Chapter 241 241: The Vaemani stone

Words : 1580 Updated : Oct 10th, 2025

Right after Jolthar spoke, his aura shot up, giving more power to his words. It wasn't voluntary, but the power of the beast king was flowing out of him, like a mighty river breaking through the dam. It wasn't going out of control, balanced, and decisive. Remin and Iorina stood motionless, confusion evident in their typically composed expressions. When Jolthar spoke, not even showing a hint of fear in his eyes, Iorina was about to take action but stopped seeing the strange actions of the beasts. She did see the beasts standing silently beside the forest. She and Remin knew that Hamen could control beasts and was using them to fight. So they thought they were present there because of Hamen. Even Hamen was stunned by the unfolding scene. The stone on his hand was still flickering; its power was less evident in the face of Jolthar, his new beast king's power. He had never seen them to be this obedient even when he used the stone. The Vaemani was pulsating with unreal green energy, like never before. His wyvern, Remin's dragon, and Iorina's horse were unable to hold up and were now drawn to the inescapable aura of Jolthar. The three of them watched as something unprecedented transpired before their eyes. The beasts—creatures of legend whose appearance on the battlefield had been attributed to some sorcery by Hamen—were moving in perfect unison. These weren't ordinary animals but beings of primal power: massive dire wolves with crystalline growths erupting from their shoulders; serpentine creatures whose scales shifted colours with each movement; winged predators whose features seemed to blend aspects of eagles and lions into something altogether more terrifying. Creatures that had, moments ago, been fighting with savage ferocity. Now, as one, they approached Jolthar. And then, in a display that sent murmurs of disbelief through the watching imperial forces, the beasts lowered themselves to the ground. Their massive heads bowed, powerful limbs folded, and eyes—unnaturally intelligent eyes—fixed upon the silver-haired young man with unmistakable reverence. They were kneeling. Iorina's fury at Jolthar's insubordination evaporated, replaced by wary astonishment. "What in the gods name..." she whispered. Yoana stepped forward, positioning herself beside Jolthar. The dragon woman's movements carried a natural grace that reminded all present of her true nature. Her expression combined satisfaction and something more complex as she observed the kneeling beasts. "They have recognized you as their beast king," she explained, her voice carrying to the assembled leaders despite her conversational tone. "I can sense his essence within you, yet he is not present." Yoana said she was still gauging him, the green-coloured energy radiating from him. Raayani's brows knit together. She was aware of the beast king, but how did Jolthar meet the beast who had disappeared centuries ago? "How is that possible, Yoana?" she asked. Yoana turned to her and said, "Even I wasn't aware of this. The last I heard, he was fighting against the deity king Inadrys himself." Raayani looked at Jolthar and asked, "Jolthar, how did you get his essence?" "It was right in the castle, and as for his power, I didn't deliberately go after his essence, but it just ended up that way." Jolthar told her enough to ponder. But he was surprised that nobody was aware of the presence of such power under the castle of Count Hamen. He had been using this to keep his county safe. Raayani frowned but didn't pursue the matter. For now, she was content with what she had. She was more thrilled to learn that Jolthar had taken over the title of the beast king and got a lot stronger, and her intention of taking him for herself intensified. The revelation had been shocking, to say the least. Yoana continued talking while Remin and Iorina looked at Hamen, who stood with a firm expression; he wasn't denying what he did. He did what he had to do to protect his lands and his family. "They are submitting to you, Jolthar. And they are expressing their thanks for freeing them from the control of the Count." Her gaze hardened as she continued. "They had been enslaved for years, forced to serve at his bidding, to fight his battles. Their wills were broken by the stone and dark magic." All eyes turned toward Hamen, who had gone deathly pale at Yoana's words. The count took an involuntary step backward; he looked at the stone on his wrist. "The Vaemani Stone," Yoana said, her voice now edged with ancient anger. "It was something that belonged to the beast king Na'rajina, a crown to his power." Remin's expression darkened. "Hamen? Is this true?" The count remained silent, but his eyes darted toward the distant castle that served as the Count's seat of power, giving him away as surely as a confession. Iorina was also puzzled. Jolthar moved with sudden purpose. "Hamen," he called, his voice carrying a new authority that none present had heard before. "Come forward." The command held power beyond mere words. Hamen found himself stepping forward despite his obvious reluctance, drawn by something that transcended ordinary authority. As he approached Jolthar, his hands trembled visibly. It was because of the stone. "The stone," Jolthar demanded, extending his hand. It wasn't a request. Hamen handed over the stone to Jolthar. The Vaemani Stone gleamed with an inner light that seemed to devour rather than emit illumination—a darkness that paradoxically glowed, housed within a crystalline structure. Intricate runes covered its surface, each one pulsing with sickly power. Jolthar took the stone without ceremony. Upon contact with his skin, the object's malevolent glow dimmed noticeably, the runes fading as though suddenly starved of energy. Hamen wasn't showing any fear or ashamed of what he had done. He thought it was theright thing do. Upon Yoana's strict order, Hamen had no choice but to tell the details of the beast king and his tomb inside the castle. Remin and Iorina weren't aware of this until then, and they doubted that the emperor was also unaware of such a thing. They just watched Hamen recount the things of his ancestry. Yoana nodded in approval. "The stone is a powerful artefact, crafted in an age when the boundaries between realms were more permeable. It rightfully belongs to the Beast King." Yoana's expression changed for a second, and then she said, "I always wondered where he ended up, but to think he had been here, dead all along." Everyone was halted in their positions. Myron, who had come to the field, made his way to the front to watch what was going on. They were now staring at Jolthar, seeing the wonder before them. This was a rare phenomenon. Jolthar stood motionless amid the tension of the standoff, his attention seemingly elsewhere. The stone—an ancient artefact of swirling emerald depths that had been used to subjugate beasts for centuries—rested heavily in his palm. His gaze drifted to the gathering of creatures before him, and what he saw pierced through the machinations surrounding him. Tears. Actual tears glistened in the eyes of several beasts—proud, powerful entities reduced to servitude through the stone's cruel magic. Their suffering was palpable to him now in ways he had never perceived before absorbing the Beast King's essence. Each forced command, each denial of their true nature, resonated within him as a personal violation. Maelruth, his drake, nudged him insistently from the side. The creature's scaled head pressed against Jolthar's arm, communicating without words. Where once Jolthar had understood his companion through intuition and familiarity, now their connection ran deeper. The Beast King's power flowing through his veins translated Maelruth's intentions with perfect clarity: Free them. End this. You know what must be done. Jolthar's fingers tightened around the stone. Throughout the campaign, he had witnessed Hamen wielding this artefact with disturbing enthusiasm, bending the will of forest creatures to serve imperial purposes. The count had justified it as a necessity, as the pragmatic deployment of all available resources against the barbarian threat. But Jolthar now understood the truth—if the stone fell into different hands after this conflict, nothing would change. The cycle of domination would simply continue under new masters. Nothing would change except perhaps the beasts themselves, broken a little more with each forced servitude. He could feel their emotions and the will to escape this long slavery. Even if they had been savage beasts, they had been forced for generations, against their will. The profundity of the situation was because of his beast king power. As he had absorbed his power, he could feel more empathetic towards them. These humans would use the stone if the opportunity presented itself. Unless he acted now. He looked at Hamen; he was looking at the stone. Jolthar could tell that he wanted to take the stone and run away. He wasn't ready to let go of the stone. The control he had over the beasts, all these years, made him blind to their pain. While they helped him defend the county, so many of their kin had lost their lives too. Even in this battle, quite a few of them had died too. He could sense Remin's and Iorina's gaze on him, as if they were waiting to see what Jolthar would do.

Chapter 241 241: The Vaemani stone

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