The journey back to my city was a strange one. Maksulah took it upon herself to become the leader of the group of prisoners, and though they all disliked her willingness and quickness to submit to me, she also kept things from becoming too difficult in traveling back home. Most interestingly, she took it upon herself to keep her fellows speaking in the human or continental language. Whenever they spoke in their native tongue, she would urge them to speak in one that my people could understand, and given the only language in common we had, they spoke the human tongue.

  Of course, she only started pushing her fellows so particularly zealously after “the incident.” The two males whose names I’d neglected to learn were muttering something while leaning together as suspiciously as possible. In retaliation, Foire leaned in over the pair as they whispered in the Misti Hawar language. I was sure it was more instinctual than deliberate, but when they started to snap at him, they quickly found their faces buried in the snow. Then, with their struggles dampened by my magic as I dispelled their attempts at controlling the shadows, Foire had distributed a half dozen kicks to each backside. When one raised his face from the snow to snarl at my companion, he was then grabbed by a claw in the nostrils and forced to expose his throat to the air. Then, in that position, Foire’d seized him by his throat with his sharp fangs and snarled without saying anything. The rest of our prisoners pretty quickly got the hint from there, with Maksulah continuing to police her fellows.

  With every day’s passage, it was further cemented to the prisoners that they were stuck here for the long-term, and as such their resistances became less of displays of rebellion and more just surly explosions of pique. With each petty movement, though, the three males we captured gave in more and more to Maksulah as her wisdom and capitulation kept her on our good side. Iskatti resisted the most, though he was at least intelligent enough not to voice anything that we could easily catch or prove. I was positive that all four were scheming and communicating however best they could manage with their shadows, but that was expected. Of course, the prideful prisoners would produce plans of presumed perfect prison breaking. I left them to whatever they were attempting, positive I could break every one of their hopes. Instead, I focused on getting our expedition back home as quickly and painlessly as possible.

  The first point of potential pain with the prisoners was when my warriors gorged themselves on the dead bodies of the Misti Hawar.

  “You’re all monsters!“ Iskatti accused.

  “Really?“ I cocked my head. “I mean, would you rather we just leave your companions’ bodies here to be consumed by giant ants? Because that’s what’s gonna happen otherwise.”

  “They should be returned to their families to be buried with the rest of their clans!” Iskatti was the only one who spoke, though even Maksulah was obviously uncomfortable with the sight of our meal. I struggled to remember how my old people had dealt with dead bodies when people died. Did we… eat them? I didn’t think so. I felt like maybe we left them for the forest to take back? If that was the case, then something would eat them, even if it wasn’t other humans or our enemies. I flicked my tail in dismissal.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Well, that’s not gonna happen.“ I clacked my teeth for emphasis, and most of the Misti Hawar recoiled at the sound. “I’m not going to give such kindness to people that consider me and mine as monsters to be exterminated. Perhaps if your leaders and I had engaged in some sort of a conversation before all this, something could be negotiated, but since we didn’t, I’ll continue to do what best serves me and my people.”

  “Then this is why you’ll never be considered to be people! People don’t eat people!”

  “Are you sure? I feel like the Moonchildren probably at least drink their enemies’ blood. Does that count? Then I’d have to ask someone from the Union about what they do with dead enemies…”

  “Drinking blood and rituals don’t count as eating someone.” Iskatti’s voice was significantly less firm as he said that. I flexed my tail again, and asked another question.

  “Do you Misti Hawar consume any part of what you hunt? I know that you desecrated the bodies of my people when they were hunted. So, does that not count? Did you eat it? Did you put it up on the wall? Obviously, there must have been some reason for it, so does that make you not people?”

  “Of course we’re people! We only do that to prey and… keelish..“

  “Well, if you refuse to consider us people under any circumstances,“ I repeated, “I don’t know why we should treat you as people. The Union has engaged in trade with us, so there are some willing to treat us as people, and many tribes of Indlovu happily gave us directions and allowed us some small measure of hunting rights in their territories, even if we are who we are. However many centuries ago, the Keel had history as an empire, so if you refuse to engage with us in any way, shape or form as equals, I just don’t think that there’s any reason for me to talk with you. After all, we have irreconcilable differences, don’t we?”

  Maksulah took over the conversation as her companion floundered. Before too long, we continued on our way, our bellies full, and the prisoners uncomfortable. Then, about two weeks later, we finally made our way into the area of Nievtra, where a strange but familiar scent filled the air. I perked up, my subconscious immediately placing it. I rushed forward, wondering what this late winter would bring my arrival back home. As I drew closer, I didn’t hear any sounds of distress, instead, the usual clamor of my city and those who lived in it. When a wolfstag’s howl rose high in the air, I identified it as Arwa and understood it as a welcome. Then, whatever this scent of ants meant, it was clear that they weren’t here waging war. I continued my hurried pace forward, looking forward to learning why they were here.

  And, most of all, seeing my mate and children.

  Thanks for reading! Check out the Patreon, where you can read up to 40 chapters ahead!

  https://www.patreon.com/No_creative_name

  Join the swarm!