Suddenly, the silence was shattered. A bear soldier, Peekol, burst into the library, panting, his voice strained. "Gravixor! You must hurry! Grixie—!"
Gravixor and Braxill jolted awake, their eyes snapping open. "Peekol, what happened?" Gravixor demanded, her concern immediately heavy.
"She's been taken by Delta Robots!" Peekol gasped, tears welling in his eyes.
"Who took Grixie?" Braxill cried, scrambling upright, a new wave of fear washing over him.
"We have to go right away," Gravixor rumbled, already moving, her comforting presence shifting to fierce determination.
When Gravixor and Braxill arrived back at the village, a part of it was already destroyed, smoke rising from shattered homes. Grinex stood beside Grutix, their faces grim and etched with fury.
"Grutix, Grinex, what happened?" Gravixor asked, her voice tight with anguish.
"They ambushed us, Gravixor," Grinex growled, his fists clenched. "They took several bears, including Grixie. They just... appeared, and there was nothing we could do."
"No!" Braxill shouted, his small body trembling. "We have to save her!"
"That's exactly what we are going to do," a deep voice declared. Braxill turned to see Grax standing there, his imposing figure radiating calm strength. All the bears who remained in the village sighed with profound relief at their chieftain's presence.
"I can leave immediately with several soldiers!" Grinex urged, ready to spring into action.
"No, Grinex," Grax commanded firmly. "You stay here and protect the village. It's vulnerable now."
"Leader, please!" Grinex pleaded, his voice thick with guilt. "This happened on my watch! Let me make up for my mistake!"
Grax placed a comforting paw on Grinex's shoulder. "Grinex, this isn't your fault. No one could have predicted this. But I need you here. I'll go after Grixie."
Suddenly, a soldier bear rushed forward. "Grax! You have been requested on video call!"
"Video call?" Grax repeated, surprised.
"Yes, Leader!" the soldier confirmed. "All tribal leaders, including the Zoner Knights, are on call right now. They've all been attacked by Delta Robots."
Grax's eyes narrowed. "So the Monkey King was right after all." He placed his hand on Braxill's head, his gaze firm. "Braxill, I need you to go with Gravixor and Grinex to save Grixie. Follow their lead, use your Art wisely and remeber pace yourself to avoid exhaustion."
Braxill nodded, determination hardening in his young eyes, his fear momentarily overshadowed by purpose. Grinex, without a word, lifted Braxill onto his shoulder, and in an instant, he took off along with Gravixor, leaving behind a powerful gust of wind as they sprinted towards the forest.
Grax watched them go, a profound ache in his chest. "I am sorry, Grixie," he whispered to the empty air. "I couldn't be there to save you."
The Intercepted Council
Grax entered his chambers, the gravity of the situation heavy on his mind. He sat before his communication screen, and immediately, the faces of the other tribal leaders filled the display: Coyote Nyte Fang, her eyes sharp and unreadable; the wise and serious Monkey King; Leader Sunscales of the Lizard Tribe, his reptilian face etched with worry; Father Heart, the revered elder of the Deer Tribe; and Lanni, the formidable commander of the Zoner Knights, his expression grim.
A tense silence hung over the holographic meeting.
"These Delta Robots have struck everywhere," Jett began, his voice strained. "Our Zoner territories, traditionally overseen by the Knights, were immediately rallied, but the attacks were too swift. They've snatched countless people. This 'reinstatement of the selection'... it's a barbaric violation of the Treaty Act set by the original rulers of Dear Point!"
Nyte Fang, ever the calm strategist, nodded gravely. "We must act fast. Their audacity is unprecedented."
Jett "But first we should try to consider the Kings motives, perhaps we can resolve this issue through non partisonship".
The Monkey King, his usual exuberance replaced by solemnity, agreed. "This aggression against all our peoples confirms the King's true intentions. We must unify, negotiating is niave."
Leader Sunscales, however, shifted uncomfortably. " I agree with the 2nd leader of the zoner knights... fighting the Royal Family? That's a losing battle. Our forces are not equipped for open war with their technology. Perhaps compromising is more important than fighting."
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"Exactly," Father Heart chimed in, his voice surprisingly firm. "Retaliation will only make it worse. We must find a way to negotiate, to survive."
"Compromise?" Lanni scoffed from a blank screen, his frustration evident. "King Mr. Green is starving our people! For the last three months, we've received no resources for food or water, pushing our already impoverished territories to the brink of collapse. There is no compromise with a tyrant who starves his own."
Jett grit his teeth in objection to Lanni "Always causing trouble Lanni."
Midway through their heated discussion, the holographic call suddenly glitched, then flickered wildly with static, a distorted, green-hued image of a sneering face momentarily appearing. The tribal leaders froze, recognizing the signature interference. The static cleared, and the screen was now dominated by the cold, impassive face of King Mr. Green.
A long, agonizingly awkward silence stretched, broken only by the faint hum of the holographic projector. King Mr. Green simply stared at them, a slow, almost imperceptible smile spreading across his face.
He didn't speak immediately, letting the tension build, allowing the tribal leaders to squirm under his unblinking, all-knowing gaze. He casually adjusted a cuff, then smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from his pristine uniform, his eyes still lazily sweeping over each of their distressed faces.
Finally, he leaned closer to the projection, a soft, purring chuckle escaping him, amplified to fill the chamber with an unsettling echo. Suddenly Mr. green began to giggle and soon the giggle advance to sinister laughter.
"Oh, dear," he drawled, his voice dripping with condescension and mock concern. "I'm so sorry. Did I interrupt something?" His smile widened, a thin, cruel line. "A little... alliance meeting, perhaps? How quaint. Planning a tea party, were we?"
Monkey King "How did you infiltrate our meeting?"
King Mr. green "You animals are as dumb as the ancient books say, no wonder past humans enslaved you all. But I'll tell you the obvious. The royal district is made up of 90% cyborg with advance tech all the way from Arkvine so it's a given we would be able to hack your feeble meetings with your shity wifi "
Monkey King "I'd say our connection is as good as yours."
The Tribe leaders including the 2nd Zoner Leader Jett were frozen. The Kings presence chocking them.
Jett interviens pleading with the king "Your highness, this meeting is not a secret we are simply trying to understand your current shift in politics. You were loved by both zoners and animals. The people beleived in you. please explain yourself!"
He then adopted a more formal, yet still chillingly detached tone. "Due to 'further examination' and 'Post-War Instability' throughout the Skylands, I am reinstituting the annual selections."
He continued, weaving a deceptive narrative. "After years of rebellion and rising crime, unregulated Art is causing power surges, rogue factions, and ecosystem instability throughout the Skylands. This so-called 'Art Overload Syndrome' – the overuse of Art without proper regulation – causes mental deterioration or even Abi collapse, leading to madness or irreversible biological mutations. This is a matter of 'public safety theater.'" He asserted, "The population is far too grand for the scarce resources of these islands. This problem can only be solved by forced culling, and there is no way for you to prove me wrong, even if I am hahahahaha."
A wave of dread washed over the tribal leaders. He then revealed the most chilling part of his decree. "Furthermore, the war against the 'Ls' has escalated. Some Zoners will now be chosen to partake directly in this war as well. They will serve the kingdom in a more... direct capacity."
Jett "King, this is diabolical and you must reconsider".
King Mr. Green "Hmmm, let me think........no hahahaha"
When the Zoner and animal leaders, despite their fear, pushed back, protesting the barbarity of his claims, the ominous Elda Knights and the Priest subtly stepped forward in the King's holographic projection, their silent presence a clear, chilling threat. The implication was clear: refuse, and face direct, lethal retribution.
Just as the King prepared to deliver his final statement, Grax, his massive form trembling with controlled fury, rose slowly to his full height. His eyes, usually calm, blazed with a fierce, protective fire.
"You will regret this day, King Mr. Green!" Grax's voice rumbled, shaking the very air in his chamber. It was a roar, full of a primal challenge. "You have broken the sacred treaty with the Animals of Deer Point! You have taken what is ours, and you will pay for it!"
The King's condescending smile warped into a wide, almost deranged grin. He threw his head back and let out a chilling, hysterical laugh that echoed eerily through the communication channel. "Hahahaha! Foolish bear! Pay for it? You will be paying with your very lives! Let it be known!" he declared, his voice cutting through his laughter. "The bears will be the first to die if they defy me! You will be an example to all who question my will!"
Leader Sunscales flinched, his scales momentarily losing their luster. Father Heart's eyes widened in alarm, a gasp escaping him.
The Monkey King, seeing their wavering resolve, interjected, his voice firm and urgent. "Sunscales! Father Heart! He shows you his true colors! He speaks of 'order' but brings only tyranny! Have courage! Do not let fear blind you to the truth of this tyrant! Act before it is too late! Before he consumes us all, one by one!"
King Mr. Green scoffed, regaining his composure. "The annual selection is scheduled to happen in precisely one week. Prepare your populations for compliance." The call then abruptly cut off, leaving the tribal leaders in stunned, furious silence, the King's menacing laughter still ringing in their ears.