After Cherry’s victory over the Cyclitharan gladiator beast was witnessed by the Grand Duke, a few officials, and soldiers, word spread out quickly throughout the land and beyond about the pink-flesh creature who possessed the power of blood control.
Some were skeptical and didn’t believe while others grew eerily uncomfortable at the idea of an alien species not from their Galaxy moving around with such monstrous power...freely.
However, those who saw Cherry in action were eager and expectant to see more from her. One Cyclitharan, unlike the others, was a little more ecstatic about Cherry’s strength. This Cyclitharan wasn’t just ecstatic about Cherry’s strength, he wanted to have it for himself.
The Grand Duke, fascinated by Cherry’s Blood Abilities, strength, speed, power, and Blood Mutant Form, desired to have that strength as his own. He desired to be able to draw blood from his enemies and use it to kill them. He desired to become what Cherry was and made sure to let the Granians know of his desires.
For the last two days, the Cyclitharan declared, spoke, and confessed to Lord Gravax, Grim, Lilly, and Cherry about how he desired to be a Blood Mutant. Each time he did so, the four of them couldn’t help but wonder where all his enthusiasm came from.
The one-eyed alien didn’t strike them as the enthusiastic type about such a gruesome monstrosity of strength, but rather a proud, pompous, and somewhat touchy-touchy specimen. They didn’t expect someone like him to lust after a power that involved touching, fighting, and killing using blood, the most sacred yet one of the dirtiest bodily liquids.
For hours, the Cyclitharan interviewed, questioned, and even begged the Blood Mutant to demonstrate more of what it could do. Cherry, at first, found this amusing and kept encouraging the Cyclitharan to continue asking. Updates are released by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
Sadly, his enthusiasm and curiosity became an inconvenience to Cherry, often making him push her boundaries to the limit. Unfortunately, because the Grand Duke’s support was needed for the War, Cherry couldn’t do anything but accept his demands...that was until it was time for them—her, Lord Gravax, Grim, and Lilly—to leave.
"FAREWELL, GRANIANS!!" the alien stood by the docking platform while the emptied Colonial Ships departed first and Lord Gravax’s ship took off last. "I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE. SEND MY WORD TO LORD GRANIA AND DO NOT FORGET WHAT I ASKED FOR IN RETURN. FAREWELL!!"
At last, the Granians had done it. they had gotten an ally in the War, all thanks to the power of Lord Gravax’s convincing tongue, Grim’s persuasive character, and most importantly, Cherry’s showcase power.
To make it better for them, they had done it in only a space of three days, the first day was used to seal the deal and the other two were used to sort through the best colonies to use, the best ships to equip, and the best soldiers to carry along with them.
While Cherry was being interviewed, interrogated, and questioned like no man’s business, Lord Gravax, and Grim, along with Atris, spent their hours selecting the finest War Machines, vehicles, soldiers, and ships the Cyclitharans possessed.
After acquiring what they needed, the Granians departed the Planet with a strong fleet of over one hundred thousand trained soldiers, fifty thousand transportation ships carrying war machines, vehicles, armor, beasts, and other miscellaneous equipment, and fifty thousand war ships honed with some of the best weaponry technology in all of Akrina.
"We did it," Lord Gravax whispered to Grim with a wide, proud grin on his scaly face. The Granian had done what many before him hadn’t.
He had convinced a species to fight with them, all done without using excessive force, causing unnecessary bloodshed of innocent victims or even threatening to push them to extinction. "We got allies on our side. A feat that our ancestors weren’t able to pull off so easily."
"Congratulations, Lord Gravax and Grim." Lilly, along with the other Granians on board, clapped in recognition of the Granians’ accomplishment. What they had done was not something to simply be overlooked. Instead, it was something worth acknowledging and giving it its due credit.
"Thank you, Granian," Gravax responded and then disbanded the Granians, leaving only him and Grim alone in the room they were in.
While alone, Gravax’s thoughts changed to more pressing matters and that was concerning the Grand Duke’s commands. Even though they had gained allies, the Granians knew that more would be needed.
Their army’s size was large, a fact they couldn’t ignore, but they needed an even larger one to counter that of the Ethisians and their allies. The Ethisians had an already large and powerful army, along with their three allies the Yrrejites, Soxans, and Haisojians.
They needed more soldiers, technology, and equipment on their side to counter and overwhelm those numbers as quickly as they could otherwise, it could mean defeat for them.
With that in mind, it brought Gravax to his main concern for the day and that was concerning the Grand Duke’s desire. For them to acquire said soldiers, resources, and colonies from the Cyclitharans, they needed to do something drastic in return and that was...
"Giving another species the power of the Blood Mutant." Grim broke the awkward silence. Like Gravax, he too was lost in thought about the Grand Duke’s demands. "Why does this Cyclitharan think we’re obligated to give him such an incredible weapon that took us hundreds of thousands of attempts to finally perfect?
"The same question has plagued my mind," Gravax responded with visible frustration displaying on his red, scaly face. "He’s a business-orientated creature. He knows what we need so he’s using that to his advantage to acquire what he acquires
"I cannot believe I’m saying this but...what he had done is quite genius and strategic."
"But you do know the problem that lies with it, don’t you?" the most important question was asked, one that couldn’t be ignored.
"I do, Grim. From the very moment he opened his mouth to ask that question. I knew what problem that came with it." Gravax answered and then remained silent for a while. Racking his mind over and over again, the Granian battled internally on whether they could deliver his wish to get more of what they needed or just remain content with what they already had. "This is something out of our control.
"Lord Grania must be informed immediately. Maybe he will know what to do about this."