Chapter 63
Part 12
“Maybe a few of the senior ones will have the sense to realize that what we’re doing is smart for them,
since the demons will do a lot worse to them than we will, and we’ll help them be more dangerous
against the demons.” Helemia theorized. “But their god only said not to mess with the colony here. I’m
sure he didn’t tell them not to defend themselves against four kids whoe to take them over, at least
temporarily, so we expect a strong resistance from most of the adults, and of course there’s no
question that the young ones would fight, since it’s basically all they do.”
“So really, you’re going to do the same thing to the Sylvan here that they left Serminak to avoid?” Mark
inquired. “I mean really, it sounds like you’ll be doing exactly the same as Zarkog did.”
“As far as what we’re doing goes, that’s true.” Reggie nodded. “The difference is, Zarkog didn’t tell the
Serminakis that he was taking them over so he could prepare them to defend themselves against the
demons, which is what we’re going to do. He just said; ‘do what I say, or you’ll be beaten for it.’ Once
we’re sure that they’ve stopped letting their kids kill each other and that they’re working hard to get
ready to fight the demons, we’ll relinquish our control over them and leave them alone.”
“And besides, it’ll be fun!” Helemiaughed. “We’ll make some gains until lunch, then leave Karzog to
keep an eye on things while wee home to eat. Oh by the way, can we use the backyard valley?
We won’t disturb the livestock or anything.”
“You keep them from being disturbed when you’re sparring back there, and that’s generally pretty noisy,
so I don’t see why not.” Taliaughed.
“So? Can we have your authorization?” Reggie asked.
Mark smiled at Talia, and they shared a quick thought. “All right, since this seems like a pretty good
project, you can.
“But before I pronounce it, I want a better idea of your organization and ns.”
“I’m the political leader, Helemia is our General, Valentia is in charge of logistics, and Karzog will be in
charge of discipline and moral among the conquered. Once we’ve convinced a few of the more
sensible young Sylvan of the reality of the threat of the demons and the futility of resisting us, we’ll
groom them for positions of leadership among their cohort.
“We’ll capture the ones who are about to get killed first, and the ones who are about to kill them. As
soon as we capture them we’ll start turning them to our point of view. We’ll start training them, and
organize things to keep them fed. Along with training them to fight the demons, Valentia will get them
started on taking better care of the forest and waters in the Sylvan area of Hiliani, so it can support their
poption as it increases. Which it will, rapidly, once they stop killing each other.
“That’s about all we have so far. We know we’ll have to keep it flexible, and adapt to events as they
happen.
“We’ve told Quewanak that we won’t be avable for the exercises until this is done, so that’s okay.”
“Hm. All right.” Mark nodded. “Prince Markhan Reginus Longstrider the Sixth, I do pronounce you
Governor of Hiliani, with full power to act in regards to the Sylvan of Hiliani in the manner that you’ve
described to us here today, to promote and name to positions of authority such personnel as you
require to assist you in those duties, and to draw upon the treasury of Hilia as necessary, all subject to
our supervision and continued approval.
“And if it turns out that you need some help with it, don’t be shy about asking for it. We’ll give you as
much help as you need, and we won’t take it out of your hands unless you’ve really made a stew of it.
Even if you four are capable of doing this yourselves, you may find that it’s worth it to speed up the
process by getting some help once in a while.”
“Thank you Father, on behalf of myself, General Helemia, Vice-Governor Valentia, and Vice-Governor
Karzog. We do solemnly swear to fulfill the duties you have entrusted to us with honor and diligence.”
“Carry on, Governor Longstrider.” Mark chuckled.
“As you will, Sire.” Reggie said as he and his sister offered a formal bow, then broke out in giggles as
they looked under their shirts at their markings. Having just sworn to Hilia, they now bore the marking
of the Sword-star of Hilia.
They kissed their parents good-bye, then disappeared with their gear in a perfectly silent Translocation.
“Gods, they’re such adorable little tykes, aren’t they?” Aliliaughed. “Five and six years old, and our
little army is off to y with the Sylvan, and conquer them.”
“I assume you three will be following every second of our children’s adventure with rapt interest?”
Povon psionicly inquired. “If so, Kragorram and I invite you to join us here, where we can all watch it
together.”
“Thanks Povon, we’ll take you up on that.” Talia replied as the trio Translocated to the dragons’ main
cavern. “We were going to work with my father today, but I imagine he, Mother, and Hilsith will want to
watch this as well.”
She was right about that, Yazadril and his family did want to join them, and word spread quickly across
themunity. By noon there were so many people in the den watching the Revealings and following
the Readings that they moved the event to the gathering hall.
Reggie’s quad hovered kilometers above northern Hiliani, psionicly listening for the emotions of deadly
violence. It was the easiest way to find those they were seeking.
A fourteen-year-old Sylvan ran silently through the forest, cursing his luck. Only an hour since his father
had thrown him out of the house, and already one of the other wild kids was stalking him. He’d caught
a glimpse of her and thought he recognized her; a seventeen-year-old who ran with one of the big
packs, though he hadn’t detected any of the rest of them yet. Well he wasn’t afraid of any of them, and
he knew he was smarter than any of them besides! Once he got out of their territory and built himself a
hut, he’d form his own pack among the other new wild ones and kill all those stupid…
Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.
His thoughts were shattered as someone he didn’t recognize stepped out from behind a tree just in
front of him and cracked his Shields while thrusting at his throat with a spear. He was running too fast,
there was no time to avoid it…!
The world went dark.
Five twenty and twenty-one-year old Sylvan were cornered on a tiny penins, with the sea behind
and to either side. The boulder they were taking cover behind was connected to the shore by a sand
bar, and they knew that at any second the pack of three dozen seventeen and eighteen-year-olds
woulde rushing at them down the sandbar. They’d called for help, and knew that if they held out
for another minute or two, their own pack would surround the younger pack and drive them onto the
sandbar, where they would be trapped between the two groups of older Sylvan. They hunkered down
as a deluge of spells crashed against the boulder and their Shields, and cast a few spells back blind,
casting around the rock without looking, just to keep their attackers cautious. They clutched their
weapons tight, and waited for the wave of battle-cries that woulde with the rush.
“Hold on, we’re almost right behind them!” theirrades told them.
The tension built, then the shrieks and yells began with the charge, but they didn’t know which group
was yelling…
Darkness fell, and consciousness followed the light…
“Wow! Eighty-seven of them at once! That was a good one”! Karzogughed as they Translocated with
their unconscious captives to backyard valley, leaving them on the grass in neat rows of slumbering
Sylvan.
They checked their prisoners and Healed a few wounds, spent a few moments working together on a
girl whose abdomen had been deeply shed, then went back to their hunt.
As with anything they did, they weren’t just hunting the Sylvan, they were striving with all their will to
improve at it as quickly as possible, and they did. By lunchtime any one of them was capable of
conducting the hunt by themselves, with only asional borrowing of the others’ power for a big
Translocation. But by that time, most of the young Sylvan knew that something strange was happening
and that people were disappearing, and violence in their area dropped off to almost nothing.