Within the hall where the most respected and feared creatures of Hortus's lower floors gathered there was yet another heated argument going on
"I say we throw them in the swamp"
"What a darned suggestion, do you believe it would set a good example to the others?"
"Good? No, effective? Yes, plenty effective"
"You know if we wanted effective we could always send you down there to scare them off with your cute roar"
"Groaar! Say that again you snappy twig"
"Is it just me or did your roar go up another octave again"
"Grrrr"
One might wonder whom the two sides arguing were, but to everyone else in the room there was no need to do so for it could not be anyone but the hot tempered duo that flamed up every meeting like two ex's meeting at a party
Not in the mood for their antics Latvia interrupted them before the discussion spiraled out of hand, this was supposed to be a meeting for the leaders of the tower and not this childish debate on what to do with a few beasts trying to sneak into the middle floors
"Drop it both of you, the matter is not so important that it would require so much time to be wasted, lets us focus on the next issue, as for this one we could always give a moderate non-lethal punishment and decrease the probability of it happening by increasing the security on the stairs"
A reasonable suggestion that had no downside, which was her way of putting extra eyes on their borders with Genus Insania, the group had been far too active for her liking and any excuse to prevent more disasters like the last from happening, or almost happening thanks to YuJu nipping it in the bud
"Our next problem is one that might require the input of everyone present, the issue concerns the sighting of formidable dragons in the dead zone close to our terrace"
"What sort of dragons?"
Asked Basu, finally hearing something other than the usual pesky problems of the ever troublesome power struggle within the tower
"All types, so many I almost couldn't believe my drones"
"How come you've only spotted them now? Shouldn't we have an alert zone extending to the High Walls?"
"That's the weird thing, it's like they just popped out of nowhere, there was not a whiff of them before yesterday, now all of a sudden we have two dozen wreaking havoc randomly in an area where there is nothing to destroy at all"
This was indeed a matter requiring all of them to pool opinions together, nothing many things could pass Latvia's radar after all, well if you bar that Witness infiltrating their ranks
"I know! What if they are one of that secret lover's minions?"
Spoke out Gremm, as to who he was referring to everyone couldn't be any clearer, Secret Lover was the new nickname inked by this angry lion to YuJu, one that nobody objected to despite its tacky style
"Well they could be, I wouldn't think of anyone else that could sneak dragons in"
Latvia agreed after which Basu eagerly added another detail
"Could be one of those little Dreonates he has around, their smaller size might have tricked your sensors before but after 'growing up' they made an input on the radar"
"Hmm, that could also be possible, I will have to check the drone's memory for that"
And thus with almost no evidence it was all pinned on the none present YuJu who was unjustly accused without the ability to speak for himself, or so it appeared
"No~ Those are probably another groups' game"
Filtered in a wispy voice, followed by smoke filling the hall from all sides, closing in on the table where they sat and passing by the guards like they weren't even there
Creek!
This garnered an instant reaction from the generals, Gen summoned a wall of weird vines to cover Aminta's throne, Verbrand lit his branched hands in flames and plunged into the smoke in a flurry of punches, meanwhile, the rest took up defense around the table in readiness of any sudden attacks from the smoke
"Why does everyone have to be so hostile? Whether it's the strongest or the weakest of the bunch you all resort to violence as the first option"
An anthropoid shadow they couldn't be more familiar with took shape in an area Verbrand wasn't punching, not that it spared him the attacks since the old burned tree man appeared in front of him with that blazing fist like he teleported, smashing the shadow head into nothingness
"Nope, not gonna work"
Like his previous body was just a lie, which it very well could be, Ephai, the trader they couldn't be more familiar with appeared next to the table silently, unhurt and unbothered
"What brings you here, traveling trader Ephai"
"I see my reputation has already reached your ears dear commander of Vincula Hortus, it honors me to be known by the newest leader of this tower"
So he spoke, yet everyone was already frowning, newest? Why did he phrase it as such
"As uninvited and unpleasant your sudden visit maybe I still welcome you to have a talk, only next time be warned of your behavior, I am not so forgiving to outsiders like yourself stepping into my hall"
"That I shall bear in mind, please bear with my intrusion since I have important business with your group, one I cannot postpone even for pleasantries"
"Speak"
Ephai nodded and looked over everyone who already took their seats, except for Verbrand standing next to Aminta, ready for any sudden action this unknown entity might pull
"I have an official proposal for yourself, an Alliance proposal that fo sure would garner-" "Not interested" "-Eh?"
Rejected before he even spoke Ephai seemed at a loss for words, momentary however as he regained his computer immediately
"It is not forged by I" "I do not care who proposed it, we shan't enter an Alliance, end of discussion, if that is all you have then please leave, I am sure you are familiar with the way out"
Utterly inhospitable, zero tolerance, and a mind of steel, that was the Aminta they all knew, a wake-up call to all who got used to her mellowed way of dealing with YuJu, an exception they did not quite yet understand
"Huh, well, I did not think you were such leader, no matter tough for I have other means to propose the matter later, now however I would like to put up another proposal"
They all remained quiet, listing to the real reason he was here, everyone already knew the Alliance proposal might as well have been a joke, a cheap shot at best
"My offer is that of fair exchange, from your end a Watch Tower Seed-" "Just get out"
A burst of energy followed Aminta's voice, instantly dissipating all the smoke in the hall without so much as lifting a finger"
"....That's rude"
Resounded his voice, followed by the smoke trailing back in
"Now I know why you are known as an iron fist leader, truly no second thought to your actions"
"Watch you mouth fool!"
Burst out Verbrand, his flames burning away at the smoke until nothing was left again
"....."
This time silently, the smoke came in once more, appearing to have an inexhaustible supply that they could not truly harm
pαпᵈα-noνɐ1·сoМ "What part of Leave do you not understand"
Latvia commented seeing the shadow gaze at them in silence
"The part where you missed my side of the exchange"
"There is nothing you could have that could compare to a watch Tower Seed"
"Really? Even info that could decide how this tug of war between you and the blood maniac could end?"
"....."
"Oh~ Do I have your attention now?"
Laughing a little creepily Ephai took his time to walk to one of the two empty seats on the table, but before he sat down Gen gave him a murderous stare that spelled doom if he sat his wispy behind on it
While it would just take him a few seconds to come back after getting attacked he decided against the matter and walked to the other seat, this time receiving glares from both Latvia and the hot tempered rattan
"You are a tough crowd"
He spoke, then produced his own chair from smoke to sit on
"Vincula Hortus, a tower forever trapped in war, for it was born to house its evildoers, such a place could not be cleansed of its sins even after millenniums, leading us to this day where it has been divided between three factions, each their own agenda to rule the place"
General knowledge, or so most would believe, those present weren't just part of the most, they were keen enough to catch onto his peculiar way of introducing it
"Yet all that is known about the tower merely scratches the surface, how you wonder? Well look no further than your window, where the view of the terrace lays"
"You sound like a guy who loves riddles, and I hate riddles, so you better get to the point or I will smack you right through"
Flared up Gremm, one of the few times everyone was in support of his opinion
"Hmm? Have I not shed enough light on the matter? Unless your vocabulary is lacking and you know not what a terrace is"
"You!" "A patio of sorts, what of it"
Basu interrupted before the lion could turn this bloody, not that his claws could really tear that smoke apart for good
"Have you ever wondered why it is called that?"
"Because it is small compared to the tower, like a detached land"
"So one might believe, but what if…"
Ephai leaned in, they could almost see the grin forming on his nonexistent face
"...What you thought was the front yard was merely the roof garden"
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