‘Then we risk facing two waves of beast attacks at the same time?’ Alwen asked with stony resignation in her voice. Dominic very much had the impression of a leader who had had her last hope ripped away from her.

  Dominic hesitated and then dipped his head slightly in assent.

  ‘It’s possible,’ he stated. ‘Though it depends on where those dungeons are exactly – if they are far enough away, it will take them a while to arrive here. Hopefully, they won’t arrive until long after the Settlement Challenge is taken care of.’ He hesitated again, not wanting to make Alwen despair completely, but at the same time wanting to warn her. ‘However, once scouts find you…a large settlement of relatively defenceless sapient beings…you will be a prime target.’ Dominic knew that just as he knew that if he’d accepted the dungeon master’s offer, he would have become one of those beasts roaming around and searching for beings he could kill, the more sapient, the better.

  Alwen closed her eyes, a silvery tear glittering at the corner of her right eye even as she clearly struggled to keep her expression from revealing the depth of her emotions.

  ‘But we still have time,’ Dominic rushed to reassure her, emotion tugging at his heartstrings that he doubted had anything to do with any empathetic ability Alwen might or might not have. ‘The dungeons haven’t even begun to overflow and for all we know, there are other beings near them who will clear them before they can. We’ll do our best to have dealt with the matriarch before then, I promise.’

  And, Dominic realised as something occurred to him which hadn’t previously, he had more than one reason to make sure that that was the case. After all, as juicy a prize to the dungeon’s beasts as the elves would be, Dominic knew of an even grander prize for them – his own Place of Power.

  ‘We should go straight back to our territory and prepare!’ Leo urged Dominic as the lion became aware of that vulnerability at the same time as he did. ‘Why continue wasting our time with these elves who are clearly already doomed?’

  ‘We’ve agreed to help them, so we will,’ Dominic told him firmly, though he couldn’t deny that he too had been tempted to just leave then and there. ‘We just need to speed our plans up a bit.’

  ‘Brother, if you put our Pride and territory at risk just to help some two-legged humanoids who we don’t owe anything…’ Leo trailed off threateningly, though the wordless emotions that he sent Dominic’s way made his intention very clear. Dominic bristled a bit at the threat, but ultimately decided not to reply in kind. He recognised where his companion was coming from – Leo had been clear since the start that if he didn’t feel that Dominic was putting their survival first and then their females next, he would challenge Dominic for control over their shared body. And arguably, putting his own territory at risk because he was helping the elves would be against their original agreement.

  But there was something Leo wasn’t considering.

  ‘The information we received made it clear that it’s only dungeons which haven’t been cleared for a while – or, perhaps, ever – which will overflow. So the dungeons seeded by the dungeon Core we added to our Place of Power shouldn’t be included in the overflow. Which means, even if, in the worst case scenario, the closest dungeon is just outside the area of influence of our Place of Power, we definitely have almost five days before the first dungeons even start to overflow. We shouldn’t take more than two days to get back, especially if we go in a straight line and we try to avoid as many fights as we can. That gives us three days to deal with the matriarch without any risk to our Pride at all. Plus, there’s the fact that defeating the matriarch is in our interests – and those of our Pride – anyway.’

  ‘How?’ Leo demanded suspiciously.

  ‘Well, first of all, if we can convince other beast leaders to convert to our side like the ones earlier, or if, by defeating the matriarch, we can convert the whole beast army to us, then we have more help in defending our own territory against the dungeon beasts. Furthermore we can gain Prey Points and levels, as well as the benefits from the Challenge Credits – even if it will only be health potions. But most importantly, have you considered what the consequences of leaving the matriarch to win this Challenge would be? I don’t know what the rewards for her side would be, but they would definitely put her in a better position than she is now. And that would mean we have a powerful enemy instead of an ally in a territory less than two days’ travel away from our own. We had to let her live before because we didn’t have the numbers or personal strength to do anything more than run away with our tail between our legs. Yet we’ve encountered her again, and this time with a whole army at her back. No, Leo, we need to deal with this threat here and now. We just have a tighter timeline.’

  The lion didn’t respond for a long moment, but Dominic could sense that he was considering what he’d heard.

  ‘We need to be back in our territory before the dungeon beasts discover it,’ he said finally. ‘We brought so many of our Pride with us here that our territory is too vulnerable. The females will not forgive us if we lose another territory. And I will not forgive you either,’ he warned.

  ‘But you accept that we need to deal with the matriarch before we can focus on the dungeon beasts?’

  ‘I…recognise that you are making a certain amount of sense,’ the lion admitted slowly. ‘I just…’

  ‘I know,’ Dominic replied, more sympathetic now that Leo had agreed to the course of action. ‘You’re worried that we’ll be too late. We won’t be. I promise.’

  ‘You’d better,’ Leo replied, both of them knowing that he was as much full of bluster as Dominic was of potentially false hope – neither of them truly knew what the future would hold. But now they had agreed that they needed to deal with the matriarch first and fast, something else was clear.

  ‘We need to change the strategy,’ Dominic announced to all and sundry, then blinked as he realised that, during his in-depth discussion with Leo, Alwen had been calling for reinforcements. Three of the five elders were now present in the encircling ring of interwoven plants. The only ones missing were Ilastir and the green-haired female elf – Mella or something. Dominic realised that he was now definitely in the minority, but quickly dismissed that thought. Jenkins and Sekhmet were still just outside the wall and he could get out easily enough if necessary.

  At his announcement, everyone within the ‘private’ area turned to look at him, cutting off the conversation they were having – more like an argument, really.

  ‘Change the strategy? What do you mean?’ the female elf with the glimmering white hair asked.

  ‘Honoured Brother, Lystar, perhaps we could wait for Ilastir and Melia to arrive. They should be here shortly and will no doubt be vital to the discussion,’ Alwen suggested politely but firmly.

  ‘Fine,’ Dominic agreed even as Lystar inclined her head to her colleague. The next few moments passed by in an uncomfortable silence, those present in the circle not even daring to murmur a few words to each other due to the oppressive atmosphere.

  When the magic-user finally moved, she released the tension which had built to the point where Dominic had unconsciously been trying to breathe as quietly as possible so as to not disturb the thick silence that lay between them. Under her command, the vines which made up the wall separated and the purple-haired hunter Elder stepped through, his expression grave.

  ‘Thank you for notifying me of the new development,’ he said, inclining his head to Alwen. ‘I passed by Melia. Unfortunately, she is at a critical point in a ritual with her farmers and cannot come. She told us to make what decisions we must even in her absence.’

  ‘That is unfortunate, but if she cannot come, then we must continue nonetheless,’ Alwen sighed. ‘As my messengers have hopefully conveyed, the situation is grave.’

  ‘Yes, not just the present Challenge against an army of beasts, but also some wave of other creatures emerging from the dungeons. I did not realise that there were any other dungeons around here,’ Ilastir answered.

  ‘None of us did,’ Sylmar answered, the Elder of the crafters and healers looking stressed as he ran his hand through his sky-blue hair which already showed evidence of him doing the same motion many times before. His face might not show any lines, but Dominic sensed that he’d aged far more than he should have since the System arrived. ‘I would be happy about my crafters perhaps having another source of materials since we lost our last one,’ here, he pointedly didn’t look at Dominic, ‘but not if they are likely to destroy us with numbers! Especially if they attack us at the same time as the other beasts! We won’t stand a chance!’

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Dominic decided that that was his cue.

  ‘We need to change our strategy,’ he announced to the group again. ‘Spending time on scouting things out and information gathering is unlikely to work fast enough. We need to finish this in the next three days.’

  Alwen frowned at him. ‘Three days? The first dungeon overflow will not happen for nearly five.’

  ‘Perhaps not,’ Dominic agreed, ‘but we have our own territory to protect. We need to leave here in time to make it back to our home, ready to intercept any dungeon beasts who come for us. The longest I’m prepared to stay here is for three more days.’

  Several of the elves blanched further.

  ‘You’re leaving us?’ Ilastir demanded, his tone a mixture between angry and desperate.

  ‘In three days’ time, yes,’ Dominic confirmed. ‘Which is why we need to finish the Settlement Challenge facing you within that time.’

  ‘We’re doomed,’ whispered Lystar, her eyes brimming with tears. Sylmar didn’t look much better, though he put an arm around her shoulders and tried to comfort her.

  ‘It’s not that bad,’ Dominic tried to reassure them. ‘My scouts have told me lots of useful information about the way things work with the beast army and it’s clear that they’re a loosely-connected faction of smaller groups. I think that I should be able to challenge the matriarch directly. As long as I win, I should be able to bring an end to this whole thing sooner rather than later.’

  ‘And if you don’t win?’ Alwen asked, the only one who apparently dared to, despite the question clearly being on the minds of everyone present.

  Dominic hesitated, but ultimately declined to answer the question.

  ‘I will, don’t worry about it,’ he promised. Privately, he hoped that he would actually be able to fulfil all of these promises he was suddenly making. ‘Elder Sylmar, do you have some of the equipment ready for me or my people? In a fight, that might make the difference between success and failure.’

  ‘My crafters have been able to make a few pieces,’ Sylmar answered, desperate hope apparent in his eyes even if he managed to control his expression and voice admirably. ‘I can show you,’ he offered, standing up. Then, after a glance at Alwen, he hesitated and sat back down. ‘My apologies, Honoured Brother. I will bring the equipment we’ve made and what we can pull together with me to where your…Pride is stationed. After we have finished this discussion.’

  Dominic looked around from one face to another.

  ‘I don’t think there’s anything else to discuss, is there? Apart from the fact that the timeline for our equipment will also need to be sped up – we’ll need to take those with us when we leave in three days, our agreement fulfilled.’

  ‘Honoured Brother Dominic,’ Lystar spoke up, leaning forwards. ‘Alwen has indicated that if the dungeons are cleared before the deadline, they will not overflow. We know that you and a group of your…Pride were instrumental in…completing the other dungeon. If we can find the dungeons within your time frame, would you be willing to send a group to clear them? Or perhaps clear them yourself?’ She looked around at the other elders. ‘I am sure we could negotiate additional payment for your effort.’

  ‘Who are you suggesting sending to find the dungeons?’ Ilastir asked, his expression tight. ‘My hunters are needed here, especially as the defeat of the beast wave is not certain.’

  ‘I was hoping to collaborate on this,’ Lystar answered, sounding slightly subdued. ‘My mages may be able to develop an artifact or spell which can detect dungeons within a certain range, but they would probably need to be relatively close. If they could have the protection of your hunters, that would be the best option.’

  ‘If you find a dungeon, and there is time for us to attempt to clear it, maybe we can talk then,’ Dominic broke in. ‘But I think the likelihood of that is slim. It took us four days just to clear the last dungeon alone. That doesn’t give us any time to deal with the matriarch. And I will not send off a group of my best fighters when I’m about to attack the matriarch head on. If we’re quick in ending the Challenge and you find a dungeon in the close vicinity which is F-rank, then…maybe. A lower-rank dungeon is smaller and should be quicker to clear. But in that case, you might as well attempt it yourselves.’

  ‘We understand, Honoured Brother,’ Alwen said before Lystar or Ilastir could speak. ‘We thank you for hearing us out and communicating what information you have about the dungeons. Rest assured that, as it relates to your payment, we will certainly do our best to fulfil our side of the agreement as you do your best to fulfil yours.’ It was a very obvious dismissal, but Dominic was too eager to return to his Pride to care too much about it. At least they weren’t trying to convince him to stay longer. Though, if they did find a dungeon which Dominic could clear before leaving, maybe he should negotiate having a copy of the artifact or spell to find dungeons – assuming Lystar’s mages were able to develop it. It seemed like something useful to have.

  ‘Alright, I will be with my Pride. We will set out by nightfall.’ There wasn’t much time in delaying now that they had a hard deadline. Even though he was now planning on a proactive attack instead of taking a defensive position and bleeding the matriarch’s forces, it was possible that things would take a lot longer to resolve than he hoped they would. Getting started sooner rather than later seemed like the best idea to ensure they didn't end up going past the deadline. Even so, they couldn’t leave straight away. First of all, they had fought a battle earlier and could do with some rest. Secondly, it would be stupid to go before getting the equipment from Sylmar and testing it to make sure everyone was aware of how it impacted their fighting style.

  For a moment, Dominic played with the idea of using a day to hunt and get used to fighting with the equipment. Maybe practising with their new allies too. If the matriarch sent another force at the elves, they might even be able to reduce her forces – and maybe increase their own – a little further. But after a little thought, he dismissed the idea. Depending on an enemy to cooperate when he had little time wasn’t a good strategy and if the matriarch didn’t attack, there wasn’t much to hunt in the local area as an alternative to get stronger – they would have wasted a day for little gain.

  Besides, the longer they delayed, the more chance that one of the matriarch’s spies would realise that the army she’d sent hadn’t all died, putting the albuhas under suspicion and allowing the hyena leader to prepare for Dominic. No, better to take advantage of the enemy’s current lack of information. Still, he’d make sure that his Pride members were in as good a condition as possible before setting off towards the matriarch’s location. Hopefully they’d be there just before the dawn arrived.

  With any luck, this would all be over by noon on the next day, giving them plenty of time to get their reward from the elves, buy whatever the Challenge Credits would get them, possibly clear a dungeon, and then travel back to their Place of Power long before any dungeon beasts might approach their home – and if they ended up clearing a dungeon, he might also bring a dungeon Core home. If they went back accompanied by an artifact or spell which could detect dungeons, they might even be able to start clearing those they found before the overflow happened.

  If not, they would just have to follow the dungeon beasts back to where they were emerging from – the chances of just stumbling over one of the dungeons was slim. G-rank dungeons were almost indistinguishable from the local area until entered – as Dominic had experienced the first time he’d entered one. F-rank appeared to be more obvious, but that still required being at the right angle to spot their entrances. Presumably E-rank were even more obvious, but he couldn’t be certain about that. Although it was tempting to try to deal with all the dungeons before the outbreak even happened, it was highly unlikely they would be able to.

  He waited patiently for the magic-user – who he still didn’t know the name of – to open a hole big enough in the vines for him to step through which he then did. Turning around when he got out of the encircling foliage, he watched in curiosity as the hole sealed itself up again. Maybe there was even more magic to the construction beyond the obvious because he found that even his acute hearing couldn’t make out any of the voices he knew were speaking inside it.

  ‘Honoured Brother?’ Berion’s voice attracted his attention and he turned to almost bump noses with Sekhmet as she came to greet him.

  ‘You could have joined us when the rest of the elves came,’ he told Sekhmet and Jenkins, slightly reproachfully. He would have liked to have had their company – then again he could have called them in.

  ‘In that confined space?’ Sekhmet’s quiet yowl made her objections to that clear. ‘It was more interesting out here, watching all the two-legs rush back and forth. Besides, I did not know I was welcome.’ She sounded reproachful herself now.

  ‘The plants smell bad too,’ Jenkins added, wrinkling her muzzle.

  ‘Fair enough,’ Dominic granted, though he hadn’t noticed the plants being particularly bad-smelling. ‘But sorry – I should have said that you were welcome to join me,’ he apologised, nuzzling first Sekhmet and then Jenkins. Their return head rubs told him he was forgiven. He turned his head to Berion.

  ‘You’re accompanying us back?’ The elf bowed slightly.

  ‘Yes, Honoured Brother, if that is your pleasure. Alternatively, we could tour more of our beautiful town.’

  ‘No time for that,’ Dominic told him, realising that Berion was definitely out of the loop when he just looked confused. A quick question to Sekhmet revealed that she too hadn’t been notified of anything either.

  It probably wasn’t Dominic’s place to inform the elf about what was going on – he’d let the Elders decide what they wanted to tell their people. ‘Never mind. Just please guide us back to the rest of our Pride.’ Not that Dominic wouldn’t be able to find them by himself now that he had the map feature which showed him exactly where he had already been, but the arguments for having Berion as a guide held true even now.

  They quickly set off, Dominic updating Sekhmet and Jenkins on everything that had happened.

  here!