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

Part 13

"We believe the stone is genuine." she reported. "We will agree to what you've proposed. It seems to offer only benefits for us. But we want more than your oaths on the stone. We want every leader and spell caster among your people to also swear to the same terms on the stone, particularly the two who you say rule these islands; Prince Mark and Princess Talia of Hilia; Keys to The Just Alliance."

"I'm reasonably certain that we can arrange that." Reggie nodded. "Shall we hold the swearing here at noon tomorrow? We'll arrange a nice occasion with some entertainment and a feast for everyone. We should have every member of our people and every member of yours all meet here to get to know one another and to swear the oath together.

"Is that agreeable to you?"

"Yes." She agreed. "Such an event would be fitting on this occasion."

"You look disappointed." another elder female said to Helemia.

"Sorry." she shrugged. "It all just seems a little too easy. There's a part of me that was hoping you'd fight about it."

"Why?"

Helemia shrugged again, and grinned. "It would've been fun."

Her questioner looked surprised for a moment, then she and a few of her companions chuckled. "A thought worthy of a Sylvan." one of them commented.

"Noon tomorrow then." the spokeswoman stated in conclusion, and their Projection ended.

"Spread the word about the agreement and the big gathering tomorrow to all the recruits." Reggie instructed Karzog. "If the officers we were instructing finish all their assignments before we get back, put them back on the construction details for now."

"Actually, their supper will be served in less than five minutes." Karzog reported as he considered the cooking crew's progress. "You can resume the officers' training in the morning."

"Right." Reggie nodded. "We're off to talk to our parents and make arrangements for the gathering here tomorrow. Hopefully we're not in trouble for over-reaching our authority in the agreements we've just committed our people to."

"I'll be listening." Karzog chuckled. "I can spare the concentration, and I wouldn't want to miss it if you get chewed by your parents!"

He looked down the beach as he made another assessment. "All right, everyone wrap up your work for the night, then line up for supper!" he commanded, his booming psionic voice reaching all the Sylvan within their Wards.

"We should be back in time to help supervise the evening's merry-making." Reggie estimated. "By the time they're done eating, that is."

"Right." Karzog nodded, somewhat distracted, and the three children Translocated.

They found their parents sitting around a table out in the front yard, doing some research with Theramin, Hilsith, Nek Sibook, and Mandri. "Have you been listening, or would you like a Reading?" Helemia asked as suddenly as they appeared.

"We've been listening, though you haven't made it easy." Mark chuckled. "We had to get Povon and Equemev to help us with it after you hardened your Wards to block those Sylvan's Projections. Fine work though, every bit of it!"

"Fine?!" Nek laughed. "I'd have to say unbelievably excellent! I can't believe you've got it all wrapped up already, with a party to celebrate it! I mean, I was one of the most outstanding child prodigies to ever come down the river, but you kids really eat the whole feast! To think you four youngsters just pacified about twenty thousand wild and unsworn Sylvan in two days! What will you do to top yourselves now?!" "Yah, there's a lot more of them than we originally thought." Helemia nodded. "You've noticed they're not hiding from us anymore. But it was still way easier than we thought it'd be. To be honest, I'm not sure what we could do to top that until the time-bubble ends. It's getting pretty hard to find a real challenge in here, except for the training for the demons, and even there our progress is slowing. We're getting pretty close to our potential when it comes to battle, and so are a lot of the others here. We'll keep getting better, but mostly because we're still growing."

"Ah, but now you'll have more to worry about than just your part in the exercises." Alilia told them with a proud smile. "Now you'll have to command your Sylvan against the demons, and that's going to be a whole new set of problems. I think it'll keep you challenged for quite some time. There's a lot of difference between fighting as a quartet under an experienced commander, and commanding an army of twenty thousand."

"You'd have us command them in the exercises?" Reggie asked in surprise. "We haven't even had a turn commanding the four hundred fighters in Homestead yet!"

"Then maybe you should have asked to do that before you took on this responsibility!" Mark laughed. "Someone has to command them until their own commanders are ready to do it. Of course, I suppose one or more of the rest of us could do it, if you're saying that you're not up to the task..."

"Oh we're up to it all right!" Helemia fiercely declared. "Quewanak and Ria are gonna need all of your help to simulate enough demons to give us a challenge! Once we've had at least two months for some basic training, anyway."

"Good to hear!" Talia laughed. "Seriously, if you need any help in any way, just ask. You've all done a great and wonderful thing, and we're as proud of you as we possibly could be. And we'll take care of the feast for tomorrow. The fare you've provided for your troops is hearty and healthy, but such an occasion calls for some fancier dishes, I think."

"Thanks." Valentia smiled. "That saves us a lot of work, and the Sylvan don't seem to have much of a tradition of fine dining, judging by the cooking skills they've shown so far. And somehow, none of us four have gotten around to learning more than the most basic cooking skills, so we haven't been much help."

"It's the least we could do." Mark told her with a loving smile. "Now give us a hug and get back to your project."

"There won't be anything more done tonight except some planning, and a very big beach party!" Valentia laughed. "We'll have the planning done by the time the Sylvan are finished eating, so if you'd like to come join the party, you'll be welcome."

"No no, that would detract from the gravity of our big appearance tomorrow." Alilia chuckled. "There's the diplomacy of the event to be considered, after all. I'm sure tomorrow night's beach party will be even better, and we'll get to enjoy that one."

"All right then." Valentia smiled as she gave her mother a hug.

"You two go ahead, I'll get some sleep and be back in five hours." Helemia said as she Translocated out of her armor. "That way we can all get that much before noon tomorrow."

"All right, sleep well." Valentia said.

After hugs and goodbyes all round, Helemia went to bed as the rest returned to their tasks.

At fifteen minutes to noon the next day, everything was ready. At the center of the length of beach that they'd claimed, the four governors had erected a square wooden platform two and a half meters high and six meters on a side. Karzog sat on the sand beside it like a dog, with an elbow resting on the top surface where the three siblings stood waiting.

Above the platform they'd cast a gigantic Revealing over thirty-seven meters high. During the ceremonies it would allow everyone on the beach to see and hear what the principals were doing and saying, but right now it only showed the symbol of Hiliani that Valentia had designed. It was a stylized version of the map of the archipelago, but the coast had been smoothed a bit into a more symmetrical oval, and tilted a bit counter-clockwise from vertical as it would be on a map, with a blue outline and slim blue lines showing where the channels were. Valentia had admitted that it would have been more realistic to color the islands themselves the brownish-green of the dominant tree species' pine needles, but she'd chosen the red of that tree's heartwood instead, simply because she thought it looked better.

There was enough open space on the beach around the platform for the five hundred and twenty-one residents of Homestead, and for the rest of the Sylvan; those being most of the adults and the few youths they hadn't caught yet.

The Sylvan they'd captured were seated in neat squares up and down the beach beyond the open sand, arranged in their new platoons facing the platform with their lieutenants seated before them, all sitting relaxed and cross-legged with identical postures.¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶