GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

The pack leader sniffed the air with his wet black nose. Then he said, "I smell an Omega."

He turned to them and asked, "Are you the Omega?'

Legion-6 nodded calmly. 

"You look like an Omega. You are not suppressed by me. And it seems you are also stupid. You are not afraid of me. I smell no fear in you. Instead, I smell a determination to fight. Your body reeks of it. Do you think you can fight me? Should I teach you fear?"

Legion-6 panicked then. 

"It seems that things are about to go bad." He thought to himself. "Either way, I will not go out without a fight."

Death is sure if they fight. That's what he believes. But he is not so outclassed that he won't fight. He can deal a blow to the pack leader at the cost of his life. And he could be wrong about the certainty of death. But if he doesn't fight, he will never find out. 

He is in fight mode but he made sure to remain calm. He bowed and said to the pack leader, "My lack of fear for you doesn't change your might and power. I am an Omega. Defiance is my way."

The pack leader stopped looking at him intensely. He turned to the two Betas and said to them, "Speak."

"We were stationed at the entrance of the Underdark watching for the escaped mate of the dishonorable pack leader when he suddenly came out of the entrance. We examined him and questioned him. He told us that he is an Omega that got lost. He was lucky enough to find the blood trails left behind by the mate. It is from a wound we made on her back. Our Alpha instructed us to bring him to you."

The pack leader then returned his attention to Legion-6. He began to examine the youngling intensely. The silence continued for a minute before he spoke.

"What's your name?" He asked Legion-6.

Legion-6 coughed to clear his throat before answering. "I don't have one."

He didn't cough because he was intimidated. He wanted to lie and make something up but instincts told him that doing so would be very bad for him. There is something about the piercing gaze of the park leader that tells him that it will be a bad idea to lie. He has to either speak the truth or don't speak at all. 

The truth is that he doesn't have a name that people call him and he is also Legion-6. So he chose the harmless but still truthful answer.

The park leader asked another question. "Why are your teeth, horns, and claws black?"

Again Legion-6 carefully chose the truth that he replied with. "I was born this way."

He didn't say that he doesn't know because he does know. His teeth, horns, and claws are black because of his divine ability. The Warrogs that he knows have these features too. Black teeth and claws are the signs of paragons. Their fur might be different but those body parts are always the same. They are always black. 

So it should be obvious to any Warrog why he has black ones. But the fact that he hasn't seen any other Warrog with them and the pack leader asking him means it is odd here and that he has to be careful of what he says about it.

"Hmm." The pack leader said noncommittally.

Silence descended heavily on them since no one was talking. The Betas aren't saying anything and the park leader is just content with glaring at him menacingly. The silence is double uncomfortable due to his difficulty in breathing. If not for his vitality core, then he will be tackling suffocation with the uncomfortable silence.

Then the park leader nodded. "You are welcome to the Iron Fur pack. I give you this permission as the pack leader of the tribe. I know you are on a pilgrimage and you want to indenture yourself to the totem of the pack but I can't give you that permission."

"I want another Omega in the pack especially since the shaman is becoming old. But the right to indenture yourself to the totem can only be given by the Shaman. I am sure you know this. After all, you are an Omega too and defiance is your way." The pack leader said with a sneer. 

"I understand and I appreciate you giving me the chance."

"I hope for your sake and mine that you have something worthy prepared. Do you have something worthy prepared?"

"Yes, I do," Legion-6 replied in affirmation.

"Good. That's good." The park leader nodded. "I hope you gain a name soon. It will be a pleasure to give you one if the ancestors don't."

Then he said to the Betas, "Take him to the Shaman and return to your post. Tell your Alpha, Tesrat, that I will send someone to replace her squad and she should see me immediately after she returns to the valley."

The pack leader left them after giving his instructions. He began to ascend the mountain while the Betas took him to the Shaman. The shaman is still close by so they didn't need to go far to look for him. The shaman was sitting by the bonfire when they got to him. 

He noticed something about the shaman when he got closer to him. There are a lot of tattoos on the body of the shaman. They are both on his skin and fur. The tattoos don't have any special or meaningful shape. The only odd thing about them is that they are the same color as the smears on the white totem pillar. 

The tattoos are like someone scattered red paint all over the fur. Some of the tattoos are circular. Most of them have irregular shapes and none of them are squarish with straight lines as edges. They have no rhyme or purpose. But there is some beauty in their randomness.