THE ELDERS

Ragnar led the way and he followed.

The elders! Time to face the most cunning set of Crestians!

The elders of Silvercrest kingdom are ten years older than the King and all of Crestians. They are filled with wisdom and renowned strength. Indeed, they are the ones the King normally goes to for advice, to debate on issues and make new rules. The elders are made up of the ten most fascinating and reputable wolves. The elders are the only one King Nexus Duse may submit himself to. They are respected as much as the King by the entire Crestians.

The elders are respected figures who have wisdom and knowledge to impart to younger werewolves. They are feared and revered as powerful leaders. On the surface, they are seen as the aforementioned but only the King and Ragnar Nova knew what the elders were really made of. They are eccentric, mischievous, and a bit unpredictable.

King Duse knew the elders like the back of his palm. The elders of werewolves are intimidating figures. They are strict and harsh, imposing strict rules and harsh punishments on those who break the laws of the pack. They have a mysterious air about them, and their motives might be inscrutable. Their physical appearance are quite intimidating, with long claws and sharp teeth, when they shape-shift. Even in their human form, they were the type you wouldn't want to mess with.

Their unique eyes carried an aura in them. They gave the feeling of shivers to people and no one needed to be told that they were supposed to be accorded with respect. Their whole appearance demanded it. Indeed, mysterious, and fearsome characters, they were.

The werewolf elders aren't the primary villains of this story, but rather a shadowy force that manipulates and influences the King. They're more like a puppet master, pulling the strings behind the scenes. King Nexus is always caught in a power struggle with the werewolf elders, where he always tries to assert his own authority while also being influenced by their desires and commands.

Truth be told, King Duse was not in the right frame of mind to go on with the meeting even though he was the one who called for it but what could he do? When duty calls, he always has to answer. The situation had gone from bad to worse! The defeat of the Vallians not only left the people of Silvercrest vulnerable, it also caused the King to lose the faith and support of his people. King Duse was in a state of despair, feeling guilty for the deaths of the warriors and questioning his ability to lead. And on top of that, he's being blamed by the families of the fallen warriors. It is a lot of weight on his shoulders. Now he had to face another sect of people.

But what the King didn't know was that the elders are almost like parental figures to him, but their tough love can sometimes feel more like cruelty than concern. Which is why King Duse views them with a mix of respect, fear, and suspicion. The elders have good intentions, wanting to end the attacks on the kingdom and restore peace, but they all have different ideas about how to achieve that goal.

King Duse enters into the room that's already full of tension and suspense. As he walks in, all eyes are on him, and there's an uncomfortable silence. Ragnar Nova, who's standing next to him, also gives the elders a cold look, like he was in support of the King and was not not going to entertain any nonsense. The leader of the elders gives the King a cold, appraising look. The King can feel the weight of their expectations and judgment on him. The room was dim and ominous and one could easily tell that a lot was about to go down.

As the King stood there, frozen in the tension of the room, one of the elders stood up and broke the silence.

"Your Majesty," he says, his voice deep and grave, "we have been expecting you. Please, take a seat."

As King Duse sits down, the leader of the elders continues: "We have grave news to discuss with you. We fear that the attacks on our kingdom are only the beginning of a greater threat."

"I am well aware of that." King Duse let out.

"And what do you say we do about it? There has to be some sort of plan obviously!" The leader of the elders said.

"We can't take rash decisions just like we did with the Vallians. We all know how that turned out!" One of the elders put forth sarcasm.

King Duse let out a sigh of frustration. He knew how the elders could be. So, he decided to respond to the elder's ominous words.

"Prepare for a mass burial." were his words.

"Is that all?" One of the elders inquired.

"I mean, shouldn't we also find solutions to the alarming attacks from the God of Death. We need to do something, give the people some kind of hope." he continued.

"What if the attacks are from a Changer?" one of the elders brought it up.

This perked up the interest of them all and their senses tingled as it got to ponder on what has been raised.

"It can't be. A Changer is not that strong and can never be able to take out the whole Vallians just on their own." Ragnar disagreed.

"Changers make the best Assassins so why can't they be able to take out the whole Vallians? Think!" one the elders implied.

"Are you saying that the attacks have been a planned work?" King Duse asked.

"I am not saying that, My King." the elder answered.

"Then what are you saying? Changers can never attack on their own. They have to be paid and summoned by someone to do it." King Duse continued.

"What if it was one of the neighboring Kingdoms? What are you going to do?" the leader of the elders asked.

"Nothing." King Duse replied.

"Ragnar Nova…" the leader called as he turned to him.

"What do you have to say?"

"Nothing. I shall stick with what the King orders." Ragnar answered.

"Do you not have a thought of your own? Or are you just a puppet just like your generational ancestors?" the second in command of the elders let out in bitterness.

"I am a slave to the King, so shall I be." Ragnar said.

"Surely, that is what your children will be." the leader of the elders insulted.

"Enough!!!" King Duse commanded loudly with his voice.

It went quiet for a minute before one of the elders spoke up.

"What are you going to tell the people when they start asking questions?"

"The truth." King Duse said.

"And how much damage control will that do?" the second in command asked.

"Bodies are piled up, families are grieving, the whole kingdom is in a debacle and you think that telling the people the truth will solve it all? You have a long way to go…King Duse." the leader of the elders said.

"Then what do you suggest I do? Lie to the people!" King Duse asked in anger.

"Deny! Deny! Deny!" one of the elders muttered.

"Blame it on commandant Valair if you may." another said.

"Never again! We did that with Commandant Ra and I am not going to do it again!" King Duse pointed out.

"What will you do then?" one of the elders asked in a subtle way.

"Like I said, tell the people the truth and prepare to mourn the fallen warriors. We will go again!" King Duse let out.

"This will be fun to watch!" the leader said.

"We will go again." he said in the manner as the King did.

"Do you even hear yourself?" one of the elders asked.

"I bid you to refrain from using such words on the King." Ragnar said.

"A slave should always know its place. Do not speak until you are spoken to!" the second in command sneered at Ragnar.

"Ragnar is not a slave!" King Duse reaffirms.

"You are right! Ragnar could have been a better King if not for what the Mother Moon did!" the leader of the elders let out.

"And what do you imply by that?" King Duse angered, asked.

"Do the thinking." the leader replied calmly.

The discussion turns from the tragic events themselves to the politics and power dynamics at play. The King, feeling the pressure of the elders' scrutiny, tries to assert his authority. The temperature in the room rises as the King and the elders exchange sharp words. Tensions are running high, and it feels like the situation could explode at any moment. The room is filled with an electric energy, and the air is thick with unspoken threats and accusations. It's a powder keg, ready to go off.

"Are you all forgetting your position?" Ragnar asked.

"You are in the presence of the King! King Nexus Duse, ruler of Silvercrest kingdom!" Ragnar continued.

"We are well aware, no need to scream." one of the elders said.

"If the King, your King…our King knows what is best for him, he should blame it on Alpha Valair and Bran and save himself from embarrassment." the leader of the elders put it out.

"That is if he still wants to be King." the second in command said.

"Is that a threat?!" King Duse asked.

"Oh no! We cannot threaten the King!" One of the elders said in sarcasm as he threw his hands to the air.

"King Nexus Duse!" another said in sarcasm.

"Ruler of Silvercrest kingdom!" The leader of the elders finished off as they all burst into a cackle.

King Duse felt insulted and embarrassed. The sound of their laughter was annoying to him and he was trying very hard to keep it in but it seems that he might have to release the rage in him.

"I am your sovereign! I am your protector! I am the one who has kept you safe, and I demand your loyalty!" King Duse yelled as he banged the table and gained their attention.

His words were direct and forceful, but it feels more regal and commanding. His voice roared out the commands and the elders recollected themselves.They all mellowed down and their voices could not be heard anymore. The laughter was no longer there and peace reigned in the air.

"Apologize this instance!" Ragnar let out.

They all stood up, bowed their heads down and uttered the words "We are sorry, King Duse." in unison.

"You may all remain standing. I am not pleased with your apology." King Duse said as he glared at the leader and second in command of the elders.

"Whoever goes against my orders next time shall not live to tell a word!" King Duse added after the elders began to mumble.

Ragnar at the corner let out a smirk in satisfaction. It felt good to put the elders in their place.

As they all continued to discuss more on how the mass burial will go, they get a distraction from all the clamor outside. The atmosphere was already tense, and now the distant clamor outside adds another layer of suspense and uncertainty.

The sounds and words they heard were faint sounds of the riot in the background, like a distant storm gathering. It was more of foreboding and impending doom. It's almost like a warning bell, letting them know that things are about to get really bad.

The families of the slain Vallians wailed and shrieked in unison, their grief and fury palpable in the air. They shook the very foundations of the towers as they called for justice, crying 'Murderer King!' over and over again.

And then the messenger bursts in, giving the King and the elders the full details of what's happening outside.

The messenger came in breathless and flustered, as if he had been running for miles to deliver this urgent news. He spoke in short, clipped sentences, barely able to get the words out.

"Sire! Terrible news! The kingdom is... it's in chaos! The people... they're rioting! They're... they're calling for your head! They want you dead!" His words were tinged with fear, as if he was truly worried for the King's safety.