《On the Overmorrow》


 Chapter One: Three Perfect Strangers

    Aren woke up on the first of three days to decide the world''s future in her small, unadorned room. Moving slowly, she stretched, quickly threw on her suit, and headed downstairs. Checking the front door''s mail slit, only one letter sat in it. Unusual, in her mind, for so little to come in before such an important event. She''d get well over a dozen letters most days before meetings.


    Regardless, Aren opened the letter, and was promptly met with a surprise: it was from Arina''s ruler himself. That was nearly unheard of, even for days like this one.


    To: Representative Aren de Gephyra


    From: His Majesty King Olis IX of Arina


    Representative de Thern, I would first like to thank you for your service to our nation. Your work in Zeryzian as a representative of my will has greatly aided Arina in diplomacy.


    However, I''m not writing to congratulate you. You know as well as I, or any Arinite does, that diplomacy will not work with a force like The Evil. Perhaps those who don''t see conflict firsthand think that a signed piece of paper will stop it from fighting, have it gently settle into civilization. It is my opinion that that shall not, nor shall ever, work. They will fight and kill us the second our guard goes down. You''ve been given relatively free reign over diplomacy- and for good reason- but understand that if you agree to a treaty being drawn up, you will be exiled.


    I understand that our interests align regardless, but precautionary measures are, well, precautionary. The other nations, however, I worry do not share our views. As such, the International Relations Corps have arranged for two others who share our views to help you at the trial. For the sake of safety, their names have not been given to me, but know that the password is ''BORDER'' and that you can meet them at 5th Avenue and Greensborough Street at 08:00 on the first day of the hearings.


    Signed, His Royal Majesty Olis IX of Arina, on the 8th of the 1st of 662


    "Wait, 8 o''clock? It''s already 7:40!", Aren thought, startled. Snatching the letter, she quickly shoved on a pair of shoes before she began the walk to 5th & Greensborough, passing several blocks worth of shops.


    Any fear of not making it in time proved to be unfounded, as the others were late as well. They breathlessly gave the password to each other in turn.


    The first, a young Sterlisi with emerald eyes and skin peppered with freckles, whom she thought she recognized, introduced himself as Quill. She noted that he was wearing a suit that one would expect at the embassy. The other, an even younger woman who wore clothes that reminded Aren of what she might find in rural Arina, introduced herself as Trici.


    "So, I, um, I was told we shared a sentiment against... it?", stammered Trici.


    "Yeah, I got a letter from- you won''t believe this- King Aliso himself", beamed Quill, clearly pleased with himself. Aren found it strange; her nation and Sterlir rarely agreed on trivial matters, yet their rulers were directly collaborating on something as important as this.


    They continued on for some time, but Aren only listened with half an ear.


    "It''s getting pretty close to the first hearing. I should go", she remarked.


    "Oh! Might as well join you; Department Head de Thern would kill me if I''m late", Quill added. Aren realised that he was the translator for Mari.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Trici spoke up just as Aren turned to leave, "They''re not letting in us regular folk yet, so I can''t join you, but we could meet for lunch. I know a place; it''s called The Shattered Egg. It''s just a few blocks down on 8th."


    Aren and Quill quickly agreed before turning to leave towards the consolate. Trici let out a "See you there", though Aren barely heard it.


    ¡­


    Though Quill wasn''t particularily trusting of the woman he walked besides, he didn''t doubt that Aren knew what she was doing. "Make sure to watch out for anyone that might be useful to us. We''ll need all the allies we can get. Even Mari is seriously considering it, and you know how she is about the status quo", he said, attempting to start a conversation.


    "I can''t disagree there. I can only think of Eric as being definitivly on our side, and maybe Hothal if we can push him."


    "I doubt that he''ll be able to exercize any free will about the i- WATCH OUT!", Quill replied analytically, before yanking himself and Aren back as they nearly ran into a teenager with crimson red eyes.


    "Sorry about that, we didn''t mean to almost hit you", Aren quietly consoled the androgynous teenager. Quill noticed an oddly straight section of their left arm''s sleeve, but didn''t bring it up. It would be idiotic to not be able to defend yourself if you looked lower-class or vulnerable. She turned back to Quill, a "What were you saying" coming from her lips.


    Quill started the conversation back up, "Hothal is just obeying his orders. I doubt he''d be given free reign for a descision here."


    "You''d be surprised how long a leash we get. Anyways, we''re here. Keep an eye out for Trici, will you? I''ve got to go", Aren replied, ending the conversation. Quill watched her go off in Arina''s chambers'' direction.


    He made his way towards his home country''s chambers. Mari de Thern, dressed in her ever-formal suit, met at the entrance. "Hello, Quill. Just on time as always. Would you mind bringing up the list of speakers to the office? Tehran''s out on an errand", she greeted him.


    While normally he would mind, it was too convenient an oppertunity. "Sure", he agreed, taking the recently-signed paper. He made his way checking the full timetable. Trici was on the list, he noted, as the last speaker tommorow. The decision, he thought, would be rather hurried, only a day after Trici''s speech. Two days from now, on the overmorrow.


    "It''s getting pretty close to the first hearing. I should go", she remarked.


    "Oh! Might as well join you; Department Head de Thern would kill me if I''m late", Quill added. Aren realised that he was the translator for Mari.


    Trici spoke up just as Aren turned to leave, "They''re not letting in us regular folk yet, so I can''t join you, but we could meet for lunch. I know a place; it''s called The Shattered Egg. It''s just a few blocks down on 8th."


    Aren and Quill quickly agreed before turning to leave towards the consolate. Trici let out a "See you there", though Aren barely heard it.


    ¡­


    Though Quill wasn''t particularily trusting of the woman he walked besides, he didn''t doubt that Aren knew what she was doing. "Make sure to watch out for anyone that might be useful to us. We''ll need all the allies we can get. Even Mari is seriously considering it, and you know how she is about the status quo", he said, attempting to start a conversation.


    "I can''t disagree there. I can only think of Eric as being definitivly on our side, and maybe Hothal if we can push him."


    "I doubt that he''ll be able to exercize any free will about the i- WATCH OUT!", Quill replied analytically, before yanking himself and Aren back as they nearly ran into a teenager with crimson red eyes.


    "Sorry about that, we didn''t mean to almost hit you", Aren quietly consoled the androgynous teenager. Quill noticed an oddly straight section of their left arm''s sleeve, but didn''t bring it up. It would be idiotic to not be able to defend yourself if you looked lower-class or vulnerable. She turned back to Quill, a "What were you saying" coming from her lips.


    Quill started the conversation back up, "Hothal is just obeying his orders. I doubt he''d be given free reign for a descision here."


    "You''d be surprised how long a leash we get. Anyways, we''re here. Keep an eye out for Trici, will you? I''ve got to go", Aren replied, ending the conversation. Quill watched her go off in Arina''s chambers'' direction.


    He made his way towards his home country''s chambers. Mari de Thern, dressed in her ever-formal suit, met at the entrance. "Hello, Quill. Just on time as always. Would you mind bringing up the list of speakers to the office? Tehran''s out on an errand", she greeted him.


    While normally he would mind, it was too convenient an oppertunity. "Sure", he agreed, taking the recently-signed paper. He made his way checking the full timetable. Trici was on the list, he noted, as the last speaker tommorow. The decision, he thought, would be rather hurried, only a day after Trici''s speech. Two days from now, on the overmorrow.

 Chapter Two: One to Two to Tria

    Marina had a half hour to kill before the trial would start. Luckily, Trici knew a place. Or, rather, Marina did. She had always found it difficult to separate herself from her aliases, especially when she was tired, but it was Trici who knew of the caf¨¦. Not her; not Marina. At the end of the day, she was just another identity, who knew things her aliases didn''t and who didn''t know things her aliases did.


    She continued- needlessly, as she was only thinking to herself- to try to create a difference between herself, Trici and all the others at any level other than the very surface as she made her way to 8th Street, towards The Shattered Egg, Trici''s- not her''s, she thought- favourite. There wasn''t a line between identities, no matter how much she tried to pretend.


    "Hey, Trici! The usual?", questioned the host, Nyx, a middle-aged server she had gotten to know quite well over the past few months, "...Trici? Hey, Trici?", they asked.


    Oh. Right. Trici. Her. "Er, yeah. The usual, Nyx", she finally managed, "Table Five open?"


    "As always, for you, yes. Your drink will be ready in five minutes."


    "Thanks, Nyx", Ma- no, Trici, said, sitting down, "Is there any chance I could reserve this table for Noon? I''m bringing over some others for lunch."


    "Yeah, we aren''t too busy then. I can avoid seating others here without issue, and I can ask Mara to do the same."


    "Thanks, Nyx."


    "No problem! Anything for you, as long as it doesn''t get me in trouble. Upper management is scary. I''ll be back with your drink in a bit!"


    ¡­


    Tria had turned into a creature of the night. They had stayed up much too late a few nights before, and the cost had been their sleep schedule. Two diplomats had run into them earlier, distracted, but in reality, Tria was so tired that they would have run into someone else regardless of whether the other was distracted or not. Regardless, they pressed on. Collapsing in the street wouldn''t do them any good now; the monastery had given them a job and Tria intended to go through with it. Tria pressed onwards.


    They approached the assembly hall. To their dismay, a pair of security guards were blocking the entrance. There were maybe twenty people outside, speaking all sorts of languages- Tria caught some snippets here and there- that were gathered in clusters or sitting alone in the shade. They collapsed onto a small bench. Even though they didn''t sleep, just the rest of lying down helped.


    ¡­


    By the time Nyx had finally brought Trici her drink, Marina had gotten her thoughts in order. Trici had met Aren and Quill and would see them from the audience at the council chambers in 20 or so minutes. Trici had gone to The Shattered Egg and ''reserved'' a table with Nyx. Trici was going to have lunch with Aren and Quill. Not Marina. Marina wasn''t the person here, Trici was. The coffee helped jolt her awake, and the distinction quickly grew.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Trici was out the door, and the bill was paid to Nyx in full, within ten minutes. Time was running out, without her really having realised until now, if she wanted to get a good seat. She raced through the streets of Zeryzian and got to the assembly in time. Nearby, an urchin stretched and clawed themselves off a bench they were lying comfortably on. The urchin joined the others, now flooding into the area, and Trici got the hint to follow them. She ended up about ten spots behind the urchin. One had to wonder what interest a street urchin had in international politics, but that was neither truly here nor there.


    Slowly, the line started filling into the chambers. At last, Trici got to a seat- her seat, now, for the next three days. A brochure on the seat listed the speakers. She noticed the teen behind her diagonally, obviously fighting to stay awake. Quickly, she introduced herself to her neighbours. The first, an Iridawali woman who quietly introduced herself as Oila Irith, was a 30-something-year-old who had striking red hair and matching eyes quickly and quietly introduced herself before averting her eyes, looking down at a thick binder in her lap.


    Conversely to Oila, the young man to her right got to introducing himself loudly to her. "Hi! I''m Mahir, Mahir Gethalt. I''m from Rathia, but I''ve spent most of my life here in Zeryzian or travelling. What about you?"


    Taken more than a bit aback, Trici replied, "Arina- I''m from a village in the south, Orgi-on-the-Moor. I only came here recently though, not like you", smiling pleasantly at him in turn, "Are you here to present, or just watch?"


    "A bit of both- I''ve got a job relaying the proceedings'' developments back to Raithas for a newspaper, but I''m to present at 7:00 PM today. You?"


    "I''ve got your slot tomorrow. I imagine you want it to strike some sort of deal with us?"


    "Oh, no, no. While many here are distant enough from the front lines to not realise the dangers The Evil poses, and care more about money they''re losing to taxes than anything, the reports I see- or even bring in myself- have more than disillusioned me to any treaty", he clarified, "There''s one story in particular I''ll always remember. A monastery in Rathia had taken in one of them- Decaepta it called itself- and was found ravaged later, monks dead, and the demon, bloodied, in the centre of the grounds, looking north towards The Evil. That''s the one that truly pushed me over the edge, to the point where I couldn''t make any excuses, and I just had to face the truth."


    "Oh- that''s- haunting. Well, at least we''re together in this. I''m Trici, by the way", she replied. Think, Trici, Marina said within her, can we use him to help us? What to do? She pushed the thought away. He was already on her same side; she didn''t need to push him for a desired outcome.


    Outside, bells tolled once, twice, nine times. The urchin snapped alert, clearly startled by the noise. It would be only fifteen minutes to the first hearing. She checked her brochure, which told her that the first speaker up would be Terys de Valen, a woman from Sterlir. She''d be up in fifteen minutes. Scanning quickly through, she found Oila''s slot, after lunch on the final day. Trici made a note to bring the list to lunch with Aren and Quill.


    ¡­


    Tria couldn''t stay up. It didn''t matter how much they tried. They slipped into dreams of the monastery, of Enas, of Epta, of all the others. Of all sixteen of the other children they had grown up- if you could even call it that- with.

 Chapter Three: Enter Eric

    Aren heard the bells toll nine times. Sighing, she called Marin over for the day''s itinerary. A Sterlir, one Terys de Valen, would be the first -her time started in fifteen minutes- to speak. She would be followed by a fellow Sterlir, Griffin Parlos, and after his time was up, the council would break for lunch. She, of course, was going to lunch with Quill and Trici.


    Zinnia, her translator, was relaxed in a corner. Aren turned to her questioning, "We''ve got to be up in ten minutes. Ready?"


    "Yeah, I got breakfast and I''m dressed up properly. I talked to the other translators a bit ago; Pyros is the only one who knows Gilish, so he''ll be the one translating for the second speaker. Quill mentioned that two of the afternoon''s speakers will need to be translated for everyone", Zinnia replied, her light accent punctuating her ''T''s.


    "Got it. Follow my lead if you don''t know what to do. The others will start lining up for their entrances rather soon", Aren said, turning to the door. She motioned for Zinnia to follow, holding the door open for her.


    ¡­


    "And lastly, I''ll be going out to lunch, so I won''t be available during the break", Quill stated, running out of breath, to Mari.


    "That''s the whole day''s itinerary?", questioned Mari.


    "That''s it. Ready?"


    "Yes. If you don''t know what to do, just follow my lead. And remember, Quill, even if we all are on a first-name basis, there is a crowd watching", Mari said, holding the door for Quill, "I''d like you to be as formal as possible while translating."


    "Got that", Quill replied, leaving the room. Mari followed, briefly speeding up to be even with him. They passed by several doors- those would be the other ambassadors'' rooms- which were carved with the ornate, intricate designs of their respective country''s seal. Several of the others had already begun lining up. Aren, up ahead of Mari and him, caught his eye and nodded subtly at him. He returned the gesture.


    He ended up behind Dwilen in the translators'' line, Mari parallel to him in the other. Liara, Eric''s translator was in front of him. If he remembered correctly, she had been working with a translator in Eric''s retinue since before he had retired from fighting to take his role as an ambassador.


    ¡­


    Eric saw this all as utterly pointless. He already knew his stance on The Evil. He had fought it, either personally or in command of others, for long enough to know they wouldn''t be able to reason or deal with it. If absolute power corrupted absolutely, then so did absolute evil. They might play nice for a while, but they would turn, they would attack, and humanity wouldn''t be prepared. The best-case scenario would be hundreds of thousands of deaths. Why some from more distant nations never realised that, Eric didn''t know, but the idea posed a threat nonetheless.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He had already made up his mind. No matter what, he was going to vote against a treaty. The others, though, might not be so set in their stance, either way. He would have to try to target those who could have their minds changed and make absolutely sure that they would vote against a treaty.


    The 15-minute bells tolled, snapping Eric out of his train of thought. An attendant on each side opened the doors and the group filed into the commons. Murmurs from around the room quieted. Chairs scraped, grinding against the stone ground, as the delegations sat down. A presenter at the head of the room began the proceedings in a doubtlessly boring statement that Eric decided to tune out. It would just be a restatement of the itinerary Liara had given him to read an hour ago. He would wait a few minutes for the speaker to begin their speech.


    ¡­


    Tria was snapped alert by a speaker, clad in a light grey dress, similar in tone to their own outfit, who began speaking. Even if they were tired, Tria was determined to listen. As long as the monastery got their information, it would be worth it. The speaker began, "Ladies, gentlemen, and all those in between, may I please have your attention. Today the Council of World Powers'' appointed representatives shall listen to the first seven speakers, from 9:15 AM to 8:30 PM, with a break from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM for lunch. Speakers shall have 75 minutes to deliver their speeches and will be allotted an additional 15 minutes to answer questions and defend their speeches. They may cede their time allotted for speaking to answer questions. The topic of these meetings shall be the decision to- or not to- proceed with negotiations for a treaty to peacefully co-exist with the Grand Army and Armada of Demons, Hellbeasts, and Creatures of Darkness, more commonly known as The Evil.¡°


    Tria started tuning them out. So boring. Quickly, they snapped themselves back to attention. Hopefully whatever the speaker had meandered on about wasn¡¯t that critical.


    "The representatives of the nations shall be Representative Aren de Gephyra of Arina, General Eric Myros of Ferthusia", she paused before continuing, "commonly known by his epithet ''The Bloodaxe'', Department Head Mari de Thern of Sterlir, Council Head Rei Wathrel of Rathia, Duke Aris von Grissom of Zeryzian, Minister Hothal Derisz of Mexai, and last- but far from least- Representative Pucoths Ragthdottir of Iridawal.¡±


    Tria smiled a little bit. Such a convenient listing of persons-of-interest was fairly rare, even in dry and formal settings like this one. It would be giant time-saver for her, not having to track those names down themself later.


    "By accordance of the Council of World Powers, a majority of votes- four- are required for the motions to pass. A representative may either vote ''For'', ''Against'', or ''Abstain'', the announcer explained before pausing briefly. She took the time to grab a sip of water.


    Tria started scribbling notes on a pad of paper in their lap, realizing it may be a good idea.


    Taking a breath, the Speaker continued her statement, "The voting period shall occur no earlier than 8:30 PM on the third and final day, overmorrow. Representatives may, should they wish, call upon a speaker to reiterate or clarify a point in their speech during said time.¡±


    Tria kept scribbling down the rules. The monks may have an interest in how the Council ran its meetings, no matter how minute. They could pour through them later, and maybe find a loophole or two if they were lucky.


    "Lastly, a representative who has already cast a vote may change their vote, so long as it is within the allotted timeframe for deliberation. Should no vote be cast, they shall be automatically assigned ''Abstain''.


    "With that out of the way, please give a hand to your first speaker, Speaker Terys de Valen, who hails from the nation of Sterlir.", the woman finished. She stepped to the side, allowing a shorter woman sporting cyan eyes. Tria noted that the speaker''s stark white hair matched her suit.


    "Speaker de Valen, your time has started. You may commence your speech."

 Chapter Four: Terys de Valen

    The announcer stepped aside and gave the stand to a short woman on their older side. Quill noticed that she had icy blue eyes and silver hair, matching like the sky and earth after a blizzard. She let her voice fill the hall, a lower, slightly accented one, to introduce herself. She had a slight Kannan accent that bled through her Zeryziani, though it was relatively easily understandable. He figured she would have come from southwestern Sterlir, or perhaps the very edge of Rathia.


    There would be no wordplay or job for him as a translator here. Surely for one speaker or another, but for now the speech would be delivered in Zeryziani. For now, Quill simply had to sit back and plan his moves.


    ...


    Speaker de Valen spoke deliberately but resolutely. She spoke of how her loved ones died. She spoke of her father, lost at sea during a naval raid, and her mother, abducted in the night. She spoke of her son, currently at sea defending against the Evil. In short, she appealed to emotion. And skies above, she could not have been more direct about her feelings.


    "Many of the nations only care for whether or not territory gained by the Evil will create a trade deficit", she said. Charging on, she thanked Aren and the others for their time. She had that much propriety at least.


    "I would like the rest of my time to be allotted for questions from the ambassadors", Terys proclaimed.


    She left plenty of time for questions, so Aren charged ahead. "Why", Aren asked, "Does this give reason to stop? While we can feel for your loss, what reason does the possibility that the deaths will end trump the possibility that they''ll simply infiltrate our society, and then kill us?"


    "We don''t know if it will fail. If a treaty works, no one will ever have to die anymore. If one fails, then we will suffer. But if it doesn''t, our children and grandchildren will never have to know the loss we have", Terys responded.


    The point she raised was fair. Aren had to concede that much; it was, after all, a basic premise of the argument for offering a treaty. It was just that she thought the risk/reward wasn''t nearly as good a ratio as Terys believed it to be.


    ...


    Eric had grown tired of waiting around for Aren and the Sterlir to finish arguing.


    Taking advantage of a brief gap in the argument, he charged ahead; "Aren, for all she''s said so far has missed pointing out one crucial detail. You talk of your mother, who you say was ''abducted in the night''. Why would a species that would abduct us want to live peacefully with us?", Eric asked, "I''ve heard stories like your mother''s dozens of times, on the battlefield and around it. That wasn''t an isolated event. Do you truly believe that such a species would want to co-exist with us?"


    "Yes. We, as I keep saying, have never so much as attempted to co-exist. We attack them. Why in the world would we not so much as try to stop the cycle of violence?"


    "Why don''t they try to stop the cycle? They invade us. Why should we trust them to stop?"


    "Why shouldn''t we?"


    "Why shou-"


    "Please, both of you, stop this inane cycle. We are here to decide if we should try to stop the cycle. Your argument contributes nothing", a third voice spoke up. That would be Mari. She- naturally- would stand up for her fellow citizens. "Let me ask a question of my own, and one as direct and simple as possible, Speaker de Valen: Do you believe that the risk of danger being caused by letting the Evil integrate into our society is outweighed by the chance that they won''t act out against us after we compromise our security to let them in?"


    "Yes. It''s not even close. For you all, the upper echelons of society, maybe it is, but for us? The danger for us average folk is that we''ll die at war now, not that society might suffer later. For us average folk, it''s just who we''re paying taxes to that''ll change", Terys responded, obviously encouraged by the question.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Mari kept on questioning, and Terys kept on answering. She was clearly being swayed towards a treaty. That could not possibly be good for Eric and the others'' chances.


    ...


    Trici watched on as the clocks tolled, clear and loud in the morning. They alerted everyone of the time; it was 10:30 AM. The conversation died down- Council Head Rei Wathrel had taken control near the end of it. She finished taking her notes and heard fourteen chairs scrape against the stone ground. The woman in the grey dress came back up to the speaker''s dais. She explained that the council members would take a 15-minute break. Next to her, Mahir immediately started peppering Trici with comments. Trici didn''t take note of most of them, but was quite interested in one of his remarks; while the stories he covered usually were about the destruction of villages, Terys talked about the abduction of individuals. She decided she''d prod him further on that when he stopped talking.


    ...


    Tria slumped down in their seat. Maybe just a wink of sleep wouldn''t hurt. They let themselves drift off, sixteen voices calling out to them.


    ...


    "Not good, not good, not good", Aren muttered, pacing. The first speech, bluntly, had gone terribly. She''d expected Rei to be in favour of a treaty, but Mari had obviously been swayed by Speaker de Valen. She and Quill had found a small room off to the side and were using it to talk privately.


    "Aren, calm down. We have only a handful of minutes to figure out how we''re going to reposition and not let anyone fall too firmly towards the side of a treaty during the next speech


    "Pyros, Pucoths''s translator, lost family to the Evil. While that''s far from a guarantee he''ll be against a treaty- just look at Terys- I do think he is. He''s the only one of us who knows Gilish, so he''ll be translating. I doubt that Pyros will twist words like I will to make or dampen a point, but he likely won''t be looking to paint the Evil in a redeemable light in his translation", Quill assured Aren.


    "True, true. But your twisting of words isn''t going to be that useful until tomorrow, right? That''s when we can really try to make strides forward", Aren replied, "For now, we need to plan out our moves to minimize how much anyone is swayed towards a treaty. Are you sure we can''t get Pyros to join us?"


    "Yes; he''s far too rigid in his moral code to do anything but faithfully do his work. Maybe Liara, but I doubt the others would bend the speakers'' words."


    ...


    Eric, Liara, and Tehran gathered around a small table. "Liara- you don''t have many people you need to translate for over the trial, right?" Eric asked.


    "No; we agreed that I''d only have one speaker overmorrow. Other than that, I''m free from duties"


    "Could you take notes, maybe? If we can call up speakers later, it would be wise to keep track of who can help make our points the best"


    "Yes, that should be rather easy. Anything else?"


    "No, not for now", Eric replied, finishing the exchange. He turned towards Tehran. "Can you run a message for us, Tehran?", he asked.


    The wiry teen rolled his eyes. "That''s my job, isn''t it? I''m your errand boy, not your king"


    "Tone, Tehran. There''s no reason not to ask nicely.


    "Now, here''s what I want you to do: Go up to the post office and send something to this effect back to Arginos: ''First speech went badly. If you can, get someone to find out the other council members'' opinions on the matter''"


    "Will do. I''ll be off, then", Tehran replied. He turned to leave, and strode up to the door, but quickly turned back. "No cipher or anything?"


    "No", Eric confirmed, "The information is mostly public anyways, so it''s not like we''re letting a third party see anything classified."


    "Gotcha. I''ll be back by lunch, I suppose", Tehran said, leaving at last.


    Liara spoke up a few seconds after he left; "Guess we should start heading back?"


    "Sure"


    ...


    Mahir relented after some time. Trici, after waiting what felt like an eternity, questioned him, "Did you mean anything when you mentioned that Terys talked about abductions while you see villages burned?"


    The response was rather disappointing. "No", he said, "I just tend to cover the large-scale things. You can still find plenty of disappearances if you know where to look. It''s just not my specialty."


    Disappointed, Trici turned away from him. He seemed happy to leave their exchange there. She noted that the 3/4 hour bells were ringing. She supposed that the break was over. She nudged the teen behind her, who had fallen asleep during Mahir''s monologue.


    ...


    Tria snapped awake from a dream of times since past. They thought they remembered seeing Monk Orir, but the details were already fading. They thanked the woman in front of them, and quickly focused their attention on the chamber''s doors, which were now grinding open to mark the return of the diplomats.


    ...


    Aren and Quill split off from each other, promising to uphold their previous lunch date. Yet another speaker who yearned for a dangerous change would be up next. Quill just hoped that Mari wouldn''t be dragged further towards the other side.

 Chapter Five: Damage Control

    This time, it was a tall, skinny man with darkened skin in his mid-thirties at the podium. He shared Terys''s stark white hair, though his eyes were black. Even his sclera were tinted dark grey.


    Only thirteen of the simple wooden chairs ground against the floor this time. Pyros split off from Pucoths, who he usually would translate for. He went up to the dais and stood next to the lanky man. He would be translating for him if Aren remembered correctly. Zinnia, her own translator, took a seat next to Aren.


    The woman in the grey dress went up to the dais. Pyros and the man stepped back to accommodate her. "Attendees, could you please give me your attention? Our next speaker will be Speaker Griffin Parlos. He will be giving his speech in Gilish, and it will be translated into Zeryziani for your convenience by Pyros Nike. Please turn your attention to them. Thank you."


    She surrendered the floor to the two.


    Speaker Parlos chose to let Pyros do the public speaking for him. He spoke quietly to the translator, who let his voice ring out in a much louder tone around the hall.


    "To those on the council, I would like to thank you for having me", Griffin started through Pyros, "I know that some of you are already rather set in your views. I''d like to appeal, nonetheless, to you to change.


    "We''ve spent an extraordinarily long time at war. Like Speaker de Valen before me, I think that war can stop. While she may deride you for only caring for your respective government''s bottom line in this, I don''t think that is true. My country''s representative, Mari de Thern, asked a simple question to the aforementioned speaker earlier; whether or not Speaker de Valen found the risk worth it. I do. Please, just hear me out."


    ...


    Eric found the Sterlir''s speech long and winding. "The good in us all" and "Never given a chance to change" came up frequently. Slowly, he started to piece Griffin''s true reasoning together. It was all too reminiscent of the speeches he had heard time and time again on the frontlines.


    The Gils, as a people, were incredibly distant from the frontlines, but centuries ago had been at the forefront of the war. They had brought their religion to Ferthusia, even as far north as Arginos. It claimed that thousands of years ago, some few demons had rejected the evil inside them and humans were those few''s descendants.


    Dozens of times, he''d learned of villages or temples hiding members of the Evil amongst them. They all had one similar throughline: the preachers claimed that given a chance to change, demons would even in this modern world find the good inside them. Despite their charred skin, demons were as human as humans themselves if they took the chance to reject evil. Eric had seen the result of a ''chance to change'' too many times to count.


    Still, Eric could ask about whether or not Griffin''s argument was based in theology. If he was right and Griffin''s answer truthful, it may just poke a hole in Speaker Parlos¡¯s argument.


    ...


    Tria had realized long before Eric what Griffin''s argument was based on. The monks had told them time and time again that demons could become human if they seized the good within themselves. Tria of all people had no reason to doubt them there, but they had always wondered if the opposite was true as well.


    Leaning forwards, they tapped the black-haired woman in front of them''s shoulder; the one that had awoken them earlier. In a whisper, they asked the woman to wake them when Griffin started taking the council members'' questions. She murmured in agreement, and Tria drifted off.


    ...


    Griffin had gained a great deal of confidence in his voice over the past hour. "Inwi-", Griffin started, but was cut off by the 45-minute bells. Pyros hadn''t even had the time to translate. Quickly, the man readjusted. He muttered something quietly to Pyros, who gave a formal thanks to the council before asking for questions.


    Eric tried to take the initiative, but Aris beat him out. "It''s true", Aris called out, "that people can change. But can demons?"


    "Yes. We know they have a navy, their Armada", Pyros responded, listening to a now much quieter Griffin. That confidence had evaporated with the bells'' toll. Continuing on, he translated, "That shows they have intelligence. If we, as sapient beings, can choose good, then so can they. They just need a chance."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "And this treaty is extending this chance to them? They''d co-exist with us, not as Speaker de Valen says because they''re as tired of all the death as we are, but because they could genuinely become better?"


    "Yes", Pyros said. Griffin''s voice started overlapping with his once more, "It''s worth at least a shot."


    Aris nodded. "I suppose it is."


    ...


    Aren felt her heart sink lower and lower in her chest. Everything sounded louder, sharper. Pyros, Griffin, murmuring audience members, and most of all her heart, beating like an undampened bass drum in her ears. The duke, incompetent and blundering as he was as a diplomat, still had an equal vote to hers. Mari was slipping towards the giving it a chance, and now Aris.


    Rei and Pucoths''s votes might as well already be pencilled in. Hothal''s would be as well for now, though Aren could hopefully change his mind; he wasn''t nearly as steadfast in his opinion as the other two. Those two, plus Mari and Aris made four. Hothal would make five. More than the magic number for the treaty. Aren would have to go on the offensive if they had any shot left.


    Just then, Hothal spoke up.


    Oh, no, no, no, no, no.


    ...


    Tria was shaken from a dreamless sleep. "I''m sorry", the woman whispered, "You wouldn''t wake up at first. You missed some of the questions."


    Tria started internally panicking but forced themself to stay calm. "Anything important", they hissed back. With a start, Tria realized the exchange had just occurred in Lwini, not Zeryziani.


    "No, that duke was just asking some questions. He was already leaning towards peace, though. All the merchants here can''t shut up about it sinking ships with their goods, and he''s likely going to fold to them regardless."


    "So he''s in agreement with the- what''s the word?"


    "Speaker?"


    "Yeah. He''s in agreement with the speaker on a treaty?"


    "Looks like it. You should be caught up now", the woman said softly, smiling. Tria thanked whatever was up there for such a useful person being so near to her.


    ...


    Annoyingly, Eric would have to wait even longer to ask his question. It''s not like they had forever to pose them. Hothal cleared his throat and began his question.


    "Speaker Parlos,", Hothal said. Across from him, Aren''s face turned sour and panicked, unlike her usual confident self. "You''ve talked about morality and rejecting the evil within us. That strikes me as being incredibly similar to the theology of your people, the Gils. Is your argument for integration based on your religion?"


    Eric watched Aren''s face go through a whole cycle of emotions before she finally collected herself.


    ...


    Pyros''s brain was fried; he''d been translating live for more than an hour now. If any of the other translators spoke Gilish, he would have swapped out long ago. Words were escaping him at this point. He fielded Hothal''s question and turned to Griffin. In Gilish, he asked a simple version of Hothal''s question; "Are you making your argument because of your religion?"


    He felt faint.


    ...


    The answer came unsurprising to Eric. A simple ''Yes''.


    What was more concerning was Pyros, who clutched his forehead and stumbled forward to the dais. He leaned on the podium before he gave out completely.


    Griffin caught him before his head hit the maple, and looked over to the grey-clad woman, waiting for her next time to speak in a corner, clearly a bit panicked. She rushed up to the dais and shouted above the now-murmuring crowd. They quieted for her, and she assured them that the situation was handled. Going on, she continued, "Speaker Griffin will be given his remaining five or so minutes to speak at the end of the day"


    She glanced towards Eric and the other before following on. "For now, we''ll simply break for lunch early. The proceedings will restart at One PM. Thank you." She glanced back over to Griffin and made some gesticulations.


    ...


    Pucoths was the first up. She reached the dais in a matter of seconds and helped a now-conscious Pyros to his feet. Aren and the others raised themselves from their chairs. Beside her, Zinnia got her attention.


    "I should go check on Pyros. I''ve had the same happen to me; it''s not a pleasant experience. You said you were going out for lunch, right? I should make sure he''s alright, so it''s better if I stay."


    Good. She wouldn''t have to shake Zinnia, who''d normally follow her around like a cart strapped to a horse, always close behind. "One more thing; can you tell Marin to run out on an errand if you run into him? I''d like to get a notebook."


    ...


    Eric had given Liara leave to check on Pyros; she''d be back in a minute. He opened the ornate doors to the Ferthusian embassy. Tehran lounged on a chair. He pointed towards a small pile of boxes lying on an adjacent table. It had two more chairs around it.


    "I got us some food. Want to talk over lunch? And where''s Liara?"


    Eric strode over to one of the empty chairs; a nice one with armrests. "Liara''s checking on Pyros. She''ll be back in a minute. And I''d love to."


    ...


    Aren pulled Quill into a small, unadorned room on the side, not unlike the one they''d been in earlier.


    "I''m going to see if Mari will come with us. If we''re lucky, we can shift her viewpoint during lunch."


    "That sounds good. I''m going to check up on Pyros before heading out. The cafe''s on 7th & Greensborough, right?"


    "8th, I think. See you then."


    ...


    Aren rushed through brightly lit hallways, passing her own embassy before reaching Mari''s. She opened the door emblazoned with Sterlir''s crest and found Mari making small talk with an aide inside. They looked similar to Griffin, so Aren would guess that they were a Gil as well.


    She waited for their chat to die down and asked Mari the question. "Would you like to go out to lunch with me?"

 Chapter Six: Lunch at The Shattered Egg, Part One

    "I''m really sorry", Mari said, her violet eyes cast downwards, "But I''m hosting the Sterlir speakers for lunch today. Maybe tomorrow?"


    "Yeah", Aren replied, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice, "Maybe tomorrow."


    She turned to leave, but Mari called out, "You could stay! I''d love to have you, and the speakers would gladly take the chance to talk with Quill!"


    "I''m sorry, Mari, but I have to go. Tomorrow."


    ...


    Thankfully for him, Pyros was okay, if a bit dazed. Liara, Pucoths, and Quill had crowded around him, each asking after how he was in turn. They''d taken him back to the Iridawali embassy, and Pucoths had sent an aide off to find him assistance. As if he needed it anyway.


    Liara turned to Pucoths, who''d been sitting on the side of him. "Can you make sure he doesn''t overexert himself this afternoon? Keep him off the floor until Speaker Parlos gets his time."


    ...


    "I''ve had that happen to me before", Liara said after an all too-long silence, "You have to pace yourself, Pyros, and make sure you don''t overdo it later, even if it means wasting time. You should rest, or else it''ll happen again. We have to be more careful for future speakers. Someone I knew had a stroke because he pushed himself too far."


    "I... Yeah, I guess", Pyros replied, quietly, "You guys probably have people to meet up with during lunch, right?"


    "Yeah", Quill responded, "I should be going."


    Liara murmured in agreement. She crossed the foyer and reached the door, Quill''s footsteps close behind her. "After you, I suppose?", she questioned, pulling the door open.


    "Sure", Quill replied, stepping out. He still had to catch Aren at the Sterlir embassy. Behind him, Liara asked Pyros one last time to get some rest before closing the door behind her.


    "See you this afternoon?"


    "Yeah", Quill replied, "See you."


    ...


    Quill found Aren looking rather dejected outside the Sterlir embassy.


    "Hey, Aren", Quill said, "That''s a rare look on you."


    "It doesn''t feel like it, right now", Aren replied, cyan eyes downcast, "It seems like it''s the most common look on me lately.


    "Nothing''s going our way. If the votes were to be cast now, only Eric and I would go against it. We''re fighting an uphill battle, and the slope''s just getting steeper."


    "The votes are cast overmorrow, not now. We have still got plenty of time to show them why it would be so bad. Let''s go meet up with Trici."


    "Yeah. Let''s."


    They began the walk, passing embassies and brilliant stained-glass windows. On the way, they passed by Terys, chatting with an emerald-eyed man in Zeryziani. She shot a glare at Aren, though said nothing.


    ...


    After several minutes of trekking across the halls, they reached the streets. Familiar, soothing sounds washed over her. Food sizzling on street carts, their vendors calling out to the passers-by. The clip-clop of horses'' hooves on the ground. The call of birds, hundreds of feet overhead. It helped calm her, though there was one disphonic sound she couldn''t ignore.


    A small, spindly boy was crying on the ground, lying in an alleyway''s corner. His arms were riddled with lacerations, some old enough to have scarred over. Larger, fresher wounds still were open. Put bluntly, he was a mess. He was ignored by all the passers-by but clearly needed help. Aren looked briefly back towards Quill, bringing his focus to the child by pointing a finger at him.


    "We should help. He clearly needs help, and no one has given it to him", Aren said, rushing over. She turned to the child. "What''s your name? Can you walk?"


    "Y... Yes. I can walk. My... my name''s Dodeca."


    "Well, then, Dodeca. I''m Aren. If you can go to the big yellow-white building over there, and find the door with the wolf on it, you can go get some help. It should be in the third hallway to your right once you enter."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Th... Thank you..."


    "One more thing", Aren said, reaching to her collar, "Take this so they know I sent you. Ask for Marin or Zinnia if someone doesn''t help you."


    She removed a small pin from her collar, emblazoned with her city''s crest, and handed it to the boy. "Be safe."


    "Okay."


    ...


    Quill watched the child go. "That was kind of you Aren. Why''d you do that?"


    Aren let her gaze drift from Dodeca to him. "The thing that makes us different from it is our ability to feel compassion and to help those in need. We''d be no better if we let an injured child rot in a gutter.


    "It only took us a brief moment, but his chance of a future will be so much higher thanks to us taking that moment to help."


    "Unlike everyone else around here?"


    "Yes. They chose to ignore his plight. Maybe someday humanity as a whole can do better."


    In that moment, Quill finally thought he understood Aren''s raison d''¨ºtre.


    "Shall we be going then?", Aren asked, "We don''t want Trici to have to wait on us."


    "I suppose we don''t", Quill responded.


    ...


    They followed Greensborough Street, passing through several blocks of markets and shops. The euphonic sounds of the city washed over Aren, soothing her. But there was one small detail, a single broken link in all this, that she didn''t understand.


    ...


    The pair reached the junction with 8th Street. On the southwest corner, a caf¨¦ with an elaborate front showed. The shop had dramatic arches and sharp peaks in its architecture, despite the shop''s small size. reminding Quill of Lyces, his hometown, in all its beauty. No wonder Trici liked the place.


    From the open windows wafted the smells of freshly baked food and newly brewed drinks. A single sign poked out of the front. On it, a crowing rooster was overlaid on the restaurant''s title, The Shattered Egg. A scattering of tables, with parasols to protect them from the rain, were arranged outside the entrance. Customers occupied several of them, though it would be another two hours still until the lunch rush would start.


    Aren spoke up first. "I guess we should go inside, then?"


    "I suppose", Quill replied.


    They crossed the road and entered the caf¨¦. Those wondrous smells grew tenfold. A young, plump woman standing at a dais greeted them. Her eyes and hair had the hue of a cloudless day.


    "Hello. I''m Mara, I''ll be your server today. Can I ask for your names?", she said.


    "I''m Aren, and he''s Quill. Could we have a table?"


    "Oh! Nyx mentioned you! They said Trici asked them to save a table for you", Mara replied, "I can take you there, but Nyx will be the one serving you. Sound good?"


    "Er, yeah, that would be great", responded Quill, beating Aren to the answer by a split second.


    ...


    Mara led Aren up a grandiose brownish-pink wooden staircase with wrought iron railings. She guided them past tables, of which only a few were filled. She led them to a small balcony on the opposite side of the hall.


    "Trici always makes sure to come here during slow hours to grab this table", Mara said, "Can''t say I don''t wonder why. It has one of the best views in the city."


    She was right. Thanks to rising a story above most of the surrounding buildings, you could see all the way to the sea, your view only blemished by the Council''s hall. Aren suspected Trici had another reason, though. Thanks to a combination of the balcony''s door and height from the ground, you could have a reasonably private conversation. Not like the first didn''t play a factor, though.


    There was only one small problem. Trici wasn''t there quite yet. So she couldn''t quite yet ask her question.


    ...


    Quill took his seat first, followed shortly by Aren. They each took a stool, sitting opposite each other.


    "Aren. Is that child going to be alright?", Quill asked.


    "Yes. Dodeca should be fine. I sent him to Marin and Zinnia with my pin; they''ll help him. He probably just needs an antiseptic and some rest."


    "That''s reassuring to hear."


    ...


    "So", Quill posited after a brief silence, "Trici isn''t here, but she''s not going to speak until tomorrow. Should we talk about this afternoon until she arrives?"


    "I guess that would be best. There''ll be five speakers, no?"


    "Yeah. Two of them will need to be translated. One''s speaking in Qusi, the other in Kowal. They''re named Sydney Montas and Aerith Macar respectively."


    "As far as I can tell, they''re all on our side save Speaker Montas", Aren replied, "Who''s translating for them?"


    "It was going to be Pyros, with me substituting in when need be, but I doubt he''ll even be let into the chamber today. Even then, Liara an-"


    "Liara!"


    "What?"


    "Does Liara know Qusi?"


    "I''m not sure. I''d have to check with her."


    "If she does, we can corrupt a speech. Just like you mentioned this morning. The whole afternoon could be ours to exploit!"


    "You''re looking a lot less glum."


    "We still have to actually convince Mari, Aris, and Hothal. But it''ll be a great start."


    ...


    After a while more of chit-chat, Nyx finally showed up. They almost reminded Aren of a Gil, but their charred skin was far darker and their eyes almost like the midnight. They almost resembled a gash in reality, a spot of pure black. If it weren''t for their more human mouth and ears, Aren would''ve mistaken them for a demon.


    "Welcome to Table Five. I don''t see Trici, but Mara said you''re her friends. Can I get your orders?"


    "Yeah", Aren said, "I''ll take Fish & Chips. And could I have some Sancerre to go with it? I could use a drink."


    "Do you have any specialty coffee here?", Quill asked.


    "Yes, we could give you a cup of our own design. Anything else?"


    "I''ll take the garlic flatbread."


    "Is that all?", Nyx questioned.


    "Yes", Quill and Aren said in unison.


    "I''ll be back in maybe five minutes with your drinks", Nyx responded.


    ...


    Nyx kept their promise. Five minutes later, they returned with the two''s drinks. With them was Trici, a drink of her own in hand. It was something bubbly and sweet-smelling.


    "Sorry for being late. I got a bit sidetracked", Trici said.


    "It isn''t a problem. We were a bit slow ourselves", Quill replied, "We only just got here a few minutes ago ourselves. Plus, the quarter-hour bells haven''t even rung quite yet."


    "Oh, good", Trici said, taking the remaining seat, "I was worried I''d lost us too much time."


    ...


    Aren took her chance.


    "Trici, something''s been feeling a bit strange to me."


    "Oh? What?"


    The quarter-hour bells drowned out Aren''s response from even her own ears.

 Chapter Seven: Lunch at The Shattered Egg, Part Two

    Clang, clang, clanging echoed out around the three. Aren¡¯s lips moved, but her voice, her potentially dangerous question, was completely drowned out by the ringing of the bells.


    Somewhere within Trici, Marina panicked, but Trici pushed down the feeling. She kept herself composed, at least outwardly. ¡°Could¡­ you say that again, Aren?¡±, Trici questioned to Aren.


    ¡°Trici¡±, Aren replied, ¡°I don¡¯t really understand why you¡¯re here. Why you¡¯re with Quill and me here right now, why you were given a letter like ours. Yes, you have a speech, which can affect the results, but I have a direct vote, and Quill can twist wording in our favour.


    ¡°Do you have any idea why you, rather than Eric or Pyros or anyone else with more direct or large-scale a sway, was chosen?¡±, Aren finished.


    ¡°Quite honestly¡±, Trici replied, quickly thinking her way through a coherent response, ¡°I don¡¯t. Maybe other countries¡¯ leaders weren¡¯t willing to directly work together, or maybe I was just a convenient option who would likely be loyal to the Arinan crown. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t offer a better response than that.¡±


    ¡°I understand now, I think¡±, Aren responded, ¡°You were probably just a convenient, likely loyal option.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah¡±, Trici confirmed, ¡°Probably just that.¡±


    Internally, her panic slowly started to dissipate and fade. Moving forward, she tried to change the subject to something less worrying, ¡°Their food¡¯s good. You two are enjoying it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad. You certainly have some good taste¡±, Quill said. He was sipping a rather dark-toned coffee from a cup.


    ¡°I¡¯d second what Quill said. But onto a more pressing topic, we need to figure out what we can do tomorrow and overmorrow once you can come on to answer questions¡±, Aren pitched in.


    ¡°Not this afternoon¡¯s events?¡±, Trici asked.


    ¡°Since you can¡¯t really impact it, Quill and I went over it without you¡±, Aren replied, a small bit too curtly for Trici¡¯s liking.


    ¡°Ah. OK, then, onto my speech then.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡±, Quill butted in, ¡°We should run over the speakers before you. It will probably help if we want to add built-in counterpoints or rebuttals into your speech. That way, we might be able to damage speakers¡¯ points before Hothal or Mari takes control of the conversation again.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good¡±, Aren replied, ¡°Any objections, Trici?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that would be fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±, Quill started, ¡°Xaros Inexa and Kiera Patheos are the only two speakers, as far as I¡¯m aware, that are openly for a diplomatic end to our war on your day. Kiera will go before tomorrow¡¯s lunch break, so I think it would be best to plot out some counterpoints then.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡±, Aren replied, cutting off Quill, ¡°Mari couldn¡¯t come today, but it would be a good idea to get her here tomorrow; she even offered to come. We can try to change her view then.¡±


    ¡°Got it¡±, Quill said, sighing, ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll go over both speakers today.


    ¡°The first, the aforementioned Kiera Patheos, is a minor noble from Zeryzian, though I believe she¡¯s not from the city. We can¡¯t say for sure, but we should assume that she¡¯s worried about her house¡¯s losses during trading to naval attacks. That¡¯s what most upper-class Zeryziani seem to be worried about.


    ¡°Because of that, I find that we should build in the idea of the risk in financial terms.¡±


    ¡°I see¡±, Trici responded once Quill finished, ¡°Maybe I could talk about it in terms of financial risk/reward?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±, Quill exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s it! If we can get our hands on some numbers for how many- or how much total value- goods are lost every¡­ year, maybe, to naval attacks, then maybe we could build something from there.¡±


    ¡°We should all be able to access that¡±, Aren pitched in, ¡°Since we got letters from our heads-of-state. If we ask Arinan or Sterlir intelligence, they¡¯ll almost certainly have something useful that they¡¯ll be willing or forced to give us!¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯ll work out¡±, said Trici, ¡°But how are we going to make a point about potential damages if a gamble for peace fails?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m stuck on, too¡±, Quill agreed, ¡°We can get a real, solid number for current losses, but how would we quantify an uprising of the Evil if they integrate into society?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡±, Aren replied, ¡°We don¡¯t have to. If we also get a figure on total maritime trade, and the percentage lost to the Evil is small- maybe less than 2 or 3 percent- we can show it¡¯s not worth it because of just how small the losses are in the context of the total trade volume.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I¡±, Trici said, ¡°Think that will work.¡± Shifting her focus to Quill, ¡°The other speaker. Their name was Xaros Inexa?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±, Quill said, right as the half-hour bells cut him off from finishing his sentence.


    ¡­


    Clang, clang, clang, went the bells, echoing out yet another time throughout the city. Again?, Quill thought, It seems those bells can never ring when someone isn¡¯t saying something important.


    Clearing his throat, Quill rearticulated his cut-off point. ¡°The problem¡±, he said, ¡°Is that while we can guess why Kiera Patheos wants an armistice with reasonable accuracy, Xaros, as a more ordinary Mexain, could have quite a few different reasons.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ like what?¡±, Trici asked.


    ¡°Mexain doesn¡¯t see war the same way Arina or Ferthusa or any other border state does¡±, Quill answered, ¡°It could be possible that they¡¯ll argue that the economic losses aren¡¯t worth it, whether that be as Terys did earlier, pertaining to the average citizen¡¯s taxes, but it could also be a similar argument as what we think Kiera¡¯s was. If that¡¯s the case, we can make similar points against the risk of integration.¡±


    ¡°Right¡±, Aren said, ¡°But the problem is that we don¡¯t know that their argument uses the economy as its crux.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡±, said Trici, ¡°What, then, are the other realistic options in your mind, Quill?¡±


    ¡°Well¡±, Quill answered, ¡°If they make a theology-based or religious argument, then we don¡¯t have much to go on yet. If Mahir Gethalt¡¯s remaining time goes poorly, then we can assume that Xaros¡¯s argument will also fall flat. But if he successfully defends himself in his remaining time¡­ who knows.¡±


    ¡°It might be good to talk over after today¡¯s hearings are over¡±, Aren added.


    ¡°That sounds good¡±, Trici said, ¡°And the last argument to expect would be based on the human cost of war, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Given that Terys seemed to sway Mari¡±, Quill answered, ¡°I think we should worry about Xaros giving a speech about the human cost. It could go very poorly.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡±, Trici butted in, ¡°But Mexai doesn¡¯t share a land border, or even a maritime border, with it. Why would they argue that? And wouldn¡¯t it fall flat if they haven¡¯t had personal losses like Terys to draw from?¡±


    ¡°Trici¡±, Aren replied, ¡°Just because Mexai doesn¡¯t directly border the Evil doesn¡¯t mean that Mexain soldiers don¡¯t fight against it. It¡¯s perfectly realistic that Xaros lost someone.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah, that makes sense.¡±


    Aren swirled her still-untouched wine in its cup. ¡°We just can¡¯t guess with good accuracy. Our best bet is to either have more general attacks and try to get you back up regularly as an attack dog of sorts.¡±


    ¡°An attack dog?¡±, Trici asked, ¡°That sounds a bit¡­ aggressive.¡±


    ¡°Trici¡±, Aren said, ¡°Let me finish. We can try to build up as many points into your speech as possible, so that I may call you back up later, and you can answer loaded questions that we think up beforehand to act as attacks against those who want a peace pact by firing off each off those loaded questions, letting you answer our ¡®perfect answer¡¯, and hopefully diminish a speaker¡¯s point, or maybe even eliminate its effect entirely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure I got that. Is what you¡¯re saying that we come up with answers to questions beforehand, then you call me up to answer those questions later?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°And then that will¡­ help us somehow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hopefully, we can make pro-peace speakers¡¯ points weaker by calling you up and having you answer a question that would act as a counterpoint to the speaker¡¯s point.¡±


    ¡°That sounds fine by me, but what about the other option you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Right¡±, Aren said, finally taking a sip of her wine. Quill had finished his drink before she even started her own. ¡°The other option is that we make a few variations of your speech for each realistic option for Xaros¡¯s speech.


    ¡°We¡¯d take the base speech that you already have, then tweak a portion that counters said speech into a few variant speeches, and then you just will have to orate the right one when it is your turn to speak.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯d rather do the latter option¡±, Trici replied, ¡°It¡¯s not like we have forever to draft up some perfect speech, let alone work out a bunch of counterpoints.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡±, Aren responded, ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. Quill, do you have anything to say? You¡¯ve been rather quiet.¡±


    ¡°Oh! No. This is just a bit out of my range of control or expertise. You¡¯re the ones who can do the most with speeches, especially those in Zeryziani.¡±


    ¡°Got that¡±, Aren said, ¡°So we have an agreement, then? You¡¯ll write a few variations of an attack against Xaros¡¯ possible points into your speech, which I assume already exists-¡±


    ¡°It does¡±


    ¡°I would hope so. Back on track, you¡¯ll then give the right one.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡±, Quill asked, ¡°What happens if Xaros¡¯s speech fits none of Trici¡¯s variations of her speech?¡±


    ¡°I can just exclude the section entirely and surrender my remaining time to questions¡±, replied Trici.


    ¡±Good. That should work out.¡±


    ¡­


    The remnants of their shared lunchtime flew by. It had little heavy argument or discussion, which helped Aren fully calm down. At some point, Nyx came out to their little shielded balcony and, balancing each of the three¡¯s dishes on the server¡¯s midnight-toned forearms,


    Her food was delicious. The fried salmon tasted much better than salmon ever should. It was cooked to perfection and complimented perfectly the accompanying fries. She¡¯d always loved Fish & Chips as a dish, but this dish was the perfect form thereof.


    ¡°Trici¡±, she said, ¡°You really lucked out finding this caf¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. The staff especially are great once you get to know them.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯ve only been here in Zeryzian for a short time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. No more than a scattering of weeks at most. They¡¯ve just warmed up to me rather quickly.¡±


    ¡­


    Only a few minutes after the three-fourths-hour bells, Aren and Quill left the table, leaving Trici with their meals¡¯ cost in coins. Trici didn¡¯t mind much, as they had more reason to get back than she. She waited on her little balcony until Nyx came back. She made small talk with them, before counting out her own meal¡¯s cost and giving the three¡¯s total to the server.


    There was another reason for her to wait, though. She¡¯d been late to Quill and Aren¡¯s lunchtime meetup for a reason, and she hoped to collect on her investment of time. To do that, she wanted to avoid having to explain why she would split off from the pair if they were to walk back together.


    Marina had sent a message to her intelligence agency, and she fully intended to check for an answer to her question; so that she could hopefully figure something important out.


    Aren might have been rightfully suspicious of why someone like Trici, with so little influence on this trial, was included in their group. But Marina thought someone else was the unusual outlier in said cadre.


    Why in the world would kings of nations almost always at one another''s throats choose to go for the translator firmly set in his views, rather than the person who was much more important and whose position was so, so much more volatile?

 Chapter Eight: Lunches at the Embassy

    Near the First Day¡¯s Lunch Break¡¯s start, shortly after Chapter Five ends:


    ¡­


    Aren turned away from Mari, clearly disappointed in her negative response, and left the room. The door, made of finely carved wood and emblazoned with Sterlir¡¯s crest, closed with a boom behind her.


    Julia, her aide, relaxed nearby on a mostly unadorned chair. It had a cushion for padding affixed to the chair¡¯s seat, but otherwise, it was just a simple wooden piece, cobbled together by mediocrely crafted nails, which served their purpose nonetheless. Even if the money was there to splurge on more ornate and expertly made chairs, Mari never saw the purpose of such an expenditure; the current chairs served their intended purpose perfectly well. Mari¡¯s utilitarianism didn¡¯t stop the chair¡¯s current occupant from complaining about them.


    She, as typical of a Gil, had skin the colour of the sun during an eclipse. Scattered across her, she had spots of white that dappled her skin like the stars that peppered the midnight sky. That was quite unusual; a village might only have a precious few families whose skin was similarly blessed. Even rarer were her irises; they were tinged a blackcurrant purple just ever so slightly different than the eye colour typical of the Gilish people. All of the small woman¡¯s tiny rarities were what drew Mari to her and why she¡¯d taken Julia in at her embassy, having hired her a few weeks ago.


    The woman derailed Mari¡¯s current train of thought, focused on said woman herself. ¡°Department Head¡±, Julia asked, snapping Mari¡¯s attention to her, ¡°Should I add that to your list of engagements? I don¡¯t believe that it conflicts with anything else.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Julia. Yes, that would be wonderful of you to do¡±, Mari responded. She paused for a moment before she reiterated what she had been telling the Gil for weeks, ¡°And the formality isn¡¯t needed. I know you haven¡¯t really gotten a chance to look at the regular goings-on of the Grand Embassy, but outside of formal events like this hearing, you really don¡¯t need to keep it properly formal. Heavens know, the only reason our countries aren¡¯t at each others¡¯ throats more than they already are is because us all appearing relaxed and friendly eases tensions.¡±


    ¡°Department Head¡±, Julia responded, ¡° I know that. I just prefer this formality.¡±


    ¡°I know what you prefer, but-¡±, Mari cut herself off. She shifted gears slightly and picked up a different thread. ¡°The first guests will be here in a moment. An argument then won¡¯t exactly inspire confidence in Sterlir¡¯s citizens, so may you please just address me informally then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fine. Just don¡¯t press the issue when we¡¯re alone. It doesn¡¯t make a difference in how I ¡®inspire confidence in Sterlir¡¯s citizens¡¯ then, does it?¡±


    ¡°No, I suppose it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡­


    The first two to show up came in a pair. One, Mari recognised; the short, white-haired lady with angular features was Terys de Valen, the first speaker of the day- and by extension, the trial as a whole. Her speech had had an impact on Mari; she was unlikely to forget the woman anytime soon.


    Accompanying Terys was a man. He was slightly taller than most Sterlir, and similarly, he was a bit more widely-set than the average person. His hair and eyes matched each other perfectly; they both had the same glimmering shade of emerald green. His hair was fading with age; the sides of his head¡¯s hair¡¯s tone gave way to a silver shade in place of his usual green. His hair was cut evenly and close-cropped around his head.


    ¡°Good day¡±, Mari said, opening a conversation between the three, ¡°I am the Sterlir Embassy¡¯s head, Mari de Thern. Could I ask your names?¡±


    ¡°I am Terys de Valen; I spoke earlier. This gentleman here is Quall Vera-Mondal.¡±


    So she was capable of formality after all. Her speech certainly didn¡¯t make it appear that way. ¡°Please, just call me Mari. We Sterlir are just having a nice chat over lunch, that¡¯s all. We can eschew formality for now¡±, Mari replied, ¡°Please, follow me. You as well, Speaker Vera-Mondal.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to drop the formalities, just call me Quall¡±, the aging man said, ¡°And her Terys.¡±


    ¡°Very well¡±, Mari responded. She led the pair through the embassy¡¯s utilitarian lobby into a much fancier, exquisitely decorated room. It was a relic of a few decades ago; Mari herself wouldn¡¯t have gone so far with the room¡¯s decor. The chamber¡¯s chairs were carved from fine aspen, with their backs twisting up and out to form arm and headrests. Embroidered cushions with the designs of woodland creatures sewn into them acted as padding for the chairs¡¯ bottoms. The labour spent on even one of the chamber¡¯s dozen or so chairs was probably equal to the whole of the work put in on the lobby¡¯s furniture.


    ¡°Julia!¡±, Mari asked, ¡°Will you tend to the door for a few minutes? I¡¯m going to be occupied with the guests. There should be no more than three who haven¡¯t yet come.¡±


    ¡°Sure, D- Mari¡±, came a voice from the left corner of the room nearer Mari. Mari glanced over to where Julia was standing.


    ¡°She is Julia¡±, Mari said to Terys and Vera, ¡°She¡¯s an aide here.¡±


    ¡°...Just that?¡±, pondered Quall aloud.


    Julia left the room rather quickly.


    ¡­


    Zinnia had splurged a tiny bit on her lunch today. A handful of food carts scattered the space around the Grand Embassy, especially around the entrance that spectators were currently using. Zinnia had bought a small package of beef sticks from one of them. She¡¯d then returned to Arina¡¯s embassy, where she found a table in the lobby to eat at. The food wasn¡¯t world-class, but it was clearly made by a talented cook who knew what they were doing.


    A knock on the door interrupted her up to then silent break. ¡°Marin¡±, she called out to the errand boy presumably on the door¡¯s other side, ¡°You can come in. Nothing¡¯s blocking you.¡±


    The door opened, but the boy on the other side was definitely not Marin. He was covered in dirt and grime and could not have been older than eleven or twelve. They¡¯d be small for even that age. Slender ridges of scars crisscrossed the adolescent¡¯s arms. Some of them were red, and fewer still still had open wounds.


    There was a rather good chance he was one of Aren¡¯s strays. ¡°Come over here¡±, Zinnia told the boy, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The boy closed the door behind him- its sound startled him- and timidly came over to Zinnia. ¡°I¡¯m D-Dodeca. A woman told me to come here. She gave me this¡±, the boy said. He showed Zinnia a pin emblazoned with a familiar crest. Zinnia once had held one like that.


    ¡°Okay. We should clean you up¡±, she told Dodeca. She offered the boy one of her meat skewers, before starting towards the embassy¡¯s back rooms.


    ¡°Wait!¡±, Dodeca exclaimed, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Just to a back room to get a first-aid kit. I¡¯ll be back in just a moment¡±, Zinnia said, trying to reassure the kid.


    ¡°...Okay¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Eric and Tehran had to wait only a few minutes for Liara.


    ¡°Liara¡±, Eric said once she entered, ¡°Is Pyros alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±, the woman responded, ¡°He¡¯s doing fine now; he¡¯s just a small bit out of it. Pucoths is with him for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Come, Liara¡±, Eric said, ¡°We should talk over lunch.¡±


    She came over to the table and took the remaining seat.


    ¡°Aren is clearly with us on the matter at hand¡±, Eric opened, ¡°But the others range from neutral to strongly for a treaty.¡±


    ¡°Right¡±, said Tehran, ¡°So should we reach out to her, Liara?¡±


    ¡°You two aren¡¯t wasting any time¡±, Liara remarked, ¡°But yes, that seems logical. We do share an opinion that we need to defend, after all. But why ask me?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the input¡±, Eric replied, ¡°And I wanted to ask you because of how directly influential you are with this all. It¡¯s me and you up there, after all.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense¡±, Liara said, ¡°But it¡¯s not like I have nearly as much influence as one of y¡¯all with an actual vote, and actual voice, in the matter.¡±


    ¡°But you can take another¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If you translate someone¡¯s speech, you can warp what they¡¯re saying and you can dull their points, or you can make their arguments stronger, just by slightly changing their words.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that makes sense. What now, though? I doubt we go together for a couple of minutes of talking.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re certainly right¡±, Eric said, ¡°There is more to talk about.¡±


    ¡­


    After Terys and Quall, the next to arrive at Mari¡¯s luncheon was a light-skinned man. He had eyes with irises the tone of a purple one might expect royalty or only the highest-ranking nobles to be able to afford. The man had longer hair, which reached his shoulders. It had the colour of wet sand; not quite dark brown, but far from blond as a hair colour.


    ¡°Hello¡±, Mari said once the man, guided by Julia, entered the room she and the two speakers were in, ¡°I¡¯m Mari de Thern. I¡¯m one of the council members, and I¡¯m the one who invited you here, along with the other Sterlir speakers. Could I ask you your name?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ms. de Thern¡±, the man said in a slightly accented voice. Mari thought it sounded distinctly northeastern. ¡°I¡¯m Theros Maceles.¡±


    Mari thought she recognised that name. ¡°Welcome in, then, Mr. Maceles.¡±


    ¡°Lord.¡±


    That would explain it; Maceles was the name of a noble house back in Sterlir. ¡°For now¡±, Mari said, ¡°Would you mind dropping formality? I¡¯d like to be able to speak to each of you all as equals while we eat.¡±


    ¡°I suppose¡±, the man replied, ¡°That would be acceptable. You are a noble as well, are you not? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be working here, in a position held so precious by the government.¡±


    ¡°I have been selected for my role, yes¡±, Mari said. It wasn¡¯t a lie, exactly. ¡°But there are commoners here as well.¡±


    ¡°I shall suffer it if it is only for a brief time, as long as it is your request.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Theros¡±, Mari said, ¡°Mari would be fine for me.¡±


    ¡°Then, Mari, shall our group dine?¡±, the noble asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re still waiting for two guests, though I think that the two that are here already would find conversation with you quite interesting.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Talking to the common folk every once in a while is good for you.¡±


    He went to converse with Terys and Quall. Mari thought that she¡¯d get a few moments of silence, but any chance of silence was interrupted by a crashing sound. She heard slightly melodic shouting coming from the other room.


    Mari rushed to the lobby, where two Gilish were¡­ doing something to- or maybe with?- Julia. ¡°Julia!¡±, Mari exclaimed, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ something I never mentioned. We should take to a side room.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Okay¡±, Zinnia said, ¡°We should clean you up. It¡¯ll sting a little.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡±, the grime-covered kid replied.


    She took a cloth from the small first-aid kit, a dibbled a small bit of alcohol onto it. She took the now-wet cloth and drew it over Dodeca¡¯s wounds. He, strangely, barely reacted to the stinging cloth.


    ¡°If you¡¯re lucky¡±, she told Dodeca, ¡°They¡¯ll fade with time, and you won¡¯t even notice the wound¡¯s remains after a while! It might not even scar over, even for a time.¡±


    ¡°Is that good?¡±


    That answer was concerning. ¡°Of course; if the scars stay they¡¯ll only remind you of what caused them.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    She then took gauze from the kit. She gently took one of the child¡¯s arms and began to wrap the gauze around the limb. ¡°I¡¯ll have to change this later, but this needs to be wrapped for now around your arms.¡±


    She wrapped the cloth around Dodeca¡¯s arms. Once she finished the endeavour, Zinnia led the child to a small, private room in the back. It had some furnishing; there was a couch in one corner and a mirror in its opposite. ¡°You can stay in here for now. I¡¯ll be away for a while, but someone else will come here when I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Who will come?¡±


    ¡°A man called Marin. He¡¯s probably around a decade older than you. Just show him that pin if he asks why you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡­


    Zinnia had gone back to her table, where she sat eating her now lukewarm meat sticks when Marin arrived. ¡°Marin¡±, she said, ¡°Aren sent us another stray. He¡¯s in the back.¡±


    ¡°Zinnia¡±, the errand boy replied, ¡°Don¡¯t use the term derogatorily.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Anyways, his name¡¯s Dodeca. He had some nasty scars on his arms. I applied some gauze, but you¡¯ll have to redo it later.¡±


    ¡°I get that. But seriously, don¡¯t call him ¡®stray¡¯, like an insult. After all-¡±


    ¡°I know, I know¡±, Zinnia said.


    ¡°Some of us end up staying¡±, she and Marin said in tandem.


    ¡°Don¡¯t steal my line. But I¡¯ll go see him. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything for me to do until the day¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Julia¡±, Mari questioned once the pair had found a chamber, ¡°What was going on back there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have told you earlier, but it just didn¡¯t seem quite right.


    ¡°My skin¡±, Julia said, tracing the starlike spots on her arm with her opposite index finger, ¡°Is ¡®blessed¡¯ or wonderful or whatever other adjective you want to use. I wasn¡¯t born in Sterlir or even the Gilish part of Rathia. My family¡¯s Gilish and my skin is a recessive quirk. I don¡¯t really understand it, but I think it represents something important in my people¡¯s folklore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡±, Mari replied, ¡°But why didn¡¯t you just tell me?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t really understand it. I wasn¡¯t raised in the Gilish religion, nor have I really studied it. I just know these white spots- these geilu-juluji, my parents called them- are supposed to symbolize something. I just¡­ I just didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Julia. I can talk to those two, tell them to stop venerating you, and we can just have a nice lunch together, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and what does ¡®gailoo youlooyee¡¯ mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s geilu-juluji. My Gilish isn¡¯t exactly extraordinary, but it means something like ¡®white land of humans¡¯ or ¡®humanity¡¯s land which is white¡¯. Let¡¯s just have a nice remainder of our break, okay?¡±


    ¡­


    Eric¡¯s proposal wasn¡¯t that insane, though it caught Liara off guard. After the trio ate for a while, made idle chit-chat, and listened to the bells ring out three separate times, the former general turned in his chair towards Liara and asked her ¡°Should we make some sort of arrangement with Aren?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±, Liara asked in response.


    ¡°It would be prudent to directly work with the other person who is definitely on our side, right? Earlier, we almost hamstrung each other with our questioning. It would be better to work together, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±, Liara said, ¡°It would.¡±


    ¡°Well then¡±, Eric said, ¡°I guess we should plan to have dinner for four?¡±


    ¡­


    The bells rang out, summoning Eric and Liara and Mari and all the others. It was time for the trial¡¯s third speaker to argue for their side.

 Chapter Nine: It鈥檚 About Time we get Back to the Embassy

    ¡°Quill¡±, Aren said as they made their way out of the Shattered Egg, ¡°My memory¡¯s failing me, can you remind me who¡¯s up next?¡±


    ¡°Seras de Valas; she¡¯s Mexain. I told you this morning. Remember?¡±


    ¡°A¡­ bit? We should be going. Walk and talk?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He shuffled out of the way while he held the door open for her, which resulted in him being in quite a unique and uncomfortable position for a few seconds until the woman passed the threshold. Once she had, he let the door go; it closed with a dull crack behind him. ¡°Why¡±, he asked, ¡°Do you want to talk?¡±


    ¡°Earlier, Trici being in all of this was bugging me,¡± Aren replied after a second of loud silence, ¡°It does seem like she has a genuine reason to be in our ¡®pact¡¯. I relaxed. I let it go. But, now I wonder, ¡®why you?¡¯, Quill. Do you know?¡±


    Quill hesitated, similar to Aren a few seconds ago, for just a moment before he opened his mouth to speak. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be talking and walking. We¡¯ll be late if we don¡¯t start moving. But, honestly, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll let you know if I think of any reason.¡±


    ¡°Even the outlandish ones?¡±


    ¡°I might secretly be a demon who is traitorous to my kind whose memory was wiped and replaced by my king who will cause an incident if need be and a vote for allyship or armistice comes to pass.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Some unrecognizable emotion flickered across Aren¡¯s face. ¡°Anything that isn¡¯t ridiculous? I asked that question seriously, Quill. For all we know you are a pawn of your nation. If there¡¯s a reason that might be the case, then tell me, no matter how unlikely.¡±


    Why, Quill thought, is she suspicious of me?


    ¡­


    Quill¡¯s non-answer was amusing, but it was also annoying. Aren did truly want to know the why? of Quill¡¯s raison d¡¯etre. It was clear what it was- to stop any diplomatic negotiations with The Evil before it ever started- but why did the Sterlir king choose him?


    The street before them, Greensborough Street, had a wonderful aroma. Here on ground level, it was like you could smell every sweet, sucr¨¦, or sour odour imaginable. Similarly to an hour ago, it swept over Aren, calming and soothing her. Her question to Quill was caught in the wave and dragged out of her mind. It could be figured out later.


    ¡°The child,¡± Quill said, ¡°From earlier; the one you gave your pin to. Are they truly going to be well, like you told them?¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Aren said. Even the sweetest scent couldn¡¯t wash away her worry that Dodeca would not be okay. ¡°I gave them my pin, so they should be able to get some help from Zinnia or Marin. Even in the worst case scenario, they can sell it for some money that¡¯ll help get them on their feet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not worried about them?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. But it is nothing that I haven¡¯t seen before, nor is it anything I haven¡¯t seen someone get on their feet from.¡±


    A silence fell over them after that. Quill quietly noted when they needed to turn, but other than that they merely walked with none of their promised talk.


    ¡­


    Even though Aren had seen it thousands of times from this exact angle, the embassy always surprised her with its beauty. The tall and ornate yet monocolour walls of the monolith had their appeal, but one could only ever see it for a few seconds before it disappeared behind the blocks of buildings.


    It reappeared minutes later once Aren and Quill reached it. They went their separate ways and gathered with their separate people. Their separate people mingled back into each other and waited with bated breath for the bells to toll.


    They, of course, would. Seras de Valas would speak and Quill and Aren would get a brief reprieve from having to play defence against the treaty-wanters. It would at long last be time for them to take up a charge of their own against the treaty-wanters¡¯ lines. One could only hope that they would falter.

 Chapter Ten: Near Stumbles and the Biggest Success Yet

    Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-ding-dong.


    The bells tolled after the diplomats had taken their seats this time. The audience continued scuffling around for another few seconds, but they quickly quieted when the grey-robed woman stepped up to her dais.


    This was the fourth time the audience had heard her speak. They¡¯d grown used to her robotic, cookie-cutter speech. The only part that most anyone listened to were her final few words. ¡°From the country of Mexai, I would like to introduce to you Seras de Valas,¡± she said, finishing her now-repetitive monologue. Trici wondered if she¡¯d have it memorized by the time this was all said and done. She joined the audience and the translators and the diplomats and the speaker herself in a brief round of applause for the speaker. Once the clapping scattered and then died entirely, she spoke one last time. ¡°Ms. Valas, you may now speak.¡±


    ¡­


    Tria had thought they knew how each speaker¡¯s oration would go. The commoners would flounder, the merchants would abandon reason for profit, and the cunning, cut-throat nobles would actually be the ones changing any minds. Above all else, Tria expected the young ones to brashly charge ahead without carefully considering their argument.


    They had not expected any speaker to have eyes as verdant as a jungle juxtaposed with hair as brightly red as a just-fired iron. They had expected even less than that unusual stunning combination to find it to belong to a merchant, let alone one who put reason before money. And yet that was exactly what they had found out about a certain 29-year-old Ms. Valas.


    They made sure their sources were credible and their information true, but each one agreed with the other. It was a gift as sure as star-dappled skin itself, to Tria, to have such a person like that on their same side.


    With many of the speakers, Eric or Rei would have discreetly, but not completely secretly, reached out to them to fine-tune their speech. Eric apparently trusted this not-even-thirty-year-old enough to let them prepare themselves. Either that, or he made special care to make sure the Zeryziani underground didn¡¯t know he had talked to Ms. Valas.


    Tria was thankful, above all else, for the chance to finally get a pinch of long-awaited sleep. Unless something went drastically wrong (or right), they could just write ¡®Helped Eric & Aren gain some ground with their opposition¡¯ and be done with their report.


    As they had before, they reached out in front of them to grab the woman¡¯s- now, Tria knew, was named Trici- attention and again ask to be woken when the speaker started fielding questions. The ever-kind girl hushedly agreed as Seras de Valas began speaking, launching into a doubtlessly perfect defence of the current state of affairs.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡­


    Eric hadn¡¯t expected anyone¡¯s point of view to change over only one speech. Those expectations were betrayed early, disappointing him as Mari was swayed towards ¡®peace¡¯.


    Now he hoped that his expectations would be betrayed. Seras de Valas was an astounding speaker. She had clearly put thought and effort into her speech. She challenged the two earlier speakers, Terys de Valen and Griffin Parlos, on their points¡¯ validity. In all, she wove her speech into a fine cloth of attacks and explanations, statistics and facts.


    Her symphony concluded with a last attack against Griffin¡¯s bastion of religious foolishness. It struck a chord with Eric, reminding him of how some fanatics would let demons rush through their town, pillaging even the smallest hamlet. Their faith ended up killing them often.


    She was the first speaker to not surrender her time to questioning early, so time would be short if Eric were to help her further her cause. So firstly, he would ask-


    ¡°Ms. de Valas¡±, Aren suddenly started, ¡°You are from Mexai. Your speech was great-¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. de Gephyra.¡±


    ¡°-but why do you oppose a treaty? You¡¯ve told us why we shouldn¡¯t broker peace, but what pushes you to do so? Peace would be good for business, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Aren had given Seras a good question. It would let the merchantess spend some time explaining why she personally opposed peace if she took the opportunity.


    Those were several minutes Eric did not have to lose.


    ¡°My reasons are fairly simple. I don¡¯t care for some more profit when we all will suffer a loss if they get in. It isn¡¯t holy fervour or some political goal that moves me; it¡¯s just the fact that demons won¡¯t peacefully integrate into our society that does. I can make my profit either way. Yes, peace would be good for business, but it would be bad for my life expectancy. Does any speaker have another question?¡±


    He was lucky that Aren¡¯s question got a curt, half-minute answer. He now had his chance to ask his question. ¡°I would like to go next,¡± he said, aiming carefully for the argument that had swayed Mari initially hours ago, ¡°You say that you¡¯d likely die if we broker a peace. Would it affect everyone the same, or would it only damage a society¡¯s upper echelons?¡±


    ¡°I think it would affect each and every person here, or in Zeryzian, or even in Zeryzian¡¯s rural hinterland, badly. I don¡¯t really understand why you would ask me such an obvious question with such an obvious answer. We will all suffer, from the highest king to the lowest slave, if devils attack us from within our cities or even within our houses. People will die. It won¡¯t just be a change to a new, cruel leadership, it will be a great damage to us all.¡±


    Mari glanced down at her hands for just a second, then up at Seras de Valas. It was a tic of hers Eric noticed, that she repeated whenever she put thought into something.


    Aren¡¯s carefully prodding questions continued for some time, and Eric felt that they were making progress in shifting Mari¡¯s opinion back towards their side. If it continued like this through the likely easier second and third days¡­ well, that was 3 of the 4 needed votes at least.


    But still. He had surrendered Seras¡¯ question time to Aren to not get in her way. If he hadn¡¯t, they would have hamstrung each other¡¯s efforts. He really needed to start working with her soon.


    Next speaker soon, preferably.

 Chapter Eleven: Finding Aren

    The bells rang out, ending Seras de Valas¡¯ time to speak or respond. Fourteen chairs scraped loudly against the stone floor. Their occupants would each file out and take the quarter-hour to gather themselves. Eric had to get to Aren within those 15 minutes. She and Quill disappeared around a corner.


    When Eric turned that corner just a few seconds later, the pair was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡­


    ¡°She has to be it!¡±, Quill exclaimed, ¡°If we can just call her up later, then she can definitely help turn Mari or even Hothal or maybe even Aris!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself,¡± Aren replied, ¡°We don¡¯t know if she will be the same ace orator she was just now if she isn¡¯t prepared for any given question. She might fall apart under the pressure, or give an obviously incorrect answer, or-¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get it. She isn¡¯t some magic cure-all. So, next speaker?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t cut me off like that- and shouldn¡¯t you know who they are?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Quill answered, ¡°They¡¯re named Sydney Montas, no? An Iridawalin?¡±


    ¡­


    Eric didn¡¯t really know where Aren had stowed away to. He wasn¡¯t quite out of options, though; brute force was always an option. He just had to check each and every room.


    He methodically moved down the hallway. Open, check, close, move on, repeat. He had an inkling of how long this might take.


    ¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She is monolingual, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Quill answered Aren, ¡°She only speaks Qusi.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of your languages, I believe?¡±, Aren asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s in Paula¡¯s- Hothal¡¯s translator- repertoire as well,¡± Quill informed her, ¡°I can¡¯t really twist her wording that badly; it is something that Paula would call me out on.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s too honest for that?¡±, Aren rhetorically asked, ¡°That¡¯s too bad. We need every advantage here¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Do we have any plan of attack?¡±


    The door to their small side room suddenly opened.


    ¡­


    ¡°Hello¡­ Eric?¡±, Aren started.


    ¡°And hello to you as well,¡± Eric replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you two. We need to talk.¡± He had lost precious time looking for the pair; these remaining minutes had to be used carefully. And bluntly.


    ¡°About what?¡±, questioned Quill.


    ¡°Speaker Montas. And Speaker Macar, Speaker Maceles, and all the others,¡± Eric replied. He paused for a short moment before continuing. ¡°Aren and I are the two diplomats most against a treaty. We¡¯ve had our experiences with it. So,¡± he proposed, ¡°Why not work together?¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡­


    ¡°Because you weren¡¯t at Quill and my meeting with Trici this morning,¡± Aren wanted to reply. If their usually rival nations were willing to have their diplomats work together, even secretly, then there was some reason the Eric- and by extension Ferthusia- wasn¡¯t included.


    Instead, Aren chose to answer his question more neutrally. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why we would want to. Why do you want to?¡±


    ¡°Seras, Aren. I had a whole plan of attack drawn up with Tehran and Liara. We had researched her background, prepared questions, bribed someone to copy her speaker notes, timed ourselves responding to our own questions; we did pretty much everything you can think of,¡± Eric answered, ¡°We made sure she¡¯d- as the first speaker against a treaty- be able to do as well as possible as an orator. I didn¡¯t use any of it. I only asked one basic introductory question. I let you use the fifteen minutes. There¡¯s no doubt you¡¯ve done the same as Tehran and Liara and I-¡±


    ¡°I most certainly did not bribe anyone to copy her speaker notes,¡± Aren retorted.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no doubt we prepared for her similarly,¡± Eric said, ¡°And I didn¡¯t use any of my carefully prepared questions. I surrendered the time to you. If I didn¡¯t, we would only hinder each other. We¡¯re doing almost the same work twice. So at least for Sydney Montas¡¯ speech, can we work out a plan of attack?¡±


    Eric clearly wasn¡¯t going anywhere, so Aren relented. ¡°Okay, what do you want me to do with you?¡±


    ¡°I want to make sure that we won¡¯t get in each other¡¯s way. We should jointly plan for the questioning stage.¡±


    ¡°That seems¡­ mostly fine to me,¡± Aren replied. It wasn¡¯t as invasive to Aren, Quill, and Trici¡¯s tripartite alliance as she assumed it would be. ¡°What are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t really develop a highly-tuned plan of attack as we did for Seras de Valas,¡± Eric admitted. ¡°Liara and I thought that we¡¯d try to ask a complex or abstract question and whittle down any questioning time Speaker Montas has, especially since she¡¯d be slowed down by translation,¡± he clarified, ¡°That¡¯s the most thought we put into her speech. It¡¯s not like we had time to do a Seras-esque deep dive for each speaker.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. I didn¡¯t truly plan for Sydney Montas as I did for Seras either,¡± Aren replied, ¡°I have a bit more of a plan than you, though; she is from the country¡¯s far southeast, which is culturally Mexain. I thought that if she makes a talking point based on being a proponent for peace despite being Iridawalin, we could attack her credibility on that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the most you came up with?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still more than what I did.¡±


    ¡°Aren, Eric?¡±, Quill, who had let the two discuss plans for quite a while as a bystander, piped up, ¡°The bells will probably strike in a minute or two. We should get going.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Eric, ¡°Your plan if it comes to be, then mine?¡±


    ¡°That would work,¡± Aren responded, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t get in each other¡¯s way like this.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re meeting up again after this, right?¡±


    ¡°If you want, we can,¡± Aren said, ¡°Are you good with that as well, Quill?¡±


    ¡°It seems fine by me.¡±


    ¡­


    Liara had surrendered in her search after ten minutes of fruitless door-checking. She had split off from Eric at the start of the period in between speakers so they¡¯d cover more ground in their search for Aren and Quill, but luck had not been on her side.


    She strode back through the softly-lit stonewrought hallways. It took her only two or so minutes to return to where she¡¯d left Eric. All of the room-checking had really slowed her down. It took her only a few seconds more to reach the grandiose doors that separated the hallway from the assembly floor. A pair of quietly conversing diplomats were already waiting there for the next speaker¡¯s turn.


    Eric was neither.


    ¡­


    He arrived with Aren and Quill. Good; even if Liara herself didn¡¯t find them, he still did. He wasn¡¯t quite the last of the ambassadors to reemerge from wherever they had stowed away to- that would be Rei Wathrel of Rathia- but he cut it close on time. The ever-anticipated bells tolled. The pair of diplomats who¡¯d been talking pushed open the doors and the fourteen flooded into the chamber once again.


    Despite the small human deluge, Eric caught up to Liara. ¡°I found them. Thank you for checking as well. We just might be able to work with that pair.¡±


    ¡°Might?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯s being a bit oddly defensive- I don¡¯t know why- about working with anyone besides Quill.¡±


    ¡°Quill? He¡¯s a good translator, but he¡¯s far from the person you¡¯d exclusively work with on geopolitical matters. That¡¯s not exactly a translator¡¯s purview.¡±


    ¡°Says the translator. But I suppose that we should look a bit into that tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Take notes. Neither I nor Aren nor you nor anyone else researched Sydney Montas thoroughly. She might throw us a screwball.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Talk to you in seventy-five minutes, then.¡±


    Liara¡¯s chair ground against a forming rut in the ground, followed by Eric¡¯s a second or two later. Once all seven speakers and five translators- Paula and Quill would be translating for the Qusiphone, so they continued on past the table to greet Speaker Montas- settled into their seats. The jejune slate-grey-dressed woman got up to announce the recommencement of the hearings to the audience.