“Hope springs eternal”

~Alexander Pope in An Essay on Man (1732)

POV - TAD

I had never been in this curious state before. Meeting someone I had heard so much about and sadly, not all of it positive. In fact it was all mostly negative. I was predisposed to dislike her already. And this was not a good attitude when meeting a new person. Especially one you needed to impress. The kits had been rather accepting of the way of things. I felt family should not kick family. Ever. And especially after a disaster. Ssrah was my big little sister, entrusting me with her babies. Even though I had met her for only a very short time, she had impressed me. And through spending time with her kits, I felt as if I had known her for much longer. She had been banished the same day all her close siblings had perished in that terrible hunt. And through no fault of her own she was scapegoated. So, yes I was not feeling particularly charitable towards the said [Matriarch].

I was super relieved when first Scrabble and then Dozer popped up beside me. I could feel the sudden change in my stalkers expectations. What was this? A potential meal already claimed by some of their own. I could feel a rising level of confusion. Who were these two Level 5 Ottos? Why were they bracketing the prey like it was a honoured guest? Like they were subordinates? And why did their emotes taste so familiar?

Dozer was still slightly larger. She took one pace forward and rocked up on her haunches.

~Proud-Defiant-Victorious~

~She who is [Joyful hunter silently strikes from shadows]’ firstborn greets the [Matriarch].~

I was cut out of any response. Either it was deliberate or my emote range was too short. No it was deliberate. I had tasted their emotions already.

But I gathered the response was not welcoming.

A larger Level 7 Otto prowled out into the open trailed by six smaller level threes and fours. Ahhh. The [Matriarch] was the [Waterprowler] I had inspected that first day. Again, she felt my [Inspect] and she recognised the flavour of it.

This time I picked up the gist of her emotions. They were directed at me.

~Bad luck bringer, cursed omen of foreboding doom.~

Say what? I had nothing to do with your hunt, you malicious cankerous bloat of misery. And wonder of wonders, despite failing every other time I had tried to emote, my thoughts clearly carried as her ruff flared in surprise. Both Dozer and Scrabble looked at me in approval.

~Little Aunty very wise.~

~Strong tastes, dominance claims.~

They commended me. Ha, I hadn’t expected that for my inadvertent rudeness.

Scrabble reared up as well.

~Auntie small, defeated many Sheeps.~

~Auntie wise, made us strong.~ Dozer answered in counterpoint.

~Auntie defiant, defeated giant Clam warrior.~

~Auntie generous, offers her bounty.~

Hey, hang on. What was happening here? What was I getting roped into? We didn’t talk about this! This wasn’t the plan. I was somewhat blindsided.

“Sssshhhsss Hunntezz,” Dozer spoke with a chuffing huff.

~Auntie strong, blesses your lifes,~ Scrabble continued unperturbed, announcing more I would do. This was news to me. And I could see the [Matriarch] tasting my surprise.

~Auntie full of power, lifts you high.~

~Auntie mighty, takes your fealty.~

And that last pronouncement was met with furious denial from the [Matriarch]. Hang on kiddos. I had no wish to displace the leader. I had enough on my plate already. I needed her. We needed them. We had limited time. There was no time to waste on power plays. I would not demand anything here. I had no desire to be a tyrant. I would lead by leading not by forcing. The quote that prefaced my Paragon title had resonated with me. It would be by example, by example, by example. Or it would be not at all.

And the Ottos were all tasting my emotions. Parsing my meanings.

The [Matriarch] came back strong.

~Questioning doubt.~

~Little-scrawny-weak.~

~Different-soft-slow.~

~Food not family.~

~How true you?~

~Proof offered lacking.~

Ha, I could answer that.

“Look and see; Dozer ~Implacable~ and Scrabble ~Unstoppable~. They were but Level 0, just three days back, clinging to the back of their mother. Behold, now they are ~Mighty and Strong~ Level 5.”

I gestured at the pile of clam meat the kits were still in the process of bringing back. “Proof of Level 32 Clam defeated! ~Glorious triumph.~ And more bounty still to be collected.”

I paused. Time to make my pitch. It needed to be strong.

“I will Level every kit, every pup. From Level 0, from Level 1 and Level 2. All of them I will advance to Level 3. This is the minimum of what I offer. ~Complete surety.~ And this is offered freely. There is no demand.” I turned to look at Scrabble. “True fealty is not something that can be constrained. It can only be given. Freely given. I will prove myself, I will not impose myself.”

Scrabble acquiesced. ~Auntie wise, you lead-follow we.~

~Negation.~ The [Matriarch] rebuffed my offer. ~Require challenge I.~

My heart sank. The only way I could fight her would be with lethal attacks. Anything less would be ineffective, And I did not want to weaken the [Romp] further. The [Matriarch] tasted my emotions. There was no doubt in my mind that I would not defeat her. She tasted my regret. And my resolve. I felt hers harden. She was [Leader]. She could not back down just on words. Even good words. No this needed to be settled in the time honoured method of the strong dominating the weak. All else would fail and be destroyed.

Dozer interrupted her before the [Matriarch] completed her announcement.

~We champion.~ gesturing at herself and Scrabble.

She swept a paw at the six other Ottos. ~You support [Matriarch]? Stand for her.~

~Or we face you.~ this was directed at the [Matriarch] herself. Two Level 5 warriors versus a Level 7 Elite.

I could see her weighing it up. She knew the odds. She was an old hand at counting HP and numbers. Six v two or two v one? I did some quick numbers of my own. Six v two was 1200HP against 800HP with the advantage of numbers and HP both on the side of the six. Two v one was 800HP v 784HP. That was a lot closer though the [Matriarch] also had the benefit of at least two extra levels worth of Stats. This would make her a lot tougher.

I hoped she would choose to fight herself. It would certainly take her down a peg or two to be handed a defeat. Ahhhh. Bother. She was reading my emotions again. She knew I wanted her defeat and that I was sure that Dozer and Scrabble were up to the task. This caused her to hesitate.

~My warriors against yours,~ she announced, ~death or submission.~

“To submission’” I replied.

The Ottos all spread out. Dozer and Scrabble had the river to their backs but in reality this meant nothing to amphibious creatures. They could retreat to the river and continue the battle there just as freely as on land. Nevertheless, the six attacking foes fanned out, surrounding the sisters and closing in. And, huh, somehow I was inside the attacking circle as well. Ah well, I could defend myself easily enough, I readied myself just in case. And none too soon. With a flurry 12 missiles rocketed their way in at the kits. Somehow four were targeting me. I activated my Timelord Perk and casually batted them away with my spade. In a way this was good. It had split the targets from two to three and thus, rather than facing six projectiles, each kit only had to avoid four. And they did so comfortably. And then it was their turn. And they both targeted the same foe. She was Level 4 and with supple grace leapt out of the way. But she moved too soon and Scrabble delayed her shots until she was already in the air. Even so she contorted her body and avoided one dart. But the other struck her firmly in the shoulder.

She was asleep before she hit the ground.

One down.

Another barrage came rocking in. Again I was mistakenly targeted.

Dozer threw two explosive darts targeting the ground between the other two Level 4 attackers. Scrabble followed up with two sleep darts as they recovered from the unexpected explosions.

That left just the three Level 3 attackers. They regrouped. And then they all targeted me. Foolish. I moved my head just the slightest amount to the side letting one missile whiz past my ear. The other five I didn’t bother to dodge. They thumped into my torso, each dealing just 10HP damage. I smiled at their surprise. Yes I was Level 1. But like no Level 1 they had ever seen.

Dozer and Scrabble dealt with them in short order and they joined their dreaming comrades. But the [Matriarch] was not pleased.

~Foul trickery and cheats.~

She began her own attack run. She did not target me. And it was clear she was not holding back. This was lethal force. She sent Dozer tumbling even while neatly avoiding Scrabble's two darts. This was not so good. Soon both kits were down to under half their health. She was not letting up. And I was not going to stand by and let her kill them. If it meant I had to kill her, then so be it.

My heart hardened.

My killing intent rose. She batted Scrabble away again. I called. “Scrabble, behind me.” She was down to just 62 out of 400HP. I summoned and threw her a health potion even while facing the [Matriarch]. I felt her dark amusement. Kits playing at war stood no chance. I scooped an explosive bomb from my bucket. The [Matriarch] hesitated. She felt my confidence. My anger at her bullying. Her refusal to do right by her family. I had not wanted to but I would end her if I had to.

~Why are you joining the challenge false one?~

“Your warriors already joined me, coward!” We were getting close to no turning back. “Don’t pretend they didn’t target me except on your orders.”

“I will not let you slay those under my care. Under my protection,” I continued.

~Bitter vengeance.~ Her anger carried clearly. ~You have no hesitation in slaying mine. With foul poison. You have corrupted these kits. They must be purged.~

“They are not slain.” Even as I spoke, Dozer and Scrabble emoted back at her.

~Hot denial.~

~They sleep!~

Their emotes caught her attention. She paused her advance and checked the closest sleeping body. I could feel her surprise as she started to turn back to me. Dozer took advantage of her distraction and hit her with a sleep dart of her own. It was slower acting as it came up against her greater stats. Dozer targeted her again. She sank to the ground. Her eyes filled with hopeless betrayal. She did not expect to wake. How could I convince her? If she did not come of her own free will, anything else was coercion. And that was unacceptable. I had no intention of reigning over a subordinate race.

Standing back and looking at the sleeping Ottos, I sighed. This reunion could have gone better.

It was way harder than I anticipated.

And that was normally the way when it came to dealing with people.

We would regroup.

The kits gathered the rest of the meat from the river. We loaded most of it on the shattered clam shell and left it by the still sleeping Otto romp.

I popped the pearl in my backpack. It just fit. I would examine this later. The rest we loaded up on the other shell. After boring two holes through the edge of the shell I threaded my rope through and we had a makeshift sled. It was a good haul.

We retreated in silence. Each thinking their own thoughts. Waiting at the edge of the sight we watched the sleeping Ottos awaken. The [Matriarch] woke first despite receiving a double dose and being the last to succumb. She spun. I could imagine her bewilderment. She was alive. She had a bounty of food. A pile of clam steaks as tall as she was. This was hardly the result she had anticipated.

We turned and left. They would easily find us again. I had no doubt of that. The second time would surely work out better. I could only hope.

It is all that we ever can do.

For 'hope springs eternal in the human breast.'

I didn't know who had coined the saying, but it resonated with me.

Yes, optimistic philosophy for the win.

Now, let's finish going though those notifications.