Chapter 78
Part 13
“Now as I was saying, I’m sure the rtionship between your people and mine will be beneficial to us
all. Through us, you are joining the wider society in the world, and your istion can end when the
time-bubble ends. You’ll have the chance to travel the world, to see all the wonders of it, and to take
part in society in any way you choose, within the limits of thews of The Just Alliance.
“Most important of all, we’ll all have the best possible chance to defeat the demons.
“Now,” he said as he held out his hand and Helemia gave him the stone, “We will swear binding oaths
upon The Truthstone of Falgaroth.
“I swear that we of themunity of Homestead on the Inds of Hiliani, of the nation of Hilia and of
The Just Alliance, will provide the Sylvan of Hiliani with the training and facilities to maximize their
military potential, and will ensure their well-being as best we are able for as long as we are responsible
for them. As soon as we have sufficiently trained enough senior officers among the Sylvan to allow
them to assumemand of the Hiliani Sylvan, we will allow them to do so, contingent upon their
continuation of the military and social systems we have emced, until the threat of attack by demons
on Keran has been eliminated. We will abide by thend use agreement that was discussed
yesterday, allocating twenty-three of Hiliani’s twenty-seven inds for Sylvan use. All of this that I have
sworn will be known among us of Homestead as Valentia’s Vow, for Vice-Governor Valentia, who chose
the wording. All of us will be able to conveniently swear this vow on the stone by stating; ‘I swear
Valentia’s Vow’, and every citizen of Homestead will do so, this I so swear.”
There was a bright blue sh of light from the stone as the binding took effect, then he handed it to
Senior Dolimatbene.
“I swear that we of the Sylvan of Hiliani will not act against the citizens of Homestead, and that we will
abide by the military and social systems that you have emced.” she stated. “We will abide by the
permission. This vow shall be in power until the threat of the demons that now approach Keran has
been eliminated. This vow shall be known among us of the Hiliani Sylvan as Plozofen’s Promise,
allowing us to conveniently swear this vow on the stone by stating; ‘I swear Plozofen’s Promise’.”
Mark held his hand out for the stone as the blue light shed again. “I swear Valentia’s Vow.
“I swear that the spell I am now casting on the stone will do no more and no less than to allow any
citizen of Homestead who wishes to do so to swear Valentia’s Vow upon it by merely touching the
stone.
“I swear that the spell I am now casting on the stone will do no more and no less than to allow any
Sylvan of Hiliani who wishes to do so to swear Plozofen’s Promise upon it by merely touching the
stone.
“I swear that the spell I am now casting on the stone will do no more and no less than to ce the mark
of Hiliani upon the bodies of any who swear Valentia’s Vow or Plozofen’s Promise upon it, making the
marking of the size and on the location preferred by those who have sworn, and making it known to
those who observe them that they have sworn the vow.”
The stone shed blue after every vow he swore, and the symbol of Hiliani that had been disyed in
the big Revealing appeared on his left arm two centimeters high, close to the marks from the other
vows he’d sworn. Then he gave the stone to Valentia, who was holding her hand out for it. It shed
blue as soon as it touched her.
“I swear Valentia’s Vow.” she said anyway, then giggled.
“I swear that the spell I am now casting on the stone will do no more and no less than to make it fly
around touching people until it’s touched everyone on Hiliani, casting the appropriate vow and instilling
the marking on those it touches, then return to Prince Mark.”
It shed blue again and took off as soon as she released it, darting around and touching everyone
else on the tform in a quick series of blue shes, then it was down in the crowd.
“Well that’s efficient, I must admit.” Senior Dolimatbene smirked as she followed the trail of blue shes
thorough the assemge for a moment, then turned to Reggie again.
“Now what?” she asked.
“Now we are united, and it is a great day for us all!” Karzog dered.
“Now we feast, and then we party!” Reggieughed.
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They were given a huge, rousing cheer that rose all up and down the beach.
Reggie cast a quick spell that marked out arge area of the beach with a line of blue light. “Can I have
everyone move outside that blue line? We’ll put the feast there as soon as it’s clear.”
“Troops, you’re off duty.” Helemia called. “And since this tform makes a good stage, we’re going to
use it as a challenge arena tonight. The size and elevation of it will add a new element to the fights.
Along with the regr ways to lose a fight, you lose if you get knocked off the stage. The winner of the
first fight holds the stage and fights the next challenger until someone else wins, then the next winner
holds the stage. There’ll be a prize at the end of the night for whoever holds the stage for the most
victories. We’ll also have four other regr arenas up and down the beach, one for purely physical
spelled items or weapons you have. The stage here is also an ‘anything goes’ arena. And that;” she
said as she waved her hand and a transparent bubble of blue light sixty meters wide appeared in the
sky, “Is our first arena for aerialbat, and the queue to use it will form directly under it. As always,
there’s no flying or Levitation allowed in the other arenas, and the line to use them forms on the west
side of each arena.
“In addition to dancing and fighting, we have games and contests set up under the edge of the trees all
up and down the beach, including races, skill games, and strategy games.
“Have fun everyone! And for any non-adult Sylvan, remember that the party ends at midnight, same as
every night. That gives you almost twelve hours of partying tonight, which had better be enough!”
Their toons gave another great cheer as the formations dissolved.
“We have a ce reserved for thirty including ourselves, the head table you might say, and we’d be
pleased if you’d join us there.” Reggie said to the rest on the tform, and Translocated them to their
reserved area beside the feast, which had just appeared on tables, in barrels and bushel baskets, and
on a colossal spit.
“What the hell is that?!” one of the Sylvan elders eximed as he pointed at the centerpiece of the
feast.
“Roast whale.” Mark chuckled. “The dragons caught it and roasted it. They thought that the feast might
have to do us all for supper as well as lunch, and they didn’t want us running short. If you need meat
for forty thousand meals on short notice, roast whale is the way to go. They tell me that it tastes a lot
like beef.”
“Oh.” the Sylvan said, too surprised to make any other response as they watched Kragorram and
several of Mark’s male rtives begin carving the whale. Kragorram carved off a chunk as big as a
man with a three meter long knife andid it on a table with a rim to catch the drippings, where the men
reduced it to steaks and served it onto tes as fast as they could. They had to be very careful as they
did so, as the meat had been spelled to remain hot without bing overcooked.
The ‘head table’ was arge semicircle of crude butfortable chairs and side tables fashioned from
driftwood and palm fronds at the top of the beach. The thirty seats were taken by the fourteen Sylvan
elders, the three half-elven governors, Mark, Talia, Alilia, and a constantly changing array of prominent
members of bothmunities. The space immediately behind the chairs was constantly filled with
those who knew the leaders personally, or who just wanted to overhear their conversation.