Chaos' Heir

The terrace was far above the sea of tents, but the Scalqa's cries reached the sky, filling it with loud excitement. Those aliens understood war and respected Khan. He couldn't have provided them with a better combination.

Still, faith needed fuel, and Khan couldn't only feed the Scalqa with mysterious events. He had to show them something they would instantly recognize, and the vast doors behind him opened to move to that phase.

Four tall figures crossed the door, stepping onto the terrace and approaching its edge. The scanners showed their appearance to the whole city, quieting down the cries. Rok-Go, Kru-Zi, Ni-Kri, and another Scalqa leader took their place behind Khan, with only the former reaching for him.

Both of Rok-Go's hands were busy. One held his cane while the other wielded an iconic bone cup. The screens didn't show it, but the audience understood what the glass contained.

Rok-Go reached Khan and lowered his head while offering the cup to him. Khan seized it, and his glowing eyes soon fell on the green liquid inside. The substance was too dark to reflect anything, and its quantity wasn't proper for humans.

Nevertheless, Khan brought the cup to his mouth and gulped down the substance. The container's odd shape made a few drops escape Khan's lips and run down his chin, but most of the liquid ended up in his throat.

A trace of discomfort invaded Khan as his body absorbed the liquid. The substance prepared his flesh for eventual transformations, which never arrived. Even the Nak's genes remained still since Khan had already harnessed their power.

Yet, Khan acted as if the liquid had triggered a reaction. He opened his hand, letting the cup fall on the terrace before spreading his mouth. A clicking cry filled his mind, and his throat soon echoed it, accompanied by a forward flare of purple-red mana.

The terrace's menus buzzed under the chaos element's heavy influence. Chaos-resistance or not, Khan's mana was too intense to record properly. The many screens across the settlement flickered and flashed, struggling to keep up with the scene. However, the audience's eyes had long since stopped minding them.

Khan's location allowed everyone to notice the flare. Its bright light and conveyed power sent a chill down the audience's spines, but the scene had something even stronger. The monstrous, otherworldly cry carried a specific emotion, and the symphony echoed it, spreading it to every corner of the settlement.

Dense, intense, and overwhelming pride invaded the encampment, resonating with every Scalqa. The cry inspired them, creating a feeling their primitive minds couldn't put into words. An alien ambition formed in their brain, almost making them dream about greatness.

The feeling was addicting. It was a bottomless and unstoppable desire to reach for anything and everything. It was a primitive hunger that couldn't be sated. The Scalqa only knew Khan existed at its center, and everyone soon shouted his name.

The purple-red flare dispersed as Khan closed his mouth. His nresounded in his ears, but his face showed no trace of happiness. He remained still as Rok-Go drew something from under his pelts.

A circular item made of small bones tied together by hair strips appeared in the open, becoming the recordings' primary focus. The Scalqa went silent once again as Rok-Go lifted the strange crown and carefully placed it on Khan's head. Most of the audience didn't know what it meant, but excited shouts followed anyway.

"[Now]," Khan announced, his voice echoed by the screens, "[Feast]!"

Khan's words started another aspect of the coronation. Ships appeared in the sky, descending toward the sea of tents. That small fleet stopped above the audience, opening its cargo areas to release various monsters' corpses.

The Scalqa diverted their attention to the newly arrived food. They didn't forget its connection to Khan, but feasting cfirst.

Khan didn't mind it. He watched the feast unfold for a while, focusing on the symphony and its meaning, before retreating inside the building. The four Scalqa followed him, but the walk remained silent.

The building's insides were still mostly barebones. Khan planned to fill more rooms in the future, but other issues occupied his mind now. Soldiers eventually joined him, forming an escort as he reached the lower areas of the structure.

A teleport area eventually expanded in Khan's vision. He had moved Lucian's machine there since the city would soon becthe new center of his domain. The equipment was also already active, and one item had even cout.

The scientists had placed the small item on an interactive table, with scanners studying its every inch. The article was nothing more than a tiny flask containing a clear green liquid, but the machine's results vouched for its value. Abraham had sent a sample of the supplement, and Khan couldn't help but seize it after the initial round of inspections ended.

Khan studied the flask before tilting it. His eyes even resumed shining to check for odd reflections, but nothing similar happened. The liquid lacked impurities of any kind, and its clearer color almost described the massive gap from its original form.

The density was also off. The green substance was dense, but that clearer liquid surpassed it in that field. When Khan tilted the flask, it almost resembled jelly.

Khan went one step further by opening the flask and sniffing its insides. The faint scent of synthetic mana reached his nostrils, but his body's reaction added more information. The experience reminded him of the effects of the green substance, but the effects felt far superior in intensity.

The teleport area's doors opened while Khan closed the flask. Lieutenant Dyester, Gordon, and Monica entered the room, and the escort moved aside to let them approach Khan.

"That was quite the scene," Lieutenant Dyester commented, unable to stop inspecting Khan's looks. "Do you plan to walk around dressed like this from now on?"

"You know he has to," Monica intervened. "Khan is a leader and has to look the part."

"Leader," Lieutenant Dyester scoffed. "Don't let it go to your head."

"We agreed this was the best strategy," Monica pointed out.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Lieutenant Dyester said. "Dressing up like this is like asking for a war."

"I am at war," Khan reminded, showing the flask to Gordon. "How many did Abraham make?"

"Three," Gordon replied. "Four with this."

"And the tests?" Khan asked.

"They have begun since you gave the order, My Prince," Gordon responded. "Results should arrive in a few weeks."

Khan had initially thought he could test the supplement on himself, but the presence of synthetic mana ruined his plan. He wasn't even sure he could ask Abraham to remove that component from the procedure. After all, mana was necessary, and only people skilled in alien art could manipulate its natural version.

"I could-," Monica began to say.

"No," Khan instantly refused. "You'll get it only after Abraham confirms its effects beyond a shadow of a doubt."

Monica wanted to complain, but Khan's protectiveness kept her silent. She also avoided smiling since the atmosphere was quite serious, but Lieutenant Dyester didn't imitate her. Seeing that side of Khan partially reassured him. Even with a different appearance, Khan remained Khan.

"Do you have additional orders, My Prince?" Gordon asked when Khan stored the flask under his pelt.

"Oversee the construction of the other cities," Khan order. "Get everything ready and functioning. I'll resthe expansion."

"Yes, My Prince," Gordon stated.

"Monica, contact the Thilku," Khan continued. "Tell them we might need a meeting soon. Make them understand a Lord has to be present."

"Yes," Monica exclaimed, "Dear."

"Master Carl," Khan called.

"I know," Lieutenant Dyester said. "I'll find a nice room where to kill time."

"I need you to review the progress of the training routines," Khan ordered, surprising the man. "The Scalqa need to improve faster."

"What?" Lieutenant Dyester gasped. "What do you expectto achieve there?"

"You trained me," Khan declared. "You can handle the Scalqa."

"Wait, wait," Lieutenant Dyester called since Khan began to leave the room. "I can't even talk to them, let alone understand how their bodies work."

"You have my notes," Khan said without bothering to stop, "And I've seen you studying their language. I'll give you Ni-Kri to help."

"Ni-Kri?" Lieutenant Dyester wondered, looking at one of the tall Scalqa around Khan.

Ni-Kri met Lieutenant Dyester's gaze and lowered his head before shocking words escaped his mouth. "Ma-Sh-Tah Ca-Hal, Ni-Kri he-hlp."

Lieutenant Dyester couldn't believe his ears. Even if the attempt had been quite poor, Ni-Kri had spoked the human tongue. The response also showed he had followed the conversation. The alien could understand part of what they said.

"I thought I was supposed to be your moral compass," Lieutenant Dyester said, changing tactics after Khan had cornered him.

"And I was supposed to be a Prince," Khan declared, "Not a god. Stop making excuses. Step it up. You want to anyway."

Lieutenant Dyester had tried his best to hide it, but Khan was right. The former had reduced his drinking and smoking, resumed updating himself on the latest training methods, and even studied the Scalqa language. He had even meditated lately, even if he had no results to show for it.

"Getting lectured by a brat," Lieutenant Dyester sighed. "Fine, but I want something in return."

Something changed inside Lieutenant Dyester, making Khan stop to look at him. The man wore a serious face while his eyes fell on a spot under Khan's pelts.

"You won't limit the tests to random soldiers," Lieutenant Dyester stated. "You have to feel the responsibility of eventual failures."

"Master Carl," Monica intervened since she understood what the man wanted. "Khan already has it hard. Don't add problems."

"He recruitedto fulfill this role," Lieutenant Dyester pointed out. "He doesn't want to be like the other leaders. He has to put his own men through the srisks."

Khan looked deep into Lieutenant Dyester's eyes, hoping to find a trace of hesitation. Yet, nothing similar existed. The Lieutenant wouldn't budge on the matter since it was meant to be a lesson for Khan. He wanted to prepare him for when he would be forced to send his soldiers to battle.

"Mark will bring a space station into orbit next week," Khan revealed, drawing the flask from his pelts and handing it to Lieutenant Dyester. "I'll have him bring an infusion."

"If this works on my rotten body," Lieutenant Dyester smugly smirked, "It will work on anyone."