The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2
Chapter 192

Part 26

Mark did so. Dalia and Bezedil were next.

Then came Somonik, Grakonexikaldoron, Empress Emeroth, and Emperor Osbald, who all announced that they would give up their rule or membership in ruling councils as soon as the war was over.

Next was Overlord Senchak. He stood still on the stage with Mark for nearly a minute after his Ascension, and everyone silently waited with him. Suddenly he announced; "I am abdicating. It just doesn't sit righ with me to continue to rule as Overlord, not even for so much as another day.

"Immediately after this meeting, the Lords of the Clans of Kletiuk will meet in The Arena of Government of Overclan Beijur. A new Lord of Clan Beijur will be chosen, and a new Overlord of Kletiuk. I will nominate my son Senchasi for both positions. He is only twenty years younger than I am at the age of one hundred and ninety-two, and he is very experienced. Since I became Overlord of Kletiuk, he has acted as Lord of Clan Beijur. I believe he is the most capable and well-trained leader that Kletiuk has.

"But there are many fine Kleti who could lead our people and do it well. Even if another Clan becomes Overclan, the transition will happen quickly and cleanly, with little disruption in our operations or our war preparations. Kletiuk will continue to do her duty to The Just Alliance, and to the Kellaran-Triax Alliance."

With that he left the stage, and Mark moved on to his next Candidate. In general, he worked with the Candidates who were national leaders first, then councilors and military commanders, then civilian senior wizards or sorcerers, then other citizens.

A few other leaders abdicated, including Princess Pimall of The Warm People. Like Senchak had done, she assured the world that the transition of power among the polar elves wouldn't be lengthy or disruptive. The rest stated that they'd abdicate after the war.

None chose to use Multiple Manifestations.

None of the leaders refused divinity, and only one of the senior magic users did so. But as Mark worked his way down the ranks of his Candidates, a few more refused it, and the lower they were in rank in society, the greater the likelihood that they would refuse. In all, twenty-six refused. He disallowed none after examining them.

After the first hour only seventeen Candidates had Ascended, and thirty-one more after the second hour. But by then almost everyone there began to get a bit bored with the proceedings. The Candidates formed a queue at the edge of the stage and Mark began to take much less time with them. Near the end, one was ascending every few seconds then clearing the way for the next, and they were all done before he'd been at it for three and a half hours.

The last Candidate in the line was one Dieb Selzeamtik. As Karz had pointed out when they'd originally checked Mark's first list of Candidates and their shallow Readings, she was a four-year-old dwarf from a clan of ordinary shepherds, with no apparent unusual abilities, no unusual training or influences, and no wizardry in her family for their entire recorded history.

Mark smiled at her as she stepped up and said in Kleti; "Dieb, there's never been a god who was a child, and I don't intend to change that now. You're not the only child who's a Candidate, though you are the youngest one, but none of you will become gods today. If you did you'd be a god, but I don't think you'd keep growing. God or no, in many ways you'd be stuck as a four-year-old child for the rest of eternity, and I don't think that would be right. You only have to wait a few years before you're grown, and compared to the many eons that you'll be a god, that's not very long to wait."

"Or maybe I'll be killed by the demons next year, and lose my chance at it." Dieb quietly stated with a peculiar intensity, and shook her head. "No. You will Read me, all the way, and keep it private. Then you'll make me the Kleti Goddess of Serenity. Anyone can see that we need one.

"Besides, if you think about it, you'll see that you can be a child anytime you want, even though you're grown, because you're a god. When I'm a goddess I'll be able to be grown-up in every way, any time I want, just by wanting to. And you know it."

Mark raised an eyebrow and Read her, then raised both eyebrows in amazement and Read her again as thoroughly as he possibly could with his new divine abilities. Then he took her hands and attended to her Ascension without another word.

When it was done she smiled at him, then calmly walked back to her seat. Like Mark, she spoke not another word, and he watched her go with a bemused smile until she reached her chair. "Well, that's it for today, I guess." he told the gathering. "We'll see you soon."

"Wait." Pakdag said as he appeared on the stage beside Mark. "Before you go, know this;" The human war god turned to the assembly and announced; "The Tournament of Governors will be held one week from today, and it will be held here; in The Hall of The Just Alliance. We will call for the registration of teams in three days. We wish all of the participants the best of fortune.

"Immediately after the outcome of the tournament has been announced, The Assembly of The Just Alliance will convene here to consider the results, and to decide whether the winners of the tournament will be given the power to rule Kellaran until the war is over."

"Thank you, Pakdag." Mark told him. He bowed to the assembly, then took his immediate family home to the Royal Beach on Hilia.

"That is as weird as it gets." Val stated with a shiver. "No Translocation, no Gate, no detectable spell cast or energy expended at all. We were there, then suddenly we're here, and that's it.

"I feel like you must have felt when you encountered magic for the very first time, Father."

"It's pretty strange all right." Mark chuckled as he sat on the sand against a log and relaxed. "Everything feels so vibrant and new. Every sensation is so bright and sharp."

"It's amazing." Talia grinned as she spun pirouettes in the air. "I wonder if we'll still get hungry, or want to sleep, or use the privacy?"

"We will if we want to, and we won't if we don't." Alilia laughed as she lay down on her side on the warm sand, pillowed her head on Mark's leg, and closed her eyes. “It's good that I swore to justice on The Truthstone, or I'd be violating all of your privacies right now. The awareness of everyone and everything is so exquisite, and without the vow I might have Read everyone in the world by now, just because I wondered what they were thinking."

"Hmm." Mark went as he looked around at his huge family around him. "I realize now that the only reason it felt uncomfortable to multiple manifest before was because of the safety features the Governors put into their spell to ensure that our copies would always want to get back together. For mortals, it might be a sensible precaution. Without it, once two copies have been separated for a while their survival instincts might make each of them want to survive on their own.

"But there's no risk of it now for us, that's for sure, and our loves need some hugs."

Suddenly there were dozens of him hugging all his still-mortal wives, husbands and children.

"I know it's not fair that you aren't Candidates." he murmured to each of the Volunteers and The Forty-Four. "But there's a good chance that you will be in the future, and we'll do our best to help you reach it sooner, if that's what you want.

"I know you fear that this new difference between us will harm our love and our relationship somehow, and I swear that it won't.

"We have changed a lot, and it's sudden, but it's actually less change than I went through in the first week after I met and married Talia, when I discovered my magic and learned to use it and became Prince and Key. We're different, but we're still the same in all the ways that matter, and we still love you just as much."

"They're Candidates, aren't they?" Meechla asked, indicating The Governors with a head movement.

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