Erden stepped forward and bowed his head to the three King Exalts. "First, it is an honor to meet three King Exalt Beasts. I am Erden, hailing from Ashen Grove, a small realm bordering on Talos."

"Cawcawcaw! He talks!" Ness, the Crow King Exalt, laughed and readjusted her talons around her perch, leaning with her pure white eyes reflecting Erden. "A hatchling from a small realm has made its way here? The Lands of Zeret welcomes you, but the same cannot be said for your human companions."

"They are my family. If they are not welcome, then I will leave with them." Erden stood firm against Ness, declaring his stance to stick together with Oscar. He felt a warm current flowing in his heart from Erden's words and couldn't help but smile wide and proud.

"That is not for you alone to judge, Ness. Little one, you may continue. Tell us of the Ancients." The gorilla King Exalt said while picking his teeth.

Erden retold their journey out of Shattirma, beginning with the encounter with Xures and ending with the vast vortex from Okeanes. All the Exalt Beasts listened silently through Erden's retelling despite all of their snarls, growls, and groans from earlier. Oscar eyed the three King Exalts, unable to discern their thoughts.

"Xures and Okeanes. Meeting two Ancients back to back is truly a rare occurrence." The gorilla King Exalt rubbed his chin, staring intently at Oscar and the others. "There is no lie and no malicious intent from them. I will second their stay here."

"Hons, they have killed many of our kind on our shores. Is that something we can so easily forgive?" Ness snapped, biting her beak at Hons. "What will the others say of us if they learn about this? Out of respect to the Ancients, we can't kill them. Instead, let us kick them out promptly."

"And defy the Ancients? Okeanes's waters sent them here, whether by coincidence or not. You defy his will?" Almos raised his voice and transformed into his original boar form. Letting out a loud squeal of anger, he stomped over to Ness, the Eins rousing and stirring between the two.

A thunderous clap interrupted the two, coming from Hons, who beat his chest once. He roared at the two and showed his powerful canines, forcing them to back down. "If the two of you are so insistent, I will remind you who is in charge here." Having brought the two to silence, Hons turned to Oscar. "You are welcome to stay here until we find out what your purpose here is supposed to be."

Confused, Oscar spoke out, "Who are the Ancients? Why do you believe our visit here has a deeper meaning?"

The three King Exalts turned to each other and back to Oscar. Hons scratched his head and leaped above, his body twisting and molding into another form. He landed in front of Oscar, a bed of rough black hair extending to his feet, a fur pelt draped over his shoulder, a pair of short fur pants covering his lower body, and a pair of deep yellow eyes crackling with lightning.

"Almos told you before. They are the firstborns, meaning the first beings to walk the world of Talos." His words stumped Oscar. This answer was unexpected; after all, the history of Talos was long, and not everything was known and recorded. "In the eras long past, the Ancients roamed around, driven by a purpose given to them by Talos itself."

"Our world? Gave them a mission?" Oscar froze, his mind reeling to process the words coming from Hons' mouth.

"Ridiculous. To not know the world has a will of its own. Why the Ancients passed by you, I will never understand." Ness soared in the air and dove down, transforming into her human form. Her wings sprouted from her back. Her dress only covered half of her body, exposing her pale shoulders, arms, and legs. Her black hair was tied into a side ponytail by a feathery hairpin. Next to her, Almos shifted into his human form as well.

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"Back to your question. The Ancients were driven by the purpose of shaping the lands, oceans, and skies. With their immense power, they helped Talos reach the point where life could finally exist. After their duty was fulfilled, they withdrew from the affairs of the world, roaming around to see how their creations fared." Hons gestured to the great tree, eyes filled with reverence. "This tree was one of their own making, grown by the hands of Esteres, the Ancient of Nature."

"This tree?" Avril gasped.

"What else could produce such plentiful sap for our young to flourish?" Ness chuckled, petting some young crows who perched themselves on her shoulders.

"In times past, the Ancients sometimes appeared. Their presence is either a blessing or a calamity for those who cross their paths. However, they are of Talos itself. For them to move means they had a purpose. Whether you are that purpose or just an unfortunate bystander on their path does not matter." Almos asserted. "You are here now because of them."

"I think we're just unlucky stragglers who happened to cross their way. My friend here does have one thing to ask of this place." Oscar didn't believe the Ancients would pay attention to little humans like him. However, they seemed to believe so, which could make his and Erden's request easier.

"As a beast, I seek the Pools of Ascension. I ask the three kings to grant me this opportunity." Erden bowed his head and grunted, his stomach churning as his neck bulged. Something spat out from his mouth, a piece of a shell.

"The shell of a Wortortle?" Ness looked shaken, her jet-black eyes trembling at the sight. "Where did you come by this?"

"A Wortortle named Tort gave it to me after suggesting I go to the Pools of Ascension. He said this would confirm my validity and right to contest for the Pools of Ascension." Erden clacked his hooves together.

"Wortortles seldom move around, always lazing around in their homes. Alright. We have determined your right to fight for a position in the Pools of Ascension. However, first, we must see your strength." Hons inhaled and roared, the entire room covered by his fearsome Ein. Another gorilla rose from the highest seat, beat his chest multiple times, and leaped across to crash on the floor near Erden. It snarled and bared its teeth at Erden, provoking him.

"This is a Middle Knight Exalt of our line. He will test your strength and see if you are ready to fight for the Pools of Ascension." Hons jumped back to his seat, returning to his gorilla form. Ness and Almos also fell back.

"You cannot help Erden in any way. I understand sometimes humans can Meld their animas, but this is a true test between beasts." Hons waved his hand, and Oscar and Avril were flung away, landing gently on the ground as if something held them on the way down.

"Are you serious?" Oscar frowned. Erden was a powerful Exalt Beast, but only within the realm of ordinary Exalt Beasts, which he could cull without thought. The gorilla here emanated a dangerous aura, most certainly from a mythical lineage.

"Let's go, Erden!" Avril had the opposite reaction, cheering for Erden. "She hits Oscar in the head and pulls his ear, asking why he's not rooting for his friend."

Ignoring Avril's fingers pinching his ear, Oscar sighed, knowing he had no say in this matter. The only thing he could do was to support his friend all the way. If nothing else, he gave Erden a look of encouragement with his thumb up. Erden nodded and strode ahead toward the center where the gorilla waited, drumming its fists into the wooden floor.

The gorilla snarled and beat its chest, thunderous claps resounding across the room. The electrifying air rose further with the roars and screeching of the other Exalt Beasts, eager to watch this battle. Sparks crackled across the ends of its fur, lightning rose from its eyes, giving it an imposing presence, and each of its steps clapped with thunder.

On the other side, Erden appeared more serene, but Oscar knew it was because, without the Meld, Erden had no other means to use an element. He was feeling anxious for Erden, but he had to trust him. Oscar wiped the sweat from his brow and watched as the battle unfolded. The one advantage Erden possessed was the quick wit and thinking of a human, thanks to the Blood Transmutation. The King Exalts would surely not allow him to send a wisp of Ein to Erden, leaving cunning the only option.

Erden and the gorilla circled the room, keeping an eye on one another. As if it had enough, the gorilla snarled and charged over, its body hunching as its four limbs slammed against the ground. Erden rushed in, raised his hooves high, and stomped hard. Tremors reached the gorilla, and it lost its balance, swaying too much to the side. Erden took the chance to pounce on him, his antlers burning with Ein.