The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2
Chapter 144

Part 21

"Well, we've been considering who might've forced Yzell's mind." Six explained. "Only the gods could see through the time-bubble from the outside, and they led us to believe that they couldn't act through it without taking it down. They've also said that it takes more than one of them to maintain a time-bubble that big, and I'm sure the gods who're maintaining it could tell if another god was trying to see through it o act through it. So, for it to be done from outside, there has to be a conspiracy of the gods, they'd have to be doing what they told us they couldn't do, and all of them are sworn on The Truthstone. Plus, unless they were watching us through the time-bubble, I can't see what motivation they'd have had to do it.

"I think we can disregard the possibility that it was done from outside.

"When you consider the people with us inside the time-bubble, and ask who had the capability to do it, who could've had a motivation to do it, and who has a twisted enough sense of morality to do it even though they're sworn to justice, there's only one real candidate.

"Quewanak did it. He has the capability. He considers us his protégés and has always been quite impressed with us, and could certainly see what a benefit forty-four more of us will be to The Just Alliance. And he's got a kind of inconsiderate sense of morality. Don't forget that when me and Fire were barely toddlers and had no magic and almost no physical combat ability, Quewanak had us fight hundreds of adult Sylvan to the death, armed with nothing but our psionics. He could have stopped it at the beginning of their attack, but he let it go on until just before we were going to be overwhelmed and killed because he wanted to see what would happen, and he thought it would be good for us.

"I think of every other possible suspect that has the skill to do it and ask myself; are they the kind of people who could have done this? Yazadril? Dalia? Nek Sibook? Any of the Sylvan Elders? No. None of them would do something like this, not in a million years. But Quewanak? Sure, he'd do it on a whim.

"Quewanak had the ability, the opportunity, the motivation, the requisite personality, and in my mind he stands alone as the sole suspect by process of elimination.

"He did it."

"Well done." Quewanak chuckled, startling the rest as he appeared. Or rather his head appeared without the rest of him since he couldn't fit in the house, which was a rather disconcerting solution to the problem for Mark and his children. "I hadn't considered that you might identify me as the author of the work with absolutely no evidence against me.

"You are completely correct of course, I did do it, and I feel completely comfortable with having done so. It needed to be done; I could see no possibility that the fertility problem would be solved otherwise, and i was the right thing to do."

"You think it was right to steal my freedom to decide whether I was going to have children?!!" Mark demanded in rage. "Was it right to make Yzell think that she'd committed this crime against me, or to inflict on my family the stresses and awkwardness that this situation has put on our relationships?!! To force me to raise forty-four more children at the same time?!!"

"These are extreme times, that sometimes require extreme measures." Quewanak patiently explained. "You've solved the problem of how to raise the children well, and though I knew not how you'd do so, I was confidant that you would.

"I knew that Yzell would be exonerated, and in return for a few minutes of anguish, she was allowed to accomplish a great achievement that will greatly benefit many millions of people over millions of years. "The stress and awkwardness suffered by your family have been minor.

"And as to my crime against you personally, I'll make you a deal; After the time-bubble opens, after sixteen years of subjective time for you spent raising the children I've caused you to breed, if you still feel that I deserve punishment for my crime against you, I will submit to it. If you still feel that you should confine me or torture me or even kill me for what I've done, I will allow you to do so, even accepting the true death, if you truly feel it is my due. I swear it by the soul of Holy Amirgath himself."

And with a final chuckle, the head of Quewanak disappeared.

"Damn it!" Mark cursed. "There's not a damn thing to be done about it but accept it, or bring him up on charges for it before The Assembly and The Pantheon! And frankly, the entire situation seems a bit too ridiculous for that!"

"Or, we can just let everyone know what happened." Six mused. "Almost everyone in the Kellaran-Triax alliance will be able to see the injustice of what he's done. Perhaps he doesn't care what everyone else thinks of him, but he'll still have to endure their disapproval, and some of the gods may feel that he deserves some discipline for it."

Mark angrily considered that for a few seconds, then finally calmed himself, took a deep breath, and shook his head. "No, I don't really want to do that either. As strange as he is, Quewanak has been a good friend to us in many ways. This almost feels more like a problem within our family than a matter for public prosecution.

"After I've made the Ascension, I'll deal with it.

"In the meantime, we'll go back to the meeting."

They did so, and were joined there by Alilia and Talia a few minutes later. They checked in with Povon, Kragorram, and Karz, who were busy integrating the Serminaki forces into the attack plan. Since they had a week before the exercise began, by that time they planned to have most of Serminaki Draconia trained with the new Xervian Draconian Void-proofing spell, and to be able to bring most of Serminak's dragons into the fray. They also planned to be able to field at least three thousand of Six and Kragorram's void craft crewed by twenty-four battle wizards each; all of them Serminak and Hilia's best. Within another hour the plan was set, and Yazadril announced that it was so.

Just as Somonik took the stage to close the meeting Mark appeared there as well, so Somonik calmly announced him as smoothly as if it had been planned.

"Prince Mark of Hilia; Lord of Serminak, Key to The Just Alliance."

"Thank you Somonik." Mark said with a bow to the white dragon, and spoke directly to him. "As you know, all of the rulers and ruling members of The Just Alliance have been invited to a state wedding some two hours from now, declaring the love shared between myself, Princess Talia, and Princess Alilia of The People of Life, and declaring an alliance by marriage between The People of Life, Hilia, and Serminak. "However, Quewanak will not be attending. We're not pleased with him right now, and we're rescinding his invitation. He can watch it in Revealings along with everyone else who didn't receive an invitation. "He was scheduled to perform the ceremony. That being the case, I most humbly ask you; Somonik, First of The Ninety-Nine of Xervian Draconia, Speaker for The Assembly of The Just Alliance, Most Noble of All, would you conduct my wedding? Sorry it's such short notice."

"I would be most honored to do so." Somonik replied with a grin and a bow as humble as Mark's had been.

"Excellent. You can consult with Yazadril as to the specifics of it. Thank you, and I'll see you there!"

"You are most welcome." Somonik chuckled as Mark left the stage, walking back to his family on a whim.

"That concludes our congress here today." Somonik declared. "Please keep sending your updated status reports as soon as they become available.

"We thank our guests from The Triax, and look forward to continuing to work closely with you in the days ahead.

"We will next meet immediately after the upcoming joint battle exercise, tentatively scheduled for one week from now. That meeting will be limited to rulers and all military personnel down to the rank of Colonel or its equivalent, unless unforeseen circumstances make it advisable to include other personnel.

"Until then, be well."☐☐☐☐☐

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