A Rock in the Storm: Mortis' First Act as True King

The throne room was filled with a tense silence. Mortis sat on his throne, his aura of determination and power surrounding him. The uninvited guests from the various races had lined up in an untidy group in front of the throne, and the Count of the Adamantite Humans was leading the floor. His tone was condescending, his words laced with superiority.

Slowly, the count took a step forward, his family and retainers in tow. The people present, filled with awe, made way and reverently bowed their heads, not daring to look these high-ranking guests in the eye. Even Shiva tried to stand up to approach the guests with her head bowed, but Mortis stopped her with a single hand gesture. She looked up at him, surprise and perhaps gratitude in her eyes. She sat down while Mortis remained on the throne, his gaze fixed on the uninvited guests.

The Adamantite humans were confused as to what was happening, and the other races had never experienced such a thing as a human speaking to them in such a condescending manner, and just as they were about to say something and wanted to confront Mortis to avoid being treated in such a manner, Mortis raised his voice. Mortis raised his voice, his words piercing the hall. "You are quite insolent, disturbing our celebration and spreading discontent. Have you no customs in your lands, or have you forgotten how to announce your coming?" His words were sharp, his gaze boring into the count and the guests.

His hand rested on the back of the throne as he perched on them. A sign of his strength and authority. "And when you are a guest," he continued, his voice iron, "you have something to bring and humility to show." His gaze swept over those gathered, each and every one of them.

The guests were visibly taken off guard by Mortis' reaction. The Count of the Adamantite People cast a scowl in his direction, but Mortis did not retreat. The moment seemed to choke before the guests reluctantly stood, albeit with visible displeasure.

When the Count spoke in response, he took a step closer and his voice echoed across the throne room. "You are overconfident, little human. As if you had the right to speak to us in this way. But without our help, you would be nothing more than a lost resource that would only find death on every continent. You would never have the chance to become stronger. Do not exaggerate your status just because you are celebrated as heroes here. Every normal Adamantite human has almost the same values as you. You could even say that you have only undergone an earlier development. But remember, many a hero has fallen in the millennia on the larger continents. So learn your place."

Mortis rose from his throne at that moment, his floating scythe finding its place in his hand. A thick, eerie mist permeated the entire throne room, and with its icy chill, it caused everyone to shiver and a chill to run down the spines of those present. Then Mortis' voice thundered through the room. "You dare to come into my house and talk to me like that?" At that moment, countless souls appeared and covered everything like a veil. The dead could be seen everywhere and almost scared the guests to death. Even the high-ranking guests from the other races were frightened when they spotted beastmen, vampires and powerful demons among the souls.

The count looked around, trying hard to keep his composure, but the immense pressure and the sight of the spirits made him feel fear in his heart as well. He took a step back and bowed slightly. This seemed to reassure Mortis. He let go of his scythe, which began to hover around him again. Then Mortis sat back on his throne, and the mist dissipated, disappearing from the castle like a ghost that had never been there.

The count took his wife by the hand and stood in front of the queen like the other guests. Together they praised the queen and congratulated her on the victory. But the queen and the margravine needed a moment to realize what had just happened. They could never have imagined that a human being could make the high races bow their heads. And in such a brutal way. Their hearts beat faster, and the initial feeling of admiration and hope slowly turned into something even more powerful: love. Both women never imagined that it could feel so good to stand in the background and be protected by the strong shoulders of a man.

Lumina and the other women also felt pride for Mortis and were pleased to see their man grow so much. Their eyes reflected a sparkle of admiration. Although they would have loved to run to him to embrace him, they kept their composure and showed only a warm smile on their lips.

Their eyes shone with pride and affection for the man who had stood before them and challenged the power of the higher races with his unwavering will. This moment seemed to strengthen the bond between Mortis and his women even more, and they felt as one that together could overcome any challenge.

The dwarves were the first of the higher races to introduce themselves. Council member Algrim Green Mane of the Palera Mountain tribe stepped forward with his wife and children, and they politely and appropriately congratulated the Queen and Mortis on their victory. The dwarf with green hair and brown armor took out from his storage ring a chest filled with crystals and ores - a gift for the queen.

When the queen saw the chest filled to the top with sparkling crystals and precious ores, she could not hold back a smile. Then she turned to Edna, her sister, and said, "Sister, would you please receive this? You told me that you like to forge. This gift should be yours, after all, it comes from your people."

Edna was visibly moved and stepped forward to receive the box, which was presented by the dwarves. Dwarven kindness and wonder at Edna's appearance, especially her white hair and bright orange eyes, could be read on the faces of the dwarves. A female dwarf on the human continent was already rare, but one with such striking features was undoubtedly an absolute rarity.

Suddenly, however, Gwinvia, Algrim's wife and obviously quite a convincing dwarf, gave her husband a determined shove in the side. A glance between them revealed that this shove was not just a random movement, but rather a silent invitation. Algrim, the councilor and leader of the Paleraberge dwarves, seemed to give in and pulled out of his storage another, smaller container filled with ores. Gwinvia gave Edna a warm, encouraging look as she accepted the box of ores.

Edna was surprised by this unexpected turn of events and at the same time felt her eyes fill with tears. The mutual respect and connection between dwarves was evident, and Edna could hardly believe how this encounter touched her heart.

Mortis noticed the rising whispers and whispered softly to Edna, "Darling, how about you two talk some more in peace? It looks like you just interrupted the ceremony." Edna nodded in agreement, her hands clasped tightly around the boxes, and she went with the dwarves, especially Gwinvia, to a quieter corner of the throne room to exchange and return the dwarves' gesture. It was a touching moment of connection and understanding between the dwarves to see.

Countess Quinn of Crescent Moon, a vampire of royal rank, appeared next. She bowed her head slightly as a gesture of respect to the queen and presented her with a gift, a tiara with protective spells worked into it. This tiara was supposed to protect the wearer from impurities in the blood. While presenting this gift, however, she could not help but let her eyes wander to Mortis. A sudden moment of tension occurred when the soul of a vampire in her wake held a blade menacingly close to her neck. Despite her annoyance, she suppressed her emotions, hastily bowed to the queen, and then quickly retreated.

The elves were next in line. They stepped in front of the queen and their presence created a more pleasant atmosphere in the throne room. The elves took off their masks of politeness, especially since Shiva, as a half-blood, was considered more a part of them after all. They presented the queen and her sisters with ointments, perfumes and other cosmetic products to preserve their beauty, even in their advanced age. After handing over their gifts, they bowed respectfully and let it be known that they hoped to have a small exchange after the opening. The friendly and cordial nature of the elves left a positive impression on the group.

The beastmen then stepped forward, their pent-up anger difficult to conceal. Although some of the souls were threatened by beastmen claws and swords, they were aware that it would not be wise to further damage their reputation with the humans. They bowed to the queen and Mortis and presented gifts of plants, skins, and claws. Mortis felt this gift was a bit macabre at first, but considering that animal materials such as fur and reinforced bones made good raw materials, why not use them from the deceased? The gifts were gratefully accepted, and it was obvious that the conversation with the animal people was still ongoing.

Mortis could hardly wait to continue this conversation. After all, some animal beings were responsible for unrest in these lands, and he intended to put a stop to it. He also wanted to discuss this concern with the nobles present as soon as the opportunity arose.

While the Adamite humans were about to introduce themselves, women and children suddenly pushed past, both the guests and the Count of the Adamite humans. The women seemed to be the rest of Mortis' companions, which caused some astonishment in the Count and made him wonder if these people had no respect for him at all anymore. But when he saw Mortis extending his hand to the women and children, the new guests realized that these were most likely the rest of Mortis' women.

Marina and Leonie glanced at the queen and the margravine and made a disparaging noise. Then they sat down further back. Marina whispered coldly, "We'll talk about that later. I'm definitely staying number two." She whispered in Elara's ear, and the two girls sat down with Lumina. Johannes joined Kathrin and sat next to her.

When the women found their seats, Count Nikolai of the Blue Beach cleared his throat. He bowed slightly to the queen and took out a deep blue cloth, made of the best silk and embroidered with rune threads. The count explained that this cloth was one of the best pieces they could make with him. It was a must for every mage, he said, as it enhanced the strength of all spells, no matter what element they were associated with. He presented it to the queen as a small gift.

Shiva stood up and gratefully accepted the cloth. But then she said with an undertone, "I hope you can get us more of this cloth. I will gladly trade valuable items for such cloth. It seems some of my sisters have taken a liking to it." She looked directly at the count.

"Perhaps we can talk about it later in private, Count Nikolai."

The count politely replied, "Certainly, Queen of Bayaroma. I will take care of it." Then he bowed slightly and went back to his seat with his family.

The atmosphere in the throne room continued to be tense, but the presentation of the uninvited guests was now more orderly, and the gifts were accepted by the queen and the others present.

The Queen accepted the gifts with gratitude and kindness, and her warm response caused many of the guests to breathe a sigh of relief. The warm smile she put on was like a ray of sunshine amidst the tense atmosphere. The advisors and servants standing around her knew only too well that the queen had had little reason to laugh in recent times. Therefore, they delighted in seeing her now so radiant.

Mortis watched the scene as his aura of strength and authority continued to fill the throne room. It seemed as if he and the queen were one - she with her warm openness and he with his iron determination. The uninvited guests might have hoped to meet with disapproval upon their arrival, but they were disarmed by the kindness and respect shown them by the royal family and Mortis.

The atmosphere in the throne room gradually relaxed as the ceremony of introduction and gift-giving reached its climax. It seemed that the queen and Mortis were able to conjure a positive turn of events even from such a tense situation. And while the guests and the royal family were preparing for the upcoming celebration, no one could ignore the presence of Mortis and the radiance of his power.

With a nod and a smile, Mortis stood up, his gaze roaming over the assembled guests as he maintained his aura of determination and strength. He took the floor, his voice sounding firm and clear in the throne room, "My honored guests, we are gathered here to celebrate the victory over the darkness, to strengthen the unity of nations and to forge the bonds of friendship. May this celebration remind us all that together we are strong, and that through cohesion and respect for one another we can become truly great."

His words filled the room, and the initial tension seemed to ease further as the guests began to relax and immerse themselves in the festivities. The Queen and Mortis blended into the festive mood as music played and those in attendance began to dance and converse with one another.

The throne room, previously filled with an icy atmosphere, now filled with joy, laughter and positive energy. The uninvited guests, who had initially caused tension, were now part of this boisterous atmosphere as the different races and nobles celebrated with each other, putting aside their differences for the time being.