The tension was almost palpable, each soldier evaluating their counterparts with cautious glances, asuring strengths, anticipating possible aggressions.
Inside the tent, the discussion was already advanced. A circular table, another symbol of fictitious equality, perfectly divided the delegations. On one side, Kharzan and his four newcors; on the other, Julius, Sirius, Selphira, Ignatius, and Arturo. Victor had remained at the academy, supervising the detained and maintaining an additional line of defense.
"Let see if I've understood correctly," said Kharzan, resting both hands on the table with feigned calm. "You intend to return only one of them to ?"
Julius and Sirius nodded simultaneously, maintaining impassive expressions.
"The younger one," clarified Selphira, her voice soft but firm. "The one who seems to bear no guilt in this entire matter. Kassian, on the other hand, has explicitly broken the rules that all families agreed upon before the start of our King's journey."
Kharzan narrowed his eyes, the contempt barely contained in his gaze. The corrupted energy beneath his surface stirred, responding to his emotions. "Klein is barely a small child. Kassian is my first heir and carries much more political weight."
"For that very reason," responded Julius, leaning slightly forward. His Qilin briefly manifested, its antlers forming sothing akin to a crown of light. "An heir should better know the consequences of experinting with abyssal energy on one of the mbers of an academic precinct. The implications of it being his own relative are... concerning, to say the least."
"Concerning?" Kharzan let out a dry laugh, the sound harsh in the tense atmosphere. "What I find concerning is the ease of mind with which you try to interfere in my family matters. My eldest son must return to to complete his training."
"His training," repeated Selphira, "or his transformation?"
The tension in the tent increased.
♢♢♢♢
In the main building of the academy, specifically in the room where the first negotiation had taken place hours earlier, Klein and Kassian awaited their fate. A group of guards led by Victor remained stationed outside the room.
Klein observed his older brother with a bit of both, nervousness and confusion. Since they had been placed together in that room, Kassian had barely acknowledged his presence. Instead, he concentrated on manipulating those strange purple threads that now Klein could see, moving them between his fingers in seemingly significant patterns.
At least he's not trying to get revenge for what I said to him, thought Klein, watching the hypnotic movents of the threads. His golden lion remained curled protectively within him. I prefer being ignored to him "teaching a lesson".
As if he had captured his thoughts, Kassian abruptly stopped, his expression transforming into a grimace of frustration. The abyssal energy briefly surged, manifesting as darker patches on his skin.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue, letting his hands fall to his sides.
Kassian stood up, turning toward Klein with an intensity that made the younger one instinctively tense.
"You're lucky, little brother," he declared, his voice strangely distant, as if part of him were elsewhere. "But unfortunately, I cannot allow your luck to dictate the future of this situation."
Klein frowned, trying to decipher the aning behind the cryptic words.
"I need to be free," continued Kassian, walking slowly around the room. The purple threads followed his movents. "I have... things to do in the territory. Coming to see you was only possible thanks to an unexpected waiting period after Harold's failure."
He looked at his hands, where the purple threads had begun to pulsate with an irregular rhythm. The abyssal energy seed to flow through them, connecting Kassian to sothing beyond the room.
"I can no longer stay here if I want to finish adapting to the 'new technology'," he murmured, more to himself than to Klein.
Kassian made a sudden movent with his fingers, intertwining the threads in a complex pattern that Klein couldn't follow. For an instant, the threads seed to pulse before Kassian released them with a decisive gesture.
"It will have to be the hard way," he declared, a cold smile forming on his lips.
♢♢♢♢
Back in the negotiation tent, one of Kharzan's companions, a man of athletic build whose face partially hidden under a hood showed slight distortions in the skin, suddenly tensed.
His eyes, which alternated between a normal tone and a sickly purple, turned nervously for an instant before leaning toward Kharzan, whispering sothing in his ear.
The Goldcrest patriarch closed his eyes montarily...
When he opened them again, sothing had changed in his expression. The diplomatic mask had cracked, revealing a much more sinister determination.
He stood up abruptly, and with that simple movent, the abyssal energy began to manifest around him. It wasn't a display as intense as the one he had shown during their first encounter, but threatening enough for everyone present to react.
Sirius and Selphira rose almost in unison, imdiately followed by Julius, Ignatius, and Arturo. Their beasts manifested partially, responding to the threat. The council mbers from both sides instinctively stepped back, aware they were witnessing the prelude to sothing potentially catastrophic.
"I suggest you calm down, Lord Goldcrest," warned Selphira, her voice calm but charged with authority. "This behavior benefits no one."
The four new recruits accompanying Kharzan also prepared, positioning themselves defensively around their temporary leader. The abyssal energy they emanated, though controlled, resonated with Kharzan's in a disturbing pattern.
"You will give Kassian," Kharzan declared. "I will not 'negotiate' anything different. Unless you prefer a war you are not prepared to face."
"Lord Goldcrest," Julius tried to reason, his Qilin manifesting more fully around him, "surely you understand why Kassian cannot be released by us. Klein can return with you today, maintaining your na and political respect. We can discuss comfortable terms for Kassian that… so years later…"
"You have one week," interrupted Kharzan, completely ignoring the diation attempt. "One week for my eldest son to be in my territory." His eyes, now with a more intense tint from the abyssal influence, scanned the face of each of Yano's representatives. "If you want to prevent war from beginning at dawn following the seventh day, you already know what to do."
Without waiting for a response, Kharzan turned around and left the tent, followed by his entourage. The four new recruits were the last to leave, their gazes fixed on Yano's leaders until the last mont, like predators evaluating their prey.
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