As Urma and Ylvima, two massive, well-groomed Ursaroks, walked through the bustling streets of Hearthglen, Urma's brow furrowed in thought. "If the Necro Corp can supply the same amount of weapons and armors that the Lupens do," he began, his deep voice a low rumble, "wouldn't that start a fifth racial war against them?"
Ylvima shook her massive head. "That won't happen as long as the Gryphons are around. They keep the alliance strong against the demonic orcs. While war would surely be inevitable without them, the undead are currently trying to establish a stable influence in the market. They're deliberately limiting their sales to avoid upsetting the large merchant companies."
A shiver suddenly ran down her spine as she remembered her earlier visions of Karl's potential—a world of iron wagons that ran without horses and weapons that spat thunder. She feared he was building something that would change warfare forever.
"What do you mean?" Urma asked, sensing her unease.
"Whatever it is, they're trying to build something and" Ylvima said, her eyes glinting with determination, "it is our family's opportunity to make them an ally."
Urma scoffed. "I don't think father-in-law would align himself with someone who only seeks profit."
"Not this time, I have something to convince him." Ylvima said with a confident smile. She held up a large velvet box.
"What's that?" Urma asked.
"A gauntlet," she replied, her voice soft with a touch of playful mystery. "Made of the steel they call... Damascus."
"Can I see?" Urma asked, his curiosity piqued.
Ylvima handed him the box. Urma opened it to reveal a pair of heavy gauntlets with a beautiful, swirling, flower-patterned texture. As he tried them on, he was surprised by their fit; they felt like a pair of thick gloves made of steel. "Hmm," he mused. "Doesn't look that special."
Ylvima chuckled. "Pull this." She pointed to a small handle near the wrist.
Urma pulled the handle, and with a series of mechanical clicks, three blades sprang out from above the knuckle part of each gauntlet.
His jaw dropped. "Hohoho! This is awesome!" He began slashing the air, his excitement evident. "This is amazing!"
Ylvima gently retracted the blades. "This is for Father, you know," she teased.
Urma's face fell slightly. "But..."
"Don't worry, darling," she said, her voice full of warmth. "When we visit there again, I'll buy you something special, too."
Urma's face lit up. "That's a promise I'll remember."
"Of course," she chuckled.
A short while later, as they approached a massive building of gilded marble, a hulking bearfolk knight in blue-caped armor shouted, "Urma!" The lively Ursarok waved, and then whispered to his Lupen knight subordinates, who nodded and walked away.
"Urma, my friend!" the bearfolk shouted, his voice a booming laugh. He shook Urma's hand with his massive paw. "It's been a long time. I didn't know you'd be attending the quarterly session."
Urma scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, father-in-law told me to."
The Ursarok knight chuckled and teased, "You're really fulfilling your role as Daddy's boy, huh?"
Urma scoffed, and Ylvima giggled at the familiar banter. "Shut up," Urma said, unable to hide a smile.
"Anyway," Urma said, changing the topic, "what's the agenda for today?"
"Hmm, let me remember," Gishka said, rubbing his chin. "It's about the demonic orc's encroachment. The locals found them near some old dungeon in the mountains."
Urma and Ylvima exchanged a silent, shocked glance. They knew instantly it was the Necro Corp's dungeon.
"Yeah, that's it," Gishka continued, unaware of their silent communication. "They saw ten dead demonic bodies. They were still in a berserk state. It was a slaughter. But that's not the main concern. The problem is how far they had traveled. The border and the foot of the Spinebride Mountain are too far apart, and none of the Alliance soldiers spotted a band that large."
"It's about reinforcing the borders, then?" Urma asked.
"Not just that. It's also about how they died. Some had their heads went missing, some had holes in their chests, others were burned, and some were frozen to death. Facing a band of demonic orcs is nearly impossible, except for Alliance knights, but there are no knights stationed that far out." Gishka paused. "You don't think it's the Foxkin, do you? They're the only ones who are familiar with magic."
Urma shook his head. "No, they're not strong enough to fend off a band of demonic orcs like that."
Gishka scratched the back of his head. "I guess you're right. Anyway, there's going to be a lot of work ahead of us. I think we're going to be stationed somewhere else again. The Alliance just investigated the Kobold territory, and they found multiple villages had been pillaged by orcs. The witnesses also said the orcs took the villagers with them. The Kobold high chieftains will not be happy, as the borders near their territory have been neglected."
As they reached their destination, a massive two-story circular building came into view, surrounded by a lush, green landscape. It was the heart of Hearthglen's political power. Three immense statues, representing the three foundational races of the alliance—Ursarok, Lupen, and Ramaris—stood on the pathway to the entrance, each holding a flag that fluttered with the seven stars of the Spinebride Alliance. The courtyard was already bustling, far more than usual for a quarterly meeting. A mix of high-ranking merchants, stone-faced nobles, and nervous representatives from each beastkin family filled the space. The air was thick with whispered rumors and a palpable tension. The guards at the gate, their armor polished to a mirror shine, opened their arms wide to let Urma and Ylvima pass.
"It's surprising there are so many attendees this early," Urma noted, his voice a low rumble.
Gishka nodded gravely. "That's how serious the discussion is. No one wants to be late for this one."
Just then, a slender Lupen figure, wearing a sharp, black butler's outfit, approached them. Her movements were fluid and precise. She bowed gracefully, her voice calm and formal. "Lady Ylvima, Lord Baron has asked me to escort you to his accommodations."
Ylvima turned to Urma, her expression a mix of affection and urgency. She kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later, darling. Father has called for me."
"Yeah, I'll be hanging out with Gishka," Urma said, his massive frame shifting. "I'll be there when the meeting is in recess. Tell him I said hi."
Ylvima nodded, offered a faint, reassuring smile, and then walked away with her Lupen butler, their strides purposeful as they moved through the crowd.
As they walked, Ylvima couldn't shake her curiosity. "What is Father's plan this time, Lima? Is this about the market, or something else entirely?"
"It is a matter of great seriousness, my lady," the butler, Lima, responded, her tone unyielding. "It's one of the main discussion points, the reason for the early attendance and the general unrest. A Gryphon child has gone missing, and the Gryphons found demonic traces near the site of the disappearance."
Ylvima paled, her eyes widening in disbelief. A deep-seated fear, taught since she was a cub, surfaced. "Who in their right mind would kidnap a Gryphon's child? Are they mad?"
"That's why the nobles are in such an uproar," Lima explained, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "It wasn't just any child. It was Master Altan's child from the Sky Temple who went missing."
Ylvima's eyes widened even further, the full weight of the news settling on her. "May the three gods help us. Kidnapping a Gryphon's child is bad enough, but a Temple Master's child spells utter disaster. It's a miracle the region isn't already in chaos." The implications were staggering: a Gryphon's wrath was a force of nature, and the rage of a leader could lead to the indiscriminate slaughter of entire settlements if their child was not returned. The fragile peace of the Alliance was hanging by a thread.
"One of the reasons for the calm," Lima said, "is that Master Altan is personally descending from the peaks to order the Alliance to find his missing child."
Ylvima paused, lost in thought, a new understanding dawning on her. "So that's why Father is at the Alliance building. He wants to be among the first to offer his aid."
"Yes, my lady. Temple Master Altan might want to employ your family's services and find the culprit during the quarterly alliance session," Lima confirmed.
Ylvima shook her head gravely, the weight of the situation now her own. "This is not good. The region's survival clings not only to our cooperation with the Temple Master but on the life of that child. Let's hurry."
"Yes, my lady," Lima responded, quickening her pace, the silver umbrella she carried now seeming to symbolize the storm gathering on the horizon.
As they entered the main building, the atmosphere shifted from the general tension of the courtyard to a more focused, almost suffocating scrutiny. The opulent marble lobby was filled with nobles from various families, their gazes fixed on Ylvima and Lima.
Murmurs followed them like shadows. "Is that Lady Ylvima from the Silverfury family?" one noble whispered, loud enough to be heard. "Well, if you don't want Master Altan to drag you out of your estate, you might as well attend the session to avoid humiliation or annihilation," another replied. A third added, "I heard they have that special ability." Ylvima, a veteran of such public gossip, ignored them completely, her stride unwavering as she and Lima ascended the grand, winding staircase.
The second floor was a sanctuary of peace by comparison. The loud chatter from below faded, replaced by the hushed tones of private conversations. Here, they met three well-dressed nobles, each wearing the distinctive blue sash with a golden star that marked them as Alliance representatives. The group consisted of an aged Foxkin with cunning, narrowed eyes, a broad-shouldered Lupen, and a short, stout Frogkin. Ylvima's mind instinctively categorized them: the Alliance representatives.
The Foxkin, his smile a practiced mask of politeness, bowed first. "Lady Ylvima, I'm so glad you could join the quarterly session."
Ylvima nodded in return, her voice smooth. "You as well, Lord Shinu."
Shinu's smile widened. "Is the Silverfury family finally joining the Alliance?" he asked, his tone dripping with false cheer.
Ylvima's eyes glowed subtly, a faint, golden light that was almost imperceptible. She read him in an instant. Her inner thoughts raced: He intends to humiliate our family during the discussion. He wants to force us into a position of servitude.
She responded politely, her own smile unwavering. "If it's the only way to save the precious Alliance from Master Altan's wrath, then we might consider. All in all, we're only here to offer our services to Master Altan, in hopes of establishing a new, mutually beneficial relationship with the Sky Temple."
Shinu's internal sneer was venomous. This bitch, just you wait. I'll make sure your entire bloodline serves the Alliance forever.
Suddenly, without warning, Ylvima pinned the smaller Foxkin to the marble wall with shocking speed. The Frogkin and the Lupen representatives gasped, frozen in their surprise. Lima remained impassive, her expression unchanged. Ylvima's smile, now a terrifyingly wide grin, never faded.
"I don't think you know anything about our family, Lord Shinu," she whispered, her voice a low purr. "But I'm pretty sure I can hear what you're thinking."
A mix of terror and twisted fascination flashed across Shinu's face as he struggled for air. "So this is the famous Silverfury bloodline ability," he choked out, a thin smile of his own gracing his lips. "I can see why my kin hates you and your family, so much. You knew what I was thinking."
The Lupen representative, his face a mask of concern, spoke up. "Lady Ylvima, I don't think it's a good idea to act with this kind of aggression in an Alliance building."
Ylvima ignored him, leaning closer to Shinu. "I'm pretty sure I can also read the fact that you're a filthy cultist," she whispered, her voice laced with venom. "I'll make sure the Sky Temple wipes out your entire kind, and your filthy cultist organization."
With that, she released him. Shinu slid down the wall, his face ashen with a fear that went beyond the public humiliation. The Frogkin and the Lupen nobles rushed to help him stand, their worried faces a stark contrast to his own terror. "Are you okay, Lord Shinu?" the Frogkin asked.
Shinu laughed internally, a cold, victorious sound. His eyes subtly turned a dark, blood-red for a fleeting moment before fading back to their normal color. "Yes, I'm fine," he said, feigning an expression of vulnerability. "Thank you for worrying."
The Lupen shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that, Lord Shinu. Their family is a notorious one, anyone that messed with them are met with fury and immediate punishment."
"It's okay," Shinu lied, his face now a mask of sad understanding. "I thought I could offer them a place in the Alliance."
"It's going to take more than that, Lord Shinu," the Frogkin representative said. "The past representatives offered them the position of Supreme Judge, but they still refused."
Shinu put on a saddened face, playing to their fears. "What would happen if Master Altan employs the Silverfury family? The Sky Temple would deem the Alliance useless, the Gryphons' trust would plummet, and the entire region would be in danger."
The two representatives looked at each other, their expressions filled with growing dread. "I suppose you're right, Lord Shinu," the Lupen said, "Then what should we do?"
"That's why I tried offering them a place in the Alliance," Shinu explained, his voice sounding genuinely heroic. "If they were part of the Alliance, the Gryphons would see that we're not entirely useless. Not only that, the relationship between the Gryphons and the Alliance would begin to flourish once more."
The two representatives, overjoyed by his suggestion, agreed. "That's right, Lord Shinu!" the Frogkin cried. "We should tell the councilors about this!"
Shinu's face fell in feigned humility. "But we would need a majority of representatives to suggest the same to the councilors, otherwise we wouldn't be heard."
"Don't worry, Lord Shinu," the Lupen said, clapping him on the back. "I have a close friend among the Kobold representatives. I'll tell them the idea. We'll help spread it and submit it as a proposal."
"That's right, Lord Shinu! Your intellect could save the entire Alliance's future," the Frogkin chimed in.
As they rejoiced, celebrating their apparent victory, the Foxkin internally smiled a wide, maniacal grin. You and your entire family would be an Alliance lapdog for generations, Baron! Even if you refuse and boasted your family's military power, if the entire Alliance bands against you, you'll have no choice but to approve.
He then said, politely and humbly to the two representatives, "No, I'm only doing what's best for the Alliance and the safety of our people."
The Lupen shook his hand. "Hahaha, you're too humble, Lord Shinu. Don't worry, we'll have a feast after the session."
The Frogkin laughed. "You should be awarded for your heroic actions, Lord Shinu!"