For a prolonged moment, silence lingered. Yet, Zeke knew all too well that many members wouldn't accept such an accusation lying down. Before they could voice their objections, however, a new voice interjected.

"Would you be willing to elaborate on your objectives?" a woman's voice cut through the tension, her tone soft and warm, reminiscent of a mother speaking to her favorite child. Unlike the others, she appeared entirely devoid of hostility towards Zeke on account of him being a human.

Before he could even inquire, the woman stepped into the light. Her wheat-colored hair framed a face adorned with pointy ears reminiscent of the elves, and atop her head sat two horns curved into a spiral. Her face bore a youthful innocence that was absent from any of the other members. “I am Elder Sheep,” she introduced herself.

Zeke smiled at her, confident that he had found his first supporter—or at least a potential ally. “I would like nothing more, Elder Sheep,” he said warmly. “I’ve found that the reason Undercity is in such a poor state is because of its unequal relationship with the capital.”

Somebody snorted in disdain, but Zeke didn’t let that stop him. “They control the flow of food, minerals, and other essential goods. Armed with such powerful bargaining chips, it is no wonder that Undercity loses every single time. To make matters worse, there is no true leader, making the districts vulnerable to exploitation. My goal is to change that.”

“Which part?” Elder Sheep inquired, her innocent eyes fixed on his own.

“All of it,” Zeke stated confidently. “My goal is to turn Undercity into a profitable place, abundant with food and riches.”

Elder Sheep held his gaze for a while before breaking into a wide smile. She didn’t return to the shadows but instead turned in place to address the others, “What are your thoughts on this, fellow councilmen?”

Elder Wolf was the first to speak, her sharp voice unmistakable. “No need to ask. I'll follow your decision either way,” she stated before stepping into the light. It was Zeke's first view of her face. Grey hair cascaded past her shoulders, with two furry ears protruding from the untamed mane. Though tall for a woman, she fell within the typical height range for a human. While her facial features resembled a human's, her eyes exuded the predatory gaze of a hunter.

Upon seeing her face, Zeke was immediately reminded of Ash. If somebody had told him that they were siblings, he would have believed it right away.

The woman glanced at him with a slight furrow in her brow. “What are you staring at?” she challenged.

Recognizing his prolonged stare, Zeke quickly apologized. “I'm sorry, Miss. I didn't mean to be impolite. You just reminded me of someone I know.”

“And who might that be?” she asked.

“Do you know a man by the name of Ashen Wolf?”

Elder Wolf shook her head. “There are too many pups from me to know them all. I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but each of us, the Elders, are the representatives of our tribes. There are hundreds of packmates depending on me.”

Zeke nodded, filing away this crucial piece of information. If what the Elder said was true, they were even less united than he had expected. It was an alliance born out of necessity, with each member representing the interests of their own people.

The thawing atmosphere was disturbed by the voice of Elder Boar, speaking from the darkness. ”I don’t understand why we are still wasting time on this human. You all can’t be seriously considering surrender? It would be the end of us all.”

“Isn’t it the opposite?” Elder Sheep asked in a soft voice. “According to Elder Rat, fighting would be the end of us, not talking.”

“I’m not surprised you would offer yourself up like that, little lamb, but the rest of us don’t have to go along with your nonsense.”

“Watch your words, Boar,” Elder Wolf said sharply. It was the second time she had spoken against him, making Zeke believe they had a bad relationship.

“Maybe YOU should be the one to watch your words, furball,” Elder Dragon said, breaking his silence. “I stand with Elder Boar on this matter. Let’s kill this human and prepare for war.”

For the first time in a while, a new voice chimed in. “It was my people who caught the human. That means that he belongs to me. Shouldn’t you ask for my permission before talking about killing?” It was a woman's voice, speaking so fast that Zeke had a hard time following along.

“You can’t be serious, Elder Rabbit,” Elder Dragon scoffed. “This is a decision that will decide all our fates. How could it be left to you alone?”

As the two bickered, Zeke's mind grasped onto something else—something with sinister implications. “Did you just claim ownership over me?” he interjected, halting the argument. “Could you explain what you mean by that?”

All of a sudden, nobody was willing to speak. The usually vocal council had turned into a collection of mutes. However, Zeke wasn’t going to let this go. “Do you take humans as Slaves?” he asked the darkness. There was no reply. Good, at least they still knew to be ashamed of their hypocrisy. Even Elder Sheep and Wolf, who remained in the light, didn’t meet his gaze.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

“…By force?” he asked.

“So what if we do?” Elder Boar challenged. “It is nothing but payback for the way you’ve treated us for centuries.”

Again, Elder Boar was trying to apply his twisted logic. Zeke would have none of that. “For centuries, you say?” he challenged. “That is very strange, considering the fact that I am only 16 years old, born and raised in a place so far away that I hadn’t seen a Chimeroi until just recently. Yet, you claim that I deserve this treatment? What crimes did I commit?”

When Elder Boar didn’t know how to respond, Elder Dragon spoke for him. “What crimes, you asked? How about the crime of threatening our lives? The crime of calling yourself a Dragon? The crime of owning Slaves?”

Zeke smiled widely. The man had unwittingly given him exactly what he wanted. But before he could start his rebuttal, he heard a voice calling out to him from the depth of his consciousness. “I am getting tired of this creature,” the Dragon said. “Crush him!”

In the next moment, Zeke felt his heartbeat quicken. His pupils dilated into vertical slits, and an overwhelming surge of energy flooded his system. This torrent threatened to overwhelm his senses, making it a struggle to maintain his sanity. Before he even realized what he was doing, Zeke had risen to his full height, snapping the chains like brittle twigs.