Chapter 11: The Reckoning
Jagón’s heart trembled from the very moment the light of that shield first washed over the spectators in the arena.
There was only one person, one family that could wield that bloodskill, and unfortunately for the panther knight, he wasn’t the only to recognize the golden light of the Peacekeeper’s Shield that day.
The sound of claws digging into wood filled his hearing from the seat beside him. Jagón turned to the knowing lion, only to be met with an intimidating scowl from his king.
Alocer’s fists were clenching tightly upon the armrests of his seat, threatening to splinter the ornamental wood from the very force of the grip.
His upper lip was pulled back into a disdainful snarl, his eyes conveying exactly how pissed off at the other big cat’s really big fuck-up he currently was.
Jagón lowered his head and stood, knowing what came next. If somehow his son survived this, the panther would kill him himself. Even through his anger, the great knight winced at his poor internal dialogue.
That was now the very likely outcome anyway. The panther shuddered as the crowd grew silent. Aster had been exposed as a human by the tiger, and everything after soon descended into madness.
The roaring, disdainful sounds of the crowd made the arena tremble. Many in attendance were shouting vulgarities and other such obscenities down at the young boy.
Aster tried to do exactly as his caretaker Javis had instructed him to in this situation, to stand and raise his head up high, meeting the roars of disapproval head on.