The Summit Hall of Castle Valoria was bathed in the warm glow of sunlight, illuminating the long stone table at the center of the room. The table stretched through the hall, lined with powerful Tracients from the lands of Archen and Narn. Large tapestries depicting historic battles and great moments of triumph adorned the walls, setting the tone for the monumental gathering taking place.
At the head of the table stood King Darius Boga, a figure of immense strength and regal authority. His brown fur with milky gold patches gleamed under the sunlight streaming in from the tall windows. His bright lemon-green eyes surveyed the room with calm authority, while his golden nose ring and powerful brown horns gave him a commanding presence. Beside him stood Kopa, his right-hand advisor and trusted friend, ever vigilant with his sharp antlers and stern demeanor.
As the assembled Tracients settled into their seats, Darius raised his hands and spoke, his deep voice reverberating through the hall. "Welcome, my friends. It is an honor to have you all here. Today, we convene not only to discuss the pressing matters of our lands but also to officially welcome the newest members of our council."
His eyes flickered with a sense of gravity as he paused, looking toward the three newest attendees at the table.
"I am King Darius Boga, son of King Tanfor Boga, ruler of Archen Land, and Lord of the Boga Clan," he announced. His voice carried weight, ensuring that all present knew the significance of this meeting.
With a warm smile, Darius then turned to the trio seated across from him.
"Today, we are honored to introduce the newest members of our council—those who, by right, are now Grand Lords."
First, he looked at Trevor, the ever-energetic Monkey Tracient. "This is Trevor Maymum, son of Pansa and Walea Maymum, and the Grand Lord of the Maymum Clan. He is the wielder of the Arya of Derision."
Trevor grinned broadly and gave a theatrical bow. His orange eyes sparkled with excitement, though there was a growing sense of purpose beneath his jovial demeanor. The weight of the title of Grand Lord was still sinking in, but he took it in stride.
Darius then turned to Kon, whose presence exuded a quiet intensity. "Next, we welcome Kon Kaplan, son of Lord Orin and Lady Zefar Kaplan, the Grand Lord of the Kaplan Clan. He is the wielder of the Arya of Destruction."
Kon gave a firm nod, his tiger-striped fur and fierce yellow eye giving him a commanding presence. Though reserved, his calm demeanor and strength of will spoke volumes. The mention of his parents brought a subtle shift in his expression—a silent acknowledgment of the legacy he carried.
Finally, Darius's gaze settled on Adam, the wolf Tracient whose role had become the heaviest to bear. "And lastly, we welcome Adam Kurt, son of Abel Kurt and Amaia Kurt, the Grand Lord of the Kurt Family and the wielder of the Arya of Creation."
At the mention of his parents' names, a soft murmur spread through the room. The legacy of Abel and Amaia Kurt was still fresh in the minds of many Tracients, and the significance of Adam's lineage weighed heavily on the atmosphere. He was not only the wielder of the Arya of Creation but the heir to a story of immense importance.
Adam's eyes met Darius's, and though the title of Grand Lord was still foreign to him, there was a quiet determination in his heart. He had accepted his role, but the weight of it had yet to fully settle.
Darius, sensing the shift in the room, allowed the murmurs to fade before addressing the trio once again. "You three are now Grand Lords by right. You stand as protectors of Narn and Archen, wielding powers that shape the fate of our world."
Trevor fidgeted slightly, eager but also aware of the gravity of the moment. Kon stood tall, his mind already calculating what this responsibility entailed, while Adam remained contemplative, still coming to terms with the legacy he had inherited.
With the introductions complete, Darius gestured toward the other Tracients seated around the table. "Now, let me introduce the other Lords who serve with us. Though they do not wield Aryas, their strength and wisdom have protected our lands for many years."
He motioned toward the elderly Turtle Tracient at the far end of the table. The Turtle's face was deeply wrinkled, evidence of the many centuries he had lived, and his slow movements belied the immense wisdom and power he held. He wore a simple robe and carried a crooked staff, his calm eyes scanning the room with quiet intelligence.
"This is Lord Thrax Deniz, the Lord of the Deniz Clan," Darius announced. "Though his clan does not possess an Arya, his wisdom is unmatched, and his guidance has helped us through many challenges."
Thrax nodded slowly, his movements deliberate and thoughtful. There was a sense of timelessness about him, as if he had seen more than anyone else in the room combined.
Next, Darius turned toward a much different figure—a large Mouse Tracient who lounged casually at the table, his legs kicked up and his arms folded. He wore a wide-brimmed hat tilted over his eyes, and a stalk of wheat dangled lazily from the corner of his mouth. His exposed tail flicked absently behind him, giving off a nonchalant attitude that contrasted sharply with the seriousness of the others.
"This is Lord Jeth Fare, the Lord of the Fare Clan," Darius said, smiling slightly at Jeth's relaxed posture. "His strength and cunning have made him a valuable ally, and though his demeanor is... unorthodox, his loyalty to our cause is unwavering."
Jeth tipped his hat slightly, offering a casual grin. "Well, howdy there," he drawled in a thick countryside accent. "Don't mind ol' Jeth here. I ain't one for fancy words, but I reckon I can still help whip y'all into shape."
Trevor stifled a laugh at Jeth's laid-back attitude, while Kon gave him an unimpressed look. Adam remained polite, unsure how to read the Mouse Lord's demeanor.
Darius cleared his throat and continued. "There are other Lords who serve with us, though they are occupied with other matters. The Merman Lord and the Air Lord are currently defending our course ensuring that the Shadows forces remain contained." Adam's ears perked up at the mention of the Merman Lord, knowing it could only be his Uncle Dirac.
"There is also the Panther Lord," Darius added, a note of sadness in his voice, "though he has not attended a Summit in many years."
As the introductions concluded, Kon's sharp eyes caught the sight of another empty seat at the far end of the table. His curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned forward. "Who is that seat for?" he asked.
Darius's face grew somber, and the room seemed to grow heavier with his next words. "That seat was once meant for the Lord of the Foxes, the wielder of the Arya of Emotion," Darius said quietly. "But as we all know, that is no longer possible."
A cold hush fell over the room, and the weight of that unspoken tragedy pressed down on everyone present. The legacy of the Fox Tracients, and the Arya of Emotion, was a wound that had never truly healed.
Allowing the silence to linger for only a moment, Darius then shifted the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Now that we are gathered, it is time to discuss why we are here today."
He paused, his bright eyes scanning the room, his voice becoming firmer. "For years, we have kept Archen Land safe, but we have not been able to reclaim Narn since the Great War. We have held the line, but our ancestral land remains under the control of The Shadow."
The other Lords nodded gravely.
"But now, the prophecy has begun to move," Darius continued. "With the arrival of the Grand Lords—Trevor, Kon, and Adam—the tide may finally be turning. We are no longer on the defensive. We can begin to move forward."
Before Darius could say more, Jeth leaned forward, the stalk of wheat twitching in his mouth. "Whoa there, King," he said, his drawl cutting through the room. "Yer movin' a little too fast, don't ya think? Just 'cause these youngins got their Aryas don't mean they're ready to start savin' the world."
Kon bristled at Jeth's casual dismissal, his tiger eyes narrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?" he muttered, a flash of irritation in his voice.
Trevor, always quick to find humor, snickered quietly, trying to hide his amusement behind a cough.
Darius raised a hand, signaling for calm. Lord Thrax, the elderly Turtle, spoke next, his voice slow but filled with wisdom. "What Lord Jeth means, young ones, is that wielding an Ary
Chapter 16: The Narn Lords Summit (continued)
Lord Thrax, the ancient Turtle, spoke next, his voice slow and deliberate, but filled with the kind of wisdom that came with centuries of life. "What Lord Jeth means, young ones, is that simply wielding an Arya does not automatically make one a Grand Lord, at least not in the way that we need you to be." He leaned on his crooked staff, his aged eyes scanning Trevor, Kon, and Adam carefully. "I can sense your mana from the moment you entered this room. It is raw, unrefined. Strong, yes, but untamed. If you were to enter a true battle with the Children of Shadow, or worse, The Shadow himself, you wouldn't stand a chance."
The air grew tense at the mention of the Children of Shadow, and the weight of their presence in the room seemed to press down even more heavily.
Trevor, usually the most lighthearted of the trio, furrowed his brow, concern flickering across his face as he leaned forward. "Who are these Children of Shadow, exactly?"
Darius clasped his hands together, his expression turning grim as he began to explain. "The Children of Shadow are The Shadow's most loyal and powerful followers. They are no ordinary Tracients; they have also awakened powerful Arcems, just as we have. But there's a difference."
He paused, his gaze shifting between the trio as he emphasized the severity of what he was about to say. "Among Tracients, those who have awakened Arcems can reach a level of power known as Özel. An Özel Tracient has strength beyond what you can imagine, capable of feats that could destroy entire nations single-handedly. These are not common abilities."
The trio exchanged glances, each of them realizing the scope of the enemies they faced was far greater than they had anticipated. Kon's jaw clenched tightly, the revelation sinking in as he silently processed the weight of this new information.
Darius continued, his voice measured but intense. "Among the Özel, there are those who stand even higher, known as Hazël. These Tracients possess the strength to wipe entire regions off the map. Every member of the Narn Lords here is a Hazël-level Tracient. That is what it takes to stand against the power of The Shadow."
The room was silent as the gravity of the situation settled on the trio. Trevor, Kon, and Adam could feel the eyes of the other Lords on them, weighing them, measuring their potential.
Darius gave them a moment to absorb the information before continuing. "The same is true for the Children of Shadow. Each of them is a Hazël-level Tracient. You've already faced one of them, Razik, the Hyena. But I'll tell you now—Razik was holding back."
The revelation hung in the air like a cloud. Adam's eyes widened, the realization of just how much danger they had been in during their earlier encounters sinking in. He had suspected Razik was powerful, but knowing that the Hyena had been deliberately restraining himself was a sobering thought.
Before Adam could respond, Lord Jeth Fare chimed in, his voice casual but carrying a sharp edge. "Yeah, if ol' Razik really wanted to take ya out, he would've done it in yer first meetin'. Y'all were lucky he didn't." Jeth glanced over at Kon with a knowing smirk. "Bet that's why yer wearin' that fancy eye patch, huh?"
The jab struck a nerve. Kon's expression darkened, and for a moment, his yellow eyes flickered with the pain of a past he hadn't shared. Trevor and Adam exchanged a glance, the surprise evident in their eyes. Neither of them had ever asked Kon about the loss of his eye, and they hadn't expected such a direct confrontation about it now.
Kon didn't respond to Jeth's taunt, his silence only deepening the weight in the room. His gaze dropped slightly, though he quickly recovered his composure, unwilling to let the moment linger any longer.
Darius, sensing the tension, stepped in to shift the focus. "That's enough, Lord Jeth. The past is behind us. Let's focus on what lies ahead."
The Turtle Lord, Thrax, nodded, his voice calm as he spoke again. "The power you three possess is immense, but it is unshaped. To truly become Grand Lords in every sense of the word, you will need to train—harder than you ever have before. Surviving what is to come will be your first test. Only then will you be ready to lead."
Darius nodded in agreement. "Your training must be intense if you are to face what lies ahead. The Shadow's forces grow stronger by the day, and Narn cannot afford for you to fall. That's why we must also focus on the prophecy. The three of you must visit the Stone Table and renew your vows to Narn there. Only then will the things actually start moving."
A murmur of agreement spread through the room, each of the Lords nodding in acknowledgment of the sacred importance of the Stone Table.
Darius then added, "But before that, we have pressing matters to attend to. The Lord of Air has requested reinforcements at our borders. Razik's forces have begun pushing harder, and we need someone to provide backup."
He glanced toward Kon, his expression serious but encouraging. "Kon, I would like you to go. You have a connection to the Lord of Air. Your father and he were good friends, and I believe you will get along well with him."
Kon was surprised by the request, but he didn't hesitate. "Of course," he said, his voice firm. "I'll go."
Darius smiled, appreciating Kon's resolve. "Good. The border is crucial, and I trust you to handle it."
Then, turning his attention to Adam and Trevor, Darius's expression became more focused. "As for the two of you, I will personally oversee your training. Prepare yourselves, for what's to come will not be easy."
Trevor, always quick to quip, managed a small grin despite the tension. "Can't wait to see what kind of tricks you've got up your sleeve, King."
Adam, however, remained serious, nodding in quiet determination. He knew that whatever training Darius had in store for them, it would push them to their limits.
With that, Darius placed his hands on the table, his eyes scanning the room once more. "There is much work to be done, but we are all in this together. The future of Narn and Archen Land depends on us."
The Lords in the room nodded in agreement, the weight of responsibility clear on each of their faces.
Darius, sensing that the meeting had come to a natural end, gave a final nod. "Let us adjourn. Prepare for the challenges ahead, and we will reconvene soon."
With that, the Narn Lords Summit came to a close.