The din of thousands of people filled the Great Hall. No one was out to make noise intentionally, but chairs scraped over the stone floor, people's clothing rustled as they moved, and there was a constant low murmuring of voices.
Within the now empty and shattered fortresses the People had fled, there were larger buildings than this one. And Kanieta had no doubt that there would be larger ones built again, but for the builders to have completed this structure while throwing up all the other buildings and walls that made up the new city of Forests Edge was quite the statement. It spoke volumes about how hard everyone was working and the power the People wielded.
Large structures are more often than naught built to intimidate those who approach them and offer a level of grandeur to those who own them. A status symbol everyone could look at as it looms over a city.
The Great Hall was not an exception to this rule. But rather than elevating an individual or a faction, it was for the Conclave as a whole and the People they represented. Every Kin could look upon it and feel pride.
The building was made up of hundreds of trees grown together. Magic was woven into every inch of their forms, shaping and reinforcing the trees far beyond what should be possible. A simple oak's trunk had been expanded to a dozen feet wide and stretched hundreds of feet tall, forming an outer wall. The branches of the trees wove together, continuing upward instead of branching out and making a section of the dome overhead. Other trees were twisted and shaped to form the rooms, walkways, arches, and stairwells that filled the structure's interior.
If one was to stand in the center platform that was in the exact center of the building — and the center of the large chamber Kanieta and the other chieftains were in — and look up, one would see the branches twist as they wove around each other. The middle of the branches was empty in a circle showing the sky, and it made one feel they were in the center of a storm of swirling wood.
Every wall had carvings of heroic figures fighting and casting magic against the People's enemies. Above, one could see what looked like the canopy of a vibrant forest. Though the trees had died in their abnormal growth, the builders had mutated vines into unnatural colors, making a living and ever-shifting tapestry.
Within the Great Hall's ground floor, every faction had a section, and every clan leader had a seat in their section. Up above in the crossing and twisting branches were spots for anyone who wanted to come and watch the Conclave as they met. Massive though the seating overhead was, it was already long packed with observers even at this early hour, forcing the guards to turn people away. It was a stark difference compared to the spots on the ground, which were only two-thirds of the way full.
There was still almost another hour before they officially started, but Kanieta suspected that those missing would show up at the last second.
To her left, around the circle, were the Twin Horns, Spotted Prancers, Dark Haven, Blue Sky, and White Paw Factions. They composed the non-marshal factions of the People, though that only meant that they didn't actively seek out battle. In many ways, should those factions be pushed into conflict, they would be more dangerous than her own.
On her right were the Shimmer Scale, Crescent Moon, Cats, and Blood Claw Factions. The Shimmer Scale's section was filled, but the other three weren't.
The Crescent Moon was probably trying to make a statement that they didn't have to listen to the will of the Conclave, or they were annoyed about the recent investigations. Whatever their reasons, dawn was fast approaching, and they had yet to arrive. But she knew their representatives were in the city, and the meeting was about them, so they had to show up eventually. It was just a matter of when.
As for the Cats, well, they were probably waiting to make an entrance and be the center of attention that they would never deign to actually acknowledge but would require all the same. Which, at the very least, needed the Crescent Moon to be here, which they currently were not. And the Cats had probably taken it personally and were waiting until the wolves arrived to make a statement about… something. Understanding the motivations of Cats was a lesson in futility.
At least Kanieta remembered the Cats' recent bloody lesson about messing with the Blood Claw Faction, so she didn't think that would be a problem, but who could really say.
And the Blood Claw faction should arrive sometime today, hopefully before noon, so long as nothing grabbed their attention. But as far as Kanieta knew, they might suddenly decide to join the escalating battle at the Triad or start a barbeque. Each option was equally possible.
Besides the odd empty spot among the rest of the factions, everyone else was patiently waiting or taking the time to talk business. Not that anything of import was being said, as the events of the Conclave would determine many decisions.
Placing her elbow on her armrest and cupping her cheek in her hand, she watched the brightening sky. It was better than watching the people mill about.
Minutes slipped by, and she lost track of time. Then the doors leading into the chamber were thrown open, and Derg marched in, his lackey— chieftains spread out behind him. As far as she could tell, the ground consisted almost entirely of males, who were doing their best to pretend to be bear-kins with the amount of muscle they had packed on.
Kanieta didn't recognize any of the chieftains, but she knew a brawler when she saw one. Especially the ones that thought more with their fists than that shriveled thing between their ears.
Eyes narrowing in suspicion, she looked at Derg, who met her eyes and, in the loosest sense, pulled his lips back in a smile. She felt a shiver run down her spine at the startling sight, causing her to blink and pull her head back in confusion.
Refocusing on Derg, she saw his usual tooth-filled and predatory smile that always sends a shiver of disgust down his spine, flashing at her. For a moment, she could have sworn his smile stretched up to his ears.
Turning to Lurta, she saw the old woman looking to the side. Following her gaze, she noticed she was looking at the cat faction, which was now rearranged and filled with people.
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Instead of one chair being pushed forward ahead of the rest of the section, like everyone else, three chairs were pushed forward now. Two males and a female were taking up the spots, the female with a black tail, the larger male with a tan tail and brown tuft at its end, and the last with an orange and black tail.
Rolling her eyes, Kanieta remembered the Lion, Panther, and Tiger Clans were the current top three clans among the Cat faction. And they apparently haven't decided on who their leader would be… Kanieta thought with a mental groan.
"I saw you arrive!" Shouted Lurta, "Don't think for a second that you got away with anything!"
The tails of the three leaders and all those behind them paused for a single instant. Then the tails continued to slowly lash at the air once more like nothing happened. None of them were so much as looking in Lurta's direction.
"Humph!" Lurta snorted in amusement and triumph as she turned to Kanieta, "You have to call them out every once and a while. Otherwise, they will think they can get away with their antics."
Kanieta only suppressed a giggle as her lips quirked in amusement.
The Crescent Moon faction settled down, joining the rest of the factions, and Kanieta looked up. The gray light of dawn was streaking across the sky, and as she looked up, the first light of the morning touched upon the interwoven branches.
As the light of morning crept onto the hole's edge, a gong sounded, reverberating throughout the room.
All at once, the quiet conversations around her stopped, and the rustling of clothing and murmurs overhead vanished. Part of it was that the chieftains and elders standing moved to sit down and put on their professional masks, but most of it was the overhead spell preventing sound transmission activating.
While those above could still hear the words spoken by whoever the current speaker was, history had long proven that there was little those spectating could provide of substance.
A wizened old man appeared and started walking to the center platform of the Conclave. His face was covered in wrinkles, and his rabbit ears hung limply over his head, tuffs of shaggy hair sticking out at odd angles. A clack of his wooden staff marked every other slow and short step.
The staff looked like a trio of inch-wide branches woven around each other. In the center of the staff was a line of crystal throbbing with blue light. Poking out of the top, contained in a latticework of roots, was a four-inch tip of the crystal.
The clack-clack of the staff filled the air, and with every step the elder took closer to the center, the rest of the room grew darker.
When he reached the center of the central platform, he stopped and slowly turned to look at those surrounding him.
Though Kanieta was covered by the darkness, the silver glow filling his eyes made her sure he could see them all.
"We are here to hold a Conclave of the People. The Faction leaders will represent their clans in this meeting, and they have all agreed to abide by and enforce any the decisions this Conclave will come to, as it will represent the collective will of the People." The old man's voice wavered, and there was the weakness of time pressing down on him, but everyone could hear the power and willpower underlying his words. "Speak now should you object or be bound to this agreement." He waited for a few beats of the heart, and no one said a word.
"In this Conclave, we have the White Paw Faction, represented by Chieftain Karlonu of the Golden Fields Clan." A ray of like broke off from the light filling the central platform, showing a rabbit-kin woman in a loose green and brown dress with a white shawl over her shoulders, standing up and pressing her right hand over left and bowing to the elder before sitting again. "The Blue Sky Faction is represented by Joro, Chieftain of the Treetop Clan." A small bird-kin man with bright blue wings and a black two-piece suit bowed at the waist, his fingers glittering with gold rings and gems. "The Dark Haven Faction represented by Varro of the Crevice Clan." A rat-kin male stood, his form covered in a heavy leather apron, which had more than a few singed spots covering it. The rat did little more than dip his head before sitting down and returning to drawing on a pad in his lap.
After that, Kanieta spaced out. Everyone knew who the representatives were, and this was all part of the tedious ceremonies. Ceremonies were important, but it didn't mean she had to pay attention.
Jovum, the deer bitch from the Spotted Prancers, was introduced, and then Troak from the Twin Horns. After him, she was introduced, and then Hossze, the male snake from the Shimmer Scales.
Derg stood and made a show of looking around and waving before the cats were up. Before it started, Kanieta lowered her head and rubbed her temple.
"Lastly, we have the C—
"Hrumph" One of the cats cleared their throats.
With a sigh filling his voice, the elder spoke, “…We have the To Be Determined — for 497 years and counting because an agreement has yet to be reached because they haven't gathered enough chieftains in one spot to hold a vote… — Faction."
"That was uncalled for." Drawlled the female leader.
"Yet accurate." Snapped the elder, his long-contained annoyance showing through his professional mask. "We have chieftains, Hawro, Moutou, and Goplo."
The three cats stood and bowed as one before sitting, none acknowledging the others as they moved, pretending they were the only ones there.
"And the final faction had decided to—
The chamber doors flow open so hard that the sound of splintering wood all throughout the room.
"We have arrived!" Boomed a new voice.
"I'm gonna grab him by the chest and the pelvis and rip him in half over my head!" Shouted one of the bloodthirsty bags of stinking fur coming through the doorway.
"Come and try it!" Challenged another, "I bet you would dislodge your shoulder with the effort!"
"You think a child like you has the right to challenge me?!" Responded the voice which called out the threat, "Get the bastard."
Kanieta felt a wave of earth magic as the crowd in the doorway ripped apart the ground. The chunks of earth were formed into jagged balls of stone and propelled toward a cage she could just make out in the hallway.
No one said a word about the commotion that was going on.
Everyone knew that, at best, it would be ignored. And if someone got too close, they would be sucked into the commotion, either by being physically pulled into the crowd or turned on as the new target for their projectiles.
After many more threats and screams of pain, the group finally started moving into the chamber, and the rabbit elder started talking.
"And representing the Blood Claw Faction, Barlot, of the Yellow Fur Clan." The old beastkin stood as tall as he could, which was about four and a half feet tall, the thick fur covering his body long gone white from age was now stained with blots of red blood.
"We have caught a prisoner!" shouted the elder in joy as the cage came forward, showing a human and a blood-stained rug.
"Fecking Badgers," Grunted Lurta in exasperation.