[THIRD-PARTY POV]
"You mean to tell me that all these years we have spent looking for the creature were wasted? And that he had been walking among us? I need a drink," Cassius, the werewolf king said to Grant, who just offered him the beer bottle.
It was crazy how they had believed one thing for years only for it to turn out a little messier than expected. They had been over this more times than usual, but throughout, the ending was always the same.
They had no one to suspect of being the beast.
They had no reason to believe that the beast was a man, and yet somehow they also believed that the warriors wouldn't have struggled to reveal that if it were false. If the beast was truly a man, then all the kingdoms of the midlands would have to work together to find him.
The midlands comprised of so many kingdoms, it was almost a realm on its own. Everyone was different in their own way and yet everyone was special. The midlands had the Lycans of Udrad, the werewolves of Acrod, the witches of Greroth, the hounds of the Southern Forest, and the vampires of Asteta.
These communities weren't exactly friendly, but as they say, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. That was the logic Cassius had used today. He knew for a fact that once the lands had rid themselves of the beast, everything would go back to normal, whatever that was.
These communities had to come together to find the hound, otherwise, their warriors would have to pay the price again. It was quite sad, how they were willing to come together and find the beast, instead of telling their people that it was rude to make children cry.
"Summon all the leaders, tell them we have an issue at hand. Send the ravens to all the kingdoms in the midlands. This matter must be addressed before nightfall, I do not want another death on these lands, especially when we can fix it," Cassius said as he plopped back on his throne.
He had no idea what was needed to be done to identify the beast, and maybe this meeting could be of great help.
"Yes, your highness," Grant said as he walked out with Delbert to fulfil the mission.
In six hours, there were representatives from every kingdom. This was frankly more than Cassius had expected and he wasn't going to complain about it. It was clear that they all hated and despised the beast. They were ready to do whatever it took to make sure the midlands were safe again.
Maybe the beast was the enemy, but what if he wasn't? What if he was just trying to make things right? What if this beast wanted a normal life? It was hard to tell and right now, they didn't have the luxury of asking who was who, where, or when.
They needed answers, and they had to find them, today.
The lycan kingdom was represented by their King, Eddison Stitt, a man everyone in the midlands had grown to love. They believed in his way of doing things and glorified him. Maybe a little too much, because his people had other beliefs about their king.
However, as usual, none of them was authorized to talk about anything that happened in Udrad. The royals of Udrad were to be praised by everyone, otherwise, there would be death following. Which is why it wasn't surprising that all they had heard of Eddison, was good.
King Eddison had come alone, which was quite weird, considering there were rumors that he had a son who was waiting to take over his throne in a few months. Maybe the son would be better than the father, but what if the son was worse?
The witches of Greroth were represented by Criselda and her protege, Gideon. She had introduced Gideon as one of the kids in her kingdom who could protect her. Gideon looked like he was twenty-five years old, but that was still young for Criselda.
It was clear that she had a special bond with her son and that everyone who wanted to be close to her had to respect Gideon. The meeting was too urgent anyway, for people to even begin asking questions about the boy.
Gideon, on the other hand, seemed to know his place among the royals. He had been well-trained, like a warrior who would only attack if their master was attacked. The warning was clear in his eyes and everyone who loved their lives, wouldn't dare try anything with Criselda. The woman who was like a mother to him.
The hounds of the southern forest were represented by Ulrike, a notorious hound known for breaking the rules and not giving a care about anything. The hounds were the hardest to deal with in the whole of the midlands.
They were irrational most of the time, and it was a wonder how Ulrike was quiet, almost like he was thinking. Then again, what would a hound be thinking of here? It wasn't that obvious but maybe he also shared the same worries everyone had.
The beast of the midlands and his way of work.
The vampires of Asteta were represented by Zelina, a vampire warrior who wasn't scared of anyone and anything. Zelina was the definition of a strong warrior, and while many thought she was cold and heartless, she was just a normal woman, who only showed her fangs when she felt attacked.
Everyone in here knew her and to some point, they were scared of her. However, the treaty that bound the midlands demanded that they come together in cases like these. They were here, for one thing, peace.
"Welcome, warriors and leaders of the midlands," Cassius greeted as his visitors took their positions on the table in the throne room.
"Leaders and warriors, you little shit," Zelina called out Cassius. The king of Acrod never really cared for formalities or even the order in which things were pronounced. If anything, he believed in results, and right now, he could only hope for the best.
"Here they go again. Maybe you guys should just marry each other and let us live peaceful lives, that would be the best sacrifice for humanity you little twerps!" Ulrike said sarcastically, making the whole room burst out in laughter.
Zelina however, didn't find it funny, instead, she was glaring daggers at the hound who just showed his tongue to her, like a kid in kindergarten.
Maybe that was where Ulrike belonged.
Zelina already had a comeback for that bastard, but it seemed like that would wait, because Cassius, spoke early for the first time. The man was known for taking the longest route to the issues at hand, but today, he was going straight to the point, which meant that whatever was happening, was serious.
Whatever this was about, it needed them all here, and even the egotistic Lycan King was quiet and ready to listen to Cassius. Oh, what a day.
"My fellow leaders of the midlands, we are aware of the threat looming above us. The magnitude of loss that we risk if we don't act now...We have all heard about the beast of the midlands for a while now, he is more dangerous than even the son of thieves, and that's because the beast walks among us."