Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Multitasking is more efficient
Luke laughed, the sound echoing through the mountains. "Fair enough. But for now, let's focus on the future."
As the group walked away from the murals, Tanya kept casting sidelong glances at Luke. No doubting it—he was a scion of the Star Wolf, a creature linked to a legacy more powerful than she ever would have guessed.
"I suppose I can't deny it anymore. You are a totem," she said at last.
Luke raised his eyebrow. "Took you long enough to admit it."
"But that doesn't mean I'm forgiving you," Tanya added tartly.
Luke laughed, his laughter echoing across the mountains. "Fair enough. But let's look at the bright side."
Tanya came to a halt, becoming serious. "Luke, if I... if I agree to give you a child, I've got my demands."
Luke's mirth had vanished, supplanted by curiosity. "And what is that?"
"You let me go afterward," Tanya said firmly. "I have people depending on me. If I disappear, they're going to look for me. My uncle is a high-ranking mage in the Judgment Society. He won't stop until he finds me."
Luke pondered her words carefully. The threat of the Judgment Society was no easy matter, even for one as powerful as himself.
"Okay," he said finally. "You have my word on it. But only after the child is born."
Tanya hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Agreed."
"Good, then," said Luke, grinning again. "In that case, we shouldn't waste any time."
Tanya blinked. "What? Now?!"
"Why not?" Luke's tone became completely serious. "We've already wasted enough time as it is."
"But I haven't even eaten yet!" Tanya exclaimed.
Luke waved a hand dismissively. "So eat while we're at it. Multitasking is more efficient."
Before she could protest further, Luke scooped her up again and flitted back toward the cave.
Zoe watched them go, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is sure going to be one strange legacy."
In the valley, activity was all abuzz, but peace was a rare visitor.
On one side of the divide, Tanya Reed remained ever the resilient one, a field case by all means. Despite Luke's unrelenting effort, there were no signs of pregnancy on her part, which was beginning to get on Luke's nerves.
On the other side, Zach had woken up, but he reluctantly accepted Luke's offer to train the demon wolves.
At first, Zach, being an experienced military commander of the human race, had rejected his order jump-off. How could he, being a defender of humanity, train demon wolves to advance their combat efficiency?
But Luke's coercive reasoning and undeniable totemic status convinced Zach. It didn't hurt that Luke had provided convincing demonstrations of his dominance, thus leaving Zach little choice but to comply.
Some output of Zach's exertions was observable. An almost hundred-strong demon wolf phalanx moved executed marching under his command.
Zach had led men before, but never on this scale. His human legions, at best, never were more than a few hundred men. Here there were almost ten thousand demon wolves to organize- no small task.
Luck was on his side, for these demon wolves were surprisingly docile. Communication of command was thus structured: Zach ordered, Wolf One relayed the command, and the wolves executed without hesitation. Their discipline was reminiscent of the finest human troops.
"I would have never bought the story that demons could be so organized," he muttered to himself while surveying the legions. "If the demon clans ever united, humans would stand no chance."
The sheer number of one-eyed wolves and bone spur wolves within the valley was unbelievable. Bone spur wolves of the general rank were powerful, but one-eyed wolves, on the other hand, were quite more terrifying in battle, simply due to their higher numbers. One hundred wolves in a Phalanx kind of synchronized stone-throwing could bring down a bone spur wolf within seconds.