Veldra and the others continued to stroll through the Beast Realm at an unhurried pace.
Golden grass stretched endlessly beneath their feet, tall and sharp like blades honed by time. The air carried a wild heaviness, thick with dominance and instinct, as though the land itself judged every step taken upon it.
"Tell me," Veldra said calmly, his hands clasped behind his back, the hem of his robe dragging softly across the grass. "What is the Beast Realm like?"
Resues lowered his head slightly before speaking.
"My Lord, our realm is built upon hierarchy. It is the law of strength ruling weakness. Everything is decided by power, lineage, and territory."
He paused, then continued.
"If a stronger one falls to a weaker one, then the weaker becomes the stronger and claims everything. Territory, authority, followers, all are transferred. The defeated must serve the victor. This law is irreversible. Once one loses, they may not challenge again for a thousand years. Most nameless die long before such a time arrives."
Veldra nodded faintly, neither approving nor disapproving.
"And the ranks?" he asked.
Resues exhaled slowly.
"At the lowest are the Ferals. Mindless beings driven purely by instinct. Weak individually, but dangerous in numbers, like hyenas."
"Above them are the Awakened. They possess self awareness and form the majority of our population."
"Then come the Sentient. They think, feel, and scheme. Most unrest begins with them."
"The Bound follow. Beasts bound to clans and masters."
"Next are the Apex. Regional rulers and pure beasts of overwhelming might."
"Above them are the Crowned Beasts, those acknowledged by the Forest itself."
"Then the Primal Lords, embodiments of concepts such as fire, hunt, rage, or dominion."
"And finally," he said quietly, "there is the King. That is me."
Silence lingered for a moment as they walked.
"There is only one belief in our realm," Resues continued. "Honor and pride. A beast must never abandon either. Instinct is sacred. Territory belongs to the strong. Weaklings are not granted land."
He clenched his fist.
"There is a myth. That beasts were born from the breath of the Forest itself. That we are its guardians. To fight the Forest is to die and be scattered."
Veldra's footsteps slowed.
"Then what is the cause?" he asked. "Why the civil war?"
Resues' voice hardened.
"It is because the royal lineage has grown weak. The realm seeks to erase it and replace it with democracy."
He let out a bitter laugh.
"The elders want to burn peace and return to the so called golden age. The young wish to preserve balance."
Veldra stopped walking.
"And the root of it?" he asked quietly.
Resues' composure shattered.
"They killed him," he whispered.
Veldra turned slightly. "Who?"
"They killed my son," Resues said, his voice cracking. "They killed him. They killed her. Oh Queen of Beasts, why did you betray us?"
His words spiraled into repetition, grief gnawing at his reason as he stared up at the sky.
The others continued walking, but Veldra halted completely.
Before him, a translucent window formed.
== <<[| You have received a Quest! |]>> ==
== <<[| QUEST |]>> ==
Objective: Stop the civil war.
Rewards: ???
Status: Pending
== <<[|---------|]>> ==
Veldra studied the screen, a faint smile forming on his lips.
"Finally," he muttered, his tone indifferent yet pleased. "A quest."
The others paused, sensing the shift.
Veldra dismissed the window with a thought and continued walking, leaving the rest standing behind him, as though the fate of an entire realm had already been decided.
Veldra, Lucien, Amon, Arroz, and Resues entered the city of the Beasts. The settlement sprawled before them like a living organism, huts scattered in irregular patterns, their roofs woven from brown, sun-bleached hay, the walls hewn directly from the trunks of ancient trees. Smoke spiralled lazily from chimneys, curling into the pale sky, carrying the faint scent of roasted meat and wild herbs.
Beasts moved through the streets with quiet purpose. Lions padded along the paths with a predator's grace, their golden eyes scanning instinctively. Dragons, their scales shimmering faintly in the sun, glided between huts, their claws tapping softly against the wooden structures. Birds of all kinds wheeled overhead, cawing and shrieking in loops that seemed almost ritualistic. Awakened beasts emerged from shops and huts, carrying goods, conversing in low growls and chittering, some preying upon weaker creatures, others negotiating in the strange, precarious order of the realm.
From a distance, the city appeared peaceful, a delicate balance of survival, instinct, and hierarchy. Yet the illusion shattered the moment the scent of Veldra and his companions reached the streets.