Chapter 2
Part 1
“You will not be able to raise normal children, even if you stay mortal.” Ne pointed out to Mark. “They
will be half elven and half human, and with your unique properties, they might just be the first of a new
race. Furthermore, they will be the sons and daughters of the Prince and Princess of Hilia, Keys to The
Just Alliance, keys to the nexus, two of the most powerful spell casters on the, and two of the
wealthiest and most famous people alive. Those circumstances will prevent your children from having
anything like what you would consider to be a normal childhood, and you may as well face that right
now. But that does not mean that their childhood will be any less wonderful and healthy, simply
because their parents and their lives are exceptional. The same will be true if you be divine.
“The mortals here right now are the only ones that know that Quewanak is now a god. The same can
be true of yourselves.”
“You’re right.” Mark nodded. “There’s no way we can give our kids a normal childhood while living the
way we are now. So after the nexus ispletely over and dealt with, we’ll retire from all this royalty
and government for at least twenty years while we move somewhere simple and raise some kids. Then
after thest of ‘em get married, then I might consider bing a god, and not before.
“As for all those dependencies, after you revealed them I did stuff that you said ‘left your visions of the
future in tatters’. And you said that all our Candidacies would wax and wane with time and events. So
there’s a good chance that none of that is valid anymore anyway.”
He turned to Amirgath. “It seemed you were the quickest at evaluating someone’s Candidacyst time,
and I don’t see that having it done by our own patron god matters. Why don’t you give us all another
quick scan right now, and see what you think.”
Amirgath did so with a quick nce at all the mortals present, then sat back on his haunches in
surprise, before grinning in satisfaction. “All of your Candidacies are absolutely assured, including
yours, Grakonexikaldoron! All of you will Ascend within the next two years! It is so absolutely certain
that the dependencies can no longer be discerned. I am certain that this indicates that we will win this
argument, and convince you to do your duty as you should!”
“Well you’re wrong then, because I’m still just as convinced that I won’t do it! Besides, it could just as
easily show that someone else will figure out how to do it and to teach it. And besides all that, I’m still
improving so quickly as a mage and a wizard and a warlock, I might be able to find another way to
assure our victory over the demons.”
“No.” Falgaroth chuckled. “Your candidacy is assured; you will Ascend within two years. I think that
what the new findings show is that the solution Visinniria, Glup, and myself have thought of will work,
and that it will please all of you. A solution we thought of by working together while the rest of you were
arguing, I might point out.
“Amirgath, would you and your faction be satisfied if Mark took two monthspletely off, including
being out of contact with everyone, and then made his attempt to be divine, and to teach it to
these other Candidates?”
“We would be well pleased with that.” Amirgath nodded.
“Excellent.” Falgaroth said as he turned to Mark, and swished his long blue tail with a graceful motion.
“Mark, if you can retire from government and politics for twenty-four years, will you promise to then
resume your duties and do your best to be divine, and to teach it or otherwise effect it in these
others, and as many others as you can?”
Mark quickly checked with Talia via their Link, and received her enthusiastic agreement before he
responded. “Sure, I’d be willing tomit us to that.”
“Excellent.” Falgaroth nodded, and tossed his mane a bit. “Then gather those people who you wish to
be part of themunity your children will grow up with. Choose an isted ce for thatmunity,
This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.
and go there with those you have chosen, who will agree to live there with you in istion for the full
twenty-four years.
“We will then cast a time-bubble upon that ce. While twenty-four years will pass within the bubble,
only two months will pass outside it. That should give you ample time to raise your children.
“Remember that yourmunity will bepletely isted, so the area in the bubble must berge
and bountiful enough to provide all of yourmunity’s needs. Though I suppose you are already
capable of providing anything you could need with spellcraft.”
“That’s good thinking.” Quewanak offered, scratching his chin with a w-tip. “I can think of a few ways
to deal with simting the normal timing of sunrise and the change of seasons.”
“You should do it for all our researchers too.” Mark suddenly suggested. “Everyone who’s working
desperately on important research, hoping to get it done before the demons get here, can all have
extra decades to figure it out. For that matter, do it for as many as you can, everyone who’s building
defenses, or having and raising children, increasing the food supply, teaching spells, building weapons.
The more time we have to prepare for the demons, the better off we’ll be, right? There can be more of
us, and be better trained and equipped and prepared in every way!”
“Damn, child, that is good thinking.” Falgaroth neighed and nodded as he considered it “But there are
limits to how much we can do that way. It’s not a simple thing, and will require a constant portion of the
attention and power of at least three gods for the full two months in order to do it. But I will see how
many of us are willing tomit to the task, and we will do what we can. We will take a week to
prepare, then we’ll cast all the istions simultaneously. It will be simpler that way. In two months time,
we will see how much we have achieved in the way of results, and consider repeating and expanding
the program. We may do it at least ten times over the next year.
“Most of us agree that we should try to eliminate the demons then; about thirteen months from now,
actually. The distance between us and them at that time will be an optimumpromise. The closer
they are, the easier it is to attack them, but allowing them closer also increases the possibility that
Keran will be within their attack range. We have consulted with the gods of The Triax, and we doubt
that even DemonLords could Translocate to Keran from that distance.”
“All right, that’s a n then.” Mark nodded. “We’ll be ready in a week. I’m sure we’ll have no trouble
finding friends to join us. Who wouldn’t want an extra twenty-four years before we fight the demons?”
“A week is not long, to prepare for such a withdrawal.” Talia mused as she wrapped an arm around
Mark’s thigh and hugged it. “So I suppose we should begin as soon as we can, which is right now. I’ll
inform First Minister Sheramiv and have her prepare the world and our schedule for our absence. And
then, my love, we need to have a serious and private discussion about how we will raise our children.”
“Agreed.” Mark said as he picked her up and cuddled her. “I have a few more questions to ask here,
while you’re talking to Sheramiv.”
As Talia cast Speaking to their First Minister, Mark inquired of Falgaroth; “Time will be passing a
hundred and forty-four times faster outside the time-bubble, so does that mean that thend inside it
will get less heat and light and magic power from the sun by that ratio?”
“We’llpensate for that, either with our power, or by storing power to be gradually released within
the time-bubble.” Visinniria exined. “You might not have your full power, but you should not be so
diminished as to inconvenience you.”