After the spiked balls of death stopped clattering to the ground around me, I looked up.
Flinching from what I saw, I moved my right hand back and planted it on an earthen spiked ball. The pain didn't register for an instant, then I groaned, "Ahh~!" as I hesitantly lifted my hand.
The open mouth of one of the beastkin inches from my face on the other side of the bars — now contorting with amusement — wasn't as important anymore. I was used to these creatures baring their fangs or opening their tooth-filled maws at me by now. It was only because I wasn't expecting it that I flinched at all.
A moan and some mumbled words to my side made me look over in surprise. The beastkin in the cage with me was still awake.
Since he was first thrown in here with me, he could hardly be awake for more than a few seconds without opening his mouth for an insult and then getting the shit thrown out of him. I mean, they never touch him other than with those spiked balls, so there is no better way to explain it, right?
Even in my years in the legion, I had never seen this kind of beastkin. I have also never seen a beastkin quite so resilient. I would be surprised if there was a section of his skin where you could move your finger more than an inch before hitting a wound.
And still, after all the wounds and repeated healing, I couldn't see any difference in the rate of his recovery.
"A challenge has been made!" Roared a gray-furred beastkin, "The Conclave has bore witness. Will you, Chieftain Franklin, stand by your words!"
"Oooh!" chorused all those around me before their heads snapped to the old beastkin, then slowly turned to face me. Their hands dropped to their sides at the same time as the stones hovering around them fell.
One section of the crowd moved to the sides, and I could see Kanieta standing with her back straight in a pool of light, one hand holding a staff, the other hanging at her side. "I do not believe—
"I apologize for my insult Faction Leader!" Said the beastkin in the cage with me, cutting Kanieta off. He was now on his hands and knees and bowing his head towards Kanieta. "Those words were not meant for you but those of my kin. I beg you for your forgiveness!"
Frowning, I looked at the beastkin. I didn't know this Chieftain Franklin well or long, but if there was anything I knew about him, it was his yelling. And what he just exclaimed sounded wrong. It was stilted.
Looking at Kanieta, I saw, her brows furrowed and a look of uncertainty on her face, which was new to me. The only expression I had ever seen on her face was self-assured confidence bordering on arrogance. But if anything could wipe the smug superiority off her face, it would be the crazy bastards around me now.
I kind of felt sorry for the politicians of the Conclave for having to deal with such an unstable group. Then I remembered what they were, and the feeling passed.
"I see…" Kanieta said hesitantly as if feeling out her words and trying to judge how they would affect the short beastkin. "I see no reason that—
"How could we allow such a debt to remain? It would forever be a strain against our honor!" Cried the old gray beastkin, his voice filled with remorse. "We will never allow such heinous words to be said against someone of such stature."
…The fucK? It was all I could think before my mind went blank from the sheer absurdity of the words coming out of his mouth. That statement was coming from the beastkin, and I knew this for a fact because I had heard him shouting this all the way back in the hallway leading to this chamber, who said, 'I'm gonna rip ya'r dick off and shove it so far down ya throat I'm fecking ya shite-hole with it!’… And I was reasonably confident that it was shouted at someone watching them down the hall with a look of horrified interest on their face.
Is there really more that can be said about a people when their elders are shouting such profanities and appear capable and willing to follow through?
The end of the night and morning I had spent with these beastkins had elevated my expectations of insults. By comparison, what the young man next to me said was relatively tame. And admittedly, kind of disappointing from a creative standpoint.
"As he has stained your honor!" shouted the old beastkin in the collective incredulous silence his words left in the room — apparently, no one else was buying his karashit either — "I believe he should serve you, as a guardian until he has erased his debt, and regained his honor. Do you accept this debt of honor?"
I looked at Kanieta, whose look of bewilderment quickly vanished and was replaced by a blank mask. His eyes narrowed, and I saw her eyes flicking between the old beastkin and the young one in the cage.
After a few seconds in which no one said a word, she slowly opened her mouth and said, "Ahh, if his service to me is the only way to regain his honor, then who am I to stand in his way?"
"Great!" Said the old beastkin while clapping his hands together, "And as a part of his service, Franklin will watch over the Olimpian while he is under your hospitality. An independent observer, if you will."
Kanieta looked at the old beastkin, then dipped her head. "I would find such a situation agreeable."
"It is done!"Shouted the old beastkin waving his left arm. "Open the cage, and let the two move to their patron."
"Aye!" Shouted the gathered beastkin in agreement as they turned and started moving in one direction, not paying us any more attention.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Aren't they supposed— Oh. I thought, looking around and finally taking in what was happening around me.
The furry short beastkin had torn up the stone floor as they formed their spike balls. Now, those same spiked balls were melting into the ground. It was like watching the floor ripple like a puddle of water as rain pelted its surface, slowly raising the water level to cover the pebbles sticking out, making it uniform.
The cage around me was no different, but instead of melting into the ground, it flowed along the ground until it reached the feet of a hand full of beastkins. Then the compressed earth flowed up the legs and settled onto their shoulders and chests like armor.
I had no doubt that the compressed earth was as hard, if not more so, than steel, but it would also weigh far more. Not that it bothered these beastkins' as their steps didn't hesitate or falter in the slightest to my eyes.
The only concession they made to the extra weight they were carrying was reinforcing the legs of their chairs with more earth as they sat down with a wave of their hand. Which only added to the intimidating figures of the beastkin. They were the smallest beastkins I had ever seen but were also some of the strongest. I was positive I wouldn't last more than a few seconds before I was killed if I fought them.
Silently watching the earth flow away like I was standing at the top of a fill watching a river flow down it, seconds passed. Soon, I found myself sitting on the ground next to the bloody beastkin.
"Hey, buddy," said a rough voice trying to be quiet. Head flopping over to face the voice, I saw my ex-cage companion looking at me, his eyes not the clearest. "We have to move, and I lost too much blood, can't feel my legs, haha… Sooo, can ya help me get up?"
The blood covering the beastkin, and his showing of teeth that could be considered a friendly smile once you filled in the gap between his parted lips, gave me the instinct to pull back. But — as I kept reminding myself — I was here to make a good impression, and a quick glance a moment later told me that we were on our own.
There were still two of the small furry beastkins in the pool of light around us, but they were quickly walking out, and the only other person was the old beastkin with the glowing staff and eyes. Thanks to the rabbit ears hanging over his forehead, it was easy to tell that he was a rabbit beastkin, which you rarely see. The old rabbit was looking to the side, completely ignoring us, like we didn't even exist.
It didn't seem like we would get any help from there.
"Only if I can use you as a wall to get up first," I said, trying to sound joking, but even I could hear the strain in my voice from the pain wracking my body.
"Of course." Said the beastkin trying to scoot over but only managing to move a couple of inches. Shit, he really must be hurting.
Getting to my knees, I shuffled over to him instead. Putting my good hand on his shoulder before pressing down while scraping and jerking my feet into place.
My knees weren't their strongest, but as my hand clamped down on the shoulder of the beastkin, his rock-solid body that was as unmoving as a mountain gave me the time to get my balance.
After I got my feet under me, I ignored the pain in my hand and clasped wrists with the beastkin, and was promptly pulled to the floor as he moved to get up. I wasn't even sure I lifted him enough to get his butt off his heels.
Should have expected it. The bulging muscles on his arms and chest felt like stone and, in turn, would have the same weight as them.
"Sorry," I muttered, getting back to my feet, "I didn't expect you to be so heavy."
"No one does," He replied with a grin.
This time, I planted both of my feet in a wide stance while grabbing hold of his forearms, which were twice as large as my own, then threw my body backward as I pulled.
My body shook with strain, and it felt like I had tied a rope around the trunk of a tree and started pulling on it for fun. Because the beastkin was still firmly planted with his heels on his ass, not going anywhere. Pulling on more of my strength, I threw my body backward.
Watching his body shift was like watching sap rolling down a tree. But the small success drove me to keep going.
The beastkin's face twitched slightly as he started to move. And I saw many of his scabbed-over wounds stretching and start weeping blood. It had to be dozens of lacerations and punctures breaking open, but the only sign of pain was the slightest twitch of his lips. That's kind of scary.
With a grunt of effort from the beastkin, he swung his knee off the ground and planted his foot. Continuing my pull, I shuffled backward, increasing his forward momentum.
As more of an instinct than a calculated action, I spun around and stepped into the beastkin while I hunched down, helping the beastkin to stay standing once his second foot came up.
Due to the height difference, the beastkin's wrist was barely on the far side of my neck, but I could hardly crouch down lower while continuing to walk forward. Moving in a crab-walk, one arm keeping the beastkin's arm over my neck and the other around his back, trying to help keep him standing, I moved to where I remembered Kanieta popping up in the darkness.
We must have made quite the sight as we shuffled along, continuing forward thanks to our forward momentum as much as our effort. When we came to the edge of the stone platform, we nearly fell as we stepped down.
As soon as we stepped from the circle of light into the darkness, the shapes I could hardly make out before began to gain features.
It turned out the shape I thought was Kanieta was actually not, but with a quick adjustment, we made it to the chairs positioned right behind her.
No one moved to help or hinder us as we approached, and few did more than glance at us, but I felt confident we were expected to take a seat in those spots.
The fact every other seat was taken was also a pretty good hint.
I positioned the beastkin in front of a chair, then dropped him into it. He didn't so much as let out a groan, but the wooden chair creaked plenty from the abuse. Moving to my own spot, I settled down with a sigh.
The moment my butt hit the seat, the old rabbit beastkin in the center of the room started speaking, "Now that all the excitement and interruptions are over, let us move on with this Conclave. As all factions are represented, we will start with a recounting of the Dance of the Ancestors."
He stopped speaking, and several beep drums started being pounded, reverberating in my chest, but Kanieta turned around, looking me in the eyes. "Can't say I expected to see you again, but it sure is interesting every time I do."
"Yeah," I grunted, my face twisted with pain from all the wounds and not having the energy to add fuel to the spark of anger that flared up inside of me as she spoke. "That's one way to put it."
Her face twisted with something close to sympathy, "I'd offer to treat your wounds, but you're a big boy, so tradition demands you'll have to wait until after the meeting is over. But at least we'll get to see how this Conclave is a trap together!"
She clapped at the end like it was something to be excited about, but no noise was made. My eyes widened as a spike of dread shot through me. Ahh, fuck my life.