~Hmm... it seems solar cleanse is more than just a healing spell,~ Lucius thought to himself, noting down that he ought to do more thorough research on it later.
"It's great that I can cleanse the land and all, but I doubt there's anything edible here," he said out loud. ~And for some reason my solar reserves aren't replenishing. it's almost as if there's no sunlight at all,~ he thought to himself, before looking up at the overcast sky.
There was a chance that the necromancer had figured out that his source of power was the sun, what with how it referred to it as radiant energy, so it was likely that this was one of its tricks.
"This is enough for today," Lucius decided after realizing that he would run out of solar reserves with a few more cleanses.
"Have you gotten everything you needed?" Avankor asked as he stood up from the grass.
"We're both running low on energy, going any further will be too reckless," Lucius replied as he took a quick look around, "Any more exploration will require more thorough planning," he continued, before turning to head back towards the Chame Den.
The two managed to make it back to the cliff just as Avankor ran out of energy to keep his Mystic Mantle active. And after a perilous descent down the vine ropes, the two made it back to the entrance of the Chame Den.
"Welcome back, Havon," one of the guards stationed at the entrance announced once he noticed Lucius approaching.
"Welcome back, Lord Avankor," the guard said after, bowing with this greeting.
As they made their way back toward the main tunnels, the greetings were more or less the same. Though Lucius picked up something interesting after a few of them.
There were some who referred to him as Lord Havon, and others as just Havon. Though this should have otherwise just been a preference of title, he felt that it meant something deeper than that. Though he would need a little more information before he could just jump to conclusions.
"Can you get the king," Lucius asked one of the guards once he reached the tunnel that led to the congress room. Even though his memories from the first time he had visited the place were still blurry, he remembered the room quite well, as its doors were decorated with interesting jewels.
Whilst they waited for Shavak, Lucius and Avankor entered the congress room and took a seat around the main table.
Lucius took an interest in the glowing blue rocks that lit up the rooms, inspecting them thoroughly as they waited. All the while, Avankor stared at him warily, afraid that he would remember what had happened the first time he was here.
That's to say that he couldn't use his mystic mantle right now, and if Lucius were to lose his mind it would probably result in the complete destruction of the den, as Avankor was certain that Shavak could not stop him alone.
"Havon," Avankor said out loud after the silence had gone on for some time.
"What is it?" Lucius asked half-mindedly, tapping at the glowing rocks as if they were some unconscious creature.
"How are you so... how do you have so much strength? I understand that you are... Havon, but the lines on your back show you are just a third tier creature. How is it that you are faster, and maybe even stronger than us who are fourth tier," Avankor replied, hesitant to admit that he was outclassed.
"Oh that? Comparing yourselves to me would not be fair. I'm certain the strength I have transcends creatures many tiers higher than I am," Lucius began, before pausing thoughtfully. "Besides, I doubt that the tier systems are a measure of strength," he continued, now focusing his attention on Avankor.
"S-Surely you're mistaken," Avankor replied, he had been around Lucius long enough to have developed some respect for the latter, but for someone to say this they had to either be ignorant of the system or insane.
"It's well understood that lower tier creatures can easily be overpowered by higher tier ones. In fact, the Forest Council is built on this rule, those of higher tier have more right to the forest than those with lower tiers," Avankor explained.
"The Forest Council, huh? I'm guessing they're the ruling body? Why haven't they come to your aid then?" Lucius asked. This was the first he had ever heard of there being an organization of intelligent creatures in the forest.
~Perhaps after the Fae died off, their eldest children came together in an attempt to rebuild what was lost?~he thought to himself, though that was only a guess.
"The Council considers the necromancer... as you call the creature, to be one of the inhabitants of the dark forest. Its invasion is nothing more than a higher tier creature taking over land to them. And since they believe it's native to these lands, they believe it is within its rights," Avanokor replied.
"I see..." Lucius thought to himself.
He could understand where the council was coming from, after all making an organization that rules over creatures was a difficult task to begin with. These creatures had no rules against devouring each other, which made it tricky for the council to come to the aid of any one creature.
If all the creatures spent their days hunting each other, what was to discern an invasion on the necromancer's level, to a king trying to feed his subjects?
~All the more reason to abolish the eating of other sentient creatures,~ Lucius thought to himself.
Though abolishing the consumption of creatures didn't benefit higher tier creatures in any way, and was what probably stopped the Forest Council from passing such a rule to begin with.
"Anyway, all that aside. I think tier systems are a ranking of the complexity of a creature rather than how strong they are," Lucius continued.
"Many of my children are probably stronger than your best warriors, yet they are all second-tier creatures," Lucius began.
"Second tier? Then you mean the one that was fighting against the necromancer is not the same tier as you?" Avankor asked in clear disbelief.
~Is he talking about Alpha?~ Lucius wondered. Alpha was the only one they found, so it only made sense that he was referring to him.
"No, and even then, he isn't the strongest of my children," Lucius continued explaining. Although Alpha was probably the strongest in terms of raw strength, Ghost was faster and better at fighting, Hannibal could win in a fight if given time to plan ahead, and Pagan was a beast at magic.
"Then does everyone in your den have access to a mystic mantle?" Avankor choked, now standing in indignance.
"Mystic Mantle? No, only I do... why would you--" Lucius replied, confused about why Avankor would even ask that.
"Then was I mistaken?" Avankor whispered to himself. He had assumed that Alpha's form had been another variation of a mystic mantle.
"Havon, you're back," Shavak's voice interrupted as he and several of his council members walked into the room.
"Have you brought back food?" one of Shavak's council members interrupted.
"Shartrav, you embarrass the king in front of his guests," a familiar voice rebutted.
~Shaviki,~ Lucius thought to himself, staring at Shaviki's cunning smile.
"Forgive my councilman, hunger has gotten the best of him," Shavak said, staring daggers at the councilman.
"Don't be, I understand. Though I advise that all those whose minds will be affected by hunger leave the congress room. It'll just hinder logical discussion," Lucius replied.
As he spoke he couldn't help but notice that the councilmen seemed to stare at him with a mix between loathing and fear.
"And I advise that you not be so presumptuous, Havon," one of the older-looking council men rebutted, emphasizing the word 'Havon' as if to imply something.
"You're right, my apologies, Shavak," Lucius replied after some thought.
"Lord, Shavak," the older councilman added.
"A Lord need not refer to another Lord by title," Shaviki interrupted, to which dead silence filled the room.
~I knew it, there's a divide over whether or not I am who I say I am,~ Lucius thought to himself, noticing that a few people seemed to nod in agreement, while others just stared off into space angrily.
"And this bastard is taking advantage of it," he whispered to himself before nearly sighing. ~So it's going to be one of these moments~ he thought, steeling himself for the long-winded political fights he was about to engage in.
"Shaviki is right," Shavak said after a while, breaking the silence. "Can everyone get to their seats. We have kept Havon waiting long enough," he continued, before silently making his way to his throne.
