Otto XIII


At long last the Hotspring Hold emerged in the distance from behind a thin layer of fog. Otto smiled wearily and slumped back in his saddle, relieved to finally be within sight of his home. He was exhausted from travel, tired of prophecy, and sick of stress.

Winter and the pack also livened up when their home was in sight. The white direwolf loped forward eagerly, his subordinates not far behind. Otto let them run off. They were in friendly territory and there was no longer any danger from wildlife or human ambushes. All around him, Otto could see the rest of the rangers breathing sighs of relief at having returned in one piece. Astonishingly, there had been no casualties over the entire journey. In fact, they were even returning with greater numbers than they had left with.

Luna and Ryker walked contently at Otto's side, keeping pace with Daciana. The Mountain Hermit's former companions were a curious pair. Over the past few days Otto had been trying to bond with the two new animals under his care and he was slowly starting to figure them out. Although relatively small for a direwolf, Luna was young, fierce, and strong. It had been some time since she last lived with a pack of wolves, but Luna quickly carved out a niche for herself at the top of Winter's pack. She did not let the other direwolves intimidate her, instead fighting back against their hostility and surprisingly doing very well for herself. She got along well with those that left her alone. Namely Winter and the other high-ranking wolves who had nothing to prove through needless violence. All the other direwolves quickly learned to respect the newcomer to the pack.

Ryker was a bit of a different matter. Otto was still not quite sure what to make of the huge black sabertooth. He was very familiar with direwolf behaviour by now, but he did not have the slightest notion about how to handle the sabertooth. Fortunately Ryker was well-trained and kept out of trouble, silently taking care of himself. The sabertooth was aloof and independent, calm but intense. He often disappeared for hours on end to hunt for his own food, or take shortcuts through some hidden mountain trail and wait for the rest of the group to catch up later down the road. Yet Otto had learned that Ryker was not entirely opposed to affection. The large black cat sometimes walked by Otto's side as he was doing now. Ryker also occasionally enjoyed curling up beside Otto and letting him scratch his ears.

In any case, it would take a while longer for Otto to fully familiarize himself with his two new charges. The Mountain Hermit's final request had taken him a little off guard, but well-trained animals were always a welcome addition to the tribe so he had agreed to take care of the direwolf and sabertooth. When Otto had offered to look after the argentavis as well, the Mountain Hermit had simply said it would not be necessary, for the bird planned on returning to the wild. Of her three animals, the argentavis was the hardest creature for the Hermit to control. Whereas the direwolf and sabertooth lived and travelled with the Hermit all the time, the argentavis only dropped by occasionally whenever the Hermit needed it for a task. Otherwise it roamed free in the wilderness.

"I hope you'll enjoy your new home," Otto said to Luna and Ryker. The two animals glanced at him and then back to the road. They were smart creatures and understood what he meant, but there was no connection like he had with Winter. Well that's to be expected. The Mountain Hermit did say that it would take time and energy to fully control more animals. . . If I'm able to connect with these two at all.

The group crossed a small valley, then started up the mountain toward the Hotspring Hold. When they reached the bottom of the long winding path that snaked up toward the plateau, Otto stopped and let other rangers continue onward. The men and women who Otto had brought from the Hotspring Hold had reached the end of their journey, but for those who called the Wolf's Den home there was still a fair bit of travel left. Willam and a handful of rangers peeled off from the main column, preparing to continue following the road back to their own castle.

Otto spurred Daciana over to where the Lord of Wolf's Den awaited atop his giganotosaurus. "Safe journeys old friend. It was good to spend time with you again."

"Likewise," Willam smiled down grimly from his mountainous mount. "Until we meet again, Otto."

With that, the two groups finally parted ways. Willam and his contingent from the Wolf's Den slowly started off toward their base, with about half a day's worth of mountains and forests between them and their home. For Otto, all he needed to do was ride up the long winding ramp and cross a few gatehouses, then he would be back in the comfort of the Hotspring Hold.

The Wolf Lord flicked his reins and let Daciana take over. The young doe fell in behind the other rangers who were eagerly plodding up the gravel path back to the comfort of their homes. Otto craned his neck to see Winter and the pack about halfway up the steep path, where it wound back on itself. The wolves were just passing overhead of where he was now. Otto smiled and glanced at the pack of the party to make sure everyone was still accounted for. The three mammoths were just beginning to make their way up the ramp. Atop the lead mammoth's back was a platform saddle that carried Alysanne and her argentavis riders. Then following the huge herbivores was a rearguard of mounted rangers. Otto breathed another sigh of relief as the last of the soldiers safely started up the ramp.

They passed three separate checkpoints on the way up. Small gatehouses that had been built to deter enemies, should an attack ever come. All three gates were wide open for the large convoy to pass through. Otto nodded gratitude to the guards who were manning the stations.

Finally, after crossing the last gatehouse at the very top of the ramp, Otto rode onto the flat plateau that housed most of the Hotspring Hold's population. He laughed to himself and nudged Daciana in the direction of the stables, eager to finally be back on his own two feet. It had been some time since Otto last visited the dusky barn, but he still remembered where Daciana's personal stables was located. Luna had split off to follow the rest of the pack into their cave, while Ryker cautiously followed Otto into the stables with curiosity gleaming in his bright green eyes. The scent of a sabertooth tiger sent a lot of the herbivores into a frenzy, kicking and snorting from their pens. A few stablehands rushed to calm the beasts down. Otto chuckled and advised the black cat to wait outside, to which Ryker surprisingly obeyed.

Otto was just climbing off Daciana's back when trouble found him again. "Lord Otto!" A messenger cried. "Your presence has been requested immediately."

"No time for a man to get some rest then?" He jested with a smile. The comment seemed to fly over the messenger's head, whose expression remained wild and frantic. Otto frowned, sensing something was desperately wrong. "Lead the way then."

Otto left his mount in the care of the stablehands. When he emerged back outside, he saw that Ryker had already disappeared elsewhere. Otto relaxed a bit when he spotted the black cat exploring the mountain trail that led up to the castle. Perhaps I should have warned everyone that I have a new pet, else they're likely to think a wild sabertooth managed to get in here. . . Otto sighed and hoped everything would turn out fine in the end. Ryker was well trained and his calm mannerisms were likely to give away the fact that he domesticated, rather than a wild animal.

The messenger did not bring Otto to the mountain peak castle as he had predicted, but instead to the infirmary beside the four central hot pools. Otto scratched his head with curiosity. What business do I have here? His heart sank at what this meant. Someone got injured. Please don't let it be someone close to me. . . His mind immediately went to the worst case scenario and he pictured Jeyne laying on her deathbed. Otto frantically shook his head to clear the horrible thoughts away, a dreadful feeling of anxiety coiling deep in his stomach.

The medical ward had been split in half, with a thick tarp draped over the center to act as a makeshift barrier between the front and back end of the room. The first half of the room was being used by the medics and their patients for traditional purposes. The healers were going about their duties, tending to injured survivors with the aid of Porkchop the daeodon. However, the back end. . .

Otto pushed through the tarp to find a strange assembly of survivors gathered. One gravely wounded soldier sat in a bed, while the others had dragged chairs into a circle beside him. Leo, the Captain of the Guards, was seated at the center chair. By his side was Alysanne, who, judging from her expression, had also been intercepted by a messenger as soon as she returned to the plateau. The items and armour hung beside the injured patient's bed indicated that he was a patrol captain. And of course, Jeyne was also there. Almost as soon as Otto entered the meeting room, Jeyne sprang from her seat and wrapped Otto in a warm embrace. He was caught by surprise, but immediately let out a sigh of relief knowing his beloved was safe and whole. Otto smiled down at Jeyne as he pressed her against his chest. Their brief reunion was short-lived however, as the gravity of the situation forced them back into playing their individual roles. They quickly seated themselves.

Otto could clearly tell something was wrong from the way all the other military leaders were staring glumly at a map laid out on the foot of the patient's bed. Not to mention the bandage-swaddled man himself, who Otto realized was none other than Alexander. The patrol captain looked haggard and disheveled, dark rings under his eyes and bandages wrapped around his abdomen and leg. Otto subconsciously felt his own chest injury flare at the abysmal sight, even though the cut paled in comparison to the agony that Alex must have gone through. Otto could see faint red spots where the bloody wounds soaked through.

"What happened?" Otto asked with trepidation.

"I was attacked. . . My team was massacred," Alex growled.

Leo pointed at the map. "Four days ago, Alexander's patrol team was attacked between Fort Pine and Fort Northguard by an enemy tribe. Their heraldry was a black tyrannosaurus on a blood red field. The same sigil that prompted the construction of Open Hearth."

"I recall," Otto frowned. "I sent Joseph to build Open Hearth after our scouts reported seeing a trio of parasaur riders with that symbol."

"They were ruthless," Alex croaked. "Better weapons, better armour, better mounts. . ."

"The assailants were very disciplined and knowledgeable about how to utilize creatures in war," Jeyne reported. "Alex's whole party was slain. He was only set free as a warning for us to stay off their land."

"Their land?" Otto scowled. "What is the meaning of this?"

"They wish to encroach on our territory," Leo said. "Unless we do something soon, we can expect more attacks to occur."

"And that brings us here," Alys sighed. "I just wanted to rest after a weary journey but this is plainly a matter of urgency. We need to decide what our next move is."

Otto pressed a hand to his head, feeling overwhelmed all at once. He sat back in his chair and stared at the map with hollow eyes. So soon. . . I thought we'd have more time before this happened. The Hermit warned us that conflict was imminent but this is all so sudden. . .

"Kill them all," Alex broke the contemplative silence. "They're beyond reasoning. I tried telling them it was our land but they don't care."

"I'm sure we could at least try negotiating. . ." Otto offered.

"I fear Alex is right," Leo muttered. "They'll trample us beneath their feet to claim our land. I think the most surefire way to guarantee the safety of our people is to fight."

"We all knew this was inevitable, Otto," Jeyne took his hand gently. "We did all that we could to deter an attack, but it came regardless."

"Stop this, all of you," Otto said. The Hermit's advice rang in his head. Whatever you choose to do, think long and carefully about the consequences of your actions. Otto looked at each of them in turn. "If we immediately jump to war, that makes us no better than them. Our tribe's goal has always been to create a safe haven for the people of this Island."

"Yet these invaders threaten the very existence of that safe haven," Leo pointed out. "If we don't retaliate, then our way of life will be destroyed."

"I'm not saying we should peacefully let them take over our land," Otto retorted. "I'm saying there's a better way to go about this then marching against an enemy we know nothing about."

"Otto's right," Alys nodded. "I've made my share of mistakes in the past, but I've also learned valuable lessons from each one. We cannot fight against an unseen enemy. We need better planning and deliberation before we strike."

"I would certainly prefer if we knew our enemies better," Jeyne said.

"There's no time," Alex groaned. "As it stands, our people don't stand a chance. My entire patrol. Ten veteran rangers were cut down like nothing. We can't waste time, we need to militarize."

"That's exactly what we'll do," Otto said. "I'll send ambassadors to treat with this other tribe. Even if they fail to resolve things peacefully, it'll delay conflict long enough for us to get ready."

"It could work," Leo mused. "But what of the Northern Coalition? There are many things that need to be done in preparation for war."

"Then let us begin," Otto said, peering down at the map.


Author's Note: Merry Christmas everyone.

Nateman364, Sorry if it wasn't clear the name of the tribe is the Northern Coalition. I know its a bit of an umbrella term that encompasses all friendly tribes but for now I'm not planning anything for just Otto and his vassals.

DinoNerd89, Glad you enjoyed all the developments of the chapter!

Death Korps Boi, Yep very convenient timing for the TLC :)

Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!

- DaRumpyBurr