ZINA
"Let the Seers come!" The Alpha King commanded.
Zina jerked from where she sat the moment she heard those words. It would seem as though her part in the play had reached.
Finally, her curiosity was going to be sated. As for whether it was such a good thing or not, Zina knew the answer would be the latter.
She felt the old woman and the middle-aged woman stand, and on shaky feet, Zina stood too, her senses the only thing that propelled her forward.
She could very well hear the murmurs, the whispers of what such abomination could be happening,
"Your Majesty!" One man spat angrily. He sounded like the Alpha of one of the high ranking packs united under the banner of the Arctic North. "Why do you invite such people when the Theta of your house very well exists! This is abominable!"
It felt like a thousand eyes rested on her like the prick of a needle. They made her clammy, sweaty, and out of place. Those eyes judged her, looked down at her, and made whatever confidence she had in the lie she was to tell vanish.
Amongst those eyes, one particular stare that bore into her brain stood out. The stare was achingly familiar, and merely appraised her.
"The Theta has failed me!" The Alpha King spluttered much to the collective horror of all that sat in his banquet.
Amidst the gasps of surprise, and angry growls that reverberated in the room at such an insult that was levelled to the woman who was supposed to be at the highest pinnacle of divine prowess, a feminine aged voice interjected.
"The Arctic Wolf speaks true. I have disappointed the Alpha King and all he stands for."
The whispers came to a halt as everyone listened to who Zina supposed was the Theta of the NorthSteed pack.
From what Zina understood, not all packs had the honour and privilege of possessing the rank of a Theta. If an Alpha united the heart of the pack, the Theta was a person after the very heart of the moon goddess herself. The Theta dedicated her all to guiding the path of the pack, meditating disputes beyond the Alpha, and seeking spiritual guidance from the moon and the goddess.
It was a hard position to fill due to the many requirements it came with, but the NorthSteed was no small pack, so such a position was not lacking.
Zina heard the Theta's footsteps as she approached them. Zina maintained her ground even as her heart thudded in her chest. Why was the woman declaring her guilt already when it was obvious that the move made against her was one intended to usurp her position.
There was a tinge of resignation that clung to her voice as the Theta spoke further, "The Arctic Wolf has been poisoned with the burning silver. While the gods did reveal to me that one of the Alpha King's sons is responsible, I have failed to point out whose sole responsibility it is."
"Burning Silver!" Another voice snorted in rage, "the person responsible must be hanged for this! However, how are we to be sure that these Seers from unknown origins will tell the truth? Forget the truth for a moment, how are we to know that they will see anything for the matter?!"
The Alpha King chuckled, then dissolved into full blown laughter causing Zina's already scattered thoughts to scramble even more. There she was, thinking so hard as to why the King was hell bent on accusing Daemon.
Did the man truly intend to rebel?
Did he attempt to kill his father?
It was true that their world was a brutal one, but why would he do it in the first place? To his father for that matter?
Zina was normally not one to judge, but being put out there had tension running through her veins. She was so terse that if she was asked to speak, she feared no one would hear a thing she had to say.
Besides, the man she saw in her visions didn't look like someone who would start something and leave it undone half way. If such a man truly intended to kill his father, then this would be a funeral not a banquet.
"Moorim, tell them about what I recently acquired." The Alpha King said, his voice now levelled and his emotions no longer running wild.
Zina noticed that Daemon no longer spoke. His silence unnerved her more than the rude words he had thrown to his Alpha and father.
A different voice, probably belonging to this Moorim, spoke. "The Alpha King has come into the possession of the Water of Life." The voice said coolly, dripping of all the subservience in the world. For some reason, his submissive voice greatly unnerved Zina more than what he spoke of.
"Do you mean it?!" A strong voice screamed as yet again, the guest broke into chatterings.
What was this water of life they spoke of? Zina didn't have the slightest idea, but given how the two women that were each at her side stiffened, she guessed they knew what it was.
And Zina inferred it was nothing remotely good.
"Indeed," Moorim said, "the water of life is a gift sent by the Matriarchy to celebrate the Alpha King's birthday. As we all know, no lie can be spoken once the water of life is drunk."
Zina froze the moment his words sank in. No lie can be spoken?
What kind of cruel play was she in? The more things unfolded, the more she felt like a pawn in a terrible game of the big bad wolf.
Moorim wasn't done yet. "The Matriarchy sent just four bottles. The Theta has already taken one bottle, and we have confirmed indeed that she speaks the truth. She has seen nothing of who tried to harm the Alpha, but confirms that one of his sons is the culprit."
"That is disrespectful to the Theta!" A voice billowed from the guests, and many sounded their agreement.
"The Theta consented," Moorim said dismissively, "and the three seers before you are the best in all of Vraga. They shall take the water too as we perform the ritual of Mondem."
"The ritual of Mondem is only reserved for the Theta to force a vision of her during dire times!" The voice from the guests said with a heated growl that was inhuman. "Don't you think it is outrageous that such a ritual is being reserved for three nobodies! Besides, I can see that one of them is an Aberrant!"
Zina, who had been trying so hard to keep up with the barrage of unknown words found herself yet again as the subject of intense scrutiny as all eyes in the room rested on her.