|Chapter 5.2| The secret to a human Queen's power

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Hadassah's heart pounded as she ran to call the Great Kesmes. The urgency in Zarek's voice, combined with the fear she had seen in his eyes, propelled her forward. She reached the Great Kesmes' quarters and banged on the door, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Great Kesmes! It's urgent! Zarek needs you right away!" she shouted.

The door swung open, and the Great Kesmes appeared, his expression serious. "What is it?"

"Zarek... He did the divination, and something's wrong. He said to call you immediately," she explained, her voice trembling.

The Great Kesmes nodded, his face grim. "Lead the way."

Hadassah led him back to Zarek's room, her heart still racing. As they entered, Zarek was pacing frantically, his face etched with worry.

"Zarek, what did you see?" the Great Kesmes asked, his tone calm but urgent.

Zarek turned to him, his voice shaky. He seemed to want to speak, but the moment he saw Hadassah, he hesitated. "It's fine, she can hear this," the Great Kesmes said, allowing Zarek to finally speak.

"The awakening of a Harbinger," he said solemnly. Those words did not mean much to Hadassah, but they meant a lot to the Great Kesmes, who was clearly unsettled by his words. "We haven't had an active Harbinger in over a century," Zarek continued.

"This isn't good," the Great Kesmes finally said in a quiet voice.

Hadassah built up her courage to interrupt, "What is a Harbinger?" she asked as quietly as possible. She expected an onslaught of insults from Zarek, but instead he replied seriously.

"It's no surprise you don't know about it. Normal people might never hear about it in their lifetime."

"For your learning," the Great Kesmes interrupted, "a Harbinger is a beastman. They are different from the great five clans. They have no clan and are often isolated, but the power of one is enough to annihilate an entire clan with one breath."

Hadassah hissed in shock. Was a being like that even possible?

"We're lucky; most Harbingers reside in the sea, and the celestials keep them in check. But somehow, one is on land," the Great Kesmes completed, his words echoing in Hadassah's mind. Despite the potential destruction the Harbinger would bring, she couldn't help but feel relieved that at least the divination had nothing to do with her.

The Great Kesmes sighed. "It seems like we have no choice. We must contact the celestial before I leave for Atlas." He looked up to the young rabbit beastman who still looked at his wits' end. "Prepare for a summoning tomorrow. Hopefully, they will hear our plea."

Hadassah's relief was short-lived as Zarek's eyes narrowed at her. "This doesn't change the fact that humans bring destruction. She's still a danger to us!"

The Great Kesmes shook his head. "Hadassah has not met any celestial god, and she will not." He understood Zarek's concern; if a human were to get their hands on a celestial and tame them, or worse – if the Celestial accused them of treason for harboring a human, it could spell disaster.

Hadassah remained silent, her fist clenched, and her body tensed.

Zarek continued, his voice rising with frustration. "We cannot keep her here. The Celestial will surely realise she is a human! They are not as easily deceived as civilians!"

Hadassah finally spoke, her voice quiet and steady. "Great Kesmes, if it is too uncomfortable for me to be here, I could wait in the forest until after the ritual, so I do not implicate the tribe."

The Great Kesmes looked at her, his eyes filled with sympathy and understanding. "Hadassah, your willingness to protect the tribe is commendable. But I do not think it is necessary for you to hide in the forest."

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