Kon, 1,000 years ago...

Kitaya stretched her arms over her head, a sense of invigoration filling her body, akin to how she felt after a successful flight, or learning a tough maneuver. Had she known sooner that something as simple as a protest could be so powerful, she would've opted for that instead of fighting Mellidius for the Behemoth.

Even as she walked into the dining hall, the chants of the demonstrator filtered into the room, just as strong as they were the previous day. The Ravinians sat on one side of the table, the King, a girl Kitaya hadn't met yet and two guards flanking them. One of said eyed her with lips twisted as she made her way to her seat.

Eriani was at the helm, flanked by Kemah, Mellidius and Shara. They only offered her cursory looks as she came into the chamber.

"Good morrow, family." Kitaya took her place at the table and poured herself a helping of tea. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"So you can bring your hordes of screaming animals to ruin it?" Mellidius scoffed. "I swear of all the nonsensical stunts you've pulled this is by far the lowest."

She arched a delicate brow. "I'm sure the people of Kon would love to know that their future King thinks them animals for exercising their right to protest. I'll be sure to pass on the message for you, Mellidius."

The girl startled and dropped her tea, spilling the scalding liquid on her hands. She bit back her lip and probably a swear or two as she shook her fingers to cool them.

Kitaya hid her laugh behind her tea. Poor thing was as jumpy as a hare.

"You need to be more careful, Raylen," Damian said, taking the girl's hands in his.

Raylen wrenched her hands from his grasp. "Just stop, papa."

Kitaya was sure if she should smile at the discord before her or cringe at the use of that human term.

The Ravinian King frowned. "What's the matter with—"

"I told you we shouldn't have come here!" she screeched. "These people hate us! They'd rather see us dead!"

He kept his voice gentle. "That's not true."

"It is true," Kitaya said with a snort. She folded one leg over the next and stroked the dagger-like spear tip of the Behemoth. "In fact, the only reason you're not skewered against a wall is due to the immunities the Queen has granted you."

One of the guards shot up from his seat fast enough for it to hit the ground. Hand on his blade and mouth fixed in a snarl, he looked ready to pounce over the table.

She dared him with a wicked smile.

"No, Garrett." The King grabbed the guard by the arm. "Do not fall prey to her taunts. We are better than this."

Garret righted his chair and sat down, but his snarl remained, even as he dug into his food.

"How disappointing." Kitaya hadn't had an excuse to use the Behemoth since she got it.

"Enough." Eriani dabbed at her lips with a delicate silk napkin. "I will get the medics to check the child's hands." She cut her eyes to Kitaya. "Get out."

"As her Majesty commands." Kitaya rose from her seat and gave a deep bow to the head of the table before leaving the room. The Head Archivist was just beyond the door, book in hand as always.

"Oh, Kitaya. Just the woman I wanted to see," he said with a smile. "I'd like to speak with you about the protests. Will you have time this afternoon?"

"Of course. I can't say where I'll be, but follow the crowds and you'll find me." She gave him a smile and a wave before hurrying down the hall.

That little meeting didn't yield as much as she'd wanted, but it was nice knowing their protest was having an effect. If they could figure out a way to use the girl – Raylen's – fear to their advantage, the Ravinians would be off their lands soon enough.

Kitaya exited the castle grounds through the west gate where she met Rehema and Ade. The protestors marched around the castle walls their stomps and shouts filling the morning air.

"Anything to report?" Rehema asked over the noise.

"The King seems utterly unphased, his charge however was adamant about them not coming here, got quite loud at the table." Kitaya paced in front of them. "We'll need to break her. Mentally, I mean. I think if we—"

Ade scoffed. "That's it? We've been marching for hours. These people want action not a princess throwing a tantrum."

She sighed. "They're under the crown's protection. Laying a finger on them would be akin to treason. And I already said we're not barbarians, Ade. We protest peacefully or not at all. I don't want Kon in shambles when the Ravinians leave."

He exhaled. "Fine." And sauntered off into the crowd. Kitaya watched his back and shook her head. There were others that thought like him, wanting to drive the Ravinians out of Kon by force. She thought she'd made their goals clear, but for some, walking and shouting would ever be enough.

Rehema laid a hand on her shoulder. "Pay him no mind, my lady. I think everyone is a little hot and tired by now. We should convene in the marketplace to rest and refuel, so by afternoon we'll have our strength."

Kitaya gave a nod. She was tired, herself and they needed to regroup. According to what she'd gleaned from castle and market gossip, something was happening near the west gate. "Tell everyone to disperse."

***

Hours later Kitaya led the crowd to the west gate and took in the scene. The royals sat on the city's outer wall, flanked by guards and Lyberra. She spotted Chaga amongst their ranks, his golden fur bright and glossy. The breach was clogged with Konian soldiers flitting here and there like busy worker bees.

Flyers lined the inner wall, their colourful, ceremonial garb giving them the appearance of jewels in the savanna sun. A Lyberra demonstration. Normally the queen would ask Kitaya to arrange such things, since no one could command the skies quite like her.

"Where shall we set up, my lady?" Rehema asked, fanning herself with a fan made from thin strips of wood. Even in the blistering, midday heat she had the poise and decorum of an aristocrat.

Kitaya bit down on her thumbnail. No doubt Eriani had instructed the soldiers to clog the breach so they couldn't march outside the gates and they couldn't access the top of the walls without going through there. "Along the inner wall. Make sure everyone has enough water."

"Of course. Oh, and the Archivist said to meet him at the night market."

Kitaya gave a nod and squeezed her way through the throngs of people into a market alleyway. The night market, as Rehema had called it, was a two story wood and stone structure that turned into a lively party after dark. Food, music and wares filled the place in a way the sun couldn't, along with crowds of people from near and far that came to enjoy Kon's night life. But now it stood empty, save the lone man who stood on its second-floor balcony.

"We meet again, lady Kitaya," Samiel said as she came up the steps. He nodded to the crowds of people lining up alongside the inner wall. "Quite spectacular what you've done here today. I doubt even Eriani thought you could gather such a crowd."

She leaned against the guardrail, her cheeks burning a little. "It wasn't all me. Rehema and the other vendors gathered the people."

"Ah, but they rallied under you, did they not?" Samiel appraised her ensemble. "And whose idea was it to transform you into our beloved third ruler."

"That was all me." A horn blared in the distance, drawing Kitaya's attention to the flyers gathered on the wall. Lyberra flew in from both directions and their riders dove from the wall like swans to meet them. She rolled her eyes and stifled the yawn crawling up her throat. Amateur nonsense.

"Not impressed my lady?" Samiel asked. "Or do you wish to be up there as well?"

"And embarrass myself with those baby maneuvers? I could fly like that blindfolded and hogtied." She held a hand up against the glare of the sun and frowned when ten flyers broke off from the formation and flew west. Perhaps she'd spoken too quickly, and they were setting up an advanced maneuver.

"I take it that is not your doing." Samiel guided her attention to the edges of the outer wall, where thick shadows pooled like water.

Kitaya squinted. No, not shadows. People. Hundreds of them. A second horn blared, different this time. It carried the primal edge of a battle cry. Pandemonium erupted on the outer wall as a horde of figures cloaked in black converged on the royals. Even from her vantage point, Kitaya could see their faces tinged red with war paint. But she moved her eyes quickly back to the flyers. The ten who broken off from the pack circled back over the river.

She traced the pattern of their flight, and her heart rattled in her chest. The cyclone flight formation. "Oh no..."

[A/N]: I apologise, but I'm going to have to break this chapter into two parts. I haven't been feeling well at all this week, and this is as much as I could edit while feeling like utter garbage. I'll release the other half of this chapter some time during this week. Thanks for understanding.

~Tempest