Chapter 412: The Caracals and the Mer folks meet

We headed back through the valley, the twins deciding this was the perfect time for a round of acrobatics in my gut.

I moved with a steady, purposeful pace, as steady as I could. My stomach wasn’t that heavy yet, but it was round, and I felt every step I took in my lower abdomen.

​As we finally walked past the mouth of the gorge, the path opened up into the heart of the marketplace. I slowed down, watching Kael and his pride out of the corner of my eye. They were tense, their tufted ears swiveling constantly as we entered the buzz of the kingdom.

​The marketplace was already alive. I caught the scent of roasted tubers and smoked fish. It wasn’t just wolves or hyenas here; I saw a group of sheep beastmen trading woven wool for tokens with a pair of bears. A rabbit girl hurried past us, clutching a small wooden coin, her eyes wide as she navigated through the crowd.

"Coming through, coming through," she yelled with a small voice and finally vanished into the crowd.

"Fresh cabbages here," a sheep called out.

"Hey, want some meat? They’re fresh." A wolf bargained with a passing customer.

It was the kind of activity I envisioned when planning out this whole blueprint, and it had come to life.

​"What is this?" Kael muttered, his hand hovering near the hilt of a dagger as he watched a hyena beastman help a beaver move a heavy crate. "You have predators walking alongside prey. You have no order."

​"I have the best kind of order," I said, pausing to let him take it in. "I have the West Way. Here, we don’t hunt our neighbors. We trade with them. Those wooden tokens everyone is carrying? That’s our current currency. But once you and your pride get to work on the heavy slate, we’ll be minting real coins—gold, silver, and copper—that will make those tokens look like toys."

​I saw a few of the Caracals looking at the sheep with hungry eyes, and I immediately cleared my throat, my voice turning sharp.

​"A few rules before we get to your new home," I stated, stopping so I could look the whole pride in the eye. "First: No killing the herbivores or even your carnivore neighbors. If you’re hungry, there’s a designated wild space beyond the southern ridges for hunting. Second: You do not burn the forest. If I see so much as a scorched oak tree that wasn’t authorized, we’re going to have a very unpleasant conversation."

Though I’m going to work you guys to the bone, so you won’t even have the strength to burn anything else.

​Kael snorted, but he didn’t argue. He was too busy staring at the sheer variety of life cohabiting in one space.

​"The forge," I continued, gesturing toward the higher ground on the eastern slope, "is built up there. I designed it on the ridge specifically so the smoke and fumes wouldn’t pollute the air for the families living in the lower valley. It’s a trek, but it puts you exactly where you wanted to be—above everyone else, with a clear view of the horizon."That’s where your settlement will be."

​The forge was a massive, open-air structure built into the side of the cliff, reinforced with limestone arches. It was the highest point of our current development, overlooking the entire marketplace and the river below.

​"Since you want to sleep on the ridges, you’ll have the best vantage point in the kingdom," I told Kael. "But you’ll also be the busiest. I plan to use your fire for the kilns, the metalworks, and the new glass-blowing station I’m designing. If you work as hard as I think you can, you won’t have the energy to think about burning anything else."

"I told you, I am not working for—"

"Right, you’re all testing your limits, not working." I cut in, snapping my finger. "But that’s that. We have to make the process you use in testing your limit as difficult as we can, right? So we will make you do the hardest type of jobs. That’s all part of testing your limit. It won’t be easy, but I’ll trust your arrogance that you’re competent enough to carry it out."

​Damar stayed a step behind me, his hand never straying far from the Trident, but even he seemed to be relaxing just a fraction as he realized the Caracals were actually following. 1

We made our way toward the palace first. I wanted Kael to know exactly where the heart of this kingdom beat—and exactly where to find me if he had a problem. As we made our way to the main hall, the temperature in the room seemed to drop and spike all at once.

​King Nereus was standing near the central fireplace, his silver hair catching the light like a beacon. Thalor stood beside him, looking every bit the Crown Prince of the Deep.

The moment our group walked in, the merman guards tensed, their hands flying to their coral-glass spears.

​Nereus narrowed his eyes, his gaze locking onto Kael.

"The Sun-Stalkers. I didn’t think you had the courage to step onto land that wasn’t already burning," Nereus’s voice boomed, thick with centuries of rivalry.

​Kael didn’t flinch. He stepped forward, his eyes glowing like embers in the dim hall.

"And I didn’t think the King of the Salt would ever be caught standing in the dust of a land dweller’s palace. The sea must be getting crowded if you’re out here begging for a dry bed." He cackled.

​Thalor’s expression darkened, and for a second, the air was filled with both deep-sea energy and desert hot energy. The glaring contest was so intense I could practically hear the mental daggers clashing.

​Clap!

​I struck my palms together, the sound echoing sharply through the vaulted ceiling. Everyone flinched—including the merman guards.

​"That’s enough," I said, my voice leaving no room for argument. "Nereus, these are our new master blacksmiths. Kael, this is King Nereus, who is currently providing the aquatic engineering for our nursery. You are both here because I invited you, and you will both behave because I have a very short fuse. You wouldn’t want to test me. Is that clear?"

​Nereus grunted, slowly lowering his guard, while Kael gave a stiff, prideful nod.

In case anyone was wondering. The reason why he has the Trident is so the caracals will know that they have the sea folks on their side, their natural enemy. So even if they are strong, they cannot burn water and thus, they are at a disadvantage.