I’m curious to see what happens now. I hope it won’t be such a boring meeting that keeps going in circles.

Sarna raised her voice first.

“We want to change the situation, so we should negotiate our terms. I also like to start. Does anyone mind?”

Everyone shook their heads, and so she continued.

“I primarily represent the hunting guild, but I can speak on behalf of all three guilds. When we sign a contract, it is important for the guilds that there are no shapeshifters among the forest monsters. I would also like to make your village officially known so that traders and others can also visit your village. You could build an inn or stands.”

She paused briefly, letting everyone think about what was said.

“Maybe not at the beginning, but at a later point in time, a guild branch in your village might not be wrong. That was all on my part.”

She leaned back in her seat. Andro beckoned Isaak and whispered something in his ear. A moment later, Isaak spoke.

“We think the risk is too high, who can guarantee that people from other settlements and cities will approach us in a friendly manner? We understand the wish, and we want a firm trade route, but there has to be a safe way.”

...I’m sitting here now, but I don’t have much idea about diplomacy...

I wanted to change the situation, but I didn’t know-how.

“Ahem! I think it would be best if we four shapeshifters made our ideas known.”

The shapeshifter unknown to me spoke up. He let his gaze wander to Andro and Isaak.

“I think you’re right, Diron.”

Andro agreed, and Isaak also nodded in agreement.

“Thank you. Then I’ll read our ideas.”

Diron took out a scroll and started reading.

“We imagine that we are an independent race and thus have the right to self-government. We also want citizenship cards to be able to enter cities, or at least Astel, to be able to enter.”

He looked around once and lowered his eyes again to the roll.

“Lastly, we want the integration of other shapeshifting settlements, besides our settlement, there are four more we know about.”

“May I!”

Athem interrupted the speech.

“You’re welcome.”

“You’re talking about integrating, but… how should I put it, how can we integrate you if you manage yourself? You don’t even want to make the locations of your villages known. What I’ve heard from you so far is “We want,” but that’s not how it works. Each of us has to make a few concessions. I’m sitting here as a representative of Astel, and after the first two points, I would generally say, “Rejected, I’m out.” because none of this helps us. The only reason I’m still here is because of Irono.”

Wow, I wouldn’t have expected anything like that out of Athem’s mouth.

“I agree with Athem, no matter how I look at this, we have no reason to admit anything you want to contract with us, not the other way around.”

Sarna added her opinion. A feeling of discomfort spread across the conference room.

...

“Someone tea?”

It was the elf, Noven. With his action, I immediately noticed how the dense atmosphere became a little more relaxed.

He got up and took a metal jug and a cup from a small table. He sat down again and poured the coffee into the cup.

Nobody responded to what he was doing, but everyone was watching him, including me.

“I want to say something.”

I spoke up.

“I think I have the least understanding of how politics works, but I can understand the shapeshifter’s views because of my race.”

I stroked my horn with my hand. None of them knew of my actual race.

Her eyes turned to me.

“Regardless of how I turn it, concessions make no sense if both parties see no reason to want to change something on their part.”

“So, you want it to stay the way it is, and the meeting will end?”

Sarna asked me the question, and I shook my head.

“No, I think that you think in too small dimensions. You shouldn't try to change old things but create new ones. My idea would be that a settlement is built right around this watchtower. This shouldn't arise from one side alone, but from both together, so everyone has a reference to it, the shapeshifter villages can manage themselves. The settlement offers a connection to an existing trade route and enables them to trade. Shapeshifters who lives in this settlement get the right to receive an ID. Sarna would be able to build her guild branch as well.”

The room fell silent.

Andro, Isaak, and Diron put their heads together. At the same time, Sarna pushed a piece of paper, from Athem, over to me. I opened it and started to read it.

“Eris! The idea is good. There could be some difficulties on our part, but not from Astel or me, but my grandfather.”

His grandfather? What does he have to do with this whole thing? Not…

A dark thought occurred to me, but I didn’t know anything for sure.

“We think the idea is good, but we would like to add something. We would like the ID cards to go to every shapeshifter, not just the locals, but we would give up our self-government, which is what we mean by that we would like to send a “representative” to Astel to represent us.”

*clap* *clap*

Athem clapped his hands together.

“Now we can work! How about starting with a written contract to get the exact details.”

“Gladly.”

Andro agreed.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll write the contracts.”

Noven offered his help.

“You’re welcome.”

Sarna handed him two scrolls and a magic pen.

“Then let’s get started!”

...

 

===

 

...

“So…! That was probably all. Only your signatures are missing.”

Noven took the scrolls and handed one to Athem and the other to Andro. Both leave the scrolls from top to bottom.

“All correct.”

“I agree. Everything can stay that way.”

Andro and Athem agreed to the contract.

“So then!”

Noven first handed the pen to Andro, who immediately signed the document. The pen came back and went on to Athem, who also signed immediately. In the next step, Athem and Andro exchanged the scrolls, and Athem signed the second one. The pen then went to Andro, who also signed the second document.

“The seal is still missing, sir.”

“Ah, yes! The seal of grandfather.”

Athem took out a seal.

“Sarna, what is that symbol?”

I whispered to her.

“This? This symbol is the coat of arms of the noble family, “Von Eltenant.” from which also Athem comes.”

Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!

I could no longer think clearly. My family kept coming into my mind and the loss of them. No matter how much I wanted to suppress my feelings at that moment, I couldn't.

He is one of them! He's to blame for their death! Kill him!

Only evil thoughts dominated me, and before I knew it, I stood. The chair behind me crashed to the floor.

His death will free you from this agony! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

“E-Eris ...?”

Sarna said, my name, startled. But her voice never really came through me.

Before I noticed it, I was at the other end of the room. I grabbed Athem by the throat with my right hand and pressed his body against the wall. He still held the stamp in one hand and gasped.

Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

“What’s going on here!?”

Andro jumped up in shock.

“E-E-Eris, what-what are you doing!?”

Athem tried to talk to me.

The black flames gathered around my left hand.

Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

“Die!”

I was about to stab when something grabbed my left upper arm and kept me from killing him. Furious, I turned my gaze aside to stare at Irono’s face overflowing with tears.

“Wha-!?”

I slowly realized what I had just done or was about to do. I let the flames disappear and released my grip from Athem. Irono waited a moment, but let go. She immediately drew Athem and hugged him.

“Eris! What was that?”

Sarna asked me in a calm voice. As well as Irono, tears ran down my face, and my knees became weak. I dropped to my knees and covered my face with both hands.

“I think I know.”

Athem replied.

“You told her what the symbol means, am I right?”

“Yes, she asked me what this symbol stays for. I explained to her that it is your family symbol.”

Sarna answered his question.

“There you have it, didn’t you get it from the twins? Her family has been kidnapped and possibly killed since it was five years ago. Dario didn’t tell me who was behind it, but he said it was a difficult topic for Eris. Just now, she charged at me when she got to hear my family name. That probably means my family is behind it, so Dario probably didn’t say anything more precise.”

I only heard their voices in the background. I was lost in my thoughts that I couldn’t remember where the top and bottom were.

“I’m taking her to Daria and Dario. You should rest.”

Sarna’s voice came closer to me.

“Eris, can you get up?”

She spoke to me in a calm voice. I just made a short nod, and immediately she reached her hands out to me.

“Come on, let’s go.”

I took her hand carefully, and she helped me to get up. We left the conference room behind us.

Everything after this became vague in my thoughts.

 

===

 

It was until the evening hours that my thoughts became clear again.

I was sitting in one of the caravan carriages, with me were Dario, Daria, Sarna, and Athem & Irono. In return, Noven was outside and accompanied the caravan to save some gold.

“I think we should talk about something before we reach Astel.”

Sarna spoke to all of us.

“I think the same way. Maybe we can sort out a few things to smooth the arches.”

Athem agreed.

“Before you talk about anything, ask Eris first!”

Daria had a slightly angry tone.

“I-it’s okay, Daria.”

I reacted a little emotionless to Daria’s statement.

All eyes suddenly turned to me, since I hadn’t said a single word until just now.

“What!?”

I tried embarrassed to brush away the others.

“Nice that you are back.”

Daria hugged me.

“I am too.”

I whispered back.

“May I clarify something?”

Athem spoke.

Nobody answered, and so he started.

“My full name is Athem von Eltenant, third grandson of the Eltin counts and fifth in succession. My father is the count's second son. If you want to know exactly, I have no chance to change anything... My claim to the inheritance tends towards zero, which was the reason to sent me to Astel. You could say I was exiled because I couldn’t bear many grievances, which upset my grandfather.”

He paused for a moment.

“What I’m saying is I’m not a friend of what my grandfather had done or does! If he has something to do with the death of your parents, he deserves his punishment like everyone else!”

He distanced himself from his family.

“One last thing, I’m Athem, not sir or anything. I'm first and foremost a citizen of Astel!”

Irono patted his shoulder and smiled at him. When their two eyes met, their faces turned utterly red, and they turned their eyes away from each other.

“Then, will you help us?”

Dario asked him a question Daria also wanted to ask, her arms trembling a little nervously.

“You mean you want to clarify the case?”

Dario nodded.

“I will. How do we start?”

“Do you know the special section of the Admeras embassy?”

“The one that was thrown out of Eltin?”

“Yup, exactly that. Please come over there tomorrow. I think the leader would be happy to meet you.”

Athem nodded.

“It will be a pleasure for me!”

I suppressed a laugh because I imagined the two of them to be agents of an evil organization who wanted to make “secret” plans.