Chapter 18: We Must Rule This Forest.
Aaron stared at the Talos' king with a deep frown.
"I thought you were smaller?" He asked, staring at the 50 meters tall king.
"And made of flesh." He added.
The rocky Talos' king fixed his amused gaze on Aaron.
"I'm very impressed, Kid. So instead of killing one another I'm offering you an Alliance." The Talos' King said.
"Alliance? And what made you think I'll accept it? After what you did to my Mom."
"I'm truly sorry for that." The Talos' king shrunk to the size of a grown up man.
"I was enraged back then... And I focused my anger on you, I'm truly sorry." It bowed at Aaron.
"Aren't we fighting again?" Protean asked in mild confusion.
The Talos' King turned to him, then at Aaron. "What you two have been doing for the past Weeks have drawn the attention of all the Rulers in the Forest."
"Rulers?" Aaron turned to Protean. "Do you know anything about any Rulers?"
"I don't know." Protean shrugged.
"Are both of you kidding me?" The Talos' king sighed. "You Killed the Griffin Ruler, and can now take his form. Which made you their new Ruler, You killed a Blood Raven; The prince of the Raven kingdom, which made you their moral enemies. You killed the Poisonous Serpent, which is the Queen of the Snakes' Kingdom; Which made you their arch enemy.
You Kill an Alpha Undead, which now made you the King of the Undead... Young man, You now have 15% of the Forest under you... Don't you know that?"
Aaron and Protean blinked a couple of times in utter confusion, saying "Confused" was an understatement.
"Own 15% of the Forest? Why the hell did I not know that?" Aaron asked.
"Not you, but he does." The King turned to Protean. "When you take the form of the Griffin King, and Alpha Undead; didn't you feel any connection with the race?"
"Now that you said it." Protean nodded slowly. To prove the Talos' King's Claims, he turned Into the alpha Undead. Which was standing 8 feet tall, with pure green eyes and black skin.
After some Seconds, Protean said to Aaron. "They are coming."
DA DA DA DA DA DA!!
Everyone including the Talos turned their heads to the Forest, seeing about hundreds Undead, Both humans and Skeletons rushing towards them.
"Did you call them here?" Aaron turned to Protean.
"Yes, I didn't expect them to be so many." Protean answered.
"You have this Army, and we still have to fight!!!" Aaron yelled.
"Calm down master, I didn't know I can do this." Protean said, he thought and turned into the Griffin King.
That exact moment, the Undead went Crazy, The moment he took another form, his hold on them vanished; The Undead lunged towards the Talos, and a battle broke out.
"Stop this!!" The Talos' King yelled, seeing as the Skeletons cut down his people.
Protean took the form of the Alpha Undead, stopping all the undead with a thought.
"Sorry king, I thought I can control two races." Protean said with a happy laugh.
"So... If I spare you and join an Alliance, what'll I gain?" Aaron asked.
'At the moment, countless Monsters are after me, having an Alliance in the Forest won't be so bad.' He thought.
"As you see, we aren't resident in the Forest, But the Valley and Mountains... But if we become Allies, We'll be able to enter our territories freely. For enemy, if we were Allies... My people won't have thrown boulders at you, and the Undead won't have attacked my people just now." The king explained and Continued:
"The other kings are having a meeting tomorrow night at the center of the Forest, Only the kings of each race. We aren't allies, but because of you... They are all joining together, if we become Allies; they won't dare go against you because they will have to face me."
Aaron was silent. 'A Demon-Stage Monster having my back is a good thing, but...' He fixed his gaze on the King.
"What if I kill you now and my friend here absorb your Core? He'll have control over your people, right?"
"Hahaha! That why I want to be your ally, But that power only works on monsters without the intelligent to think for themselves. If you kill me, my people will choose another king."
"Ok... I heard the Forest is filled with more powerful monsters, are these Monsters the kings you mentioned?" Aaron asked again.
"No, The strongest King is a Great Demon-stage, The ones you are referring are what we call Abomination. These Monsters are all extremely powerful, which can even take down a Supreme Realm... But don't worry, these guys are far from here, at the further end of the Forest."
"I thought this is the end?" Protean was confused.
"No... Please, you two have been standing for a while now, let's go inside and have something to eat."
Aaron thought for a moment and said. "Ask them to retreat, leave Twenty Skeletons here."
Protean nodded, with a Command; all the Undead walked back to the Forest, leaving twenty Omega-stage Skeletons behind.
"Thank you for your trust, as fellow kings I'll personally show you around." The Talos' king said.
_
The Talos' kingdom was huge with homes and Families, even children everywhere, the Valley looked exceptionally beautiful, and the smell of fresh air and lively atmosphere caught the two off guard.
"I tried my best to take care of my Kingdom and people, not like some other kings who take their people as thrash." The Talos' King said, and added:
"What is your name, Young man?"
"I'm Aaron, he's protean."
"Emperor Aaron and King Protean, it's an honor to meet you... My name is Talon."
"I have a question, Talon... It's about the other kings."
"Yes, Emperor Aaron?"
"How many are there?" Aaron asked, not bothered about his new title... Come on, Who'll reject being called an Emperor?
"Hmm, I'll say 20."
"20, that's surprising." Protean said, still in the Alpha's appearance, which surely drew attention. As they walked through the Village.
"Yes, come with me to my home. I'll show you the map of the Forest." Talon said, while the two nodded.
___
[Talon's Home.]
"This is it." Talon placed a huge map on the table. "This is where we are." He pointed at the mountains.
Aaron and Protean stood opposite him, staring at the Map. He could see countless locations mark Red, some blue and others green and yellow.
"Why so many colors?" He asked.
"These locations which I mark red are the Territories of the Beast Rulers, The strongest Abominations I mentioned. The blue are the ones we have peace with, but not friends, and yellow we have a mutual agreement, and the green; we are at War with."
"..."
"Why are you surprised, Emperor Aaron?"
"It's Nothing, I just thought the Green ones will be friends. So where Is my territories?" He asked.
"Here and Here." Talon pointed at a huge tree and a huge skull on the map. The tree was mark yellow and the skull green.
"After we make the Alliance bond, These two will be mark gold... Do you want a copy of this map?"
"No, I have memorized everything."
"Hahaha! That's expected for the youngest Emperor!" Talon let out a happy laugh, and added:
"You asked what you'll gain if we become Allies." He gestured at a guard who stood in the room with them.
The guard nodded and left the room, Aaron and Protean waited for the guard to return. He gave Talon a wooden box.
"Here."
Talon handed the box to Aaron, who took it and slowly opened it.
"That is an invisibility stone, if you infuse it to anything; it will give that thing the power of invisibility... A living creature won't be able to use it." Talon explained.
{All Seeing Eyes.}
{Name: Invisibility stone. Class: Elite. Info: Has the power to make any Nonliving things invisible for 10 Minutes. Benefit: If You Absorb it, your light resistance will have a 20% increase, and you'll gain a skill: Invisibility.}
Before the king and Protean, Aaron absorbed the stone, stunning Talon in place.
"How did you? Aren't you..."
"How are we going to make the Alliance bond?"
"Oh"
The king started drawing a magic circle on thin air, when he was done; he placed his Palm on it.
"You just need to place your palm on it." He said as the circle moved towards Aaron, who placed his Palm, Then Protean.
"If that's all, we'll be going now..."
"Let me escort Emperor Aaron out."
"That's ok." Aaron walked towards the door, stopped and turned to him. "I'll see you at the center of the Forest, tomorrow night... We might kill all your enemies and our Kingdoms and hold of the forest will grow." With that said he left the room.
"What a kid." Talon thought with a smile. "This is one of my best decision in Centuries."
__
"What is your plan?" Protean asked, as the two walked out of the gate.
"I learned a lot today, we don't only need to focus on how to be powerful... But also how to gain Allies, if the whole Forest is under us. We'll be unbeatable in this world." He said with a grinned.