The swish of curtains being drawn jolted Emily from her dreams. Annoyance flickered through her—she'd been in the middle of a particularly satisfying one involving a handsome businessman on his knees before her. Only when Teo rushed into the room could Emily tell something was wrong. Starling any retribution right out of her.

"Miss Emily, you need to wake up. Your chief calls you to his side; as his Shaman, you have to make your way there, or he will be at a disadvantage. Before you ask, the Hearthspeaker has allowed it."

Emily's face was a mixture of annoyance and reluctant resolve. She wasn't thrilled to go, but if Kael was calling her and the head Shaman was allowing it, then it could only mean something was going down.

If it was a big enough deal that Kael had been willing to call on her, even though his position in the tribe was unstable right now, then she couldn't ignore his call.

"Fine. Take me there," she said as she began pulling on her gear, but Teo paused.

"Um… you can't wear that," he said sheepishly. Emily froze. A second ago, he'd told her it was urgent, and now he was telling her to change.

Here, he said as he shoved a bundle of familiar clothes towards her.

She recognized it as one of their robes, and bundled inside was a small headdress, though it was unadorned.

"You have to be kidding me," she muttered.

Teo heard this and shook his head.

"I'm not, please, you have to trust me. It's my job to make sure you are prepared for all of this; I would not lie to you. We are going to the chieftain's lodge, you cannot go in anything less. Especially as Kaelan's Shaman," he said, urging her to get into the robe

Emily pressed her lips together, but she didn't argue any further and donned the strange robe.

As she dressed, she kept the conversation up.

"What is going on? Why am I needed?"

Teo had had his back toward her as he spoke.

"There is conflict concerning one of your people, and Kael has stepped in to mediate. Unfortunately, Chief Hermes represents the other side," he said as she finished putting on the scratchy material.

Emily recognized the name immediately. Chief Hermes was supposedly the man that Kael was here to challenge. It couldn't be a coincidence that he'd suddenly made a move at this time.

But it was exactly for this reason that they had a problem. As Emily understood, Kael needed a Shaman to challenge Chief Hermes. Unfortunately, Emily could not represent them until she'd passed the upcoming trial. This meant that Kael was in a difficult position, and Chief Hermes knew this.

He was probably picking a fight now on purpose.

All of this was just Emily's conjecture, but she had a good idea of the power dynamics in situations like these, and honestly, they were teetering over the edge of the abyss.

She needed to do the best she could while playing her part. Emily looked down at the old, stifling garments made from rough cloth and sighed.

"I'm ready. Let's move," she said, tucking her hair neatly under the headdress.

Teo did not hesitate and stepped out of the room. Ra and Mo were next to her as soon as she passed the main passage.

As they traveled up from the roots and out into the city, Emily could see people having woken up early to start with their daily chores.

The thrum of nervous energy in the air was evident as people whispered in the streets. No one paid Emily's group much mind other than to bow just slightly at Teo. As they were far too busy with their lives.

"Remember, you have not completed the trail yet, so all you may do is advise your Chief. Unless he or another gives you leave to speak, you remain silent, or you'll do more harm than good. This is how you greet a Chief…" Teo coached as she started going through all the procedures to follow.

Emily followed his words and committed them to memory. By the end, she had a basic understanding of these tribal disputes and how to conduct herself. Though a lot of them just required her to keep her mouth shut, which might be a bit difficult.

Oh well, she'll have to just do her best.

As they left the outer edges of the city, more of its inner workings came into view. People near the center were less panicked and seemed to go about their day with more leisure. Emily could see they were heading toward the central tree by now. Clearly heading towards the Chieften's lodging wrapped around the base of the tree.

The closer they got to the tree house, the more the energy in the air morphed into excitement and interest.

People lounged around in the streets and on rooftops holding weapons, and had begun watching everyone that came past, their eyes lingering longer on their group. Emily could tell by the way they held themselves that these people were strong. The hairs on the back of Emily's neck began to stand on end. They were quickly rising in strength, almost as though the closer one got to the middle, the stronger one had to be.

She also noted that there were more idle men and women around here. They had time to gossip, and food was more commonplace as many nibbled on various snacks while they watched the passing scenery.

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All of the eyes watching them were easy to ignore until Emily noted that the road ahead was blocked by a line of warriors encircling the tree.

They watched her group approach with little care in their eyes, but their spears remained at the ready, even against their own people.

From this point one they entered the core of the city.

Teo stopped before them and announced who Emily was and why she was there. The moment he did, several curious eyes turned toward her.

She ignored them all save for the head warrior blocking their path.

The man didn't bother to hide his derisive grin as his gaze swept over her. Emily could tell he was amused by what he saw, especially when his eyes lingered on her empty headdress.

Yet for all the trouble he may be, he didn't stop their advance.

Instead, he stepped aside, allowing them to pass.

As they walked onwards, whispers followed them up the street, moving as quickly as they did. By this point, very few people were still in the street, but those who remained must have held powerful positions within the tribe. Some extracted themselves from their mats and chairs and followed Emily's group, if only in anticipation of a show.

The tree that they had been approaching ever since they started their journey through the city was now massive, dominating their entire view.

The area they arrived in was an open space, reminiscent of a town square. At its center lay a wide dust pit, encircled by a walkway. Beyond that, buildings lined the street, standing like walls enclosing the space.

A staircase in the side of the tree led up to the lodge itself, where a large balcony overlooked the area below.

Teo did not lead them toward the stairs but instead paused before the pit. That was when Emily spotted something that sent ice through her veins.

The Wander Fangs were within the square—or at least, some of them. Kael stood at the front, flanked by Gerade and Atticus, while Selia and Svent positioned themselves just behind. Their expressions were grim, unwavering.

At the very front of their group, kneeling in the dirt, was Alex. He clutched the small miragestalker under his left arm, his gaze locked on the towering figure before him. A warrior lay collapsed beside him, unmoving.

And standing over them, like a mountain of muscle and menace, was Hermes.

Draped in traditional warrior's garb, he exuded an aura of dominance. But what drew Emily's attention most was the massive weapon strapped to his back—a spear in name, but by its sheer size and weight, it looked more like a greataxe.

Directly behind him stood a female shaman, striking in appearance. Her auburn hair framed a sun-kissed complexion, and an elaborate headdress of iridescent shells adorned her head. The shells refracted the firelight, their tips glowing as if enchanted, making her seem like an incarnation of the sun.

Emily took in the entire scene in an instant, but her gaze remained fixed on Alex's back.

He had clearly been in battle. And judging by the wound, he had won, though only barely.

Something warm began to rise in Emily's stomach, and by the time it had gotten to her chest, it had grown to a full-blown inferno.

Her gaze turned cold as barely contained rage tried to break its way from her chest.

Swallowing back the anger, Emily glanced at Teo beside her.

"These robes are stifling; can I alter them freely?" she asked

Teo paused, but he looked at Emily with a sense of foreboding.

"Yes, as long as the fabric still shows through and the headdress remains-" he started, but Emily had already begun to walk ahead.

Separating from her escorts caused multiple eyes to turn towards her as her lone figure sauntered towards the group. She lengthened her gait, and her spine straightened, and let the seething power free from her chest.

The Shaman behind Hermes turned to look at Emily, curiosity flickering across her features before twisting into amusement as recognition dawned.

She smiled at Emily's approach, and, as if drawn by the shift in the shaman's expression, Hermes glanced up as well. His gaze held nothing but apathy, like a man surveying insects beneath his feet, uninterested in the lives before him. To him, no one here was worth a second glance.

Emily met the shaman's smile with a casual one of her own as she strode toward Kael's side.

With every step, the power coiled within her chest seeped into the world, flowing down her form in dark, sinuous tendrils. Her robes responded, shifting with the movement of her blood.

The brown fabric darkened to a deep crimson as blood seeped from her skin, trailing in thin, thorn-laced ribbons behind her. The robe itself—little more than a sack draped over her frame—was unacceptable. She would change that.

With a single thought, her blood carved through the material, slicing open a window at her back. The exposed skin revealed the newest mark etched into her flesh, the serpent winding its way up her spine. At the same time, the sleeves and bodice constricted, molding to her figure as her gown fused with the robe, binding them into one seamless garment.

Finally, blood wove its way into her headdress, curling into thorny vines that twisted and bloomed, completing the transformation.

The amusement in the watching eyes vanished, replaced with something far less lighthearted.

The entire shift had taken only seconds, but quiet descended.

Kael, his back to her, had not seen the change itself—but he had noticed the way the faces around him shifted. When Emily stepped past Atticus and took her place at her Chieftain's side, he caught her form in the corner of his eye.

A casual knowing smile apperend on his face.

Emily's presence now evoked the image of a malevolent war god, dark, commanding, and undeniable. It stood in stark contrast to the ethereal beauty of the woman across from them, yet was no less captivating.

"Glad to see you here, Emily," he said quietly.

"Kael…isn't it your job to protect him?" she said softly, ignoring the gazes from both Hermes and the Shaman.

"What do you think I'm doing right now?!" he hissed at her.

Unused to being ignored, Chief Hermes's posture tensed dangerously.

Emily was well aware in terms of strength that she was not his match, but she paid him no mind.

"What is going on?" she asked unhurriedly.

"Alex got targeted by one of Hermes' warriors because of the Miragestalker he's carrying. They fought. Alex won fairly. Hermes disagrees."

Before Emily could continue with her next question, Hermes spoke. His voice resonated through the space with a deep bass note.

"Am I to understand that some outsider wearing our garbs in such a manner is going to ignore me when I stand right before her? Speak, girl." Hermes said with a hard light in his eyes.

There was still no interest in his eyes, but she had his undivided attention.

For a moment, the whole square held their breath as she was addressed directly by a Chieftain.

Alex and Kael looked back at Emily with a forboding look in their eyes, certain she was about to do something irreversible.

But to everyone's surprise, including her own, her voice came out calm and level as she lowered her head.

"This Shaman greets the Chief Hermes as the council of the Wandering Fangs. Since you have given me leave to speak, I shall," she said. Clear, she was playing a dangerous game here.

"On what grounds do you or your men claim any right to the beast the accused holds. It was given as a gift from myself and Chief Kaelan."

Chief Hermes's eyes narrowed. Emily didn't know who had caused the fight or what reasoning they were using to convict Alex, but she did know that if one wanted to win an argument, one needed to control the tempo. And by bringing this back to the reason for this fight, she could do exactly that.

Blood points: 632

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