-Why would I ever want to fight?- Junier was still surprised of what was going on, and having such a severe sleep need, the situation was not any better.
-Aracarukku, please surrender.- Onay continued speaking with... this suppoused sibling of theirs. Juniper could still not understand the situation, so she turned to Claire for help. Claire was fast, and even though hesitant, she explained carefuly.
-Onay kept me with her so I could help with a moment like this. Every a couple of years, the leader is switched. The family Onay and... Araca-Aracarukku are part of have been the most known family of Imaginators. Even if people like us don't know them, families which are exclusively Imaginators tend to do so. Onay Tamil, like the language their names are in. They rule this place, and I can only guess places similar to this one, called kukais, or lairs. But they have a strict rule, the oldest descendant must have three children at different ages, so when one reaches the age of twenty, the other can enter the kukai arround the age of twelve.
Claire's words didn't make anything easier, but at least Jupiter understood this child's reason to be here. They were going to take the leadership of the place until their sibling, or perhaps nephew, got it after them.
-But why the age of twenty?
Onay answered. It may have seemed they were in a small dispute between the siblings, but they sure had an open ear.
-My family believes it's when one's powers start to fail. Their powers did that, and only my two smaller siblings and myself have them right now.
-But for how long? Have your powers been trustful these past months? Or have they not been able to work like they did? You used to be able to keep it under control, imagine spikes surrounding enemies constantly without a single headache,- Aracarukku joined in. It was clear their intentions were to weaken Onay mentaly, but what fueled such hate?
Juniper jumped into the conversation, and even between the siblings. She was trying to make time while imagining a stampede like the one she used at the city. Juniper could barely keep her head up after that, but this was, at least she thought, more important.
-Why do you want the leadership so bad? What's so good about all of this?
She asked, but to everyone's surprise, Claire was the one to answer.
-They can organize armies. We are valuable weapons. We can...- She debated whether to continue speaking, but she did.- We can eventualy strike a city, and Imaginators could become once more the leading group. Am I wrong?
Jupiter had always wondered why Claire was so busy keeping her eye a secret, but now she wondered if she could see through lies. How she tied knots of confusion yet easily managed to untie them was an incredible thing.
Aracarukku chuckled with no fear to be heard.
-And now, as it happens every eight years or so, your own subordinates will betray you. The younger, the mayority, will attack you and deffend me. I just wonder where they are.
Almoust right on queue, both tents blew up. One almoust litteraly, the other metaphorically. Juniper was glad she had not stayed inside the second one.
The one she had been in, whose teacher was Alex, was blown up like a balloon. The force of the wind comming from inside made it open like a trash bin, and Juniper quickly focused her sight on Clara, as she holded her own head with her fingers. She was clearly in pain. Juniper promissed to help her when she had the chance.
The second tent was not as lucky. It's door had been locked, but only from the inside, so they had to get out just as anyone else would have. Exept this time, 24 panicked kids were trying to leave at once, through a door able for only one peaceful child at the time.
Mary the stubborn redhead walked out fourth, and immediately run to join Charlie on the other tent. Once both were empty, and all half a centum kids had settled down, a hanging feeling of threat toured the place.
This always full park, where the party had taken place, and where most kids did activities during the days, now looked small.
Juniper couldn't understand why this was such a deal, why Onay wanted so much to sat in power, but then they spoke, and Juniper sensed how Claire stiffened up.
-Children,- The leader started, carefully choosing words.- If you want to leave, if you want to live a life away from all of this and these people, then fight me. Fight me and even if you need to, kill me. But if you want everyone to continue to live the life they deserve, the life they searched for, even after an absurd date of birth passes by, help me defend the kukai. Let the elderly wolfs take care of you, and let yourselves eventualy archive the satisfaction of raising pups.
Juniper understood everything in an instant. This was not a dispute between siblings. This was the first leader ever to decide it was wrong to have an age rule. The first leader ever to decide to go back to the past, when things were better, before her own ruined it. The first to leave their family behind so everyone could enjoy a deserved life.
Juniper admired that decision, but could do nothing when Claire fell sideways and Onay was pierced by her sibling's earthly crystals.
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