Hey folks! Sorry this chapter is late, I'm feeling a bit down but I promised daily releases to the best of my ability.

As such, here it is. I hope you enjoy it, and as always, Rate, Follow, Favorite, and Comment . I always enjoy seeing what you have to say, or how you feel about the story as it grows.

Rage

Come on. Come on. I chanted it over and over within my mind as I saw within Saphiria's body through Behemoths 'eyes'.

I saw the damage that was covering her little body. Multiple fractures, and internal bleeding from where her lungs were pierced by a rib. The wound in her back from Urams sword. Lacerations covered her skin, she had fought those that captured her.

I growled through the feelings; I could hear screaming again from the beast men that were fleeing as fast as they could. I looked at there retreating mass, but saw none of my people following them. It was coming from the front of there retreating force.

I couldn't make it out, and I could not move Saphiria with her injuries. I was weakened, and exhausted. I would not last long against much of anything, none the less I placed myself between Saphirias prone body and whatever the hell was making it's way through the enemy mass.

It didn't take long to see what it was. My mouth would have hit the ground if pain had not suddenly hit me causing me to gasp in shock, 'Forgive me, Master. Her pain will be sent to you, you can survive this damage. She cannot, the price of healing through blood.' was whispered in my mind at the same time I realized it was the Blood Father walking casually toward me.

Not hurried, or rushed. He didn't even seem to be touched, I knew that those beast men would have begun striking out at anything near them. Yet through the entire mass, a path had been formed almost five feet wide. Bodies littered the ground behind him.

How the hell had he even gotten here? It was at least two days from Hyborium to Tridant. It didn't matter, I started to growl as I blocked Saphiria from his line of sight.

I heard a small laugh escape him as he regarded me. "My, what the little whelp has wrought. Awakening your Blood Familiar far ahead of schedule, attempting to heal with your blood when it is not in your nature or skill set, and growling at your species Patriarch."

I...was stunned a moment, he knew everything, how? I asked him as much and he just smiled at me while baring his fangs. He wanted to harm me. Groaning as another wave of pain hit me, I felt my back split open and blood pour out of the wound.

Falling forward, catching myself with my hand, I tried to keep my eyes on the Blood Father, but he was gone. Where? My eyes never left him...I heard a soft clicking of a tongue, and turned my head as quickly as I could to the side, he was behind me.

Kneeling down, resting his thighs on his calf's, and the majority of his weight on the balls of his feet; he was regarding Saphiria.

I tried to get between them but received a backhand that sent me to the ground, hard.

"To young, little Familiar. You are not strong enough to be awake." The voice, it was not the Blood Father. Where was it coming from? 'It is his Familiar Master, Leviathon.' was the whispered answer which caused the Blood Father to tilt his head at the prone body and turn to regard me.

"You really have botched this you weakling. You woke him before he was truly ready, he's weaker than you when he should be your strength or stronger to help you grow. He has the knowledge, but this is pushing his limits."

I couldn't move, and watched in horror as he placed his hand on Saphiria's body, a line of blood twirling it's way down his forearm to enter her body again. What happened next took a second, though it felt like an eternity. Behemoth was cast out of Saphirira, literally thrust from within her.

He flew in my general direction, looking like a snake still, but seemed dazed. 'Gaaah' was heard in my mind.

"She will live, whelp, but I cannot have your Familiar perishing. You'll need him to much." This had to be the most I have ever heard him spoke, and it was like he was speaking at me, not to me. It was one of the most annoying aspects, but I shrugged it off, trying to crawl toward Saphira.

I was stopped again, the Blood Father had risen and calmly placed his bare foot against her head.

My eyes instantly gained a red tinge and I began growling, a very weak, pain filled roar escaping me. "Stop.." I was told, and I saw his muscles tense slightly. I froze, still growling.

"You think you can protect another, little whelp? You are my peoples Rage, the perfect embodiment of your warrior caste. If you were not so pathetically weak, I might even be proud of that fact. But weak you are, and you feel you can claim something while unable to protect it?"

He asked this, all while looking at me, he was going to kill her. I had done all of this, nearly died, for nothing. A faint whisper escaped my lips. "Mine.."

I heard him snort, taking his foot from her head. I saw the Red Guard leaving the gate behind him, a few of my Berserkers following. The others were either dead, or unable to move.

The Blood Father looked behind him, and just shook his head. He moved toward me, and knelt down again, lifting me by my hair, I winced at the pain, and whispering in my ear.

"You are mine whelp, you shame me with your weakness. Just like your mother before I killed her, you are the culmination of centuries of experimentation, trial and error, and the breaking of an ancient oath to never father another. Grow stronger, little Rage, or I will kill you. I have my plans, and you woke him to early. You've garnered HIS attention, even if only a small amount. I know you have."

What the hell was he saying? I was his? It clicked after the rest of his words registered, and I growled at him. He had sired me, that's why I had Behemoth. I was the offspring of the one who all but brought our people back from the dead.

"You made me rush, I dislike rushing, and because of that no doubt your two brothers will come as well. You'll likely join them in there quest for my head one day. But until you are stronger, it is pointless. Just as it is for them"

I..what? Brothers? My brothers and sisters were my Pride. It didn't matter right now. He allowed me to fall to the ground, the group had arrived and were all on there knees, Forge was the only Berserker of my original eight brothers and sisters present, it worried me slightly. He was also the only one not kneeling, he looked torn.

"*haha* You actually gained someone willing to stand and grow conflicted in my presence. My, little whelp, you did something that pleased me. A gift, for that, will arrive in time. You!" I saw his hand extend in my side vision, and Forge blanched. "Keep him alive, boy."

Then he left, just as he had arrived, casually strolling away. He neither ran, or sprinted, just walked back through the dead and left the fort.

For my part, after I could not longer see him, rather smell him, I crawled toward Saphiria. Snagging Behemoth with my working arm as I moved forward.

She was breathing, her wounds were gone as well. I sighed in relieve, there was a small change however, her white fur with black stripes. It remained white, but the black stripe had turned a dark red. It was close to the black, and would be hard to notice, but it was there.

How had my pet changed? A question for another time. I managed to get myself beside her in a sitting position, and pulled her gently into my lap, before looking toward Forge, the others were still on there knees looking at me.

I wet my mouth some, trying to get rid of the cotton mouth feeling, and asked Forge what the damage was.

It was a lengthy report, in total they had held. It cost the cats another two hundred soldiers to hold the wall. The Red Guard had managed to survive the assault, though several would be out for weeks. To injured for River or Envy to heal them fully, and there blood was working overtime within there bodies. The Berserkers were hit harder, exhaustion, and the berserk state induced when I had lost my shit sent them well past there limits, but they fought on ignoring them in that state.

Many had ruptured blood vessels, limbs missing, a few had lost there eyes but should be able to regrow them given time. The eight all survived, barely. Hydra was missing one of his ears it seemed, and couldn't find it in the carnage. Anvil lost two fingers, though they were being re-attached. Hate took an axe in her side when she had tried to follow me to the ground, and couldn't fight for at least a month. To much damage because she continued to fight. Bitter had lost one of her legs, though they found it. I was happy for that, I liked her legs.

Curse lost an eyes, and was told he would not regrow it. Strange individual. Envy was the one with no injuries beyond exhaustion. She was far enough back that the Pride had not induced her berserk state, luckily. Cruelty had gone truly berserk in the battle because one of her toys had nearly perished in the onslaught. Hmmph, seemed she cared about something.

Forge, was the only one not injured externally. Though he informed me he had a rib shard in his lung, and he believed several compound fractures along with internal bleeding. He was in pain, but continued his report all the same. What a monster.

Fredrick was in critical condition, he had taken a badly aimed sword from the one that took Hellen, and Saphiria, and was currently being kept alive by River. Oh, Hellen was on the ground not far away, but alive. I pointed her out to Forge after that, and one of the Red Guard grabbed her prone form and went back to the fort.

Apparently, during the chaos, a Panther had managed to enter the keep. He waited for the best moment when Fredrick and Hellen were alone. He had taken Fredrick out of the mix, and knocked Hellen out quickly, Saphiria had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I growled at that, and looked toward where the enemy had left through the second wall. I wanted to hunt them all down.

I asked if he knew about Saphirias injuries, Forge just shook his head. No one knew how she was injured. I'd have to ask her, herself when she woke.

By the time the report was done, I asked about overall battle strength, casualties, and when the work to clear the dead would commence, incidentally I was looking forward to a feast. I had not had eyes for a very long time now.

"All but six Berserkers are our of commission, no casualties. The Red Guard sustained heavy damage, several may still die but at this time Ten, Inferno included, are able to move and fight. The rest will be down for weeks if not longer. The Cats suffered massive loss. Seven hundred down, five hundred of that fatal, the other two hundred are on the edge."

Horrendous, but given the size of our enemy, and the amount we had slaughtered it was less than expected.

I had finally gained my feet, and holding Saphiria gently began walking back to the keep with the other Pridelings, Forge standing near, though keeping a few feet distant after i growled at him.

I looked at Saphiria, and wondered once more what she had gained, or lost, because of my actions. I didn't care of course, she was mine, and she had been harmed. I swore it would never happen again. She was mine, as were Bitter, Envy, and Hate. The other three were warriors, and Berserkers, them being injured was less of a problem. But Saphiria was the one I promised would only ever be harmed by me.

I growled, ignoring everyone that cheered as I reached the crest of the ramp leading up behind the third gate. I wanted to go to my room, and the sun was at it's zenith. I told Forge to have all the Berserkers sleep when able. He nodded, an was gone.

I just made my way to my chambers, avoiding the stares of the citizenry, they could have been so useful as fodder.

When I finally arrived at my chapters, I set Saphiria down on the bed, near my ribcage, and laid a single arm over her body. My body was between her and the door.

Nothing would touch her again. I watched her little body breath as I swore that. Then I realized something, I had cried, I had cried while looking at her broken little body and thinking I had lost her.

I have never before cried, I decided I did not like it as I slowly drifted to sleep. Behemoth, was already in a state of something like hibernation while residing in his main 'body' the core that was now my heart, and he absorbed and converted the blood he had devoured earlier.

As I drifted to sleep, I heard a soft feminine chuckle within my mind, it reminded me of the woman in the void, then blackness took me.

Here you are folks, I hope you truly enjoy this chapter, a few of the revelations made to Rage. Yep, he has actual siblings hahaha. You'll like them when i introduce them sometime in volume two.

For the beginning Authors note, yes, I am down. It's why this chapter is so late. Had a personal family issue occur, but I can't do a thing about it so I will be trying to pop out twenty-nine today as well. Chapter thirty, the end of volume one, will be filled with POV changes, many minor as it slowly builds toward volume two. I will attempt to keep them from repeating the same concept.

As always, much love and cookies, and thank you for reading. Please;Rate, follow, and comment. Have a lovely day/night.