about the future of the village, the Warriors in generally have been more interested in whether I have more strength than they do, physically or otherwise. It seems like River was absolutely right when he talked about needing to prove my strength – much as I dislike the concept.

Feeling completely done-in, I withdraw from my final battle with Sleeps-peacefully. I’m very tempted to call him Sleepy, but half-fear that it might cause a certain multi-billion corporation to discover how to world-hop just to slap me with a lawsuit. Tiredly, I once more indicate for Joy to release the Warrior.

She does and he pushes up from the ground, brushing himself down. He eyes me a little uncertainly, but then steps to join his brothers and the Pathwalker at my side. With fatigue pulling at my eyes and a headache pounding in my head, I sigh wearily. It’s not done yet.

I walk over to the Unevolved. They’ve quietened as one by one their champions have been defeated. Now, they look at all five of the Warriors and the Pathwalker standing at my shoulder, at my command.

“Are you going to cause me any trouble?” I ask bluntly. They look at each other as if unsure who should answer.

“I do not believe we could…Honoured Pathwalker?” one of them finally answers, looking from the Weaver, then to me, then back again. I eye Joy in my peripheral vision, seeing her clench her jaw a little. After a moment, she relaxes it and gives an almost imperceptible twitch upwards with her jaw. At the signal, the Unevolved relaxes a little too. “No, Honoured Pathwalker,” he answers more easily. “We are at your command.” The others around him flash their agreement in their spikes.

“Alright,” I sigh, looking at Joy. “Release them, then.” Then I focus back on the group of Unevolved. “But if any of them decide to run, I want you to wrap them up again before they can take more than a couple of steps.”

As you command, Joy responds both audibly and through the Bond, a mixed sense of irritation and reluctant agreement coming across our connection. If I had to guess, I would say that she doesn’t like being ordered around, but recognises the reason for the command. But honestly, I’m too mentally tired to be able to deal with figuring out the emotional hang ups of my new Bound.

And it’s not quite done, but I don’t feel like I have the mental energy to even deal with offering the Unevolved Tame Bonds right now. Since they aren’t challenging me and requiring me to show them my strength, nor have I had the indication from River or Catch that the Unevolved generally see challenging the status quo as a way of them going up the rankings, I don’t feel the need to use Dominate on them. But, for similar reasons as offering Lathani the Tame Bond in the first place, they need to be linked into the network somehow.

Although the sun itself considers the day unfinished, I personally have had enough of it: the trap, the battle, and the aftermath have all been tense and tiring enough that it feels we’ve done a full day’s work.

River, I don’t feel like bringing this whole group of lizard-folk to the den is a good idea – shoving them in Kalanthia’s face probably wouldn’t be very diplomatic of us, I send to him privately.

I agree, he responds in the same vein. Do you trust them to stay out here on their own? They have bowed to your strength, but that doesn't mean they can’t betray you, he warns. I send him a warm sense of appreciation for his protectiveness.

That’s why I decided to do a full Dominate, but I know – if I am not here to give an order or to stop them doing something, even Dominate is no protection. That’s why I’d like to leave you here, if you’re up for it.

Leave me here? He sounds surprised. They will not listen to me, an Unevolved adult.

I feel a surprising sense of anger rise inside me. To think that they would disregard the caring, careful, and level-headed lizard-kin that I’m lucky to call my Bound just because he hasn’t yet got into the second Tier? But I have an answer to that.

They will if you hold control over the Bonds they are now bound by. There’s a pause as River interprets my words.

You mean to make me their team-leader?

I do, I confirm. There are four Warriors and one Pathwalker; that’s a perfect number for River’s team. I can leave you with some others as back up, if you like. Maybe Bastet and the kiinas? A sense of negation comes from him.

No, master, if you wish to leave me here, you must take Bastet with you. Perhaps if I keep Trinity, the woshel, and the quan, that would be sufficient.

Why them? I ask, curiously.

Trinity is big and could offer significant defence if they turn on me, he explained. The woshel is a keen combatant for all that she is small – she fights like a creature several times her size and knows no fear. The quan, while not a combatant, has excellent abilities to see – she will help me spot signs of betrayal before they happen.

Good reasoning, I agree after a moment of thought. And his descriptions have given me ideas for names too. Honey for the woshel because River’s words here have reminded me of honey badgers – everyone knows that honey badger don’t care. As for the quan, I think Theia might work – the Greek goddess of sight and vision. With her all-round visual perception, I figure it’s enough of a tenuous connection to suffice.

Alright, I say finally. I’ll designate you team-leader, leave those three with you, and ask Sirocco to perch nearby – if you need anything, anything at all, tell her and she’ll come get me.

Thank you, master, he replies gratefully, excitement and trepidation warring within him. I don’t blame him for the mixed emotions – facing those he once looked up to as superior, and giving them orders. No doubt it will be hard for the Warriors and Pathwalker to stomach too. But to me, River is worth all of them put together so they’ll just have to deal.

After communicating with those we’ve discussed leaving behind, and checking with Sirocco that she’s OK with being on guard duty, I step forward to face the members of the hunting party.

They’ve been surprisingly quiet, obviously understanding that something was going on that they couldn’t hear or interpret. I noticed that even when I was speaking with River, he was making an effort not to let his spikes flash and to keep the communication purely mental. He didn’t entirely succeed, but I think he was successful enough to keep the plan away from his kin.

“Right,” I start with a business-like tone, focussing on making myself understood. “I want you guys to set up camp somewhere near here. I live with the Great Predator, and I doubt she’ll want to be sharing space with you.” From the uncomfortable reactions to that news, I don’t think they want to be near her either. “River here is one of my most trusted Bound,” I tell them, beckoning River forwards. He moves closer, his expression as blank as I’ve ever seen it, his muscles tense. “He will be in charge of you when I’m not present.”

That gets a reaction. They Unevolved exchange startled looks; the Evolved, offended and questioning ones. Like they aren’t sure whether I really said that.

Honoured Pathwalker…you can’t be serious? Lee questions incredulously.

“I am,” I assure him.

But, an Unevolved…commanding us? He has no strength to do such a thing; any of us could defeat him in battle, Lee explains, indicating the group of Tier two samurans, like that should be the end of it.

With my peripheral vision, I note how the others are all intent on the confrontation. The Warriors look more curious; the Pathwalker more calculating. She hasn’t spoken yet, seemingly willing to let the top Warrior do her talking for her. I need to nip this in the bud if River is going to have any peace tonight.

I feel my face harden and I take a step towards Lee, crossing my arms. He’s a bit taller than I am, but I don’t let that be a disadvantage: I just remember what he looked like toppled on the dirt at my feet, his joints frozen, his eyes defeated. Suddenly his height is irrelevant.

“I did things your way,” I tell him levelly, but with my tone allowing no rebuttal. “I proved my strength to you physically, magically, and mentally. You lost. By your own culture, that means that you have no grounds to argue my commands.” I wait until he looks away, his chin tilting up slightly, a little begrudgingly, in submission. Then I step away, returning to River’s side.

I stare individually at each of the lizard-folk until they look away or up in submission. Even Joy does, though I sense that there are more battles to be fought there.

“I do things differently from your village,” I tell them quietly but firmly. “Among my Bound, no one goes hungry.” The Unevolved perk up at that, a couple flashing looks back at me even as flickers of blue and yellow play over their crests – pleasure and suspicion intermingling, I would guess. “We all work for the benefit of each other. We try to raise everyone up, not a chosen few,” I tell them, keeping a careful eye on their reactions. As predictable, the ‘chosen few’ don’t seem too happy about that; the majority who are not ‘chosen’, on the other hand, seem a lot more hopeful.

“For us, strength itself matters less than loyalty; power is less important than what that power can do for the group. River has proved his loyalty many times over, and has used his power for the benefit of everyone – over his own benefit sometimes. He, therefore, is my designated leader over you, who have so far done nothing to prove yourselves to me.”

The reactions to my words are mixed, but I was expecting that. My way of approaching things requires a complete upheaval to what they are used to. Time will tell if it’s any better for their people, but I refuse to compromise my own beliefs or way of doing things to fit in with those of a people who have caused so much damage.

We hear and understand, Joy says finally, her tone guarded. She can’t guard the Bond, though, and I feel her discomfort, and a slight undercurrent of rebelliousness.

“And obey?” I ask pointedly. That thread of rebelliousness strengthens for a moment, then dies away.

And obey, she sighs, shooting a quelling look at Lee when he looks like he’s going to object. There’s a much stronger sense of rebelliousness from him, but it’s overlain by resignation. The others all seem to be willing to follow the lead of their two superiors.

“Good,” I say, then allow my mask to crack, a humourless smile spreading across it. “You won’t have much choice, anyway: I’m designating River as Manager of your team with power over your Bonds just under my own.” I do just that as I speak, finalising the temporary party with River as its leader.

Evidently, there’s some sort of shift in the Bonds which the Tier two can feel, as their eyes all shoot towards River, shock and discomfort threading through the Bonds once more.

With a few more words of parting to River and the three Bound – including checking with them that the names I’ve identified are acceptable with the Warriors – the rest of us leave. Honey and Theia seem perfectly happy with what I’ve selected, fortunately. Honey, actually, seems more than pleased at the choice, especially when I showed her memories of seeing honey badgers in action: I think she approves of their viciousness. I hope I haven’t created a monster here….

I nod to Sirocco as I pass under her tree and she flicks her tail in response. Hopefully everything will be OK with the lizard-folk tonight.