Word spread like wildfire through the borderlands—Kael, Bearer of the Chain, had awakened the Shrine of Torshul and reclaimed the second sigil of the Bone Accord. To the oppressed, he was a symbol of rebellion. To the divine, a threat reborn.
And to the scattered beast-tribes?
He was the whisper of a forgotten prophecy.
---
Summoning the Beast Tribes
Kael returned to the Warhost camp. Karuun, Warlord of the Ninth Fang, knelt at the base of a newly built obsidian totem—a sign of loyalty to the Bone Accord.
"You have done what even the Oldbloods feared," Karuun said. "The other tribes will come… or try to kill you."
Kael nodded. "Let them come. I'll speak to them in fire or in truth."
Nyra stepped forward. "I've already sent the signal—seven tribes answered. The rest are watching."
Aeron scoffed. "Watching? More like sharpening blades."
---
Court of Fangs
In a vast basin known as Gorath's Hollow, Kael raised the Court of Fangs—a gathering of the surviving beast-lords, war-priests, and clanmistresses.
Each was dangerous.
Each had power rooted in blood, spirit, or bone.
Kael stood before them, flanked by Nyra, Aeron, and the stag-spirit now bound to his shadow.
He didn't offer promises.
He offered truth.
"The gods destroyed your ancestors," Kael said. "They built kingdoms from your bones. They called your surrender 'peace.' But I am not here to bargain."
He raised his hand. The Accord Sigils blazed.
"I am here to make war."
---
Division and Challenge
The Court erupted—some tribes roared in agreement, others growled in defiance.
One stepped forward—a woman clad in sky-serpent scales, her eyes glowing amber. Lady Rhess of the Verdant Coil.
"If you speak of war, then prove your dominion," she said. "Trial by Circle. Win, and we listen. Fall, and your Accord burns."
Kael stepped into the circle.
---
Trial by Circle
The duel was brutal. Rhess moved like lightning, her serpent-lash cutting through stone. Kael bled. His ribs cracked. But he learned—every strike fed his shadow, every moment sharpening his beast-forged reflexes.
Then Kael stopped dodging.
He caught her lash mid-air, his arm wreathed in Sovereign shadow. Her eyes widened—too late.
Kael dragged her forward and whispered: "You're strong. But I am inevitable."
He struck her down, not to kill, but to dominate.
Silence fell.
Rhess, breathing hard, lowered her head.
"The Coil... follows."
---
The Court Bows
One by one, the other tribes pledged—some out of respect, others fear. By sunset, the Beast Court stood united for the first time in centuries.
Kael, their shadow-crowned warlord, turned to the sky.
"Prepare your spirits. Sharpen your claws. We go east—toward the Celestial Walls."
The gods would no longer watch from afar.
They would feel him coming.
---
Far Beyond…
In the golden spires of the Skyward Citadel, a messenger knelt before the Archon of Judgement.
"He's done it. The Court stands."
The Archon stood slowly, his wings unfolding.
"Then it's time," he said. "Release the First Ascended."
---
End of Chapter 40