Manu erged from his chambers, the soft thud of his bare feet echoing against the marble floor, a trail of water dripping from his hair onto his shoulders and down his back.
His skin glistened under the soft glow of the throne room’s braziers, with nothing but a loosely tied towel around his waist. The subtle steam rising from his body told of the bath he’d just taken, as if he hadn’t the faintest care for the weight of the audience waiting before him.
The grand throne that was once stained by the blood of the late king, king Victor, who had been Chiron’s uncle, had been scrubbed clean.
The rich crimson of the forr monarch’s death had been replaced by the gleaming sheen of the golden seat, by Elder Baldie’s orders. but the air still carried the tension of power shifting violently.
Even within the kingdom, a lot of things had happened in the last few hours.
Elder Baldie had personally led n from the families to bring down the churches that had been erected by the Holy church, while their clerics were killed in cold blood as they ran for their lives.
The pillars of their hostile take over Knight Sheyi and the others had t a terrible end. Unfortunately, soone has important as Able was not here as he had been sent on another mission by the Church.
Truly, it was a one sided massacre. So loud that if Manu listened well, he could still hear the screams and flas burning outside his palace.
At the sa ti, the people had long no longer approved of the rule of the church, and they believed that Chiron had returned to deliver them from the hands of the oppression to their way of life and the traditions that moved their society.
They really did not know what was in store for them in the future.
Manu ignored the eyes that bore into him from across the room, even though their gazes were as sharp as blades, willing to tear him apart for the hours he had kept them waiting. He moved lazily toward his throne, plucking a fruit from a tray held by a nervous servant girl who walked by his side. With deliberate nonchalance, he took a seat, his body sinking into the plush cushion, the weight of his authority settling around him like a cloak.
As his teeth sunk into the soft, juicy flesh of the fruit, Manu’s eyes flicked lazily toward the guests. His yellow gaze wandered with a playful glint, dancing across their frustrated expressions, but he said nothing. He rely chewed slowly, savoring both the fruit and the simring frustration in the air.
He let the silence hang for a mont longer, letting his insolence soak in.
Finally, his eyes narrowed slightly, scanning the room. The n and won before him were unmistakable — warriors clad in splendid armor, each breastplate bearing the emblem of their respective houses: the Zodiac Families. These were no ordinary emissaries. They were power in its most primal, feral form, separated by their ancient natures but unified under the Zodiac na.
Manu’s gaze passed over each of them, noting the subtle ways they kept their distance from one another. While the twelve Zodiac families operated under a single banner, old animosities still ran deep. The Tiger family stood nearer to the Horse family, both casting wary glances at the Ox, while the Goat and Rooster seed to regard the others with silent disdain. It was clear that alliances had been ford and rivalries simred beneath the surface, even now.
His smirk widened ever so slightly as he continued to bite into the fruit, and his eyes darted once more to the group — a final headcount. The core representatives were all here, but sothing was amiss. He noted absences.
The Dragon and Snake families were not present in the throne room. They were too large, too dangerous to be corralled indoors without causing unease to even the bravest of the other families.
Instead, Manu reasoned, they were likely waiting outside in the palace compound. The Dragon’s sheer size would make its presence indoors an inconvenience at best, and the Snake family, known for their cunning and silence, would be more comfortable observing from the shadows, waiting to strike when least expected.
"Such grandeur," Manu finally spoke, his voice light, almost mocking, as he glanced at the tray for another piece of fruit. "Yet not a complete set. Tell , did the mighty Dragon and slithering Snake get lost in the garden?"
The tension thickened, and for a mont, silence reigned. Then one of the n, bearing the fierce Ox emblem on his chest, stepped forward, his jaw clenched.
"We did not co here to exchange pleasantries, Manu Madayaki," he growled, his voice deep and steady, yet filled with the barely contained fury of one who knew the weight of their own strength. "We’ve waited long enough."
Manu chuckled, brushing off the Ox’s words like they were a gentle breeze. "Oh, I’m sure you have," he said, his tone light, but his eyes glead with amusent. "But all good things co to those who wait, don’t they?"
Manu took another slow bite of fruit, his eyes half-lidded with disinterest, the mocking playfulness never leaving his face. "...and my attention is of incredible value," he murmured, his voice dripping with casual arrogance.
The Ox man stepped forward, his face twisted in rage. "You lowly man from BELOW the veil... HOW dare you! Do you know who you are dealing wi—"
His words cut off, frozen mid-sentence. A gust of wind rushed through the room, barely perceptible to the others. The next mont, a sharp wet sound echoed through the chamber. Blood poured from the Ox man’s mouth, his eyes wide with horror and disbelief. He staggered, unable to comprehend what had just happened, until he collapsed onto the cold floor, writhing in agony, clutching at the empty space where his tongue once was.
The room fell deathly silent, save for the muffled gurgling of the fallen warrior.
"An ordinary Silver rank... trying to stand above ?" Manu’s voice dropped, cold as winter steel. His hand opened, revealing the severed tongue, still dripping with the Ox man’s blood. He looked down at it with disdain before casting his gaze around the room, eting each pair of shocked, terrified eyes in turn.
No one moved.
With a wave of his hand, the servant girl, now trembling more than ever, stepped forward cautiously, her eyes wide with fear. She held the tray with fruit, trying not to make a sound, her body visibly shaking as she approached him.
Manu plucked two pieces of fruit from the bowl, placing them in one hand. With the other, he casually placed the severed tongue between them, like it was nothing more than a trivial delicacy. The sight alone made several of the Zodiac warriors pale, but no one dared to move.
Manu smiled darkly, then raised the grueso makeshift sandwich to his lips. Without hesitation, he bit down, chewing the tongue slowly, savoring it as if it were an exquisite morsel. The wet, sickening sound of him swallowing echoed through the tense room.
"Hmmm," he mused, his voice calm, almost contemplative. "That tastes better."
The chill in the room deepened, the warriors standing before him watching in a mix of horror and dread, as their own strength felt inadequate under Manu’s suffocating presence.
They realized, in that mont, that they were in the presence of sothing far beyond their comprehension. Sothing that wasn’t bound by the rules they knew.
Manu leaned back, licking his fingers clean with deliberate slowness. His gaze shifted lazily back to the group, his eyes gleaming with amusent. "Now then," he drawled, "shall we continue our discussion? Or would anyone else like to question my... manners?"
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