The LEVELER King ✔

BOOK 2: CHAPTER 4

"And I say the selection shall come from us Shoki. Up to three of our females went ungreeted by our king. My Jaga, They waited for you, they waited too long. We've lost a third of our numbers. Not to mention the worry of my clutch," One Leveler went on. The white markings of his red armor spoke of his skills has a warrior.

Idrus regretted this clutch's folly. By politely waiting till the end to receive their king, they'd now suffer with small numbers for the hunts.

A redder Leveler brought his head low. "But we are next in line. We go with the cycles and the next king comes from our clutch."

"Your clutch mated first!" the Shoki reminded him.

"We were denied a king once before. We will not be passed over twice!"

Shrieks broke through the quarrel from other Leveler clutches, each with valid arguments, and valid complaints.

"With the rains and our low numbers, we cannot feed for long. What of our young? They will perish with no food. Full-grown can wait, our infants cannot!"

Despite the chaos within that room, outside the open window on Idrus's right, something calm commenced far below.

Idrus watched Nala from the window of the great hall. The Summoner caught a small insect and brought it to the yapping plants in the flowerbed.

Today, too, Idrus had awoken to find Nala gone from his bed of moss. This wasn't where his focus should lay now, but each morning he feared the Summoner had left during the night. Nala was free to return to the farm at any time. Her injuries had healed months ago. Since then, days of sunshine were few. Now, though most of the suns' rays still remained hidden by the thick clouds, the rains stopped at least. But they reminded him just how necessary the suns were.

The knowledge that Nala hadn't left put Idrus at ease for another day. At least that would soothe him.

"And the Summoner! Seven sloths she has while Shoki suffer!"

Idrus sat up, those words dragging him from his comforting thoughts of Nala.

"The Summoner—!"

"Let us mate with the Summoners," Idrus said without thinking. It was a strange assessment, and it shocked the room into dead silence. When they all quieted, Idrus repeated his words. "What if I mate with the Summoner Queen? She will bring her people. No doubt they have hardship with desperate animals looking to feed. The garden below in this very roost can keep us for a time. Summoners can care for plants above and plants below. They are good with sloths and sloth meat will fatten us if the time arrives." When no objection came, Idrus asked the tattooed warrior. "Would this suit the Shoki?"

The Leveler leaned back, standing tall as he considered it. If the hunts were difficult, a large amount of Summoners farming in the roost would ensure they manage several cycles more.

"And Shoki can select the Summoner numbers?"

A Leveler spoke up. "The first selection should be ours."

Idrus gave no answer as another called out and another still. All the better if they vied for first choice. That would make the prospect all that more appealing.

With pressure to send Nala away—most insisting that the weather would improve upon her departure—Idrus was thankful to keep all arguments from that vein again. He'd endured it now as much as he could stand.

For now, the only Summoner he wanted Levelers wondering about, was the Summoner Queen.

A week later found the sky equally as gray, and not only Idrus's nest but the great hall empty. It would fill with quarreling Levelers soon enough, but for now he could at least enjoy the view of his Summoner far below, busy in the garden.