Kanieta watched Green's back as he headed toward the wall, which appeared to be extending over the horizon… It's quite convincing. "How much of his side of the wall is real?" Kanieta idly asked. As much as she searched, she could not find any small distortions suggesting it was all an illusion.

  "This section?" Responded Elder Lurta, the illusion concealing her vanishing to show her knitting beside Kanieta. She looked up and squinted at the wall like it had personally insulted her before snorting in annoyance and looking back down to her work. "It extends north nearly to the forest. This side — and the portion in front of the gates to the Triad — were the first sections the goats started constructing. The last to be constructed will be the wall along the Rush, as the river is already a barrier."

  It was a clever plan and all the more reason her decision was correct. The Olimpians had already seen them construct a city, or at least its walls, in weeks and hide it all until it was complete. As of now, they had no idea of the limitations of the Kin's power. Why wouldn't a massive wall appearing out of nowhere be possible after they had been there for months?

  Stone. Obtaining massive amounts of stone was the problem. They had already collected the convenient nearby stone to build Forest's Edge, so the Kin had to quarry stone in other places. That wasn't a problem with stone mages, but they had to get it here. Shipping tens of thousands of stone blocks weighing tons along hundreds of miles of roads still being constructed would take time.

  Sure, they were tricking potential allies into thinking they were stronger than they really were, but there wasn't anything wrong with that. In fact, it was common practice. And, if anything, it was the right thing to do, as the Kin being more powerful would make the Olimpians more likely to commit to peace, especially when they had just lost a city to the Letairry.

  And yet Kaneita couldn't shake the gnawing pit in her stomach that she hadn't told Green… well, several things.

  The feelings were shoved to the back of her mind when her vision of the wall flickered for a moment, growing distorted as if she were looking through water. Keeping her back straight while her hands were relaxed and resting in her lap, Kanieta turned her head slightly to the right as the distortion took up more of her view.

  Without warning, the borders of the canopy flickered, and the world outside became dimmer and tinged in grey. Then, one after another, a procession of servants entered the tent from seemingly thin air carrying chairs to place around the outer edge of the canopy. After they were done, they stood behind the chairs, and the clan leaders and elders of the Redtail Faction walked to take their spots.

  As they settled down, they looked at Kanieta, their expressions ranging from indifferent to annoyed. "Why have you summoned us here, Faction Leader?" Rumbled Elder Heklomap, a large gray-haired bear with many scars covering his body. His face was wrinkled and worn from time, but even in his old age, there was a strength radiating off him.

  Many elders grumbled in agreement as they had to walk miles to make it here, a place that could not be considered safe with a legion nearby whose leadership had proven to be untrustworthy. "I have asked you to gather to inform you that I am going to resign from the positions of chieftain and faction leader."

  "What!"

  "Is this a trick!"

  "Yes! About damn time!"

  Kaneita could hear Elder Lurta sigh in resignation to the side as the others reacted to her declaration. But she didn't see her reaction, as Kanieta glared at the old crone with a patchy tail who was celebrating by cackling.

  Once the outburst settled down, a male fox whose hair was silver except for a splash of red on the tip of his ears asked, "What brought you to this decision. Besides the one who has a personal grudge against you," he threw an annoyed look at the crow still chuckling to herself, before continuing, "We have all come around to support you. You have proven yourself more than enough for that."

  "Yes, I have." Kaneita agreed, "which is why you should all accept my decision that I am no longer the one to lead our faction or stand on the Counsel." Seeing that there was still doubt in the eyes of those before her, she sighed, knowing she would have to justify her decision to them. "Do you all know how I was originally granted the position of Chieftain of the Ninetail Clan?"

  "You weren't given a hair plucked from my ass!" Shrieked Elder Yourtomi as she used her cane to lift her hunched-over body onto her feet and leveled a knarled finger at Kanieta. "You sold your soul to the Letairry to claim cursed powers for yourself, then assassinated my grandson the day of his appointment! He was going to break tradition and become the first male to lead the clan, and you killed him! Next to him, you are nothing but a harlot defiling your position and all of us by association!"

  Looking placidly at the old woman whose eyes were trying to bulge out of her face as she attempted to kill Kanieta with the pure hatred radiating from her eyes, Kaneita smiled back. Her smile showed more of her fangs than could be considered friendly, but she didn't care as she said, "Exactly."

  Blinking in surprise, Yourtomi fell back into her chair. Turning to the others, Kanieta continued, "I wasn't appointed because I was good with words or convincing others. I am gifted — No, I am blessed — in one area alone. I understand magic. And I used my gift to exploit one of our oldest traditions… The strongest rules.”

  As she spoke, Kanieta formed her mana into a spell form. All at once, the shadows under the canopy, as few and shallow as they were at midday, began to writhe and deepen, becoming endless pits of darkness that had no bottoms. As if tied to strings, the shadows stretched toward her, spreading over the ground until they could creep up her chair and reach her.

  The shadows wrapped around and down her arms like a second skin, coalescing into a physical state. Kanieta impassively inspected her fingers for a moment before she flexed the Shadow Claws encasing her hands, showing them off.

  The spell was the first one she created, and it was the one she killed Grotylop with. "I didn't do it because I craved power. If I had a choice, I would have isolated myself to pursue my magic. But I saw that wouldn't be an option. We were losing the war. The Letairry had changed, and we could no longer resist their combined strength. Everyone was caught up in their own delusions to the point they could not see the reality bearing down on us. The Kin would either adapt or be annihilated. No one else would or could see what was inevitable to my eyes. So I took power and forced my will onto all of you one after another."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Clenching her fist, Kanieta released the spell, and the shadows dripped away from her flesh, burning away into black smoke in the light. Kanieta looked at the elders and chieftains and gave them a tired smile. "And as I forced you to change, to see, you saw our bleak reality. With every step after that, you saw your situation improve, and as the light at the end of the tunnel drew closer, it became easier to take the next step. But I hated every moment of it. Ruling… is so tiring. But I committed myself to a path, and I walked it. And now I have reached its end. We arrived in a new land. A new home. We have a city. Other factions are constructing their own cities deeper in the forest or the edges of the mountains. I held on and achieved everything I set out to and more, but there was no one who could step forward to take my burden from me. But now… well, Heckarock did all this on my little excursion."

  Kanieta gestured to the wall. A wall that defended from two foes while securing a source of food and showing the Kin's strength all in the same move. "I never thought of the idea until it was suggested. More than that, he positioned the Kin to ally with the 15th Legion to defend their home. To not just defend their city but make the Olimpians come to us and ask for our help. I am a mage. Arguably, I am the best mage born in a hundred years and perhaps in the entire history of our people, and my time is wasted dealing with your petty squabbles. More than that, while I am adequate at being a chieftain and faction leader, I am not good at it. Nor do I want a job I despise anymore. So, I will step down from my position, and I suggest Heckarock take my place."

  “…I guess we know why Heckarock was sent out as a messenger again." Chuckled Haclomap into the silence. "But, what of the counsel? Should you step down as clan leader, which we still have not accepted, you will also step down as Faction Leader on the Council. We will lose almost all of your authority in one move."

  Looking at the old bear, who looked indifferent about the topic, Kanieta couldn't stop her lips from twitching downward. "Do you actually care? I would think that you, of all people, would want to end this meeting and take a nap."

  "Play with my grandkids and then maybe take a nap," Corrected the old bear, returning a kind smile. "But the point is valid and must be addressed. The sooner we cover it, the sooner I can go home." There were some grunts of annoyance and exasperation, but no one else spoke up, meaning there was a tacit agreement that Kanieta needed to address the subject.

  "How great will you have our power grow?" Kanieta answered by asking a question, looking at Lurta from the corner of her eye, and seeing her smirk in approval. "Our main adversary on the Council is gone. The Redtail led the Kin to a new home. Finally, after decades, we have room to breathe and grow again. My word is effectively law right now, and how many of the other factions are already grumbling about it? I haven't even done anything, and I bet you have all been probed on how far I will push my authority."

  Waiting for everyone to begrudgingly nod or speak in confirmation, Kanieta smiled in victory. "I see two options. We, the Redtails, can attempt to take command of everything, which will worsen the civil war and drive other factions into Derg's arms, weakening us before the Olimpians and Letairry. Or I step down. Either way, a new equilibrium needs to be reached with new players who envision what the future looks like."

  "You say that like you don't intend to be present." Elder Lurta cut in, making Kaneita flinch. "Even if you step down, your words will still hold weight. Even if the title is not granted — which would be a mistake on our part — you will be an elder of the clan and faction. Besides, what is it you plan to do?"

  Lifting her chin and looking around, Kanieta cautiously began speaking, "Well, long term… I would like to find a mate that I will not have to emasculate by ordering them around. Delving into more magic without constantly being bothered by updates on the faction would be nice, too."

  "Baah," sneered Elder Gotophi. "If a man can not withstand guidance, what good is he? Better to find one who knows how to listen to a woman's opinion; as always, your vision is lacking. But what can one expect of a prude always locked up in her office or running through the forest?"

  “…Really?" Kaneita asked, her eyes squinting at the other woman in irritation. "As I am going to resign, I guess this is as good a time as any… Gotophi, your opinion — in general, but this matter specifically — is worse than worthless. You are a flee-bitten rabid bitch who humiliated her mate to the point he fled the faction with your sister to escape you. The sniveling lap dog you call a servant doesn't like you. He would sleep with anyone willing to step on him and degrade him, but you are the only one willing to tarnish yourself in such a way, as you are projecting your anger for your former mate onto him. You are miserable, and everyone with eyes can see it, and all your advice is intended to make everyone as miserable as you."

  "What did you say to me?!" Screeched the elder, her face flushed as veins throbbed on her forehead. She started to get up as the others in the meeting looked on in a mixture of shock and amusement, but Haclomap reached over to stop her. She threw his hand to the side, but he stopped her long enough for her to regain some modicum of composure as she hissed out while settling back into her chair. "How dare you speak to me like that! You may lead our faction, but we have such things as decorum and etiquette in our society, and we have rules. I am an Elder, and I have earned respect. I demand you kneel and apologize to me to make up for your insults."

  A cruel smile twisted Gotophi's face, and her eyes burned with the desire to see Kaneita bowing down before her. Kanieta smiled back at the bitch she had been tiptoeing around for years. Calmly, in no hurry at all, Kanieta calmly started, "No." Causing the other woman's face to sour. "While you might be able to hold me in my position, that doesn't mean I can't force your hand. The longer I remain as the Faction Leader, the less… courteous I will become."

  "Enough Kaneita." Elder Lurta cut in a clipped voice, "We have all understood your point. Gotophi, I apologize on her behalf. And girl, you seem to be avoiding what your plans are for the short term."

  Scowling at her mentor for calling her "girl" and reminding everyone that she was indeed avoiding that question, Kanieta sighed as she said, "I plan to head south."

  "I have heard of your plans to shield yourself from the Call." Lurta said, "I didn't try to stop your orders to Haclomap to secure passage to Olimpia on the pretext of a diplomatic envoy." That statement caused a gasp of shock to fill the tent as the others looked at Lurta, suddenly forgetting the previous topic. "But I must ask, how confident are you in this?"

  "Green and I have worked together over the last weeks, and I believe we are on the right track. We are, at least, able to cut off the call for a short time. However, some issues still need to be worked out. At the very least, I am willing to risk my life on the mission."

  "Saying you are willing to risk your life to discover what is at the bottom of a dark hole by jumping into it means less than you think."

  "That was one time!" Kanieta snapped back. "How was I supposed to know you are keeping snakes trapped at the bottom!"

  "By asking and being patient," Lurta said in a disappointed tone before sighing. "As much as I hate to admit it, she has a point. She never took to my teachings of politics well."

  "So we have agreed on my resignation?" Kanieta stated, excited as she started to get up.

  "No!" Lurta snapped. "While you have reasonable justifications for stepping down, we must decide how we will handle the event if it happens at all. Not to mention that we all need time to think on the matter and address other issues we think of."

  Letting out a whining groan of pain that Kanieta didn't try to hide, she flopped back into her chair. They might be able to hold her in this meeting and a couple more for now, but that time will soon change! Kanieta promised herself as she suffered through what she hoped would be one of the last meetings she would ever have as Faction Leader.