Chapter 61 - Dispatch

A few more days passed in silence as the higher ups of the two packs discussed what they would do to handle the matter at hand. It didn't take long before they reached an agreement though.

Mian was outside the caves of the pack, eagerly examining a squirrel that hung off a tree and stared down at him when Dion came jogging through the trees, looking for him.

"Mian! There you are. I've been looking for you for a while now. Daven and Han want to see you, I think they have finally come to a decision on how we're going to handle the matter with the humans." Dion exclaimed before he noticed the intense look that Mian was giving the squirrel and the squirrel was also giving Mian in return.

"Oh, Dion. What's up?" Mian asked when he noticed Dion's presence.

"The Patriarch is looking for you... What are you doing?"

"Oh, I was just testing something on this little fella." Mian explained and motioned at the squirrel. It squeaked before jumping from the branch it hung off of and onto his shoulder.

"Squeak!" It faced Dion before squeaking again.

While Dion tried to wrap his head around why a squirrel would be willing to hang around in the presence of predators, Mian was busy thinking about the changes that he had influenced in the squirrel.

[Appraisal]

Name: ??

Species: Dark Wood Squirrel

Age: One

Health: Perfect

Energy: 40

Stamina: 20

Agility: 30

---

Mian was pleased with what he saw. Ever since he had lost the ability to evolve himself for the time being, he had always wondered how else he could leverage his incredible abilities. It turned out that he could also evolve simple animals, and not just other demi-humans. He felt quite stupid for not figuring it out before, now that he thought about it.

The two boys soon returned to the caves, but with a third individual in tow. The dark brown furred squirrel squeaked curiously from its perch on Mian's shoulder as it examined the demi-humans that the boys passed by. A few people threw curious looks at the animal, but soon ignored its presence.

"Mian, Dion, please take a seat." Daven turned to face the boys for a short moment after they entered the main chamber before returning to his former position.

Every important member of both packs that could be present were present. Even Daniel was there, as he would also be needed to take part in the mission. When everyone was confirmed to be present, Daven finally commenced the meeting.

"I'm glad everyone is here. It is time for us to address this important matter that will decide not only our fates, but the fate of every demi-human on Topor." Daven met the eyes of every demi-human in the room, Werewolf and Werecat alike. There were even a couple other types of demi-humans present.

"The Zelan pack shall assign thirty dominant demi-humans and fifty high ranking demi-humans to this endeavor. While we have much more at hand, they are currently busy with overseeing the expansion of our pack. It would be unwise to send them out in out sensitive period." Azreal announced the Zelan pack's commitment to the matter.

"The Belmun pack will assign fifteen dominants and twenty high ranking members." Han spoke up. "While we can assign more, that would basically be the same as stripping our lands of all our powerful pack members. I hope you all can understand." He finished with a wry smile.

Everyone gave understanding nods. Not only did the Belmun pack have a small population, they had recently undergone a large overhaul that left them in a sensitive position. If they were to direct too much manpower to external activities, then they would leave themselves vulnerable to outside attacks.

"Good. Since we have that settled, then we will send out the team tomorrow. They will circle through the territory of the Belmun pack in order to pick up the team of the Belmun pack before traveling ahead and moving straight for the closest pack that is provided on the map." Daven began tracing out the path that would be used for travel between the packs.

Everyone agreed and they began to make further detailed plans on how they would act. There was an urgent need to address their plans before they set out as it would take more time to get messages sent between the team and the packs after they had set out for their missions.

"Everyone is dismissed. Go and prepare for the mission tomorrow." Daven eventually called for the end of the mission half an hour later.

Mian got up and left, with Dion and Daniel right behind him. Dion's presence there was because of his Alpha and Patriarch training. He was going to be an Alpha, and also the next Patriarch after Daven. Understanding how to handle the duties of the Patriarch was an essential part of his training, and as such, he was expected to almost always attend any important meetings that the future of the pack hinged upon.

"Are you coming with us?" Mian asked the black furred dominant. Dion hummed in thought before responding.

"Hmm, I don't know. I still have my Alpha training to do, but the Patriarch might let me go so I can get some valuable field experience. Who knows?" The large boy shrugged before continuing, "I have a meeting with him later this evening, so I can ask him there."

"You will most likely come with us." Daniel chipped in, his furry gray ears swiveling atop his head. "If you plan on being a good Patriarch, then field experience will be vital to your training." The fifteen year old nodded sagely, making his sharp features look more delicate than usual.

"And how would you know that?" Dion turned his attention to the Beastkin.

"Common sense." Daniel rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"You little runt!" Dion pounced on Daniel and caught him in a headlock.

"Hey! Let me go!" The two boys began to wrestle, much to Mian's entertainment.