"Although the four-eared elves are proving to be loyal, we won't truly know where their hearts lie unless they are given the chance to betray us. That's why, when we reconnect with the outside world, the four-eared elves' gods' chosens and Captain Seig and his lieutenant will be among those who lead us forward. They are more familiar with the outside world, which will allow us to examine them and judge whether they are trustworthy enough to be fully integrated within our territory," Orion responded, his tone serious.
Isadora was one of the reasons why he had decided to give the four-eared elves a chance to prove themselves.
Caretaker Ivor and the others nodded in understanding.
"If there are no other questions, let us begin," Orion said, standing up from his seat and walking towards the door.
The rest of the key leaders nodded and stood up from their seats, following Orion towards the door.
As Orion exited the room, he immediately met Fifi, who was waiting outside.
Noticing Orion and the other key leaders walking out, Fifi approached them.
"How did the meeting go?" Fifi asked, her eyes briefly scanning the key leaders emerging from the room. Her gaze lingered on Seth, who was staring at her fiercely before snorting and walking down the hallway with the rest.
"You don't need to worry; I've handled everything as I said. Let's follow the others downstairs; Seraphina and the others are waiting for us to begin the procedure," Orion responded, smiling and nodding.
Fifi's expression softened with relief as she nodded.
They walked through the hallway and descended the stairs.
Upon reaching their destination, they were greeted by Seraphina, Greta, and the rest of the Healer's Association leaders, who were standing outside the room where the procedure would take place.
They all exchanged respectful greetings upon noticing each other.
"Is everything ready?" Orion asked.
"Yes, we were just waiting for your arrival to begin the procedure," Seraphina responded, her gaze briefly resting on Stronghold Leader Zogar and Fifi.
"Alright, let's begin then," Orion responded, nodding.
Seraphina nodded and gestured for the candidates to follow her as she, Greta, and the rest of the Healers' Association leaders entered the room.
Stronghold Leader Zogar followed closely behind them.
Fifi leaned in to kiss Orion before she walked in as well. The door then closed behind her.
Unlike other rooms in the building, this one had been magically reinforced through various means. All the materials and equipment needed for the procedures had been transferred here beforehand, so there was no need to worry about anything going wrong. However, they all remained close by in case any unexpected incidents occurred.
"I believe everything is going to work out fine," Queen Selene said, her gaze briefly resting on Orion's worried expression.
"I hope so," Orion nodded silently, his eyes fixed on the door.
Within the room were two comfortably sized hospital beds with metal straps hanging down from their sides. On the other side, tables were neatly arranged and filled with various tools, alchemical equipment, and other apparatus.
"Which one of you would like to go first?" Seraphina asked, her eyes fixed on Fifi and Stronghold Leader Zogar.
"I will!" they both announced simultaneously.
Stronghold Leader Zogar turned to Fifi and said, "I'll go first. You can wait for your turn." He then approached the bed.
Fifi wanted to respond, but Seraphina quickly interjected, "Warrior Fifi, can you please wait at the side so we can begin?"
Fifi shifted her attention towards Seraphina. After a brief moment, her shoulders collapsed, and she nodded before standing at the side with Greta and the rest of the Healers' Association leaders. They were all there to ensure that nothing went wrong with the procedure, and even if it did, they were prepared to handle such a situation and prevent it from escalating.
Stronghold Leader Zogar gently lay on the bed as Seraphina tightened the metal straps around him.
"What is this for?" Stronghold Leader Zogar asked curiously.
"It's to hold you in place and prevent you from going on a rampage if anything goes wrong," Seraphina smiled.
"Are you sure this will be enough to hold me in case something bad occurs?" Stronghold Leader Zogar responded with a raised brow. He knew his strength and understood that something would not hold him back.
"If it doesn't, we have other means prepared to try and subdue you, so just prepare yourself for the procedure and leave the rest to us to handle," Seraphina replied confidently.
Stronghold Leader Zogar nodded quietly. Even though he doubted they had something to subdue him, Seraphina's and the others' minds were just as powerful as his strength, so he took her words seriously and focused on his purpose for being there.
"Right hand or left?" Seraphina asked, curious about Stronghold Leader Zogar's preference for the placement of the Vylkr Fusion Armlet.
"Right," Stronghold Leader Zogar responded quickly and thoughtfully.
Seraphina strapped his other hand and grabbed a bowl of ointment and the elixirs brewed from the table beside her for this very occasion. She applied them to Stronghold Leader Zogar's forearm before using a towel to clean them off thoroughly.
Seraphina carefully retrieved the Vylkr Fusion Armlet from its box and aligned it on Stronghold Leader Zogar's wrist. As she tightened the Armlet, its gears moved precisely, clicking and whirring until it locked securely into place.
Stronghold Leader Zogar emitted a low growl as he felt the Vylkr Fusion Armlet sinking into his flesh, its tiny gears digging into his wrist until it was firmly secured.
Then, the true agony began.
The runes on the Vylkr Fusion Armlet ignited, casting a malevolent glow as Zogar's nerves started to tremble. He could sense his Vylkr energy being drawn into the Armlet, surging out with an unfamiliar furiousness, coursing through his veins, ripping through his flesh and muscles as it flowed back to his Vylk containers, attempting to synchronize with his being.
Despite the excruciating experience, Zogar didn't utter a scream of agony. After all, he had endured far worse in his life, making this minor torment seem negligible.