Chapter 154: The eloquence of the snow leopard
Ren climbed down the steep cliffside quickly, using his boots to grip the narrow rocks.
His long, black-striped tail swung out to keep him balanced. In a few seconds, his boots hit the dusty ground at the bottom. His white hair fell lightly across his pale forehead like bangs, and his spotted leopard ears twitched as he focused on the shouting ahead.
At the front gate, things were a mess. A big beastman from the outside was shoving chests with one of Taga’s guards, kicking up dirt. The metal drones were buzzing loudly, their lenses flashing from yellow to a bright, angry red.
Ren walked right into the gap between the guard boars and the angry crowd. He didn’t yell or pick a fight. He just stood tall and calm, his icy blue eyes staring straight into the front row.
"Back!" Taga shouted, holding up his axe. He didn’t know who this white-haired guy was yet. "Who are you?!"
"I’m on your side, Alpha," Ren said. He didn’t yell, but his deep voice carried easily over the noise, making the front row stop and look. He could also tell that Taga was the Boar beastmen Alpha.
The crowd quieted down a bit, confused. This new guy didn’t look like a bully, and he wasn’t acting aggressively. He was just completely calm.
Ren looked at the skinny hyena guy who had been laughing at the drones. "Hey, you," he pointed at him, and the hyena guy looked around, confused if he was the one Ren was talking to.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. You’ve been talking a lot about traps for someone who walked all this way because they need a home. Tell me, if this place was a trap to kill you, why would we build walls and use expensive machines? The harsh land outside is already killing people for free."
The hyena blinked, totally thrown off by how normal and direct Ren was speaking. He spat on the ground. "Because no one helps for free! Don’t you know about the saying, ’There’s no such thing as free meat.’?" He folded his arms. "Just look at these boars. They stand there like statues, taking orders from a human girl who doesn’t even have any strength. They gave up their freedom to be puppets."
A lot of the deer beastmen behind him nodded and muttered in agreement.
Ren let out a soft laugh, his spotted ears moving slightly. "You call it being a puppet. I call it wanting to stay alive. Let’s be honest here. Last winter, when the heavy frost hit, how many of your kids actually survived the night in those thin tents? When the wild monsters attacked your trails, how many people did you have to leave behind just so the rest of you could run away?"
Nobody said a word. The deer beastmen looked down at the ground, remembering how bad it was.
"New Eden isn’t stealing your freedom. It’s a fair trade," Ren said, pointing to the big, cleared ground around them. "You bring your hard work, your strength, and your loyalty. In return, you get walls that won’t blow over in a storm, clean water, and a proper way to store your meat so it doesn’t rot. These boars aren’t mindless. They work hard because their families are finally sleeping in a warm, dry room with full bellies."
He looked up at the hovering drones.
"And these things you call monsters... they are actually protectors." Raiden already told him about the drones’ functions and what the automated robots are capable of. "While you sleep out in the dark, terrified that some rogue pack is going to cut your throat, those machines are staying awake to watch over you. If you want that safety, you follow the rules of the person who built it. It’s that simple."
The female hyena who had started the rumors shifted her weight, looking less confident. "What about the registration? Why do we have to give our names just to walk past the dirt line?"
"Because a community doesn’t work if people come in to steal, hoard, or break what everyone else is building," Ren said directly. "If you want to bring the messy chaos of your lands inside these borders, you’re a safety risk. Lady Hana doesn’t need risks. If you want to build a real home, the door is open. But if you just came to fight and cause trouble..."
Ren stopped. His long, striped tail gave a slow, deliberate swipe against the dirt. His face stayed calm, but a heavy, scary pressure came off him—the clear vibe of a powerful Alpha.
"...then you should turn around right now. The leaders up on that mountain are being very nice by letting me talk to you. If I step back, the next guys you talk to won’t use words."
Up on the cliff, Caspian crossed his arms, letting out a small grunt of respect. It seemed they wouldn’t have to make a commotion and wake Hana after all.
Next to him, Raiden smirked again, his pink tails swishing happily. "The leopard has a silver tongue. A silver tongue." He said, his eyes glinting.
High in the sky, Kulu flew a bit lower, glad the noise had finally stopped. If Hana had been a little more sensitive to sounds as they were, all hell would’ve been let loose.
Down at the gate, the heavy tension broke. The proud deer beastman who had been arguing let out a big sigh. He looked at the clean basin, then back at his cold, thin family.
"If we give our names..." the deer muttered, his voice much quieter. "Do our families really get to live in the finished houses?"
Taga stepped forward, his angry face relaxing a bit. He looked at Ren, then back at the deer. "Every kid in New Eden sleeps under a real roof. Those are the Lady’s rules. Step up one by one, put your weapons away, and give your names to the machine as well as where you came from."
The crowd contemplated for a second. This thing was so new to them, so making the first move was hard. And yet, someone did.
It was the Badgers and the rabbit female who had given birth to her three kits due to Hana’s help.
"We would like to register," she said, and the crowd began to whisper. They watched as the rabbit female and the badgers signed up with the machine, even getting their facial ID registered before they were allowed to walk past the line.
The beastmen exchanged glances, and then they began to move to her registers.
The crowd didn’t push or fight this time. Slowly, looking relieved and a little amazed, the deer beastmen started forming an orderly line. Even the cynical hyenas stopped arguing and quietly lined up behind them, looking at the white-haired leopard beastman with a lot of respect as they walked past.
Ren stood by the line, completely relaxed now. He gave Taga a friendly nod, then looked back up at the high cliffs where his new household was watching.
...
Hana opened her eyes to the soft, steady glow of the room’s climate-control panel.
For the first time in what felt like weeks, there was no sound of shouting from the valley below, no alarms blaring from the perimeter, and no shaking rocks.
She shifted her weight under the blankets.
The massive, chaotic problem at the front gates had been completely handled, so she was not bothered in the slightest. Ren’s calm logic had turned a potential riot into an orderly registration line, and the outside refugees were already integrated into the system.
Before she could even sit up, her space was already compromised. Caspian stepped in, carrying a large tray filled with steaming, seasoned meat and roasted root vegetables. Raiden followed right behind him, fussing over the exact temperature of the room.
"You’re awake," Caspian said, his deep voice unusually gentle as he set the tray down across her lap. "Eat. You need the strength."
Hana didn’t need to be told twice. The baby inside her felt like a bottomless pit, draining her energy by the hour.
She ate quickly, barely speaking between bites, while her mates watched her with intense, protective eyes.
The moment her plate was clean, a heavy wave of exhaustion crashed over her again. She slumped back into the memory pillows, her eyes fluttering shut, and fell straight back into a deep, dreamless sleep.
They watched her as she fell asleep again, Caspian having a proud grin on his lips, his eyes filled with adoration and love for his mate.
"Sleep well, Hana." He whispered. "When you wake up, your kingdom will be waiting for you."
Ren watched this, and his heart swelled. Never in his life had he felt like he belonged. Never in his life had he been so fiercely devoted to something or someone.
He wanted to be someone Hana would look at and be proud of. He wanted to join her in building a great community, one where there was equality and there was no struggle.
He knew from the moment he saw her that Hana was great, and now, he was going to stay by her side and accomplish great things with her.
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