It was normal for Chemorians to attend summits where they discussed absolutely nothing significant.
It was just a lavish party where the heads of each and every tribe would come to showcase their power.
Xen had no interest whatsoever to attend. Xorons never frequented gatherings of those kinds but ever since the dynamic shift in Chemorian power, they made it a point to show up.
" It's for the sake of our existence Xen. Do you want us to go extinct? That man yields the power of the Staff even though you have it inside your heart practically. Nothing will stop him from using it against us and obliterating all of us, unless we put up a strong face.
We cannot show anyone that we are easy. "
Xen paid no attention to the narration. The Heartstaff or its power made him hate himself. What was the meaning of everything that he went through, if in the end he could not protect the one for whom he fought with all that he had.
He sat silently in the corner, sipping his wine.
He sensed Kian walking past him.
He did not lift his eyes to look up.
They never talked to each other ever since that fateful day. It was like torture to even look at each other's face.
Xen grabbed his glass harder as he sensed Kilian walk in. His scent, his presence, always gave him a false sense of belief that Mira was around him.
He hated that.
He hated to such an extent that he was not able to bear that.
Xen stood up before walking out of the door where he accidentally bumped into Braze and Brian.
Their eyes met.
Sparks flew and instant hatred overflowed.
Both huffed towards the other way .
" Braze, don't lose your focus! You know what we came here for! Always remember, the tribe comes first! "
His brother whispered.
After a few more minutes, the event began.
Everyone settled down at their own table, eating and sipping as the speeches began.
The day went by as one tribe after another basically tried to imply that they were the best.
It was finally the turn of the Kakaras. Kilian had something very strong in mind. He was not going to beast around the bushes.
"As the sovereign of the Kakara tribe, I, Kilian, stand before you not as a mere individual, but as the harbinger of a new era, the dawn of a formidable superpower that shall reign supreme over all who dare to defy us. We gather here not for idle pleasantries or empty rhetoric, but to assert our dominance, to command the respect and submission of all who dare to challenge our authority.
Behold the might of the Kakaras, for we wield the power of the Heartstaff, a force beyond comprehension, a weapon of untold destruction and boundless potential.You, you and you,"
he pointed towards the three tribes,
" Hold the parts of the Heartstaff, yet its power gets channelised only through my veins. This should be a sign and a reminder for all.
Let it be known to all who bear witness to this gathering, that from this day forth, the name Kakara shall inspire fear and awe in equal measure, for we are not bound by the constraints of morality or conscience, but by the inexorable pursuit of power and supremacy.
To those who would question our motives or challenge our authority, let me offer a simple truth: resistance is futile. The Heartstaff bends to my will, and with it, I shall crush all who dare to oppose us, leaving naught but ash and dust in our wake. Let the weak cower in fear, let the foolish tremble at the might of our wrath, for there is no sanctuary, no refuge from the storm that shall consume all who stand in our path." He turned to the representatives of other small tribes, "But make no mistake, ours is not a reign of tyranny or oppression, but of order and discipline. We do not seek to annihilate, but to subjugate, to bend the will of the masses to our own, and in doing so, forge a new world order where the Kakaras stand unchallenged, unopposed, unrivaled in our supremacy.
So heed my words, for they carry the weight of inevitability, the certainty of our ascendance. Bow before the might of the Kakaras, kneel before the power of the Heartstaff, for resistance is futile, and submission is the only path to salvation in this new world that we shall create.
Even the Dark Lord fell because of these hands. We saved the universe from sure destruction.We will save Chemora for sure. "
There was absolute silence once he was done.
Nobody moved, none reacted.
Suddenly the beeping from Kilian's device made everyone snap out of the trance that his words had created.
" Excuse me! " He tried to disconnect the call and looked disgusted.
However, it kept beeping, hinting at some emergency.
He hurriedly got off the pulpit, looking very angry because that call made him break character, the aura of supremacy that he had just created.
" What is it? " He yelled.
" My Lord... My Lord... " There was hyperventilating on the other side.
" Speak up? What's the emergency? Don't you know I am in the middle of a speech? " He looked like he was about to get to the other side and break the caller's neck.
" My Lord we searched everywhere, every inch of the palace and outside. We checked all the surveillance footage. "
Kilian frowned. Sitara was already beside him.
" What's the emergency! Get to the point! "
He uttered through gritted teeth.
" The girl... Mira. She is nowhere! She is gone, disappeared... like vanished in thin air. "
" What! Mira what? "
The words tumbled out of his lips before he could sense it.
It did not miss their sharp ears.
Xen, Kian and Braze turned towards Kian as if he had just stabbed them.
" The girl is missing my Lord. We cannot find her. "
The one on the other end repeated again.