Chapter 5: The Main Quests

And in the last ten years, on account of being the vassals closest to the dragons, they had been the ones responsible for taking most of the territory of the Kora Lion Kingdom, even their capital city and ancestral home. Which these cold blooded fucks had turned into a cesspool of filth and agony.

It was all these things that made it so hard for Kren to just walk past Selvin. He made sure to return the shoulder bump, causing the Snake tribe prince to sputter in shock and indignation. But Kren said nothing as he opened the door to the carriage, Bernice followed him in, while the driver. A rather mousy looking Cat kin with fully white hair and ears, snapped the reins on the horses, prompting them to move on, as Selvin asked in confusion. "Did that bastard just ignore me?"

The rest of what he had to say was lost to the wind as the carriage pulled out of the boulevard and out into the main street of the capital, that led straight to the main gates. Kren drew the carriage’s blinds closed, blocking out the sound of the city, and sight of other things.

"I said to de-escalate the situation your majesty." Bernice said to Kren with a frown on her face. "What is wrong with you today, your acting completely out of control."

Kren couldn’t help it. He sneered as he surged across the space between them, his hands going around her neck. Aura thrummed within his body as it gave his voice a dull tremble, making it sound deeper, making it sound darker. "I. Am. In. Control!" Bernice held his gaze without so much as a blink.

"Are you?"

Kren blinked, returning back to his seat with a huff. Bernice crossed her legs, her military uniform stretched taught across muscular thick thighs that Kren had explored more times than he could possibly count.

There were more notifications to look through cause the screens still followed, but somehow they did not impede his vision. He thought back to the second quest he had received.

Marrying a wife and bonding with her. He looked at Bernice, she had once been under a pride bond, with his father. It was the Innate ability of the N’kora bloodline. Their bonds went a bit further than what most kings had with their subjects, or with their wives.

For an N’kora lion King to bond, it meant to share his power with his lionesses and they in turn will share theirs with him. Their innate abilities, command over their armies, and in some severe past cases, supplanting kingdom crests to become king over that species of beast kin. To put it simply, there was no bloodline more suited to sovereign leadership than that of the N’kora. And the dragons knew it.

That was why, they were all but wiped out. All that was left of the N’kora, of the black Lion bloodline as a whole was Kren. Their innate ability was a power that could take the powers of others, and give yours to them in return, and you could share that same power with others, stretching the connection and bond as far and wide as you could possibly do.

Such a power, was to be feared, because the only thing that could truly stand up against the dragons, was unity. And that was the last thing they wanted from the beast tribesmen.

It was why defeating them was futile. You would need to conquer every other beast kin tribe and vassal kingdom, unite them all under one banner.

Only by doing so, would they have even a fraction of a chance to bring the dragons down. Utilizing his bloodline’s unique innate skill would give him access to more power, more allies and they in turn would be able to bond with others, sharing the power and getting the same feedback as him, and that’s fed right back to him. Just like a pride and how the lionesses did the hunting. Kren huffed and looked at Bernice.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, she raised an eyebrow and without missing a beat responded.

"No."

Kren shrugged. It was worth a try anyways. This was not the first time he had asked, but Bernice had said it was a taboo and would not look good for a new king to marry his father’s widow. He didn’t care, but he couldn’t force her. She was tough, different, and reliable. That more than anything was why he could not do without her, not just how her body felt under him.

"We need allies, this announcement will spark a civil war, we would not be able to survive the other vassal kingdoms without a little help." Bernice said to Kren. He nodded in agreement, ignoring the sounds of the capital as they traveled.

"Let’s first go further west and north in search of allies." Bernice blinked at Kren’s words. "But there’s nothing there? It’s the ocean and the spine mountains." She argued, he shrugged.

"Not exactly. There are roaming tribes both on those mountains and within the ocean itself. Many of them much stronger than what we’ve become over the last ten years. Besides, conquering that ocean or having allies in it would help us in case these bastards truly intend to drive us into the sea. There are uninhabited islands there that can keep the rest of our people safe, if retreating becomes an option"

"And I’m assuming that’s the same logic you’re working with for the Spine mountains?" Kren nodded.

"That entire mountain range is hostile, not just because of the Tribesmen, but because of the secrets it holds, the untamed beasts, and just like the ocean it has terrain that’s unique in the sense that it would keep us safe should the rest of the empire come down on us, of which we know they will. The spine mountains have hidden valleys, vast cave systems, and is almost impassable unless you’re a local." Kren passed and made sure to lock eyes with Bernice. "We need them, you of all people know why."

"I do? And why is that?" Bernice asked him genuinely curious and wanting to understand Kren’s train of thoughts. Kren scoffed, but a wry smiled crossed his face.

"Two lives and in both you chose to be a soldier. You told me about your past life, of the navies of your world, the Air Forces and ground forces.

Warfare that has been refined for thousands of years and advanced beyond normal human understanding. If I claim the oceans, I gain a navy. The spine mountains are led by those Storm eagle savages. Ancient enemies of the Nkora bloodline, two thousand years of tyranny and those bastards have remained untouched hidden high on their peaks and caves.

How or why they were never conquered by the dragons, we don’t know. But whatever it was, we...I need it. I need to eyes in the skies so when that bitch princess comes for my head, I can see her coming."

Bernice observed him for a moment longer before she finally spoke up. "I will make the necessary arrangements as soon as we’re back home. But...you found it hard to believe me in the past when I told you I’ve lived two lives. What’s changed?" Kren held her gaze for a second longer, peering through the notification screens that still hung open.

"Let’s just say, I’ve gotten a recent change in perspective." Bernice raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as the both of them settled into a comfortable silence.