Sol Book Five: Woods of the Lost by Samuel Small

Author:Samuel Small [Small, Samuel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

The meeting room Jake found himself in was not what he expected from the animalistic leader. It was refined, casual. Even though it was carved from a tree, the walls were angled and straight like a normal house, as opposed to round and rough like the others in the nation. The four of them, Jake, Elizabeth, Fang, and Scale, sat at a glass table. Through it, they could see their feet warped on the other side. Atop it sat white, gleaming teacups. The walls were adorned with various artifacts: history books titled with events even Jake was unaware of, well-encrusted jewels, rusted suits of armor that had to have been from ancient wars. All things that could not have been obtained within the Lost Woods.

Fang commented on this. “I see you haven’t stopped gathering your ill-gotten gains.” He had reverted to his human form and sported bloody scratches throughout his body. His cheek was smeared with wet dirt. Despite this defeated appearance, he gave no sense of it and glanced at Scale with the casual look of a determined leader.

“There’s nothing ill-gotten about them. I traded for them. Objects, information, coin. All agreed upon by both parties.”

“Not agreed upon by our ancestors!”

“Who have been long dead and aren’t coming back!”

They were both standing and staring at each other, Scale with a clawed finger damn near scraping the glass, Fang with his arms folded like an angry child. They scowled for a moment with a tension that crisscrossed the air like static. Jake eased his hand toward the SWAP on his waist, which had been returned to him by a passive Scale.

And just like that each sat with an angry huff of air. Both refused to look at the other, their heads cocked at an angle to stare at the far wall. It was like a pair of brooding elementary school students when one cheated at a game, not two combat leaders who had been through bloodshed and chaos.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Anyway, I suppose we should get to the purpose of this meeting. That being peace or, at the very least, some sort of compromise. Jake and I are admittedly outsiders in this whole situation, so we can attempt to act as mediators. Unbiased members of the congregation who can try to reach a conclusion for both. Agreed?”

Fang and Scale exchanged a look. They nodded at each other. “Proceed,” Scale said.

“My general understanding of all this,” Jake said as he folded his hands atop the table, “is that you each have different goals. Fang, you want to preserve the traditions of your people and stay within the Lost Woods. Scale, you want to expand into the outside world—”

“At the cost of our culture,” Fang mumbled.

“And leave the Lost Woods, which you view as a dangerous place, behind. Am I being fair in my assessment of your sides?”

“Yes,” Scale said.

“Mostly,” Fang mumbled again, slouching in his chair.

“Then I think there’s a compromise to be had here. Fang, do you inherently

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