A Gathering of Giants

"I can very well say that the both of them are in cahoots. Slay her this minute and have her lying head staked atop the front gates to serve as lesson. Why does she still live…?"

The strained voice of Riko could be heard within the confines of the secret brick lair. A place not known to anyone but the King.

"Riko always speaks drunk at most but today I'll have to agree with him. The Queen, whoever she is will only bring trouble. A woman who lies unabashedly to a man of your kind is capable of wrecking doom. How are we to believe Braheri? He too is not so fond of you and neither is his wretched pack and region…?"

Hezine lent his voice even while his fingers were busy with a heavy chain he was trying to detangle. By his right was the beautiful Cassine who sat on the laps of the ever brooding Daemon. She too was fondling the man's beard as if it were a toy.

Feibond sat at the edge of the only table in the room, his hair falling all over his face.

Their presence was sure to evoke fear on the hearts of anyone who sees them together and so was the lethal aura that herald the stench of death.

"He mustn't go home alive." Cassine added when it seemed like the King wouldn't speak.

Razhal was looking out the window with his two hands clenched by his sides. His eyes flickered and so was the knot that formed in his stomach.

"Where is the thing that was dug out from the borders?" he suddenly spoke out to no one in particular.

At the sound of his voice Hezine stood and walked out of the room. He came back again with something huge wrapped in a dirty piece of cloth and dirt clung onto it. The slender giant placed the ominous object on top of the table and took some steps backwards.

Razhal stepped towards the table and using his sharp black claws tore apart the raggedy covering. He sucked in a breath when his eyes landed on the thing inside. It was a big porcelain bowl and inside it was what looked like a human arm submerged in a pool of reddish liquid.

When the rest saw his reaction they all came close to see, and like him they also reacted the same.

The arm wasn't decayed because of the watery liquid that surrounded it which somehow helped to preserve it. Razhal need not think further to know who it belonged to and why it was kept. It's been almost 300 years since he'd seen a piece of the man.

"I know we've already been told of this, but, seeing it person…" Riko began to say but trailed off obviously lost in his own thoughts.

Cassine made a grunt like sound before rounding the table to stand close to the King. "That means it is true then…? They want to curse you, to curse the land. Render you useless and then usher in their master…?"

"Be careful Cass. Don't rush to conclusions" Hezine reprimanded but the woman was already vexed.

"oh how I can't wait to tear them apart piece by piece until there's nothing left. To serve them a punishment and leave them in a condition even the goddess would not approve of…"

"Your wish is mutual, but we have to identify them first before thinking of punishing. We do not know these people…"

"And to think that cunny warden of…"

"It's okay Cassine!" The King said to the woman and she instantly obeyed and withdrew back to her original position.

He deftly uncovered the bowl and a rotten smell evaded the room but none of them moved. Razhal dipped his hand into the slimy thick liquid and pulled out the severed organ.

He brought the flesh towards his nose and inhaled the smell with his eyes closed. When it opened again there was a flicker in them and a vision snapped into his head with the speed of light. Visions of Hiroshae but without his head attached to him.

Very quickly quickly, he tossed the hand back into the bowl and shook his head with force to clear the images. A snarl left his mouth and his darkened claws scrapped the metal table as if it was the reason for his discomfort.

"What did you see this time?" Feibond spoke for the very first time since the meeting began. Razhal immediately snapped his head towards the fellow and growled at him.

"Nothing of importance" came his hurried reply.

"You must tell us if there is something…"

"Well there is nothing Feibond of Argos. I saw nothing." He snarled again at the man's face and the fellow slightly turned his neck.

Everyone became wary of the King and each took a step away to give Zeus time to control his emotions. Every day it became difficult to calm the beast, as if something was in the air intentionally causing him to burn in rage.

"You were right my lord…" Daemon broke the silence.

When Razhal gave him attention and the Lycan quickly covered back the step he had taken before. "Gastel is indeed lurking around in Castle rock but he is yet to make a move. My spies who had seen him confirm he came with a large book"

Hezine scoffed loudly at the mention of the name. "so the rat draws near?"

"Would be foolish of him to do so. I mean come into the King's domain, when he knows we are searching for him…?" Riko asked widely as he starred at everyone.

"And we know the southern wolf is far from foolish. I suspect he wants to meet someone"

"But who…? After he, that ward—" Cassine tripped over her words as she tried not to mention the forbidden name. "I mean, after the incident in that village the man has been rogue travelling for many moons. He knows he's being chased because surely his mother's death and the message we left at his doorstep should have made that known…"

"Yea and he travels with that book." Daemon noted.

"Gasten as an enemy is not my concern. He's a non-existent coward who is not even worthy of my claws. I am rather very curious about who he wants to meet and why he's been moving from pack to pack."

The king stated in clear tone before going back to the window to watch the rise of the full moon.

Feibond noted how Razhal still refused to address the Queen's lie and how easily he was going to ignore the sin. It raised a suspicion that should be forbidden. Such suspicion should never be placed side by side with a beast like him, but yet he couldn't help but wonder…

"Through my passing within the Castle rock capital, I overheard a very small rumor making the rounds." Riko the leaking mouth began with an excited tilt in his voice.

"What did you hear…?"

"Well it may be of no importance but then it surely brought a laugh out of me."

"Say what you've heard and quit jesting…" Cassine hissed through a snarl.

"They were wondering why there is yet to be an announcement. It may seem your subject are becoming interested in the activities that happen in your chambers. They worry the Queen may be barren" he divulged amidst muffled laugh. But he was the only one laughing, which made the female Lycan hit him across the face.

"It is not something to laugh over. The king would never put a baby In that deceitful woman who—"

"Never say never Cassine." Razhal cut her off arousing a look from the four. "Ever wondered what it would feel like to put a baby in such a woman hmm? I think my subjects are for once being reasonable, and it's high time I begin to take their wishes very seriously…?"