Supremacy
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Karla looked around the table at the other council members, still internalizing the events from the past few months. Standing at her side was Bently, still pale from their recent battle. 'Only five members for over a million people,' she thought bitterly, excluding herself as she still felt like her role was undeserving. She was brought out of her reverie when Duncan began the meeting, calling everyone to attention.
“The slums have fallen to the mobs, and they will soon come clamoring in mass,” Duncan stated firmly. He stood tall at the head of the table, silver streaks running through his jet-black hair, a testament to his aging body. “The amount of food in our stocks will only last a few months. Our water supply has dwindled since we lost access to the river, and hordes of beasts have been spotted prowling the outskirts.”
Duncan paused before turning to Karla and asking the question they had all been waiting for, “What were the results of the treasure hunt?”
Everyone in the room held their breath, leaning forward on the edge of their seats. They were haggard and ran down from the weariness that had seeped into their bones long ago. Scores of people had died—whole families swallowed by beasts, hunger, and even their fellow humans. It had taken a toll on their minds and bodies; their very hearts and souls were affected by what they had been through.
Karla stood as tall as her small frame could muster, addressing the room, “My father has perished in the Labyrinth... but the crown has been found!”
The room immediately went into an uproar.
Her father had been missing for almost ten years, so they had come to terms with his likely demise. But the loss of the crown weighed heavily on them as it's power could help pull them from these troubled times. They couldn't contain their shouts of joy as they chatted excitedly. Pats were thrown around with looks of hope gleaming in their eyes.
Until Karla continued, “But the crown was removed.”
The room fell silent abruptly as everyone blanched and looked at Karla questioningly.
“What do you mean, Karla?” Deagon exclaimed. He was a burly man with a curly beard and a wild mane of hair and was the head of the Artisans Guild. “How is any of this possible? Your father was not a weak man, and for him to have died in the Labyrinth is a matter of great discussion, but if the crown has been claimed, then where is this Hero?” He asked, looking around questioningly.
“No one knows why Lord Albrich left, but we can agree on his dwindling mental capacity and increasing age,” Duncan declared.
Karla explained how they had scoured the Labyrinth, almost running out of time. How in the final days, she had discovered the nest. She told them about the Great Beast and her children and how they had found her father’s remains without the crown. She explained how they believed the Great Beast had been feeding on the large crystal within the cavern. They perked up when Karla mentioned the crystal, as it was a useful resource for the artisans and blacksmiths and could even be used by the Academy. She concluded her speech after listing the spoils they had brought and their uneventful march back to the city. The room quieted as everyone tried to process her strange tale.
“Lady Karla...” spoke a deep baritone voice.
“No need to be formal, Foster. We are all friends here,” Karla replied. Foster was a bear of a man because, quite literally, he was a bear. He was one of the beast-folk her father had managed to bring under his banner. He was also the Head of the Hunters Guild, overseeing the hunters and beast tamers that supplied food for the city. He was a pillar for the community, and many more would have starved if not for him and his guild.
“Will we be given access to these... beast cores?” Foster asked hesitantly, trying to keep the desire out of his voice.
“Not yet. We will need to discuss the prisoner,” Karla answered, raising her voice to highlight her words.
The entire room hushed as the same phrase echoed.
“Prisoner?"
She told them of her initial encounter with one of the Great Beast's children. This instantly caught the attention of Foster and even Kaznor, the head of the Academy. She described how the beast had survived and their decision to take him captive.
She also voiced her other concerns.
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“He may have been the one to remove the crown...," Karla reasoned, letting her statement linger as if questioning herself.
“Impossible!” General Briant refuted. He was a striking man well into his later years, but he still carried a youthfulness to his steps, belying his age. He had helped her father conquer the region, pushing back the hordes of beasts and helping to establish the stronghold. Although next in line after her father, he had withdrawn in favor of Karla and Duncan running the city. He was still their military figurehead and held complete control of the stronghold's forces.
“The crown can only be inherited by a human champion. Beast-folk have attempted to claim the crown before, but none have ever succeeded. It has never called to them!” He declared.
Murmurs of agreement spread around him as the others voiced their opinions. The only one still intrigued was Foster, as the beast-folk would love to have a Hero, wild beast or not.
“I request to inspect the prisoner?” Foster asked, waiting for his chance.
“Thank you, Foster. We were counting on your help,” Karla replied. “During the initial contact I had with him, he showed signs of sentience but was unable to communicate. He did attempt to mimic my words, which gives me hope that he can be taught.”
“Might I suggest something, princess?” Kaznor asked, an edge of eagerness creeping into his voice.
“Go on, Kaznor, and please stop with the princess stuff," Karla groaned. "Everyone here knows that I’m not a princess.”
They all pretended not to hear as Karla rolled her eyes.
Kaznor whispered to his aide, who ran out of the council room as he turned back to Karla. “Our Academy has been working on a way to collect our knowledge in a more... lasting way.” He explained somewhat hesitantly. “We have been able to store a collection of information into crystals using the Spell's runes.”
The room went quiet as everyone looked around, unsure how useful this information was. Many types of crystals were abundant with the dense energy permeating the world. If it were possible to use the excess crystals to record information other than the Spell's runes, it would give greater access to their collective knowledge. But they weren't scholars and lacked Kaznor’s enthusiasm.
“That’s amazing, Kaznor,” Karla said reassuringly. “But I’m not exactly sure how that will help?”
“We have used this crystal to store all the languages that are known to us. Upon using the crystal, you will gain access to this knowledge,” Kaznor explained before pausing, holding his hands up deflatingly. “But it has not been tested, nor can we guarantee its safety. To forcefully intake knowledge like this could be dangerous to the mind, and we are still in the testing process.”
Karla couldn’t help but feel they had little choice. There wasn’t enough time to teach the beast how to communicate, and time waited for no one. “Thank you, Kaznor. We'll let Foster meet with the prisoner before making a decision.”
“Yes, of course. It’s the least the Academy could do to help... Princess,” Kaznor said, a small smile cresting the corner of his lips as he turned away quickly.
Karla scowled as they all chuckled, enjoying their teasing. Sighing, she looked at Duncan, giving him the signal that the meeting was over.
“We will reconvene tomorrow and plan our next steps,” Duncan declared as the Council members began rising to exit.
Karla nodded at Bently to follow as she and Foster headed to the dungeons.
The holding cells were mostly empty, as they didn’t have enough food to feed the children, let alone prisoners. Most crimes were punished harshly and taken care of on the spot. Karla soured at the thought of enacting harsh punishments on desperate people, but they were at the end of their ropes. They were trying everything to keep the peace. As they neared the cell, she saw the healer exiting and quickly caught up.
“How is he?” Karla asked somewhat doubtfully. She had seen the wound and knew that most men would never have survived as it had narrowly missed his heart.
“He is recovering quickly, and no vitals were hit, which is a miracle,” he explained, looking at her sternly. “But Karla, what the hell is that thing? His bone density...and... everything about him is not human or beast!” He continued almost shouting.
“Don’t worry, we will fill you in later. Can we see him?” Karla asked.
“Yeah, he’s still unconscious but recovering quickly. His body seems to have an amazing recovery rate, but don’t move him.”
“Better than the beast-folk?” Foster questioned, stepping forward.
“It could very well be, but I can’t say for sure.” He answered, turning towards the exit. “I’ve got more injured, so I have to run. Again, don’t move him.” He spoke pointedly to Karla as he walked away.
“Yes sir.” Karla saluted with a smile.
They entered the cell with Bently taking the rear and remaining alert in case he was needed. Karla stood back as Foster moved in to inspect the beast, creeping slowly, trying not to disturb him more than needed.
Foster began smelling and looking over the beast's figure. He inspected his height and hair, noticing the gold streaks spread throughout. The beast looked no older than a teenage boy, but with beasts, it was hard to tell.
“He’s no beast-folk,” Foster stated. “He doesn’t have a shred of human in him. He smells like a beast, but not like a beast?”
Foster placed his giant hand on the prisoner’s chest and closed his eyes as if in meditation. He was a beast tamer and could see the cores within all beasts. He could also bind them to his own if they were unclaimed. Of course, he would have to be stronger than the beast he was branding.
Most beasts were weak, and their cores hadn't formed entirely. As they grew stronger, their cores would take shape and begin to form high-quality variants. Some beasts would go through rare evolutions, producing even better cores. This process caused the quality of beast cores to be wildly varied.
As he concentrated and looked at the core...
The room vanished, his hair standing on end.
He was in a dark and empty expanse with a single entity floating above him.
His breath caught in his throat as his chest tightened.
The core was like a star, shining with golden radiance. Tendrils of Spell runes whipped around it with golden sparkles. The aura emanating from within its surface blasted his soul like a storm from the heavens and sent chills down his spine. Runes spun and weaved within its radiance. He had never seen anything like this. It was like a mana core and a beast core commingled and far more powerful.
The aura... it's...
'Like a king!' He thought as he passed out, hitting the ground with a thud.