Chapter 12: Black Heart
Stahl took a moment to identify the judges, and then her vision darted to the boy kneeling in the center of the room. His torso was nearly bared now save for a few lingering pieces of wrap near his waist.
Through her father’s blurry eyes, Stahl could only make out a certain degree of detail about the creature, but she could see brown looking fur on it’s head, not that she didn’t already see that much from his seat during the reveal.
The she-wolf could only really make out the silhouette and colors of his friend, and wasn’t able to get a clear look at the thing’s face again. For some reason, she found herself really wanting to. Then King Alocer started speaking again.
"To further elaborate on the reason we find ourselves here today, I will begin with a basic recounting of the night I allowed the human before you to live. Roughly two decades past, upon Alora bringing the final human country to their knees, Jagón received news of a terrible tragedy striking his house, the loss of both his wife, and his newborn cub... In his despair, he clung to the boy you see before you today. Some of you were there when he walked out of that castle all bloodied and carrying the damn thing. As a king earlier that same night, I had made an oath to a friend I should not have, and thus allowed for the boy to live. Admittedly, more as a means to pacify my wounded knight who had stood by me through all of my battles. I gave him three stipulations. Jagón, do you remember what they were?" The king paused in his recount, awaiting the panther’s response.
"Keep it out of sight. Keep it on a leash... And if it ever brandished a blade, You’d make me kill it with my own claws."
Aster shuddered at his father’s words, the same ones Jagón could never forget. He was grateful to hear them once, but now they brought far less comfort to the panther.
"I’m glad you remember, old friend." The lion looked almost sympathetically towards his knight before continuing. "With the situation clarified, let’s move forward. Judges, I turn it over to you, ask what you need, decide accordingly. Make your point and cast your vote. Alice, would you please apply the swearing so we may begin?"
The lion took his seat while the mage rose from her own. She whimsically pranced up to the boy, brought her gaze only inches away from his own, and smiled at him while she stared blankly into his eyes.
Aster wasn’t sure what to think about the petite calico cat standing directly in front of him at first. Then he thought about how sharp her claw was as it poked itself into his chest while the cat muttered under her breath.