In the main world.
"Ken is dead," Priya said to N'bayé as the latter busied herself with the control of the six-tree clearing.
N'bayé sat at the center of the six trees, like had been doing countless tis. Each tree now has more intricate rune patterns on it that helped boost the magus lioness's powers.
However, this increase in the quality of magic was starting to take its toll on the trees. Their barks were starting to shrink or fall off, so looked like they were being over soaked with water from the inside.
One of these trees had a black patch of burn marks on its side, a burn mark that may not be gone anyti soon.
It was clear that these trees could no longer sustain N'bayé's advancing magic. They had to be charged soon if not they would all collapse.
Colorful strings of magic light flowed out of the trees and into N'bayé's back. She stood next to one of the trees -in her humanoid form- with her back facing Priya who was also in her humanoid form.
"I see," N'bayé responded, not really disturbed by the sudden death of one of the Kingdom's best foxes.
"He was found dead this morning, presud to have died in his sleep," Priya said.
"But?" N'bayé edged, sure that her pride sister still had more to say.
"But…," Priya continued, "There were also traces of poisoning and blunt force applied to his head.
So hawk investigators say that Ken was assassinated, that he was poisoned and a strong force was applied to his head to knock him out.
It has beco noticeable that Ken was already dying before he was put to sleep, I don't know how to make that make sense for you…"
N'bayé interrupted, "He was poisoned, probably tried to freeze the poison inside his body but was attacked. Soone with spirit-based powers then put him to sleep so that he wouldn't be conscious to save himself and it would look like he died while sleeping."
"Any suspects?" N'bayé asked.
"None at the mont, whoever put Ken to sleep knew that I would be able to track them down based on the spirit signature.
They used their powers sparingly." Priya replied.
N'bayé turned her bald head to the side slightly, allowing Priya to see a glimpse of her left eye which was now riddled with glowing red circular rune marks. N'bayé looked nacing and calculating, with the aura of an evil mastermind oozing off of her.
"But we know who did it, don't we? At least, we know who is responsible?" N'bayé asked but it didn't feel like she was asking a question, it was more as if she was confirming her thoughts.
"Well, there is only one person in the whole kingdom besides
who can force Ken to sleep like that without much resistance," Priya said.
Both N'bayé and Priya were thinking of the sa person.
Madam Vixy, leader of the current fox rchants caste.
"But it doesn't make sense though, if it's an assassination, why would she involve herself?" Priya asked, genuinely confused.
N'bayé shrugged her shoulders, causing the runes on both shoulders to give off a soft hum.
"She was probably there to make sure Ken died, and she is probably happy that she was.
But I doubt if she was there herself. She likely controlled the mind of one of the assassins. She simply projected her powers through their minds, that's also why you have trouble finding a spirit signature."
Priya sank into thought, yes, N'bayé was right. All those things were sothing a well-trained spirit-based creature could do. Although performing such a technique was bound to make the practitioner very weak for a long ti.
Projecting spirit energy through the mind of another was the realm of tier 4 lions or creatures of similar power levels.
Anything weaker would face strong consequences for performing that technique.
"That ans she would be very weak at the mont. Should I arrange a team to arrest her?" Priya asked.
N'bayé turned back to the tree she was attending to, her expression remained hidden from Priya. "As much as I would love to remove such an unstable elent from the ga, she is still needed.
Arresting her would reduce the morale of the foxes, but if we don't punish soone, many would see it as a ssage that they can do whatever they want without consequences.
A scapegoat is needed, sothing to show them that all bad deeds don't go unpunished,"
"Okay, so we arrest one of her helpers?"
"No," N'bayé shook her head, "That would just make Vixy anxious and may cause her to do sothing stupid.
We need her to be clear-headed for the rest of this war campaign, we can't afford to have an unstable elent inside,"
"Priya frowned, "So what do we do?"
"Arrest Duller, it's high ti he died anyways," N'bayé waved her hand as if Fuller's life was not worth anything. It really wasn't.
"What?" Priya was shocked, "Duller has been laying low for a while now, he has avoided combat mostly and even joined the rchant subcast.
He might have been an unstable elent before now, but that's in the past. It's unfair if we do such a thing."
N'bayé chuckled lightly, it was hard to hear N'bayé chuckle, her sense of humor was skewed and most regular funny things just weren't funny to her.
"It's a good thing Kael left
in charge then." She comnted.
"What's that supposed to an?" Priya narrowed her eyes dangerously and asked.
"It ans that you're not willing to make difficult sacrifices because of how you feel, which is a bad thing in cases like.
You feel that it would be unfair, you feel guilt. Those are your hindrances.
I don't feel any of those things, I'm driven by logic and desire. For , guilt is just a shackle to tie
down, fairness is a concept I can't even be bothered to think about.
That's why I'm so good at what I do, that's why my plans are so functional and effective. That's why my decisions produce results whereas yours just makes you feel better about yourself.
You may feel offended, but it's the truth,"
Priya was silent, not knowing what to say.
"If you can't do it, tell Diane. Duller should be arrested, along with five of his acquaintances or friends and they should all be executed publicly." N'bayé spoke without a shred of empathy.
"No! That's not!..." Priya started.
"It doesn't matter that he's innocent, what matters is the propaganda and ssage we pass on to everyone.
So what if Duller and two others die, their lives don't an anything in the grand sche of things.
Why do you care so much?"
Priya went silent again, this ti, she just didn't want to talk about it anymore. She would do as N'bayé suggested, and get Diane to do it.
"Speaking of Diane, how is the journey to Paradise Beach?" N'bayé asked, changing the topic.
"It is estimated that Commander Bibi and the army are halfway there, thanks to the speed of the log carriers and Burdo rembering the route back.
Although, we are having trouble maintaining communication over such large distances,"
"I know, if only we had so sort of satellite to act as a dium for my communication runes. For now, we'll manage the spirit creatures as information relays."
"The spiders could also help us with communication, that's their specialization after all." The grey-haired woman suggested, she looked down as her grey tail beat the ground behind her.
"Sotis I wonder if you are intentionally trying to test ," N'bayé asked with bluntness, lacing her tone.
Priya rely looked away in response. It was a bit funny that N'bayé and Priya probably had the sa age but Priya looked older because of her late evolution and the state of her soul.
"Natalia has been uneasy these days, maybe she wants to join the Kingdom," Priya said.
"You've been talking with her?" N'bayé asked. For a mont, the magic runes on her naked back flashed brightly.
"Yes, spirit creatures to spirit creatures. Sotis, being emotionally intelligent can be very helpful, you know," Priya didn't deny it.
N'bayé no longer felt like talking about it anymore, she considered these kinds of argunts a waste of her ti and her thinking capabilities.
"And Katari, any news?" N'bayé asked.
To this question, Priya's face lit up, "Yes, she had started showing signs. It's just frowns, finger twitches, and occasionally so tiny spatial distortions.
But it's a sign that she's slowly coming awake, right?"
To think that Priya could be this excited about Katari's awakening, that was just how she was. N'bayé however, did not share in the sa joy.
"Signs? Those are all signs of distress," N'bayé said, "Katari has likely reached a state where she's subconsciously reliving the last mories she had.
She's experiencing distress, anger, frustration, which in Katari's case, especially Katari's case, it's not good."
"Oh, but it's a sign that she's going to wake up soon right?" Priya ignored N'bayé's cynicism.
"Maybe," N'bayé nodded while releasing a sigh, "But don't be surprised when Katari wakes up as a tier 4 lioness,"
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