6. Zoldryn

6

ZOLDRYN

I stand before the Elder and the shifter community, my heart pounding in my chest. The magical female is too valuable to lose, so I have no other choice but to convince them to spare the lives of the wreck survivors.

"We should spare these creatures," I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

Nindre glares at me, her eyes narrowed to slits. "They are not like us," she hisses. "They do not belong here."

I clench my fists, mastering my outrage. "That is no reason to kill them," I reply. "We are not savages."

The Elder regards me with a cold, calculating gaze. "And what would you have us do with them, Zoldryn?" he asks.

"Let them live," I say, my voice firm.

Nindre lets out a snarky scoff, crossing her arms. "And do what? Take up more resources?"

I take a deep breath, searching for the right words to appeal to the Elder's devotion to our goddess. "These humans may hold valuable intel about our enemy and the outside world," I say, my voice steady and confident. "With the rip in the glamour, their knowledge could be useful to us."

The Elder's eyes narrow, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. He's considering my words, weighing the potential benefits against the risks.

Nindre scoffs again, her voice dripping with disdain. "And how do you propose we extract this information from them?" she asks. "They are weak and frail, hardly capable of withstanding our interrogation methods."

I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to snap back at her. Instead, I focus on the Elder, who still seems to be mulling over my proposal. "We can be... smarter," I say, choosing my words carefully. "There are ways of extracting information without causing unnecessary harm."

The Elder regards me with a thoughtful expression, and for a moment, I think I've won him over. But then he turns to Nindre, his gaze cold and calculating. "What do you think, Nindre?" he asks. "Do you believe these humans could be of use to us?"

Nindre hesitates, her eyes flicking between the Elder and me. I can see the conflict in her expression - she wants to please the Elder, but she also wants to see the humans suffer.

"I think Zoldryn has gone soft," she says, eyes gleaming.

What a strange way to show your affection for someone.

I square my shoulders and meet Nindre's gaze head-on. "I have not gone soft," I say firmly. "I am simply being practical. The Hearthkeeper created us to rid the world of the vrakken, and yet we have been unsuccessful. These creatures have lived out in Protheka and are still alive. They could have valuable information to share on the vrakken and their weaknesses."

Nindre scoffs, but I can see a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "And what makes you think they would willingly share this information with us?" she asks.

"I never said it would have to be willingly," I reply.

The Elder regards me with a thoughtful expression. "This is an interesting proposition, Zoldryn," he says. "But how do we know we can trust these humans? They are not like us."

"We can't know for certain," I admit. "But we can take precautions. We can keep them under guard, and only allow them to speak to certain members of our community. We can also use our magic to detect any lies or deception."

Nindre rolls her eyes. "This is ridiculous," she says. "We are wasting our time on these weak creatures when we could be focusing on more important matters."

I clench my fists, feeling a surge of anger. "And what could be more important than finding a way to defeat the vrakken?" I ask. "They are a threat to all of us, and we cannot afford to ignore any potential advantage."

The Elder nods slowly. "Zoldryn makes a valid point, Nindre," he says. "Bring in the survivors for judgment."

I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the Elder has at least agreed to see them. My only hope is that he doesn't sense the level of power in the human girl that I do.

The chained survivors are brought forth, and my eyes immediately land on the frail human female. She looks even more fragile than before, her body trembling with fear as she struggles against her restraints. But despite her weak appearance, I can sense an immense power within her. It's like a beacon, drawing me in and making me wonder how such a pathetic creature could possess such strength.

I study her closely, trying to discern the source of her magic. It's unlike anything I've ever felt before, a raw and untamed energy that seems to pulse through her very being. I can't help but feel a sense of awe and fascination, mixed with a healthy dose of caution.

The elf sailor and the boy are brought forward as well, the only other survivor among countless corpses, but I barely spare them a glance. They're not important, not compared to the female. She's the one who could hold the key to my future reign, the one who can put me on the throne.