Low murmurs echoed through the dimly lit space. Seated below a gargantuan tree, several affluent figures engaged in hushed conversations. At first, one might not be able to discern anything, but if they were to look underneath the incessant chittering, they would then perceive that a common topic was being discussed.

At the centre of the congregation sat an old man who, even for such an important gathering, was dressed quite extravagantly. His mere presence evoked a deep feeling of respect within the hearts of everyone.

The area quickly went silent as he softly cleared his throat.

"Good evening to you all," he began. "I am sure we are all aware of why we are gathered here."

Low murmurs of agreement swept through the crowd; the people were too afraid to speak loudly, yet were also too terrified to remain silent.

The woman who stood by the edge of the gathering found it all quite amusing.

Here was a congregation of the most prestigious individuals in the entirety of the state; one would expect there to be an air of solemnity and respect. And in a sense, it was there, just that it was not respect for each other—no, it was sheer reverence for the man who sat at the very centre of the crowd, the man whose power and influence rivaled that of the General himself.

"We will now begin discussions. Our first topic, what would be the best course of action for dealing with the rebellion in the village of Kotoko?"

Hands shot up as the State Council voted for the decision. There were many calls for a swift and violent culling, yet there were also more peaceful recomendations, such as the suggestion from the Odikuro of Wioso, which entailed paying reparations to the disgruntled villagers.

That suggestion however, was not taken too kindly.

"Are you a fool?" Questioned a rough voice, the woman glanced at the source ad sighed deeply.

Of all people, it just had to be him...

The man who just spoke was the Odikuro of Odumasi: Captain Kwame Bediako.

Her brother-in-law.

The man was a beast, every bit a monster as his father was, yet unlike his father, Kwame had no restraint.

"This meeting is for adults." Continued he. "I find it insulting that we have allowed a child into our midst."

The word used, though it meant child, was considered quite offensive to the members of the council, who had gotten to their position through countless years of hard work.

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The Odikuro of Wioso clenched his fists tightly, his expression contorted into one of anger and frustration.

He was an Energy Formation cultivator for god's sake! The captain hadn't even reached the third level of the stage, and he dared insult him?!

"It seems your head has gotten too big for your own good, kindly remind me how the last two of your missions went, hm?"

The tension in the air was as thick as the skin of a talking drum.

The two men, however did not presume to rise, lest they have their heads lopped off by the currently smiling old man. The possibility of that event, strange as it was, was not too far off, at his old age the old man was quite prone to violent outbursts, especially against those of a lower stage than his.

Katakyie Odeheno, the fourth alive Ohene of the Asakyiri clan, was well known for his intolerance of insubordination, and would not so much as bat an eye if he were to kill the two men.

Coincidentally, the woman was not allowed to interfere with the meeting, as she had not yet reached that level of political influence.

"Calm down the both of you." Spoke Katakyie.

The tension instantly eased, and the meeting soon returned to normal, the old man moved onto the opinions of others and the earlier disagreement was soon forgotten. The room soon regained its earlier seriousness as the State Council prepared to vote.

"All those in favour of a quelling may rise."

Immediately, more than half the people in the room sat up from their stools, and those who remained seated wore defeated looks on their faces, as they already knew the outcome of the vote.

Katakyie chuckled: "It seems a decision has been made. A team of men will be assembled to quell the uprising, is anyone willing to contribute?"

Hands shot up instantly and, in the end, it was decided that each individual would contribute 50 able-bodied men to the cause, which considering the 65 people currently at the meeting, would amount to a sizeable force of about 3000 men.

"If i may ask..." spoke one of the individuals. "Who will be appointed to lead the men?"

The ears of everyone perked up instantly, each individual listening with rapt attention at the next words of the Ohene.

Yet, the next words did not come, instead, a calm voice echoed through the air.

"Announce me."

""Servant Of The Emperor, Lord Of Demons, General Kwesi Ntum Bediako has graced you with his presence!""

Heads turned as the Massive figure stepped into view. The General was clad in his battle wear, with numerous clinking charms resting upon the coarse surface of the Batakari. He was accompanied by two men, each a respected warrior in their own right.,

The General moved through the crowd, stopping just before Katakyie with his hand outstretched.

"I have come to watch the proceedings, may I sit down?"

The old man took his hand and invited the General to sit beside him, before turning to address the crowd.

"I hereby appoint both Odikuro's of Odumasi and Wioso respectively, to deal with the threat."

Well, that... Was quite unexpected.

The woman let out a little laugh. This might be interesting to watch.

First though, she had to get moving, that was enough snooping around for one day.

At the far end of the area, a crouched figure glanced intently at the ground, he looked quite unassuming, bearing the same bushy unkempt hairstyle of other boys his age, and wore a drab grey cloth tied around his waist. He was probably a servant or a slave to one of the men, yet as he made his last periodic glance at the happenings of the meeting, his eyes shone with strange emotion.

Clearly, the woman wasn't the only one with plans.