Kai grew cold. Colder every year. Colder yet when the first wolf of his pack died.

Strange. He courted death at every step—witnessed it, caused it sometimes. But Lok’s demise took a piece of him.

The pack had grown. Sky had a litter of pups, so did Lok. But born around Evris who fed them and looked after them, rather than in the wild, frozen lands of Haimo where survival was a constant battle, the pups weren’t quite the same animals. They weren’t exactly tame, but somewhat closer to a dog than a wolf. The young pups bonded with some of his followers. Kai liked them well enough. Little Nura, for example. The pup who’d attached herself to Hart, his first advisor, had perfected an irresistible look that prompted her victims to spontaneously scratch her fur just where she wanted them to.

Lok fell in battle, taking a blow that would have killed him.

The insurgents and the warlord’s forces rarely fought on the ground; most of their battles happened in space. When they got to the surface of a planet, it meant that the war was already won. No regular force could fight against mages. Knowing his wolves loved the exercise, Kai had never tried to prevent them from accompanying him. He’d grown complacent, too sure of himself. Used to blasters, he didn’t see the metallic arrow coming at him during that fight. It might have pierced his energy shield; he’d never know. Lok jumped in the way.

As Kai stared at the fallen beast in disbelief, Sky howled high, sending the pack on a hunt. They ignored everything else in their path, everyone else, heading right to the archer.

The male who shot that arrow died screaming in agony, Kai saw to it. He got to him before the wolves were done ripping him apart, and dragged him away from the battle alive. Kai locked him in a cold, dark cell, and breached his mind, making him feel untold torments until his last breath. And then, he wished he could have made it last even longer.

Torturing that vile creature didn’t help much. Nothing had ever prepared him for the pain and loss.

He carried Lok and headed to the one place that seemed fit for her burial: Haimo, where she had a shrine fit for a king.

“We need to build them armor,” was the first thing Kai said upon his return. “Exosuits.”

He oversaw that project directly, needing a way to get his mind off the wolf’s death. Finding ways to prevent the others from getting hurt worked as well as anything could have.

Kai learned quickly, reading every text he could access on biotech, familiarizing himself with the most advanced, responsive technology, until he knew as much as their best scientists. Wench, now a young man, who still trailed him whenever he could, had developed a knack for all kinds of tech during the time they spent in those labs. Above all, the kid was good with software and protocols. He’d make a fine hacker in time.

“Exosuits think for us; but honestly, it might freak an animal out. If something appeared out of nowhere to protect their heart, they might spook and end up putting themselves in danger,” Elia, their best tech, explained.

“One way to find out.”

Kai tried the suit on Sky. She wasn’t impressed, at first; getting it to Her Furry Highness’s high standards took a few tries. Finally, the wolves were safe.

Safer, in any case. The armor wasn’t as responsive as Kai would have liked. He worried about it, but as the years passed, it proved effective.

Still, in 1216, he lost Nor to sickness. 1217 was the year Torj died of old age, peacefully. That left Nox and Sky, who seemed to hold on to the last pieces of his heart.

They were close to Torj’s age.

Killing was easier each time he came back from burying a member of his pack.

What would he be like when Sky left this world?

Kai closed his eyes and searched inside himself, attempting to see a light, a piece of hope and goodness.

He cared about his people as a whole. Wanted them safe. Content, if possible. But that wasn’t even close to what he felt for the beast at his side.

“You’ll leave me one day soon” he told Sky.

Then he might truly be a monster.

He thought of the little girl who’d saved him twice, and of that female he still saw in his dreams. Perhaps they’d be enough to make him retain some degree of compassion, warmth.

Perhaps. Doubtful.

“Well, let’s make sure that day doesn’t come too soon, kid.”

Only one male called him that.

“Krane.”

The old male usually accompanied him for the beasts’ funerals, but not this time; he’d stayed back. Kai was trying not to see it as a betrayal.

Ian Krane held a vial in his hand.

“This is a prototype concocted by them Imperials, and modified by the best in the market. Nanocytes built and developed to regenerate cells at an accelerated rate. One cell dies, it creates its replacement. This thing can regrow a damn arm overnight.”

Kai had heard of this; everyone had. They whispered about it, grumbling about the way Imperials, high nobles, and the Wise selfishly kept it to themselves.

Immortality.

“You got your hands on a Rejuvenation Serum?” Kai sounded downright incredulous, for good reasons. This time, he had to ask, “All right, who are you?”

The old male winked and casually threw the vial his way.

“I’ll do Nox. You do your beast. She’d rip my hand off. Press on the sides, a needle comes out. It’ll work almost as soon as it’s inside them. They’ll just need a nap while the nanocytes sync.”

Kai did as instructed, and Sky only bit him twice afterward. She growled at him for the rest of the day. Ian Krane managed well enough with Nox. Once they were done, they stared at each other defiantly.

Eventually, Kai just shook his head.

“You can get immortality serums, and you’re giving it to animals.”

The male made no sense.

“I’m giving it to the most important animals in this galaxy. These two die? How long before you kill us all in a tantrum, kid?”

Kai glared. “I don’t throw tantrums.”

He didn’t. Did he?

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, boss.”

Suddenly intrigued, Kai asked, “Did you take a shot?” Then, because the answer seemed obvious, he added, “How old are you?”

From what he knew of the advanced technology, the nanocytes worked to replace cells the moment they died, which meant that those who took it didn’t age, or die of most natural causes. Although Kai liked to call him old, Krane had the appearance of a healthy man of forty, perhaps; but if he was immortal, it meant nothing. He could be hundreds of years of age. More, perhaps. The first of those shots had been developed roughly thirteen hundred years ago.

Krane laughed and walked away, calling out, “You’re wanted in Control. PunyLord sent envoys to negotiate a treaty. The Coats are divided.”

Kai sighed. The Coats, as Krane liked to call the senators who were their voice in the High Council of Ratna, formed of envoys from each planet, were always divided.

The treaty was everything he’d ever desired. It offered peace. Enlil swore to leave him alone as long as they stuck to their systems and never moved to conquer more of his territories. It also offered something else, something Kai never desired and wouldn’t have sought. The warlord had done his research and found out where Kai had come from. By edict of Enlil, Kai would be made a Hora, Lord of Haimo.

The very thought disgusted him, but he had to think of the bigger picture.

“This treaty means safety,” he said, causing some of his senators to nod enthusiastically. Half of the Coats started to speak. He lifted one hand, and they fell silent. “But,” Kai added, “Enlil will never keep his word. He needs time to regroup. He’ll attack when it suits him.”

Kai was turning in quite the Coat, agreeing with everyone.

“So, what now?” Hart prompted.

Kai closed his eyes, searching for the answer. Then, he lifted his hand, and a pen floated to him. He stabbed the quill into his thumb, drawing blood, and signed.

“Now,” he replied, “we take this time, get ready, and wait for the snake to launch. History will recall us as those who accepted peace, and him as the one who broke it.”

The strategy was foolish of Enlil. They were many now, but in months, years? Then children they fiercely protected within the walls of their base would be ready to fight. Time was their ally, turning their army into an unrelenting force.

Enlil attacked in 1222. In 1226, Kai’s armies flew right at the heart of Vratis.