As Shavril continued speaking, Lucius could hear an army of footsteps coming from the corridor just outside.
Initially, he had been on guard, but his earth sense made him aware that the approaching army was not much of a threat. In fact, from the readings he was getting, he could tell that they were primarily the common folk of this den.
~I see, so he called them in for insurance, huh? In case I lash out at him like last time,~ Lucius realized rather quickly.
In all honesty, he felt Shavril was a waste of talent. Anyone smart enough to think up a plan like this would've been of good use later on, however, Shavril had crossed a line Lucius could never forgive.
Anyone willing to go to these lengths for something as meaningless as the leadership of a small group was too short-sighted and selfish to ever change their ways to any meaningful degree.
No, it was already decided. Shavril would die. Perhaps not by his hand, but if this den was serious about their future, Shavril would have to be the sacrificial lamb they'd pay for salvation.
"Ahh, it seems everyone is already here," Shavril whispered once the crowd had appeared at the door.
"I've called you all today to oversee the punishment of this outsider. I've called you here to show you that he is no king, but inst-"
"Enough," Lucius whispered as Shavril went on.
"I said enough!" he shouted a moment after, prompting Shavril, and even a few of the bystanders behind him to lurch back in surprise.
"I will not carry through with the punishment," he said blankly.
Shavril needed some time to recover from his scare, but soon after was back on the offensive.
"Do you see? Look, look at how your 'king' behaves. Even after his wrongdoings he-"Shavril tried saying, before Lucius interrupted once more.
"Silence!" Lucius shouted, his mental exhaustion at the point where he contemplated letting it all out on the old council member. However, he used what was left of his sanity to control himself.
If he let his emotions consume him, he knew that he would end up slaughtering Shavril, and perhaps even a few of his backers. No, Shavril was needed, he had a role to play in the development of the Chames.
"I'm glad you called everyone here. You've saved me some time," Lucius said out loud, before turning to the people.
"I don't know how these people came to be your leaders, and frankly I don't care about their history or what family they are descendants of. However, there's one thing I'm certain of," he began.
"The state your den is in at this moment is not due to the necromancer, or his undead. It was only a matter of time before their leadership got you here. And each and every one of you is just as responsible for this," he continued.
Shavril tried to speak up, however, an over-shoulder glance from Lucius was all it took for him to keep quiet again.
"How long do you plan to be treated like sub-class? I've seen the way Shavril treats you all... the way this council treats you. For what reason do you guys silently sit at the back of the den, allowing yourselves to be stepped over whilst hoping that one-day food will be handed to you?" he asked.
At this, a few of the Chames looked down in guilt.
"Even your children are denied a better future. Why? Because they were born into the wrong family they are stripped of the choice to be warriors if they see fit? And all you the rest of you do is watch on. What do you tell them when you go to sleep? What will you tell them when this council has led you all to your final days?" he asked before pausing in wait for an answer.
However, they remained silent.
"Well, it's not like you have to give me that answer. It's them you'll be answering to soon enough," he said in disappointment after a moment, pointing towards the children who seemed confused with Lucius's speech.
"Forget I said anything. Shavril is right, I am not your king, and I never will be. If you are content with getting through this disaster, I will rid the forest of the necromancer soon enough, and all of you can go back to your subclass lives," he continued before pausing abruptly once again.
"However, if it's change that you want. If you want your lives to mean something even after this is over. If you want to live in a world, where your children and those after you have a future, then you will need to come together and overthrow this council," he said finally.
This caused the council members to jump up in indignance, many of them screaming and yelling 'political' profanities at Lucius, however, Lucius paid them no mind.
"If you can do that, then I promise you a better future. Listen, if you can do this one thing, then this entire forest is as good as yours," he added.
Even though he may have been exaggerating about the forest being as good as theirs, he was serious about everything else.
After all, there was no use in doing everything for them. If they would just be senseless drones, that did nothing but devour resources, then he had no reason to affiliate himself with them.
What he needed was allies, not liabilities. And if they could not complete this one task, then he would cut ties with them permanently. There would be other groups he could use, groups in a better state than this.
"Before I leave. Shavak..." Lucius shouted, trying to get his voice above the shouts and screams that some of the council members were throwing at him.
Once they heard the name of their king being called, most of them kept quiet, wondering what Lucius could possibly have to say to him as well.
