Chapter 4097: Living Proof (Part 2) "Not her word alone, Seryl." Nethem the Behemoth stood up. "There’s also mine. Fyrwal invited me to participate in the research to test if it could be applied to our bloodline, and I swear on my core that it can be done." "And my word." A Hippogriff stood up as well, quickly followed by many other individuals from different Lesser species. None of them mentioned the survival of the other general of the Mad Queen, afraid that the Council might demand their death, and with them kill any hope for their bloodline’s evolution. "And you said nothing for all this time?" Seryl glared at Nethem while the leaders of each Lesser bloodline reproached their respective clan members involved in Fyrwal’s research. "You kept your own family in the dark for over a year? You put the Hydras above your flesh and blood?" "I didn’t do it for the Hydras, but for myself." Nethem replied. "Anyone who says that involving the entire clan wouldn’t have slowed down our experiments is either a naïve fool or a liar. "Had I talked about it with anyone, even you, Matriarch, they would have demanded to take part in the research and put themselves first. Involving more people would have meant compromising the leadership and direction of our team. "Just look how we’re arguing right now. Every Lesser Race would have pushed to prioritize the line of research that suited their bloodline, and we’d have spent more time arguing than working. "The Hydras provided the lab, Ufyl’s help, and had the means to contact Lady Yaga and Silverwing. There was nothing I or any other Behemoth could bring to the table except trouble. "I was a mere guest and respected my hosts. Moreover, I won’t deny that one of my reasons for silence is personal ambition. I wanted to be the first of my species to evolve. "I didn’t want to share that glory with a pompous Elder who’d have dismissed my contributions by claiming seniority." Nethem growled the last part, and his fellow Lesser Divine Beasts researchers agreed with him. "Glory?" Seryl said with a sneer. "What glory? Did someone evolve? Did you?" "No." Nethem sighed. "We are a long way from finding a viable evolutionary pathway yet. Not just us, but the Hydras as well! We are all in the same boat." He pointed that out in good faith, to show how Fyrwal hadn’t focused the research on her clan and ignored everyone else. What Nethem meant was that she treated the other Lesser bloodlines as equals. "So, are you telling us that after over a year and with the help of two legendary white cores and the First Ruler of the Flames, you traitors achieved nothing?" Seryl twisted his words and used them for her purpose. "Yes... I mean, we are not traitors!" Nethem said in outrage. "Maybe and maybe not, but that’s not for you to judge." Seryl dismissed him. "Let me get this straight for our fellow Awakened beasts. After Fyrwal rescued Ufyl from his execution, she put together a dream team and a state-of-the-art lab. "Then, when despite all that she failed, Fyrwal recruited the best minds in the other Lesser bloodlines. She turned them against their clans by making them swear secrecy in exchange for a promise of power. "She took every decision regarding our own evolution out of our hands and sowed discord among our ranks. By her own admission, Fyrwal the Hydra is not only an incompetent mage but also a manipulative leader who exploits the weakness of her subordinates for personal gain. "All the more reasons to refuse her proposal. If she leads us in battle as she did in the safety of her lab, we’ll all die a dog’s death." Murmurs resonated across the room, with many agreeing with Behemoth and only a few defending the Hydra. "I know you are still grieving Feela, Seryl, but it doesn’t excuse your short-sightedness nor your hypocrisy." Ajatar was among those who had stood up to corroborate Fyrwal’s words, but aside from that, he had said nothing until that moment. He was in his humanoid form and wore the ocean-green mage robe of the Drake clan. "You know all too well that magical research is not that easy. Even with the help of two white cores, becoming a Divine Beast is an incredible feat. Otherwise, our bloodlines would have found a solution for our condition millennia ago." "You’d better be quiet, Ajatar." Paltar, the Drake Patriarch, said. "I could have overlooked your siding with the Hydras and hiding their research from the clan, but not your latest gross infringement of our trust. He was referring to Ajatar’s use of Spirit Fusion in front of the Hydras and the mages of the Kingdom to save Ufyl and then Faluel. Spirit Fusion was considered the only trump card of the Drake race, and exposing it to witnesses was considered high treason. No one knew what it was or how it worked, and it was currently a common belief that Spirit Fusion was Ajatar’s unique ability. Yet now that it had been exposed, someone in the future might recognize it and maybe understand Spirit Fusion’s secrets. "I haven’t put you to trial yet only because we need a mind of your caliber in the war against the Dead King. If you die in battle, you’ll be absolved. If you don’t, you’ll be judged for your foolish actions." Ajatar’s two ex-wives smirked with joy at the news while those among his children who had come to the debate showed nothing but indifference for the fate of their father. "You are also a hypocrite, Seryl, because everyone here would have made Nethem’s same choice if given the chance. I know because that’s what I did." Ajatar ignored Paltar as if he hadn’t heard the Patriarch. "We are not traitors to our clans, just like our clans aren’t cruel to us just because they don’t give us everything we need the moment we need it. The first rule in every Awakened bloodline is that everyone has to take care of themselves. "The clan is our home, but it’s no charity. It doesn’t help us unless we can offer something in return. The clan is our fortress, but we are tasked to provide our own equipment, and that’s what we did. "Evolution is a weapon. Our weapon, and we are not bound to share it with our clans, just like our clans aren’t bound to share their resources with us." "Your Patriarch told you to be silent, Ajatar the Drake. You’d better follow his advice." Seryl snarled in outrage. "You have no ground to stand on. Your own clan marked you as a traitor. You are the living proof of my claims!" "You are right, Seryl." Ajatar nodded. "I’m a living proof. Yet you are also wrong. I won’t be silenced by a petty leader like you or Paltar, and I’m not Ajatar the Drake!" Ajatar let his robe slip to the ground and took off his cloaking ring. His body swelled and grew to 30 meters (100’) high. His neck became serpentine, and two membranous wings emerged from his back. The sapphire scales covering his body shone with inner light, and with every breath he took, violet flames ran from his neck to his lungs and blue sparks arched across his limbs.