Chapter 113
Part 17
“So right now, your thinking is as advanced as it was when we were all Linked and holding all that
power?!” Yazadril asked, bbergasted at the thought.
Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.
“No.” Val responded with a shake of her head. “For one thing, even with all the safety measures we
came up with, I think it’s too dangerous to keep that much extra energy in your brain all the time. But
it’s all automated, so if I’m trying to figure something out and I’m not smart enough to get it, the spell
will charge my brain up until I get it done, then release the extra charge when I don’t need it anymore. It
works really fast too, so we won’t notice it happening, we’ll just be as smart as we need to be whenever
we need it. The other thing is; the benefits of the Link can’t be duplicated. No one can be as smart by
themselves as we all were together, not with the kinds of brains we’ve got.
“So. Can we go?” she finished.
“There’s only twenty minutes left until the Assembly will be called to order.” Nemia said as she soothed
Yazadril’s impatience. “There’s no use having these young ones make all their big announcements
twice, is there?”
“I suppose.” he admitted. “Somonik, if you’d be so kind?”
“Certainly.” The ancient white dragon nodded as he clicked his ws together, and then they were all
elsewhere.
PART 18
The space they arrived in appeared in many ways to be the Hall of The Just Alliance. It was
constructed of the same white marble, they’d arrived beside the same low, round podium at the center
with the Truthstone of Falgaroth embedded in it, the floor sloped gently upward from the center of the
room in all directions, and it was lit by the same sourceless white light. But this was muchrger.
“Damn, this is big.” Mark quietly muttered as they all looked around.
He’d seen some big rooms, including the one in Kraka where the council of dragons had met before
they’d abandoned the city, and The Stadium of The Empire in Verzaclon City, which was built to seat
eighty thousand giants plus thrice that number of gnomes. Zarkog’s Hall in Serminak had been most of
a kilometer wide, before it was destroyed. But this dwarfed them all. It was so big, none there could
even estimate it’s size without measuring. Mark thought it might be less than a kilometer wide and less
than three hundred meters high, but he wouldn’t have bet so much as a copper on it.
There were several renovations beyond the increase in size.
About a sixth of the room appeared to be walled off with ss and two-thirds filled with water, both of
which were supernaturally transparent. At first nce it seemed the same as the rest of the room, and
only the slightest reflection on the clear wall’s surface, the rippling line at the water’s surface, and the
sight of Selkies, Mer, and other beings swimming around in it showed it for what it was.
There were glowing blue Translocation circles of every size scattered about all over the vast floor
space. They were marked with glowing blue letters in Trade Common in the air above them; either
Iing, Outgoing, Privacies, or Facility Staff Only. Thetter were busy with a constant stream of
Xervians carrying trays or pushing cartsden with food and drink for the attendees.
An area along a third of the room’s vast perimeter and a hundred or so meters deep appeared to be
filled with dense tropical forest.
“May holy Amirgath preserve me.” Kragorram softly marveled.
“Why yes, I may, since you asked.” Amirgath stated as he appeared beside them, then chuckled like an
avnche at his own joke. After a moment to adapt to the surprise and the novelty of the situation, his
joke got them too, and they chuckled along with him.
“So, you like the improvements we’ve made here?” he asked as he looked around.
“It’s very impressive, thank you.” Somonik nodded, and indicated the forested part of the perimeter. “I
take it that the woond area was provided for thefort of the representatives of The Hidden
Nation. Very considerate of you.”
“All of us gods co-operated on it.” Amirgath exined. “It didn’t require us all to do it, of course, but it’s
meant as a tangible gift from the Pantheon of Keran to the rest of The Just Alliance, so we all helped
a bit.”
“And we all thank all of you for it.” Mark smiled.
Fire nudged Six and nodded towards her left. “Herees Emperor Osbald’s group.” she said as that
monarch approached with Empress Emeroth, Overlord Senchak, and various associates.
“Why call it Osbald’s group?” Karz asked. “The other two are his equal in power and ability, by any
measure. I’d actually put Senchak ahead of him in power, and Emeroth ahead of him in ability.”
“Any measure but initiative in international affairs; the quality by which he leads them.” Fire exined.
“He initiated the diplomacies that led to their bteral alliances before the war, he called for their formal
three-way alliance and then helped bring them into The Just Alliance, which he wasrgely responsible
for initiating. Emeroth and Senchak actually show more initiative than him in domestic affairs as well,
but not internationally.”
“Ah.” Karz nodded.
“It seems that everyone is arriving early.” Somonik noted as the influx of dozens of Translocations per
second elerated all around them, and the colossal room filled rapidly from the center outward. “All
the national leaders are already here with their senior advisers andmanders. Those arriving now
are leaders of populous provinces andrge cities, and mid-level officers. Also several dozen
professional news-mongers and criers. And a surprising number of what seem to be random citizens
from everywhere on Keran in groups of four to eight.”
“And why not, since we have the room?” Markughed as Osbald’s group arrived within speaking
distance.
“I’m pleased to see you again, Prince Mark.” Osbald dered as he extended his hand with a wide
smile. “I trust your vacation was pleasant?”
“Quite pleasant indeed!” Mark agreed as he shook the man’s hand and returned his smile. He
introduced the human Emperor, the giant Empress, and the dwarf Overlord to his children, then
introduced his children to the monarchs, including their parentage, full names with titles, nicknames,
and major achievements, and finished by adding that he, Talia, and Alilia were now a bonded trio.
“Congrattions on your amazing family!” Emerothughed as she returned their bows.
“Thank you!” Markughed.
“Somonik, I wonder if you’re on duty?” Senchak asked. “It appears that you’re not, but with your
breadth of concentration, it’s sometimes hard to tell! And there’s a great deal being done here tonight.”
“For once, I am as rxed as I appear to be.” Somonik chuckled. “Tonight the vouching of attendees,
their Translocations, and apparently a great many of their invitations, are all being handled by the gods.
I’m unsure how many of them are co-operating on it, but I do know that Amirgath here, among others,
is not as unupied as he appears.”
“It’s going to be a big night, in every way.” Amirgath stated as he looked over the crowd with a bit of a
mischievous smile. “We wanted to do something appropriate to the asion.”
“A big night?” Senchak inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Amirgath fixed his gaze on the dwarf, and the Overlord of over a billion Kleti had to gird his loins to
calmly return the first dragon-god’s inspection. “The spell of Falgaroth’s stone gives an interesting
sensation when it forces me to do something, or to refrain from doing something, like Reading your life
from your day of birth as a reflex action.” Amirgathmented.
“At any rate. Are you aware that we are gathered here to hear what Prince Mark and hispanions
have achieved in the time-bubble?”
“No.” Senchak replied. “I only know we would gather to wee him and his family back to the world,
knowing that it’s been a long time, for them. I imagined he would speak, and exin why they had
emerged early.”
“That much is true.” Amirgath nodded. “First to announce shall be the Healer Hilsith. Then Prince Mark
and his mates will discuss what he discovered today. Then these children will address us.”
Though everyone expected him to continue, he said no more.