NationStates Jolt Archive

Sunday, 6th August 2006
Central Atrium, Guild of Paladins
Valak, Krioval
late evening

I stand in the halls of the Guild of Paladins, looking toward the screen at the center of the atrium. Election results, and not particularly favorable. I make out the glimmers of hope from my subordinates, but I am unable to reassure them. My direct link to the information network gives me several minutes' advantage, though today I wonder that it should ever be construed as such. I would consider severing the link just to enjoy the ephemeral hope brought by ardent prayer that maybe, just maybe, the day won't be a total disaster.

A voice softly interrupts my concentration, and I am actually quite grateful. As it stands, Andretara had reverted to the conservative parties, the capital had split, and while the White City had held out, it wasn't the slightest bit encouraging. "Chief?"

I turn. The man before me is another paladin, and I recognize him immediately. Few had attained the rank of Commander before turning twenty. He was reasonably tall, given his Japanese ancestry, and his intellect rivalled even several of the Directors. Kentaro Takahara - one who would eventually lead his tribe. "What's up?"

"A call on the direct line. From the President."

This is either very good or very bad. As the vid announces the split of Torokara, I instinctively know which. "Patch it through the network." As far as I'm concerned, what she's got to say isn't something I'm about to help her hide. Unless it's classified.

"Chief Serph?" Already a bad sign, the formality. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

I chuckle despite myself. As if watching the government change hands in real time was a *good* time. "Not particularly." Some heads swivel toward me, the conversation between head of state and head of guild offering more interest than drab political commentary from the talking heads on the vid. "Secure?" I ask.

"Um..."

"Is that a yes or a no?" Irritation creeps ever so slowly into my voice.

"Not necessary." Kara Tyvok sighs loudly. I wonder if she's had advance notice of the end of the world. "There's something I need to tell you..." I can barely hear her whispering, and the various students and paladins are craning their necks to catch her voice. What I do hear, though...

"Huh?!" It's the best I can manage.

"...coalition."

"With David Andros. Tell me you didn't."

"Serph..."

"With those reactionaries. Were all the other despots unavailable?" Interest in our converation continued to rise even as I struggled to keep my temper.

"Now that's unfair! The Free Krioval party is a moderate party, and we do what we can to keep the Senate balanced."

"Is that what you call it? I wonder what your father, Lord Halvar, would have to say about this." It's immature of me, I suppose, but I get the desired result, blessedly stunned silence. "I hope you have a supermajority or you'll never see anything passed in the next four years." And then I disconnect the commlink and pull myself fully back into physical reality. I wish I hadn't.

Over a hundred people are milling around, keeping a respectful distance but whispering things like "the Chief just told off the President". Naturally, most of the commentary contain more colorful linguistic constructions, which while not unknown in the White City, are not things that I would do with any woman. Wordlessly, I move through the crowd, people pulling themselves out of my way as if afraid of being incinerated by my touch.

**************************************************
Monday, 7th August 2006
Chief Paladin's Residence
Valak, Krioval
early morning

I loathe Monday mornings more than most humans. Yet I pull myself out of my ornate wooden bed after only about four hours of sleep. Plenty of time for that later. I am careful to not disturb Kiros, which provides a special extra challenge - normally he rises long before I do. I take a few moments to appreciate him, the dark skin and odd accent notwithstanding. It astounds the public that he can be the logistical director for the entire Guild, but then, his modesty is refreshing in a culture of one-upmanship. That, and he deals well with the bizarre hours and travel schedule of a high-ranking paladin...and he makes an altogether too large bed seem less massive.

I dress quickly and then walk toward the bathroom barely upright. It's not as if there are reporters or subordinates to impress. Against my better judgment, I look into the mirror. At least I haven't aged fifty years overnight. My skin looks a bit darker, which is normal even for a native islander like myself in August, and I momentarily envy Kiros for his African heritage - he seems immune to solar damage. My long black hair is a total mess. Brushing it out will take almost half an hour, but it's either that or cut it off. I may be thirty-one years old, but I'm not ready for the cue-ball elder look just yet.

Twenty-eight minutes later, I'm reading the reports that have come in overnight. Damn. At least the space stations came in for the Guild and the moderates, but Terran Krioval looked a mess, politically. If Kara had held out, the Senate would be without a partisan majority, and would have been forced to re-elect itself. Maybe then the people would actually pick a functioning government directly, for a change of pace. Free Krioval plus Security plus Morality. Sixty-two percent. Praise the Gods for the Paladic Veto. It looks like Shinji will finally develop some arm strength, with that gavel falling all of the time.

Monday, 7th August 2006
Paladic Command Center
Valak, Krioval
3:45 pm

I wait patiently for the Directors and several High Commanders to arrive. The meeting doesn't start until four, but most are aware of my empasis on punctuality; more still are interested to hear my strategy for neutralizing the devastation of the previous day's election. Sadly, I will likely disappoint the more...militaristic of the group.

Kiros is already present, and true to form, is barely able to contain his seemingly limitless energy. In start contrast, Kenji Miyamoto sits at the desk marked "Science Director" and calmly reads through some files. He is the nephew of the esteemed researcher Rei Miyamoto, and has in many ways surpassed her work. The White City, for example, would not exist in its current form without his diligence. And so he is third in command of the Guild.

Second in command is Valkai Andros, my former mentor and the one of three people who can overtake me in strength. Aside from the bit of hair on his chin, we look reasonably similar, unless one considers his musculature. He walks through the door just as I am linking up to the network to organize my thoughts. I nod almost imperceptibly. We have worked out communication between us almost to the point of telepathy. Right before I lose the sense of my immediate surroundings, I see his younger brother, Hiroshi. It is said that racial intermixing occasionally manifests a child that is pureblooded. Hiroshi looks like he just arrived from western Europe, a total opposite to Valkai. Also unlike his brother, he is clean shaven, and has closely cropped red hair. Some would find his abrasive temperament to be a liability, but as director of security, Hiroshi excels, and it has provided an outlet for some of his less sociable impulses.

I retrieve the dossiers I wanted and return only a few minutes after leaving. Of course, my body never left the room, but my unfocused vision is usually a dead giveaway that I'm "netsurfing". In walks the brother-sister pair Shinji and Ayumi Machida, repesenting the diplomatic and informational arms of the Guild respectively. Ayumi has been hectoring me as to when the number of women in Guild uniform will rise, and she has a point - only one in seven paladins is a woman. Still, it's far better than three years ago, when I ascended to power. She approaches.

"Hello, Serph. Tough day, huh?" She carefully brushes a few stray hairs from in front of her eyes and smoothes them into position.

"Not one of my better ones." I pause, trying to remember something important. Right. "How are you and Tevak these days?"

She smiles widely. "We're doing well. So is the baby." I drop the documents I was holding onto the dais and look at her in shock. "You need to take a few days off, Serph," Ayumi continues, the slightest giggle letting me know that she knows me all too well.

"How long?"

"Only three months. I'm lucky, I'm told. No morning sickness."

"Gods. Congratulations. Maybe after all this is over, I'll take a vacation."

She smirks. "Right. 'All this' won't be over until we're both dust."

"Huh."

We're interrupted by the arrival of High Commanders Sakura and Saravi. I give Ayumi a triumphant look. She rolls her eyes. The tower bell begins to ring, the reverberations subsiding only after four powerful tones. Saved by the bell, I realize.

"This meeting will now come to order. High Commander Koro will now read the minutes of our last meeting."

Koro Vartek stood up and gazed at the attendees. "Space projects six through eleven are online and on schedule. Funding has been allocated for White City expansion and the renovation of several buildings within Valak district. Paladic candidates were officially represented in Senate elections." He stops momentarily. "Move to certify."

"Seconded," Valkai responds.

I regard the nine others present. "Objections?" There are none. "Please place these meetings into the archive. Moving along, I have several points of new business to address. First, the humanitarian crisis concerning the lands of ViZion (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=505452). It appears that there are some lingering tensions following a civil war and foreign occupation there. Naturally, we are unable to offer direct assistance to those nations not yet possessing certain levels of technology, but I would like to discuss whether other forms of intervention might be beneficial, both for their people and our reputation."

"Another war we're just going to sit out, Serph?" Hiroshi looks irritated already. "Why not just pound one side into the dust and get it over with?"

The three women regard him with a look of contempt. "And bring the entire world's armies against us next?" Ayumi asks snidely. "There's nothing some of them wouldn't like more than a pretext for invasion. And given their numbers..."

"Whatever. We've got antimatter bombs and orbital weapons capabilities, but we're going to worry about tanks and wussy machine guns."

Others join in the conversation. I hold up my left hand, and the argument dies down considerably. "The first concern is the fate of the women and children in the disputed territories. Is the Guild able to house refugees?" I look squarely at Kiros.

"Ya. Dat's not de problem. De problem's gettin' to de people wit'out gettin' shot at."

"Understood," I say gravely. "Perhaps we can negotiate safe passage. If so, how many can we hold?"

"For a little bit, fifty million? For a long time, maybe...twenty million?"

"In Valak or throughout the Republic?"

"Eit'er way, ya? Mos' de open land's Valak district."

"I think it would be a good idea," Valkai adds. "The Republic of Krioval and the Guild could use the public relations boost. What about the more military aspect of this, though?" He looks at me. I guess I'm the expert this afternoon.

"On the surface, anyway, it's a clear case of foreign aggression against a sister republic. I'm inclined to send some money or even weapons to the ViZionarians to get them back on their feet. Not to mention that it would push the balance of power into better alignment."

"Move the first," Shinji piped up.

"Seconded," Valkai followed almost immediately.

The vote was unanimous, unsurprisingly. "As to the second?" I ask cautiously.

"Hell yes," Hiroshi says. "About time we get a bit more 'otherwise involved' with our neighbors."

"Seconded," Saravi responds. "Thanks to auntie, I probably know a bit about balance of power and why it's important."

This time the vote was far more contentious. Hiroshi, Saravi, Sakura, Valkai, and Kiros are in support. Shinji, Ayumi, Kenji oppose. Koro abstains. At least I'm spared casting the decisive vote. "Kiros, I'm leaving the project in your hands. I suggest you and High Commander Koro work together on this one."

"All over it, leader!" Kiros replies enthusiastically.

"Of course, Chief," Koro adds more neutrally.

"Moving on." I make show of shuffling through the stack before me. "Page seven. Election results and strategy. As you know, the Guild ran an impressive campaign for a first-year political organization, and the Paladic party has received thirty-six seats on the Senate. Twelve percent. Good work. Sadly, the Madam President failed to deliver any of her 'guarantees' this election cycle, which leaves the conservative coalition with just short of a veto override-majority."

"Any predictions on the new president?" Shinji asks.

I take a deep breath. "Kara Tyvok may keep her position, but she may cede it to David Andros." I exhale loudly.

"Oh hell," Valkai says softly. There is little love lost between him and his father, and this result may very well strain his family situation to the breaking point.

"The way I see it," I continue, "it doesn't matter who holds that position. The problem is the type of legislative pressure the Guild will be put under. It's no secret that David favors isolationism, government oversight of all research endeavors, and deeply distrusts the Guild now that it has passed out of Andros hands."

"Serph, there's not much we can do," Shinji says sadly. "I mean, the Senate's elected by the people of Krioval. Aside from blocking the stuff we don't like..."

"I agree," Valkai interrupts. "We wait and see what develops. In the meantime, let's focus on the ViZion crisis."

"Agreed," Kiros adds. "No sense worrying 'bout stuff we don't control."

"Very well, then. I move to place this item on the agenda for next month's formal meeting, unless circumstance compels it to be brought forward earlier. Any objections?" Again, there are none. "Final order of business is the Director Ayumi Machida and High Commander Tevak's baby. Speaking of which, where is the High Commander?"

Thursday, 17th August 2006
Senate Floor
Torokara, Krioval
1:15 pm

"Do you mean to tell us, Chief Serph, that the Guild has unilaterally begun to accept refugees from ViZion without prior authorization of the Senate?" I look at the speaker with a mixture of trepidation and disdain. We've been at this crap for hours. Ever since David Andros's political allies swept into office, the Paladic Guild was coming under ever increasing amounts of fire. He looks almost triumphant. Almost.

"Senator Andros," I begin, emphasizing his family name, "the Senate resolution thirty-seven, adopted last September, grants a certain level of flexibility to the Guild to deal with emergency situations, as you must know."

"Domestic situations declared such by the Republic."

"I am afraid that the resolution does not stipulate any of those restrictions," I add calmly. It's a struggle to not roll my eyes at the entire right-hand side of the room.

David seethes. That much I can perceive with only the slightest glance. "I move to strike that resolution." His call is followed with the clamor of ass-kissers vying to be the second name on the proposal. For the first time in over a week, Kara Tyvok and I exchange looks - both a sort of yeah, right, and maybe we can legislate porcine aviation next? expression.

The proposal passes by eleven votes. I stand up languidly, all professionalism drained from my demeanor. "The Guild of Paladins, as authorized in resolution five-dash-seven-sixty-eight, declares the proposal to be void and without binding force." I sigh loudly. "This declaration can be overridden either by a vote of no fewer than three-quarters of the entire elected Senate or by a joint commission of Senators and Guild representatives blah blah blah." Yes. I say 'blah blah blah'. It earns the snickering of the paladic delegation, some of the liberals, and even a few moderates. It also earns me a stern look from Kara, who lightly taps her gavel to restore order.

"Chief Dekker, your closing comments are out of order."

"My apologies, Madam President."

Kara continues with the good news. "The proposal has passed. However, the Guild does have the power to suspend legislation that directly affects its function, as is the case here. Thus, the proposal is unable to enter into effect." Sensing David's impending explosion, the President concludes, "Given the length of debate this morning and early afternoon, I declare the Senate in recess until three o'clock this afternoon." The gavel descends. For a few hours, at least, the Guild remains free and strong.

Friday, 1 September 2006
12:28 pm

Two weeks pass uneventfully. Even so, I have made preparations for the Guild, just in case. Just in case the call I will receive in exactly one minute and twenty-five seconds should happen to arrive. It's on the direct line.

"Serph?" Her voice is strained.

"Madam President," I respond, the formality a force of habit lately. Kara does not correct me.

"It passed. The follow-up resolution, I mean."

"Refresh my memory."

"Resolution twenty-five places all military installations under the direct administration of the Senate. That includes a good deal of Valak District."

"Impossible," I splutter. Definitely not one of my finer moments. "Most of Valak is private property, and the Guild has hardly any 'military installations'. It's almost all research these days."

"True," she hesitates, "but there are several on the Senate who disagree."

"Several. If the thing passed, Kara, it's more than several. And let me guess who spearheaded the whole thing."

"Well..." her voice drops to a whisper.

"What's going on?"

"I have to go." The link dissolves. I hurriedly get in touch with one of Shinji's minions, who's running interference for the Guild in the Senate this afternoon. I instruct him in no uncertain terms to use the Paladic veto regardless of the majority, and to insist on a full impact study prior to implementation. At the very least, it should buy a few days for me.

Long deep breaths for a few minutes restore my full composure. I connect to the network and spend about half an hour luxuriating in the sheer volume of information, waiting for a solution to emerge from the data nodes. When none is immediately forthcoming, I return to consciousness long enough to call for Valkai, inviting him for the evening, and then I plunge headlong back into the network. Four hours later, a potential solution. Now to make it a kinetic one.

7:15 pm

I sit calmly as I enjoy my evening meal. Ordinarily, I would have eaten simply; best to live the example I would have for each of the paladins under my authority. No, I would feel compelled to exceed those restrictions. Today, however, I am entertaining. Valkai Andros may be the Guild Director, second-in-command of this building and its immediate environs, but he once trained and supported me. There is no pulling rank with him. And so I consider ways to bring up an uncertain topic.

"Serph?" My name has been on the lips of many of late, but this time, the voice is asking questions, not responding to them.

"The Senate may move against the White City before the seasons change," I say flatly, struggling to look into his eyes.

"And?" He will not make this easy, and I can hardly blame him.

"And should your father succeed in subordinating the Guild, how will you respond?" I'm surprised that I actually can form the sentence, and I feel vaguely sick.

"You mean, on whose side will I be." I flinch first. I can't very well help it. Valkai is one of the few people I know who could slay me with a sidelong glance. He presses on. "Guild or tribe. Do you consider that a fair question to ask me, Serph?"

"No, Valkai, I don't. But it's a necessary one."

"Have you asked my brother?"

My courage returns, though somewhat diminished. "I don't see the need." I have clearly stunned my larger counterpart into silence. He furrows his brow ominously.

"And why," he says in strained but measured tones, "is Hiroshi not a concern while I am?"

"Because I could counteract him, if necessary." Thanks, Valkai, for making me say it.

"But not the ruling caste of a tribe."

"It's not the tribe, 'Kai, it's *you* specifically."

He shifts his weight in the chair and leans forward. "Oh?" he asks, voice lifting subtly.

"I doubt I could subdue you easily, if at all. I couldn't very well kill you. And I'm not about to live with you as yet another of my enemies. Andros tribe hates me enough as it is." He laughs at the last bit, and I breathe a bit easier.

"Serph, we've known each other for a quarter century now. Ever since you and Hiroshi got into fights." He sighs, and I swear the table shakes. "Father usually took up for Hiroshi. That left me to make sure you weren't outnumbered. Not that you usually needed the help, what with mom and all." Now I laugh, loud, and tears come to my eyes.

"Speaking of whom, how is your mother, the Lady Elizabeth?"

"Well, remember that she's not an Andros by birth, and I honestly don't know what my father was thinking by marrying her. They fight all of the time these days, usually over politics. He wants to be President; she wants him to relax a bit. Of course, there's the issue of my...disposition."

"Gods, 'Kai, they can't still be going over that! Hell, you got married and had two kids."

"True, but she never got it out of her mind that we weren't having some sort of illicit affair."

"Given the vast amounts of free time we have?"

"Funny, isn't it?" Valkai sits straight up, suddenly very grave. "Serph, I love my family. All of them. But I'm tired. I'm tired of running interference for my mother. I'm tired of hearing my father go on about issues that should have been put to bed years ago. And Hiroshi? The rivalry between you two was almost cute when we were young. But I worry about him. So to answer your question from before, Serph..."

"You don't have to. I trust you. I have to. Besides, aren't you the Kriovalian Times's 'Strongest of the Year 2006'?"

I receive a snort by way of response. A few hours of meandering conversation, glancing over status reports and balance sheets, and just enjoying one another's company later, and Valkai heads down the hallway toward the Guild Director's quarters. I meditate for a bit after his departure until peaceful sleep descends on my shortly after midnight. Even in the White City, the Chief gets to stay in bed on Saturday mornings.

Saturday, 2 September 2006
8:30 am

I am awakened sharply by the shrieking of a commconsole. I sit upright and try to focus on its blinking lights. Naturally, it's the private channel. I activate it. "Visual."

"Uh...Chief?" I see the worried face of Shinji, who nervously runs his hands through his short, spiky black hair. I briefly am concerned with my own still-in-bed appearance, but I realize that this particular paladin has seen me in less modest circumstances by far.

"What's wrong, Shinji? They couldn't have overridden our veto so quickly." I hope not, anyway.

"The moderates! They just *bolted*! From the President, I mean," he continues, voice rising with every syllable. "David Andros...he...he's..."

"Fuck." Plaintive eyes stare back in response to my profanity. Sometimes I forget that Shinji is still a boy in some regards, being only twenty-four years old. I consciously modify my tone to be as soothing as possible. "Calm down, Shinji, and tell me what happened."

"Lady Kara tried to keep things on safe ground, you know, with the whole Guild issue in the capital. But David was having none of it. And with the protests and all..."

"Stop. Protests?"

"C'mon, Serph. I mean, where *were* you last night when all of this was going on?"

I ignore both his casual address and the rather pointed question. "I was with Valkai. What about the protests? More importantly, where and when?"

"With Valkai." Jealousy? I feel my posture become defensive despite having done absolutely nothing of note last night. "I see." I give him a sharp glare and the subject is dropped, though it will likely resurface later in the day. "In the Andretara district, and in the capital. It seems that some of the conservatives are really getting into this whole Guild thing."

"Define 'Guild thing'."

Shinji returns the sharp glare. "I'm not naive, Chief. I know that some of your biggest critics are from inside your own tribe. Giving you a black eye on the political front would strengthen their position, maybe even let 'em separate with cause. Not to mention what they're supposedly saying to your mother, the Lady Sarina, and your grandmother, the Lady Melena."

"I'm painfully aware of those situations, though I was hoping that they might extinguish themselves. It looks like this problem isn't going away on its own."

"Not likely, is it?" He pauses. "What should I do?"

"Not exactly covered in our training, is it? Well," I consider the options. How about the nuclear one? "Inform the Senate that the Chief Paladin has issued a peremptory challenge on all legislation passed in the past two days, where possible, and retains said challenge on all legislation passing or passed until he grants future notice." If the Guild was unpopular before...

"All of it?"

"I'm hoping that none of this will matter by the time the four-day period expires. If not, we'll likely be taking our marching orders from the capital, or be looking for jobs elsewhere. And tell Senator Andros that I will speak with him later today."

Shinji gulps. "President Andros."

"Whoever he is now."

"As you say, Chief."

The commconsole goes blessedly dark, and after about five minutes, exhaustion overtakes me again.

Monday, 4 September 2006
Paladic Headquarters
6:15 am

I make it through the weekend, blissfully oblivious of the proceedings in the capital, save for the occasional plaintive request for moral reinforcements. I know things are not going well for us, but the weather this Saturday and Sunday are just too nice to waste inside, locked in thought. The situation may be explosive, but any detonation will flash outward from the capital; I will have a few moments to react before the shockwave reaches the White City. So I tend to various minor details of Guild administration. I admire the landscaping and the architectural modifications of the central tower - the "hanging gardens" effect is splendid - and I surreptitiously begin recalling paladins on leave. And I wait for the hammer to fall.

It does so early Monday morning. The commconsole is buzzing loudly even as the sun is beginning to illuminate Valak district. I let the call come through even as I struggle to shake off the fog of waking so early. Shinji notices my discomfiture, but desperation wins out.

"Serph, I can't hold them back any longer! David Andros called an emergency session of the Senate at four this morning! He's hell-bent on bringing us to heel, and I'm starting to doubt that the ViZion 'crisis' was little more than a cover for his allies to seize the Guild itself."

Normally, I'd advocate a calm and composed response. Then again, normally, a sitting president wouldn't attempt to yank control of my Guild from me. "Has there been a formal proposal put to the floor yet?"

"About three of 'em. One to move training to the military. One to place the Guild under Senate oversight. And the last one...to nationalize the White City."

"Fuckers. Did any of them pass?"

"All three, but not by a supermajority. I killed the proposals, but things are getting rough. If I didn't remember my force shield and blaster this morning..."

"Ten minutes." I hurriedly disconnect the link and bound out of bed. I tie a sheet around my waist and run out into the hallway, gathering up a disheveled Kiros and Valkai, and I storm up the stairs to the roof, pausing only to key in emergency departure codes for the 'Gold Dragon' that will take us to the capital. The force sword radiates its cool energy into my hands as I lift it, and the three of us search the cargo spaces for anything resembling a uniform as we lift off.

Thirty seconds later, I'm on the link with General Leo Sokolev, who commands the Kriovalian army and military police. It has the feel of a long Monday.

Outside the Senate Chambers
Torokara, Krioval
6:30 am

"So we have an understanding?" Leo asks me, eyes fixed on mine, at least through the communications screen.

"Do you think I want this to blow up *more*?!" I snap before refocusing. "Anything to prevent this from going on." Static cuts across the broadcast for a split second as our aircraft begins its rapid descent into the capital. "Though I am certainly going to give David Andros a piece of my mind," I add defiantly.

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," the general responds levelly. "In normal circumstances, I mean," he hastily appends.

I roll my eyes at him. "I'll be good...within reason." The link dissolves as we land, somewhat roughly, in the middle of the Senatorial Courtyard. Kiros, Valkai, and I disembark almost as soon as we touch ground. I can only imagine the reactions of passers-by, seeing three barely dressed men racing toward the seat of Kriovalian government.

The guards are about as stunned, only demanding identification as we are halfway up the marble steps. "Chief Serph Dekker, Guild of Paladins. Official business," I call out, not bothering to break stride. Instead, I look slightly upwards, and the retinal scanner beeps in recognition. Incredulous, the officers watch as the large doors slide open and we pass through. Now running at my top speed, I sprint down the main corridor, turning left and then right as needed, until the main doors to the Senate chamber is in front of me. I push through, straining the electronic opening mechanism, and the three of us burst into the legislative assembly.

"David Andros, I would like to have a word with you," I manage to choke out, even as I'm surveying for any damage, physical or otherwise, to the beleaguered Shinji. I note him after a few seconds, apparently much more at ease than during my frantic conversation with him.

"Chief Dekker, this is a special legislative session of the Kriovalian Senate. Certainly it can wait...until you've dressed at least?" A few Senators giggle nervously.

"Do you really want me to use the paladic void on everything that the Senate has been doing for the past three days?" I ask in a mock-sweet tone. "The Senate has been incredibly *busy* of late, and I would hate to derail matters of great importance due to a small misunderstanding..."

"What is it that you want, Serph?"

"Stay the fuck out of Guild business, Mister President. And treat Director Machida with the respect and dignity that he deserves. I don't need another six-in-the-morning wakeup call from one of my paladins fearful that a riot is about to break out inside the Senate."

David turns white for a moment from the shock. "And if the *Senate* chooses otherwise...?"

"I will inform Director Machida, or whoever the Guild representative is that day, to use his or her training to restore order. We are a civilized people, sir, and I will not have our Senators beating on one another."

"Is that all?" the President asks, eyebrows furrowed in barely suppressed irritation.

"No, actually." I watch David's expression darken further - something I would have thought not possibly. "I just got off the link with Leo Sokolev. Kindly inform whichever political hack is supposedly running the Military Directorate, or whatever its name is this month, that consultation with actual military officials can be useful when setting military policy. The general and I have come to an informal agreement concerning oversight of Guild affairs as they relate to combat training. I have asked him to present it to the Senate later this afternoon, when I might be in a better position to discuss it rationally." I pause, and survey the room, which is eerily silent. I bow slightly. "Good morning, Senators," I say, and I leave the chamber, Kiros and Valkai providing just the right level of physical intimidation and moral support to lift the fog of my frustration for the time being.

**************************************************

Guild of Paladins, Command Center
8:25 am

"So I'm still trying to work out exactly why I had to dash off to the Senate this morning," Valkai says, smiling wryly. "Tell me that I'm not being relegated to the role of brute enforcer, Serph."

I am concentrating on something entirely different, and the comment brings me crashing back to earth. Before I can respond, though, Kiros jumps in.

"What he said! What was I supposed to do dere, jus' look big and tough?"

"Well, you do look big and tough," I begin, stalling for a suitable response. It evades me.

"Do you think that the joint military and Guild project will go forward?" Valkai asks, blessedly changing the subject.

"Not a chance in hell!" Kiros retorts. "Dat old man would rat'er jump off de Senate building head first." He looks up, and notices Valkai giving him an ominous look. "Sorry 'bout dat," he offers. Valkai sighs.

"Honestly, I don't know," I say. "Still, he has to entertain the possibility, which buys us a few more days to figure out a long-term solution to the overall problem."

"Which is?"

"The future of the Guild in Krioval." I look fixedly at both Directors. "We've done surprisingly well to sustain our political position this far. But it looks like our luck has run out. President Andros," I turn fully toward Valkai, "your father, is against the idea of an independent Guild of Paladins. I suspect that his position stems from my assumption of the role as Chief, not to mention our relocation to Valak. Dekker and Andros."

"Tribe competition," Kiros echoes. "He's worried dat he's losin' ground, ya know."

Valkai looks thoughtful. "Which he is. Nine of the twelve tribes on the Council are modernists, leaving only three traditionalists. Once, the Guild would have shored up the traditionalists. Now it throws the old balance out the window. But what do you propose we do about this?"

"The only thing we can," I respond quickly. "Keep business going, and growing. At the same time, try to hammer out a series of minor compromises with the Senate. We will have to come up with a contingency plan should the Senate become more aggressive in its stance, though. If it continues to split across partisan lines, even the paladic veto might not be enough to slow things down. Schedule an executive meeting for tomorrow afternoon." I turn toward my second-in-command. "'Kai, I need you to go to the Senate this afternoon. If anybody is going to be able to do this without blowing up, it's you."

"Sure, why not?"

KTV Channel 33
3:45 pm

"We interrupt this showing of 'Pets Behaving Badly' to bring you a breaking story from the capital. Just minutes ago, shots were reportedly fired within the Senate chamber during a debate on the Paladic Military Resolution. As of this point in time, we are not certain whether there are any injuries..."

Well now the fur really is flying. It takes about a quarter of a microsecond before my communications array lights up like the skies during Foundation Festival. I waste no time hitting the large red button, which dims nearly all of the lights instantly. I can hear the blast of distant horns announcing the alert to everybody inside the Guild. The White City will be sealed in five minutes. All of Valak in fifteen to twenty. The district will take longer - maybe an hour or two, but corralling over half a billion people takes time and coordination. I issue a verbal command to every member of the Guild, regardless of their location.

This is Chief Serph Dekker. The Guild is under a red-coded alert. All paladins are ordered to immediately return to Guild headquarters. Protocol four is to be considered in effect until further notice.

About five minutes after the "breaking" news, a visibly shaken Valkai dashes into the room, with about thirty subordinate paladins following. "I swear before the Gods, Serph, they shot at us first."

I am acutely aware of how much the room has just shrunk. "Who, 'Kai?"

"I don't know exactly," he continues breathlessly. "It was out of nowhere. They hit Mateo, Kendall, and Kiri, nonfatal thank the Gods. We returned fire. Killed two of 'em, but Senators Parris and Rodaro..."

"...killed, Chief," comes the voice of one of the paladic senators. "I think, anyway. We ran like the seventy-five hells." She grimaces. "I mean, that's not a good place to fight, sir."

"You did the right thing, getting out," I wearily reply. "All of you acted with honor, I am sure." Well, not entirely, but given the size of the doubt, the benefit is certainly due. "We're locking down."

"Where are the others?"

"What de hell is going on here?! Dere's no way to get all de paladins back in jus' one hour!"

"Do what you can, Kiros. I'm not about to have Guild members gunned down in the street because they were caught in the middle of this. And let their families through. Quarantine all others, though."

The black-skinned man sighs loudly. "I do what I can, Chief."

"And keep an eye on the power grid, should this mess spiral even further out of control."

Kiros smirks. "Ahead o' you on dat one, Leader." With that, he darts back out of the room.

I track the other Directors easily enough. Ayumi managed to get back to Valak City about five minutes after the story ran on television. Kenji was busy in the underground laboratories, and needed no prompting to begin sealing away sensitive areas. Shinji had left the capital shortly before the shootout, and my map indicated that he would arrive within the next fifteen minutes. That left Hiroshi.

"What the hell, Serph?" Hiroshi accounted for.

"Excuse me?"

"Was it really worth it?" he pressed on. "I mean, granted, you only bagged two of them, but..." A smack from Valkai silences his younger brother.

"You can't be implying that I ordered that...mess," I gasp incredulously.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you had nothing to do with it," he challenges.

I do so. "You must either think me incredibly brazen or incredibly incompetent. The last thing I would want about now is a blaster fight on the floor of the Senate."

"So you're more the secret type. I see." Red eyes bore into mine. It's like we're kids again, fighting.

"Exactly what are you implying, Director?" I emphasize the last word, reminding him of his place.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Serph."

I contemplate several responses, but Valkai interrupts, shoving Hiroshi against a wall. "What the fuck is wrong with you? And where were your security forces? It was me and a bunch of kid politicians fighting our way out of that mess and not a single GuildSec in sight. Where were they?"

Suddenly on the defensive, Hiroshi falls silent. He grips his rank insignia and tosses them on the floor, and stomps out of the room. Valkai rolls his eyes and follows the other Andros, leaving me with a bunch of paladin-senators.

"See the doctor," I tell them, "and then return to your quarters when cleared for your interim assignments." I pause. "May the Gods continue to shine upon you." They disperse.

I open a link. "Tevak?"

"Chief! We're getting underway, first perimeter secured, second almost there. Third's going to be a nightmare, but...have you heard from the Director?"

"Congratulations," I say with a hint of sarcasm. "You're the acting Director until further notice."

"Was Director Andros incapacitated, Chief?"

"In a manner."

"I see. Well, standard operating procedure is holding up so far, sir."

"Good. Keep me informed, Director Telovar." I cut the link.

Fifteen minutes later, paladins in security uniforms ring the headquarters building, armed with blaster rifles and other, shorter-range weapons. Another ring surrounds the White City - the Guild environs. Yet another is closing around the entire city of Valak. Throughout the district, people are swarming either toward the Guild, hoping for protection from whatever monstrosity may be heading their way, or away from it, hoping to avoid the chaos. The waiting begins.

Interlude
Wednesday, 13 September 2006

The Guild of Paladins had armed itself to the teeth, and blaster-toting guards patrolled its area with deadly focus, though the public had been allowed once again to enter and leave as they wished, provided they displayed their government identification cards. The Senate condemned the arming, but both Torokara police and federal investigators found no evidence of paladic guilt in the shootout nine days earlier, and business lurched forward, with Guild-bound Senators attending virtually from Valak. Keeping industry and trade active was paramount in a nation whose lifeblood was measured in the efficiency by which goods and services exchanged hands. So a fragile truce between the Andros administration and Dekker's paladins emerged. As long as paladins remained in Valak district, which was Guild-friendly, they were beyond the reach of the President. As long as the President abstained from further threats toward the Guild, Serph was content to rein in his forces.

Enter the wild card, the uncontrolled force that invariably destroys all delicate cease-fires. Hiroshi Andros had left the Guild behind him, though his destination had remained unknown to all but a select few. His anger at being subordinated to a tribal outsider, a Dekker nonetheless, had eaten away at him slowly. Like the trappings of tranquility that were on full display in Krioval, so had the red-haired man bristled at every order given to him. Suddenly uncorked, the rage radiated outward - Hiroshi longed for revenge for a nameless offense that eluded rational description. And as he stared at the dragon totem he had lifted from the White City, a plan began to coalesce in his turbulent mind.

137 Machinists' Way
Telekar, Krioval
3:30 am

BOOM.

Guild Headquarters
Valak, Krioval
3:35 am

A blast had destroyed a warehouse in Telekar. At least that's what Tevak is telling me while I grope around in the darkness for something suitable with which to cover myself. Perhaps more annoying is that I find myself almost impossibly trapped between two others. Valkai and Kiros - had we been working that late? Finally, I give each of them a kick and stumble out of the room pulling a uniform shirt over my head. The two directors follow a few minutes later.

"Reports of an explosion at 137 Machinists' Way, Telekar, Chief. Also reports of sporadic street violence at same location. And looting."

"How long ago did this happen?"

"Ten minutes or so."

"And the police? The military?"

"Police are responding. But Chief, they're...uh...asking for reinforcements."

"Us specifically?"

"Uh...yeah. Why'd they do that?"

Why indeed. Because my father knows the mayor of Telekar. And the mayor of Telekar knows the Guild. "Get a link to the boots on the ground there and connect them to me. And stay on the link."

"Yes, Chief." Twenty second go by before Tevak returns. "I have the link, sir."

"Good."

"Chief Serph?" asks a man covered in Kriovalian riot gear. He removes his face mask and I can see him clearly.

"What's going on over there, Andrei?"

"It's pretty bad. Three explosions in a warehouse and the fire's still out of control. People are up and running wild in the streets. It looks like the end of the world." Somehow, he manages to keep his tone level, despite the apocalyptic imagery. I am impressed.

"Which sector?" I ask, hoping that more information will narrow down my list of viable options.

"Central sector." Andrei Telos takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Serph, but it's really important that you send us some guys to take care of this. There were six other brushfires that we had to put out already tonight, and we're running out of power. Given this attack's proximity to the space lift and all..."

I smack my forehead into my face. "What is going on in Telekar?" I ask snappishly. "Are we talking about a warehouse explosion still?"

The color drains from the police commissioner's normally reddish face. "Half our force is patrolling the capital, Chief. I'm sure that they're needed to keep the Senate safe. But this is a working man's town, and we need to keep order here. I figured that a few white bands on the streets would calm things down."

"I understand. Of course, if I send men into Telekar, there's going to be hell to pay from the government."

"The mayor asked me to call you directly. Let David Andros bitch about it all he wants. If the elevator goes, we're going to have a bunch of colonists in open revolt. You know about the space lanes better than I do."

"Fine. I will be sending Director Tevak Telovar and six divisions of paladins." I glare into the screen. "I expect total compliance from all sectors, including the mayor's office on this one. I stick my neck out, it gets done my way." I'm a bit surprised at my authoritarian remarks. "And not a word breathed to the government until we're there. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes. Thank you."

By some divine miracle, the divisions would arrive without incident about fifteen minutes later, and the daylong crime wave would be quelled by sunrise. Seventeen rioters were killed, and about two thousand detained throughout the city. Some flights and space launches would be delayed as security sweeps concluded in Telekar, but the backlog would clear by noon.


12:00 noon


"Good day, Mayor Johanssen. I apologize for my brusqueness this morning, and I hope that everything is going well today."

"Yes, thank you, Chief Dekker. I understand that your Guild took quite the risk in sending its men and women."

"A minor one, truly. I am glad that I was able to be of assistance."

The mayor laughs. "I have already communicated with the central government, and I informed them that I specifically requested your backup. Not that David wanted to hear it."

"And here I was hoping that I could break the news," I say sarcastically. Then I switch gears. "How are your officers doing today?"

"Much better, now that they can get some rest! Those thugs last night are the worst form of opportunists. But like roaches, they scattered when the light hit them." He pauses and touches a tan finger to his lips. Half Nordic and half native, I remember my father telling me. "I apologize, but I should get back to work. On which subjects would you prefer updates?"

"Oh Gods, please don't send me the administrative reports," I blurt out, and we both laugh again. "I'll take the security reports, though you can route them through Director Telovar. And please don't let him try to pull rank with Your Excellency. I promoted him only last week and you'd think he was *born* director sometimes!"

He bows. "I will keep that in mind. Please give my regards to your mother and father."

"Of course."

The link dissolves, and I enjoy about ten minutes of blissful solitude before another call arrives. This one will be far less pleasant than the last.

"President Andros, good afternoon," I manage to say neutrally. "What can I do for you?"

"Start by telling me, and the Senate, why the Guild is occupying Telekar." I notice that he has turned beet red from what I can only guess to be fury. And probably a bit of frustration.

"I hardly consider checking identification and patrolling the spaceport to be an occupation, Mister President. There are fewer paladins on the ground there than there are people in one city block in Telekar this afternoon."

"That is not the impression Mayor Johanssen gives."

"Mayor Johanssen likely overestimated our numbers. Besides, how many paladins do you think I could mobilize in less than a quarter hour?"

"You were supposed to remain confined to Valak District," he growls.

"I am not about to let Krioval sink into riots and disorder, sir."

"We were handling it."

"I was unaware of your efforts, then, as apparently were the mayor of Telekar and the commissioner of police there." I feel my facial muscles tightening. "We were asked to come, President Andros, so we did so. What would you have done in my position? Let them blow the elevator to bits to loot its parts?"

"I have called a special executive session of the Senate to begin tomorrow morning at nine. I expect you to attend to answer a few questions."

I suppress a giggle. "Tomorrow morning is not good for me, Mister President. I am to meet with the High Priest concerning Guild and temple rites at eight. I will likely also address the recent tensions between the faithful and...the otherwise. I could do a telescreen interview at ten-thirty."

A vein on David's head begin to pulse threateningly. "This is not a request, Serph Dekker."

"You and I both know that a Senatorial subpoena would take at least a day to be delivered, and given the natures of both the Senate and Guild bureaucracies of late, I would guess that we'd be looking at two or three days' delay. I'm just trying to be accommodating." A few senators in the background appear to be laughing. Liberals, I note with a degree of bemusement. He's losing his grip on some of the conservatives too, I see.

"In person at ten-thirty."

"In person at one in the afternoon, with four guards, armed, and don't look at me like that, President Andros. I will not walk around in that crime-ridden building without adequate protection. And I will depart as circumstances demand." I smile broadly. "Now I must be going, and I wouldn't want to continue to hold up things in the capital. Good afternoon."

I disconnect the link and then shut off the console altogether. Then I realize that I'm totally hyped up after basically telling the President of Krioval off. How best to channel that energy?

"Hey, Kiros?"

"No, he's working the Telekar circuit shipments right now, Serph."

"Valkai?"

"Did you need something?"

I regard him hungrily, waiting for him to realize my intent. Then I pounce. Three hours later, I'm remembering exactly what it is I love most about this job.

Temple of the Waters
Tarusen, Krioval
Friday, 22 September 2006

"Do you remember, Lord Chief, our experience in the temple vaults?" the old man asks me. I shudder.

"I do."

"That which was released...how unfortunate for all of us."

"Your Grace?"

"Oh, come now, Serph. Don't be obtuse. Why do you think that there is such strife if not for the unleashing of those...forces?"

I exhale loudly. "There are plenty of secular explanations, Your Grace."

"Hmph." Andruik Dova, High Priest of Krioval, fixes me with his trademarked death glare. Even as strong as I am, I wilt under its relentlessness rapidly.

"The spirits released are not of evil origin," I say slowly.

"Nor are they of good origin," Andruik interrupts. "Though how David Andros became in possession of an avatar is of great interest to us," he says, smiling ominously. "Shall I summon the Oracle?"

"To tell me that Hiroshi Andros has betrayed me by stealing the Dragon Totem? Please. My divination has not fallen into such a state of atrophy."

It's the High Priest's turn to look up startled. "How long have you known?"

"A few hours after he left Valak."

"And so you are without a bonded avatar?"

"For the time being." I look deep into the older man's eyes. "I may soon be in the possession of another."

"Which spirit is both unbound and not contained within the Great Seal?" Then Andruik wheels to face me, aghast. "You can't mean to reach through the Great Seal!"

"Only if forced. This is the true reason for my travel here, despite my claims of an equinox pilgrimage. David does not know how to contain the Dragon Avatar. Not to mention Hiroshi as an added source of instability. I need you to mediate an agreement between the Senate and the Guild. Even if it means compromising our secrecy."

"I see. Though I must ask you a question." Seriously, the High Priest went on. "What if I asked, as a precondition, for you to come to my bed?"

The answer flies out of my mouth before my brain can register the thought. "Then I would plunge Krioval into civil war, and despite your advancing years, I would ensure that you would witness every miserable second of it." There is no malice or scorn on my voice, but it carries the simplicity of truth.

Andruik is completely unperturbed. "Explain."

"A vile request asks for a vile response."

"Explain further."

"For one thing, your wife might have something to say on the matter. Second, I know for an absolute fact that you are completely heterosexual. Third, I do not want to be in the unenviable position of explaining to your guards why you are dead of a heart attack brought on by such activity." I grin wolfishly. "Yes or no?"

He arches his eyebrows. "Of course, yes." Andruik chuckles. "I must say, I have known both you and Hiroshi Andros for the entirety of your young lives. Everybody would say that he is the fiery one."

"And Your Grace?"

"I would say that that is horseshit." He waves me toward the door. "Now get the hell out of here. I have to prepare a sermon and you have to prepare for whatever worldly monstrosity your Guild does these days to celebrate the harvest. Will it include six of your underlings this time?" he asks snidely.

"My bed only sleeps five, Your Grace," I say, ducking at the last second to avoid an aerial prayerbook. "Good afternoon."

It is only after I return to Valak that I notice a scrap of paper tucked into my outer robe's pocket. I recognize the handwriting as the High Priest's instantly. It reads: I can only hope that the Vartek boy lives up to your incredible standards. Don't be too rough on him, huh? I curse him halfheartedly and wonder that perhaps his unbridled snark has contributed to his impressive longevity.

Does that mean I'll make it to a hundred fifty?

Temple of the Waters
Friday, 13 October 2006

To call our small agreements progress would be premature, but there is some sign that a constitutional crisis may yet be averted. The High Priest is a stabilizing influence on us politicians, and as the Senate thaws toward the Guild, so the Guild demands ever so slightly less autonomy. We still haven't begun to touch on the larger issues, like control of Telekar, but people outside are far more at ease when going about their daily routines. And so I go to see the High Priest, who has called for me, ostensibly to speak about the deliberations.

"Good afternoon, Your Grace."

"Please. After all these years, still with the 'Your Grace' business?"

"Resign if you don't like it," I say, trying not to laugh too loudly.

"No need." He pauses, considering something. "Do you have the time, Serph?"

"Quarter until four."

"Excellent. That leaves just enough time."

"Enough time before what?"

"Before I die. And I was so looking forward to being ninety."

"Sir?"

"Don't look so astonished, young Chief. The Gods once asked me if I wanted to know the day and time of my death, long, long ago." The cleric chuckles softly. "I told them yes, but only one full day before it was to occur, and then only if it was to be from natural effects."

"When, exactly, do you expect it?"

"In about an hour and a half. When the sun sets."

I roll my eyes involuntarily. "The sun doesn't set until a quarter after six. That's two and a half hours."

Andruik looks contrite. "Oh dear. And here I've ruined your afternoon early." He stands and walks toward the balcony. "Though it does let me finish things at a bit more leisurely pace."

"Are you sure you should be walking around out there?"

"Why the heck not? It's my last chance to enjoy the view. Don't worry, Serph, I'm not going to die from falling over this ledge. Unless, of course, you decide to do the honors." I can't believe his impish grin, with the topic of discussion. "Pick up that book...no, the one with the red cover. Bring it out here."

We spend a few minutes leafing through the tome. "This is the ancient language," I mutter, slowly deciphering the writing.

"Very good. You are one of maybe a hundred people who can read that. Young Koro Vartek is another, and it is in large part for that reason I have sent his nomination to the conclave this morning. Backed by both myself and the Chief Paladin, I do not anticipate any difficulties in his installation. Watch over him."

"I don't suppose that you'll explain the real reason for your choice."

"There's no putting one over on you, is there?" When I roll my eyes at him, he sighs, then continues. "I have seen many potential paths along which this great nation might journey. But it is not for me to choose the best one. Should David Andros, and his belief in majority rule, dominate? Or should you, Serph Dekker, whose guiding philosophy is not so easy to pin down."

"I believe that the Gods grant us provisional authority, and that their laws are absolute."

"Bullshit. Five years ago, yes. Three, maybe. But now? Impossible." He waves off an interruption and proceeds. "Before, all the laws could be said to be of equal strength, and that was fine. Valarok came, and Valarok went, and so it was for quite some time. But what happens when two laws, divinely ordained, come into conflict? If they cannot both be equally correct, which is the stronger, the more righteous?"

"I am not sure I understand."

The High Priest stomps the ground with a mighty thud. "I know you do," he says fiercely, "but I will spell it out for you anyway. Death comes for me even now, as the sun sinks low in the west. When I cease to draw breath, the seals I have laid will weaken and disintegrate. Even should Koro Vartek be confirmed before the last twilight disappears, he will be unable to replace them quickly." He sips at a glass of lukewarm water. "Think, Serph. The Dragon Totem is in the possession of Hiroshi Andros, who, as you full well know, is the son of David Andros. And if the seals fail..."

I look dejectedly at the ground. "...David or Hiroshi will be able to call the Dragon Avatar."

"And then?"

"It will attract the attention of the Gods themselves."

"Which must be prevented. It is the only way to avoid the conflict between the divine laws. Confront the younger one before he realizes the totem's power. Now go. It is getting late."

I step out of the room and walk slowly down the hall before I notice the sun already halfway across the horizon. I call out for a doctor, but by the time I make it back to Andruik's chamber, the sun has fully set. True to his word, he is dead.

Wednesday, 15 November 2006

I know what I'm doing. Fitting that those should be the last things he says to me, dashing off in his own way to do something of some extreme importance. And so Kiros had decided that he needed to personally investigate a report that supplies were being diverted from the space elevator in Telekar. The report turned out to be true, and so he had bounded off to figure out where the orders came from. In doing so, the Director apparently stuck his neck out a bit too far - down he went, at a quarter to four in the morning, on the twenty-eighth of October, in a disused warehouse. The explosive device leveled half of a city block.

Two weeks later, I learn that he hadn't been the intended target. That was the worst part. They had hoped to get somebody even higher up. I find this out several hours later, when the mass interrogations lead to three separate confessions. If only the plot were the most unsettling discovery.

Requisitions had been documented for the suspect appropriations. Worse, they had come from higher than Kiros, and without his knowledge. It certainly wasn't me. But Valkai?

I can't handle this alone; this much I realize. So I choose the unlikely route. I punch in a quick sequence on my computer. A commlink router appears briefly, surprised to see the Chief Paladin using an intermediary to establish a connection. I want this documented, I think inwardly.

"Lord Chief, what can I do to assist you?" comes the sycophantic request.

"Connect me with Commander Kriov, Arcturus sector."

"At once, Chief."

I wait impatiently, although the connection takes a fraction of a second to materialize.

"Gods in Heaven, I really hope whoever is calling on me at this hour of the morning...Chief!" I suppress a chuckle as Basch Kriov attempts to snap to attention while still in bed.

"Bad time, Lord Basch?"

"Of course not," he smoothly lies, though his eyes betray his earlier annoyance. "What is the problem, Lord Serph?"

"I need you back on the mainland. I am having some difficulty at preventing civil war at present, and I would definitely like to put a lid on any aberrant mysticism in play."

Basch frowns, and brushes his straw-colored hair from his eyes. "Is this link secure?"

"Not to my liking. Should I be expecting you?"

"When do I leave?"

"By the time you get to the spaceport, the Guild ship will be waiting. I'll see you in the morning." I pause, expecting some form of resistance from the Commander. When none is forthcoming, I raise an eyebrow and ask him, incredulously, "This isn't a problem?"

Basch snorts. "Not an insurmountable one. I figure that I can leave explaining to the sector general why I suddenly was whisked off to Valak, and I can only assume that you have called for me because mainland loyalties are shifting like the weather patterns there. I am truly sorry about Kiros," he concludes. "I won't be late."


Guild Headquarters
Thursday, 16 November 2006
6:04 am

Basch Kriov hadn't visited the new Guild headquarters yet, and I watched with a small degree of satisfaction as he tried to negotiate the sheer immensity of the White City. But he was far too clever to miss me, and he sprinted toward me, looking fresh from an evening wisely spent resting.

"Now what is it exactly that the Chief of Paladins and the grandson of the Builder himself needs with me?" His voice was neither playful nor accusing, but completely earnest.

"It is a matter of some delicacy. Would you like to come inside?"

"If it pleases Your Ex...if you would like."

I stop mid-stride. "You're one of the few who remember the correct title."

"Gratifying. Now where in this behemoth is your space?"

I gesture wordlessly toward the topmost spire. "Somewhere up there."

"I am hardly surprised. Though next time, I won't waste time coming down from orbit."

I refuse to accept the bait. "That might be easier."

His face glimmers in recognition of our old game, but only for an instant. "I trust that I won't have to take the stairs?"

We continue the remainder of our journey in silence, though plenty of passers-by can be heard whispering. Yes, I want to tell them. That's Lord-General Basch Kriov. Or *was*.

The lift speeds us to the highest floors in the White City's main building. Almost as soon as the doors open, I am removing as many extraneous markings of office, various ornamental pieces of armor, and my outdoor gear. It has been surprisingly cold even for late autumn. Basch watches indifferently, examining every discard in his analytical, soldierly manner.

"Now then," I begin, but I am interrupted.

"Let me try first," the Commander says softly. "The young soon-to-be High Priest Koro Vartek is to be sanctified Saturday morning. You fear for his well-being and are worried that somebody inside the Guild has been acting, at best, stupidly, and at worst, in direct opposition to you."

"More or less," I reply. "Look at this."

He inspects the data disc for several seconds before looking up, astonished. "Is this even possible?"

"You tell me." I take a large breath. "What I see is that a certain high-ranking member of this Guild has fallen under a pretty lady's powers of seduction. Or she his. That is not the main concern. What is of concern is that this liaison has likely compromised information I would prefer be kept secret."

"Like the whereabouts of certain other high-ranking paladins?"

"Exactly."

Basch swivels suddenly to face me, his eyes connecting with mine. "You feel that this liaison is responsible for the death of Director Kiros."

"No, I know it."

He nods. "I see," he says simply."

"What, you're not going to ask whether I'm taking this personally?"

"Serph Kriov Dekker, if you were taking this personally, I wouldn't be standing here discussing it with you right now. No, you would have already made tribe Andros a mere memory, a footnote in the history books of Krioval." He maintains his gaze. "Or have you changed so dramatically in these past three years?"

"I need proof, Basch. But even more, I need you, along with me, at the High Priest's sanctification. The people will see us together..."

The Commander practically grins. "...and our notoriety should ensure the peace. Gods, any demon would beg for a mind such as yours, Lord Serph."

"And a reputation such as yours, Lord Basch."

"Ah yes, my reputation," the Commander says solemnly. "I remain amazed at the brutal efficiency with which they got me out of the way."

I struggle not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the charges. "It was quite the show. Necromancy, evil sorcery, endangering the welfare of the division, and...sexual harassment toward lower-ranking soldiers." I look up, feigning injury. "Certainly there couldn't have been truth to that last one."

"Because the first three are so believable. And as if I would want to be with somebody twelve years younger than I." Basch rolls his eyes. "If I could snare people with a look, do they really think that I would have settled for a position in the military? Wouldn't, oh, the Presidency look a bit more appealing?"

"Or the monarchy?" I ask suggestively. "Of course, that would have required myself and about twenty others to suffer rather unfortunate fates, but a loyal Kriov footsoldier such as yourself would have, in the spirit of true self-sacrifice, taken on the mantle of power. That is," I smirk, "if your vaunted powers were as all-encompassing and vile as many testified."

"Is this how you keep yourself entertained, Serph? Thinking of strange conspiracies that never could have been?" I recognize that look. The slightly mocking yet secretly questioning one.

"That and a few high-ranking tribesmen on the side. Except for Kiros, who was as far from nobility as he could be." Basch looks up in surprise at the black man's name. I wave him off. "It's all right, really. He was impulsive and altruistic to the bone, and most importantly, cared nothing for Krioval's politics." I pause, considering the original question. "And you, Basch?"

"I survived. I had this," he says, withdrawing a small silver ring on a chain.

"That can't be what I think it is."

The Commander folds his arms across his chest. "Do you think I take oaths so lightly as to even consider losing this ring? I fully remember what you said that morning, though it may have been ten years..."

"...two months, four days, and an hour or two," I breathlessly add.

Basch smiles brightly for the first time. "I believe it was something like, 'Lose this and die,' if I remember correctly."

"That is not what I said!" I retort. "It was 'Lose this and I will die.' Fitting words, I might add, considering that we thought we might well never see one another again."

"Heh. You with your research and me heading off to advanced training. Didn't do so well in our chosen fields, did we?"

"It was very Kriov of us, suffering silently. But I've had enough of the suffering. And the silence."

"Do you trust me, Lord Serph?"

"Completely," I respond instantly.

Basch bows his head gravely. "I have discerned much of the Great Dark One," he says softly. "There is repose in the evening for one so busy all day." He moves toward me, closing the distance quickly. I understand and do not fear - the Dark and Light are to be revered equally. I am surprised at the gentleness of his touch, given the Commander's profession. Then again, he is still Basch.

He is fully on top of me now, as none have ever been in over ten years. Slowly, darkness overcomes the light as I surrender to my counterpart's attentions...to a point. The light reaches its lowest point, but as a tsunami, resurges violently, though not altogether unpleasantly, at least if Basch's reaction is genuine. "And so does the Light of Day pierce the unending night," I manage to say before another wave of ethereal darkness washes over me, followed by a blast of illumination. And so it goes for several hours, without the encumbrance of physical barriers or needless words.

As we stare at one another, a shocking realization takes hold. For the longest time, I would have been stunned, if not outright horrified, at such actions, especially during a time of crisis. But here, now, I couldn't have cared less about something as trivial as appearance. I had reveled in my abdication of control and of concern, not bothering to even consider who might have noticed the goings-on in the Guild that day, and who might, even now, be spreading rumors of some insidious decadence that eroded the White City's moral authority.

I continue to examine his face, attempting to divine his thoughts through sheer concentration. "I should not have done that, Lord Serph," he says.

"What, exactly, do you think you should not have done, Lord Basch?" I say, mirroring his title impishly.

"To overpower one more highly placed...is wrong."

I shoot Basch a dark look. "Do you think you could overpower me?" My expression softens slightly. "Without my express consent, that is?" When he fails to respond, I continue breezily. "As I recall, I had my moments to demonstrate leadership, or has my command ability suffered in this cloister?"

"Your point...is made."

"Excellent." I stand, and walk to the closet, selecting something vaguely appropriate for an afternoon among civilians, and I lob my choices toward Basch. "Try those." He hesitates. I pick up the mangled remains of a republican soldier's uniform. "Unless you'd rather go with this."

"But a paladic uniform?"

"It's what I have in here. I wasn't exactly planning for such an intense reunion, Basch, and besides, it looks good on you."

"Planning on parading me around the capital?"

"I was thinking 'Valak', but you may be onto something here. Just imagine the look on David Andros's face when he sees us, in the Senate district."

"You are horrible."

"Is that an objection?"

"I bet I'm ready before you are," the Commander snapped back. Not surprisingly, he was.

"Where to?" I ask, motioning to the door.

"You are the tour guide today, Serph. It has been a while since I've seen the capital, after all."

Interlude - The Senate of Krioval
Friday, 17 November 2006

"...an absolute outrage, Lord President, that he should walk freely in the capital! I have supported your Lordship's policy for years, but to allow this without challenge?!" The white-haired senator clenched his fists and made as if to pound his ornate wooden desk into splinters.

"Senator Parris, would you have us detain a free man based on your personal disapproval?" shot back the voice of now-only-Senator Kara Tyvok. "The Chief of the Guild of Paladins..."

"...My Lady Tyvok, I do not speak of the Guild Chief, though in him has been nothing but defiance for the last three months. No, I speak of the traitor from the Great Tribe, the one called Basch." The elderly man spit sideways at the Commander's name.

David Andros slammed his gavel onto the central podium. The room became instantly silent. Quietly, but with palpable fury, he asked, "What of Basch Kriov?"

Almost timidly, Senator Andrew Parris responded. "He walks here, locked arm-in-arm with the Chief himself." Gradually, his volume rose with his obvious disgust. "As if they were on some sort of weekend getaway. Gods above, there are children being exposed to that fiend!"

"Oh, please," a female voice interrupted from the liberal crowd of senators. "It's not like anything was ever proven about the Lord Basch Kriov. So I hardly think there to be justification in harassing his Lordship." Christine Barro smiled wolfishly. "Though I would love to see any of you big, strong men try to take him on. Just so I could see him in action." She sighed melodramatically. "I do envy the Chief."

"That is quite enough of that, Senator," the President intoned. "Has the Commander been given leave to travel?"

Kara responded before Senator Parris could get in another diatribe. "It would appear that he resigned his commission prior to departure. Lord Basch is currently under the auspices of the Paladic Guild, having traveled under their authorization and aboard their spacecraft."

"The Guild is issuing travel visas now?" David sputtered.

Senator Tyvok shot the President a dark glare. "It certainly has been traditional for the Guild to have a reasonably free hand in arranging travel for their own. That is, if Lord Chief Micah's orders were any indication," she snapped, daring David to discuss his brother's Guild leadership.

To her surprise, the President went white - no mean feat for a native Kriovaller. "How dare you?!"

"How dare I do my job? The Senate has no right to interfere in the free association of citizens of Krioval. Even if they are Chief Paladin Serph Dekker and Lord-General Basch Kriov. The show trial that condemned him is a stain on this nation, I'll have you know. My father..."

"...is not here, Senator," Andrew Parris interjected. "And he wouldn't stand for such a hysterical display of female emotion."

"My father would cry blood if he saw half of what has passed for governance of late, and Chief Justice Alakar Novak himself declared the Lord-General's sentence reversed." As Kara spoke, the President motioned toward two uniformed guards.

"Clearly the Senator is distressed," he said in a smarmy voice. "Perhaps the Lady would consider retiring for the afternoon."

One of the two men moved toward Senator Tyvok's arm in a gesture at once reassuring and threatening. But Kara was ready. With celerity not normally ascribed to women nearing the age of fifty, she whipped out two very sharp knitting needles from her briefcase and swung at him, intentionally missing but sending the guard reeling. "Don't you dare touch me, a Senator on the floor of the Senate itself!" Almost shamefacedly, the two men retreated from the angry woman even as she turned toward the central podium. "Frankly, Lord President, I have had enough for today. Perhaps when your Lordship is ready to return this body to governing, rather than discussing who happens to be fucking who, you might let me know? And good for Lord Serph and good for Lord Basch, and I hope that they go at it so hard tonight that even you can feel it in that ice field you call a marriage bed!"

Her curse still reverberating in the room, she Wheeling suddenly and turning her head high, Kara Tyvok swept from the Senate chambers, her features fixed as if a perfect sculpture of aristocratic superiority. The effect was instantaneous. Of her Free Krioval political party, no senator remained seated. The liberals of various parties followed suit, and even a few conservatives muttered apologies to the former President before standing and walking slowly for the door.

"Gods help me the day I countenance such words toward the daughter of Halvar Tyvok," a particularly well-dressed Alexander Selekar snarled. "It makes me sick."

When David Andros managed to regain control of the chamber, he quickly realized that he was three senators short of quorum, at least with regard to holding votes, and he gaveled the session into recess. As he departed the Senate building for Andretara, the glorious late autumn sunshine slipped behind a veil of clouds.

Interlude - House Andros
Later that Evening

David slammed the door closed and was burning despite the drenching cold rain. He cursed the wrinkle in Kriovalian law that forbade special housing arrangements even for Senators. Despite the luxury of private transportation to his mansion, the President was barred from entry to the estate due to a localized power failure, and rather than wait for it to be corrected, he stomped out of his vehicle and opted to walk. It was ordinarily a short and enjoyable stroll, but in the ten minutes from street to front door, the storm had intensified nearly tenfold, to the winter equivalent of a hurricane.

As he made his way into the foyer, David noticed that the house was ominously silent, even though the electricity had returned by that point. As he stripped off his sodden outer garments, a female voice from the head of the stairs called out to him.

"David." He felt as if the temperature had swung by twenty degrees, though he was uncertain of the direction of the shift. "Now that you're home, I have a question."

Taking pains to not drop his clothing on the clean floor, the President of Krioval reeled mentally. Not a question - it was a question. Those were never good. "So good to see you too, dearest," he said as sweetly as he could. "What is your question?" he asked, hoping to convert her query to its non-italicized equivalent.

Elizabeth Andros walked imperiously down the flight of stairs, brushing past her husband in an obvious huff. Her red hair matched Hiroshi's perfectly, and their tempers were similarly complementary. "Why does all of Krioval know about our personal matters? I mean, Kara Tyvok called me today, to apologize. I told her not to worry. It's not as if she was the one telling every member of the Senate that we haven't had sex in almost three months, now is it?"

"Bess, I don't have time for this tonight. What with the damned ceremony tomorrow morning, bright and early because His Twenty-three-year-old Grace finds the morning sun on the ocean looks nice, not to mention that they will be there..."

Elizabeth softened slightly. "Gods, I wish you would just stop worrying about that already. After everything that's happened, can't you just leave them alone?" She tentatively touched her palm to David's face. "Come to bed," she practically cooed.

The President snorted, but followed his wife's path up the staircase. There, in the bedroom, David Andros found that residual frustration could lend to him a strange form of endurance. As David and Elizabeth wound down their nocturnal activities, the Lady Andros marveled at the success of her little conspiracy. She would have to thank Kara personally for her little "intervention" in the morning.

Still Later that Evening

Basch sighs loudly. "No, Serph, this is *not* something I have ever done before."

I look at him bemusedly. "Really? I would have thought you would have had quite a bit of practice at this."

"Maybe ten years ago I was sufficiently flexible."

"That was definitely true," I concur. "But it's not like that much time has gone by."

"And certainly never on hallowed ground." Basch fixes me with a withering glare. "We could get caught, Serph."

"Come on, Basch. That's part of the adventure. Besides," I say, smile never leaving my face, "I've wanted to do this for you for some time now. If only I could figure out where this thing goes."

"Personally, I'm just horrified as to what people would think if they heard this conversation out of context," the Commander said as we rounded a corner and finally located the secret entrance to the Monastery's underground level.

"And why is that?" I ask, feigning innocence. I get a grunt in response. "Hand me that sigil, if you could." Basch retrieves the priestly symbol and puts it in my hand. "This should only take a few seconds..."

The door opens soundlessly into the blackness beyond. We cross the threshold and the entrance resets. I motion for Basch to follow, and I grasp his left hand with my right. Feeling along the wall with my left hand, I quickly discern my location in the tunnel and begin moving toward my destination. Two left turns and about a hundred steps down a narrow corridor later, I arrive in a small room. After closing the metal door and ensuring that it is locked, I chance lighting a small lantern. It takes a few minutes to adjust to the sudden burst of illumination, but when the blindness fades, we are confronted with stacks of records, both in written and in computerized forms.

"What is all of this?"

I look toward Basch, momentarily noticing how cute he is when puzzled. "Some of Micah's things from when he was Chief. You know, requisition reports, minutes of personal meetings, records indicating that Lord-General Basch Kriov is not a traitor. Boring things, really."

"He recorded that?"

"Probably. Micah Andros was the world's most anal record keeper. Not to mention a first-class packrat. Now let's see..."

"Uh, Serph? Why are there four discs with your name on them?"

"Four? Huh. Put 'em in the bag so we can look later. Gods in Heaven, did this man have any sort of logical system here?"

"Old language characters. That would mean 'Kriov' would not be spelled 'Kri' and 'Yov' like it is now, but instead something based on 'Kiros'. Fortunately, my mother was a linguistics professor specializing in local ancient languages."

"Really? I thought that she specialized in psychology."

"That too." Basch rummaged through one stack of discs and grabbed a handful. "'Kriov, High-Great-Fighter...that is not an appropriate spelling of 'Basch'! I think it's this set."

"Good. Let's get back to the White City. I shouldn't be missed if we hurry."

"Won't Valkai be looking for you?"

"No, he's 'working late', by which he means that he's with her again."

"Ah. Explains a few things, that does."

Temple of the Waters
Saturday, 18 November 2006

The bells ring throughout the nation of Krioval, though few need any reminders as to the festivities planned for the day. Already the streets are chocked with throngs of anxious citizens, all hoping to see the Procession of Faith following the High Priest's sanctification. Behind a security cordon, I arrive as part of a flotilla of hovercars, each bearing a tribal symbol in a prominent location. Mine has the symbols for both Kriov and Dekker tribes, so nearly any passer-by is going to recognize that vehicle as mine. So be it. I do not want for protection, though appearances may suggest otherwise.

I step out into the clamorous crowd and note with a bit of surprise the enthusiasm with which some chant out either my name or title. I had never thought I was particularly popular with the middle class. The mood darkens a bit when my passenger disembarks, however. I remember that six years is not a lot of time when it comes to accusations of treachery. I sigh loudly and motion for Basch to take my arm. The gathered group is momentarily shocked into relative silence, though most seem to be giving me the benefit of the doubt.

"What exactly did you do to piss off High Command?" I ask suddenly.

"Improper binding of an avatar," he says slowly, scowling. "Is there a 'proper' way to do it, I wonder."

"I must admit, though, binding Tiamat must have been quite the challenge."

Basch looks like he'd just been punched in the stomach. "Gods, Serph!" he says in a raspy whisper. "Why not just let the whole world know?"

"Maybe later," I say lightly, ignoring the nasty look I know I must be getting. "Was that it?"

"Well, they did try to pin a few other things on me, you know. First it was insubordination. And while Leo Sokolev can be a pain sometimes, he's fair. Flatly denied it and threatened to take the matter to the Senate, avatar and all."

"So that died a quick death. And I imagine that Andruik Dova was eager to avoid an inquisitorial trial on charges of heresy."

"That also turned out to be true. So they got a handful of subordinate officers to accuse me of trying to use my influence to bed them. Truth be told, I had been with one of them about two years earlier."

"Was that...?"

"Yeah. Officer Jonas."

"Huh. I wonder what possessed him to walk out an airlock without a pressure suit." I smirk.

"Why don't you ask Bahamut?"

I stop and stare at the Commander. Then I break the gaze. "Of course you would know. But I wonder why Chief Micah didn't go after me as well."

"You were already part of the Guild, and it was looking like David or Hiroshi Andros would succeed him. At worst, from his perspective, it would be Valkai. Part of me would love to have seen the look on his face when the election was over."

"Heh. They still kept the Monastery, not that I particularly cared. The new facilities are more secure."

"I bet they are."

We walk silently for a few more minutes. "You know," I say softly, "there may be a few complications with your current status..."

"I accept, Serph."

"Accept what, exactly?"

"Your proposal of marriage. It is a bit late, I suppose..."

"How did you find out about that?" I scream, stunned. People nearby stop milling about and stare fixedly at the unfolding scene.

"After ten years, I would have expected you to change your network password, Serph." Basch struggles not to laugh out loud, though he is clearly losing the battle.

"You read my personal logs?"

"Only the ones with my name in them," he continues smoothly. "I just wanted to know which particular stunt you had in mind for this morning." He pauses, pretending to contemplate some minor issue. "Oh. I nearly forgot. His Grace the High Priest will be happy to perform the ceremony this morning, unless you need more time."

I feel Basch shift slightly to accommodate my weight should I faint from the shock, and for a few seconds, I'm genuinely grateful. "You spoke with Koro Vartek?"

"And your mother. Speaking of whom..."

"Oh! Glory to the Highest and to those before us," my mother, Sarina Kriov, gushes. Behind her, my father Varik and her mother Melena struggle to keep up. "I told Dora that you'd be the one! A million Kriovalian yen she owes me now!"

The faintest hit of amusement spreads across Basch's face. "My Lady," he says, bowing deeply. "Lord Dekker." When my grandmother makes it to her Sarina's side, Basch adds, "Your Majesty."

The former queen regards Serph and Basch carefully, frowning somewhat. "A pity there will be no children."

"That...is not necessarily the case," I venture cautiously.

"Oh." Grandmother looks momentarily off-balance. "Another technology, I suppose." Turning to my other grandmother, she says, "I wonder how your Erik kept up with it all."

Yumi Dekker giggles. "It was a challenge, to understand my husband's work. I think even he might be surprised by the pace of our advancement."

"Ladies, Lord Dekker," Basch says, flashing the older man a knowing look, "perhaps we should go inside now?"

I glimpse my father leaning toward Basch, and I can clearly hear his hoarse whisper. "You'll have it easy, my boy, what without a nagging wench underfoot all day." His tone clearly indicates he doesn't believe a word of it. He knows me too well. Then again, so does my mother.

"Varik, dearest, what exactly are you implying?"

At that moment, the bells begin to ring in a different pattern, indicating that the sanctification ceremony is set to begin in five minutes. Varik looks relieved. "Saved, quite literally, by the bell, it would appear."

"As if the discussion were over," I hear both of my grandmothers mutter.

We enter the temple in a group. I may have crossed this threshold a thousand times in my life, and the frequency has only risen during my years in the Guild, but today feels momentous. Maybe it's simply because a new High Priest is being installed, or that Koro Vartek was a student of mine until only a year ago. In any case, I'm not the only one who can feel the energy in the room, it seems. The sanctuary, normally silent during worship, is bustling with activity, conversations are muted but ongoing, and some last-minute arrivals are scampering to find vantage points from where to observe the rites.

Exactly five minutes after the bells had shifted their song, a staff is tapped quietly on the floor twice. I am trained to hear such things, as Chief Paladin, and Guild discipline kicks in unbidden. I stand immediately. Basch is only a tenth of a second slower than I am, and the rest of my family rises only after they see others standing around them. The doors, which had been closed only two minutes earlier, reopen slowly. And so the procession begins, first with the Guardian of the Sanctuary, the Lady Grace Kital. Then come the Speakers of the Word, various ecclesiastical authorities, many of whom I fail to recognize, and then the High Priest-designate.

Koro Vartek is not a small man by any stretch of the imagination, though I know him far more for his wisdom and intellect than his physical presence. Still, he looks almost too small for the various robes of office he wears, and his step matches that of paladic training. I stifle a chuckle, not at Koro's expense, but at that of the astonished congregation. Yet they dare not break the silence that has overtaken the temple. Basch looks at me and I return his gaze and nod. Wordlessly, we communicate. They fear him. Youth is unpredictable, and while the Lord Vartek's doctrines are soundest among the clerics, some found him too worldly, others too detached, and some of the eldest inquisitors had even considered him too militant. Too much a paladin. Too much like their Chief.

Grace Kital begins. "Please be seated." She pauses only a moment as the assemblage regains their positions. "We are here today to mourn, but also to celebrate. His Most Holy Grace, Lord Andruik Dova, has passed beyond the veils of this world and into the embrace of the Most Glorious Gods. We are not to feel sadness on his account, for he has reached paradise. For ourselves, and our great loss, we pray." She brushes away a tear and continues, voice unwavering. "Gods in Heaven, guide us in our struggle. Guide us in the darkness, when we have lost our way. Guide us in the light, when we are blinded by our self-importance. Guide us through the cycles of nature, that we may appreciate all aspects of life and death. In the name of the Great Twelve, we pray."

"Glory to the Highest, and to those before us. Gods and mortals, divided on Earth, united in Heaven. Great Gods, hear us."

The priestess continues. "As the cycles of nature, so too are the cycles within this sanctuary. From birth comes life. After life comes death. From death, we embrace rebirth. Today, we announce the rebirth of the spirit of the most revered, who has watched over this sanctuary since the dawn of time. I present the one who is to be tested, the priest Koro Vartek. Please come forward."

He walks purposefully, head held high and facing forward. On some level, I wonder if he realizes that the "test" is merely a formality. "I will face any challenge," he intones.

"You have been selected by the priesthood to receive the Spirit. Now the Gods will look deeply into you, and will demonstrate their favor. Lift this staff, and call to them."

Almost tentatively, Koro reaches for the silvery implement from the altar and picks it up. He cradles it for a few seconds before holding it in both hands high above his head. The sunlight catches in the jeweled end and sparkles brilliantly. A translucent image coalesces in front of Koro, and the congregation immediately stands to better see what is happening.

"Please, please," a voice says calmly, "do not stand up on my account. I merely bear a message." Nonetheless, we are rooted to our feet. "The Gods find the Lord Koro Vartek to be qualified for the tasks ahead of him, and ahead of all of you as well." The figure makes the universal sign of prayer and dissolves, and it takes a good ten seconds before most remember to breathe again.

Grace Kital recovers quickly. "By the authority of the Gods themselves, I present His Most Holy Grace, the High Priest Koro. Long may he watch over us."

"Thanks unto the Gods," the ageless response seals the sanctification, though I am unprepared for what happens next.

Koro kneels before the altar for only a few seconds, though in the silence, it feels like several minutes. When he turns to face us, it is as if he is a different person entirely. Gone is any trace of uncertainty that once surrounded his form, and in its place is an aura of inviolable authority. When he speaks, the sound reverberates throughout the structure and is amplified.

"It has come to my attention that several of the temple's artifacts have been misappropriated. It saddens me that one would seek to take advantage of my predecessor's overwhelming good will, and to deceive him as to their intent. Thus, I have had to ask for aid in the artifacts' recovery and restoration." The High Priest pauses and surveys the room critically. "Thus it is the consensus of the Temple that a panel of the Holy Inquisition be convened without further delay, and at its head shall be one whose loyalties are beyond question." He turns toward General Leo Sokolev, who commands the armed forces. "With Your Excellency's permission, of course, I should like to name Lord-Commander Basch Kriov to head this panel."

Leo looks stunned. "Whatever Your Grace requires you may have...within reason."

Koro smiles broadly. "Do not worry, Your Excellency. I am sure that the army should not be diverted on my account. Merely this small part of it. And I will endeavor to return the Lord Basch in the same condition in which I borrow him." Addressing the crowd, the High Priest concludes. "The Inquisitors will report directly to myself, the Chief of Paladins, and the Guardian of the Sanctuary."

And then Koro Vartek motioned toward me. "Oh, I nearly forgot," he said loftily. "The Lord Chief is to finally settle down. Congratulations."

I blink a few times before regaining my composure. "My thanks, Your Grace."

"Lord Serph, Lord Basch, if you would," Koro motions toward the center of the temple.

"You have got to be kidding me," a gruff voice mutters from nearby.

"My Lord Andros, do you object?" the priest asks serenely, continuing to point me and the newly minted Inquisitor toward the altar. "For what reason?"

"Perhaps it is not my place, Your Grace, but a union between ranks will only invite chaos, will it not?"

A white-robed individual leaps up several rows behind. "Huh?! Guess that means three-quarters of the Guild and a third of the army are chaotic?" Derisive snorts echo throughout the chamber until Koro raises a hand and waves it slightly.

"He does raise an interesting point, my Lord Andros. Serph Dekker is the descendant of royalty. Who could match him, rank for rank, outside his clan? And we dare not mention the alternative. No," he says, gesturing ceremonially with his hands, to ward off unpleasantness, "their union is a valid one so far as the Temple is concerned. Any two people who wait for one another for a decade deserve their day before Gods and country."

Leaving David to fume for the time being, Koro returns to us. "It is getting a bit late. I would ask whether you both desire this union at this point."

"I do," I say simply.

"For all time," Basch follows. I feel vaguely one-upped.

"So it is done, then." Then Koro actually laughs. "The Inquisitor and the Paladin. Two fighters. One Dark, one Light. An interesting future lies ahead, I believe. This service is concluded with the blessings of the Gods. Go in peace."

After the Ceremonies

About five minutes after the throngs depart the Water Temple, I watch Koro revert to his more familiar personality. "Gods in Heaven," he gasps, sipping from a bottle of water. Eyes darting nervously in either direction, he then rips the ritual head covering off and dumps the remainder of the water on his head. The sheen from the dripping liquid makes his hair look almost as red as Hiroshi's. "Could they design this...thing to be any hotter?"

"Your Grace should take care of that, I would suggest," Basch says softly, looking at the jumbled mess of cloth that now adorns the floor. "I would hate to think that a cabal of traditionalists would set upon the High Priest over something so minor."

"You have a point, Lord Kriov. Or could we ignore the formalities altogether while in private?" He leads us up a set of stairs - a route with which I am very familiar. Toward the study.

"Agreed. I trust you have a lead on the names and locations of the 'misappropriated' artifacts?"

Koro smiles. "Straight to the point. You are aware of the Sacred Torch's accidental destruction three years ago and the release of the many Devokai within?"

"Yes. And I am also aware that the Great Dragons were not released then." Basch turns toward Koro and looks at him coolly.

"Ah. So you are the second. I had wondered why the Gods were so insistent on your appointment. Tiamat and Bahamut. Is their relationship the driving force behind your rather abrupt union?"

I had just begun to relax on a newly upholstered soft leather chair when the question registered in my mind. Immediately, I answered snappishly, "I fail to see how that is any of your business, Koro Vartek, but I assure you that we are compatible outside of the realm of Draconic Devokai." I snort and brush a strand of hair back that has fallen forward during my outburst. I regret nothing, or so I tell myself. "And wipe that smug little smirk off of your face right now," I add.

The High Priest fails to do so. "I...see. I had meant to distinguish between matters of faith versus those of, say, economics or politics, but I suppose I have my answer now, don't I?" Koro runs his tongue over his lower lip. "Oh, right. The artifacts. The Divine Key went missing almost seven months ago, though it was initially thought misplaced. It has very little power as far as artifacts go, so its recovery was not the Temple's highest priority. The Dragon Totem, as you know, was stolen from Valak by a certain discontented former paladin. How unfortunate...for him. It is now ensconced in the Monastery at Andretara, blocked by both a powerful anti-psionic field and a paling rivaled only by that of the White City."

"Hiroshi can't be mad enough to try to call forth the ancient dragons, can he?" Basch asks.

"It's not Hiroshi I'm worried about," I say. "Though I can imagine someone doing something incredibly stupid with it."

Koro looks up. "Like powering a defensive shield with it?"

"Yes, that would be near the top of the list. There isn't any indication..."

"Barriers appearing from nowhere in three weeks?"

I close my eyes tightly. "Dear Gods. Bahamut and Tiamat aren't exactly amenable to captivity, let alone to having their power siphoned away. And I bet I know where one could find the Divine Key, in that case."

"Hmm," Basch says solemnly. "It is a stabilizer, is it not?"

"One that is not up to the task, in this case," the priest responds. "Should the binding forces of the Key fall, nearly half of Krioval would be incinerated by the blast. Not to mention those who would fall victim to the Dragons' wrath afterward."

"What is your suggestion, Koro?" I ask.

"Try diplomacy first. Lord Valkai or Lady Elizabeth may be able to retrieve the artifacts without precipitating a major crisis. Lord Hiroshi might even be convinced that the danger is real enough to at least disengage the Totem from the power supply."

"All of this," Basch growls, "because of David Andros's insecurities. He has added to a grand yet illusory conspiracy first started by his brother's advisers. The same individuals who got me my assignment on the Arcturus iceball. Should this get out of hand..."

"I will do what is necessary," Koro says sadly. "But I hope it doesn't come to that. For then, there will be more necessity to be done than that which I can do alone."

"Before any of that, though, there is a procession to undertake. Your Grace," Basch says, handing Koro the rumpled headdress.

"Glory to the Highest, and to those before us," the priest responds, rolling his eyes.

Senate Chambers
Late Afternoon

The processional had taken less time than anticipated, perhaps because of the public surprise to the new High Priest's announcements. Ordinarily, such decisions were delayed lest they indicate that the candidate had nominated individuals for appointment before sanctification was complete. In this case, unless Koro had made his decision in the ten seconds following confirmation of his ascension, it was clear as day that he and Andruik Dova had formulated their plan ahead of time. Which led me to wonder - did the former High Priest know how badly out-of-control the situation would become? With that question rattling through my consciousness, I make my way back to the capital, Basch in tow, but without the High Priest. He would be needed should last-ditch negotiations fail.

I enter the chamber in time to hear David Andros wrap up what sounds like a long rant. "And in conclusion," his voice booms, "His Lordship Serph Dekker should be stripped of his office, the Guild brought to heel, and he should be indicted on charges of high treason!"

"I should hope so," I say sarcastically. "It would be a shame to be indicted for intermediate treason, now wouldn't it?"

Basch follows me into the room, dressed the very part of Lord Inquisitor. The blacksteel helm completes the getup, especially in contrast to his fair skin and yellow hair, which he shakes out as he removes the headgear. "Good day, Senators," he says, his voice loud but somehow not echoing.

"Is this a bad time?" I ask, glancing toward the left-hand side of the chamber. "Should I come back a bit later?"

Kara Tyvok looks up from what appears to be a nearly completed knit sweater. "I daresay this should be done in about an hour or so, assuming that we're not going to get any real business done today."

David looks apoplectic, and his already crimson face darkens considerably as I respond. "My apologies, Lady Senator. I will make my business quick. I wouldn't want your nieces and nephews to go cold this winter."

"What do you want?!"

"Since you ask, Lord President, I would like the Divine Key and the Dragon Totem back." I pause and run my tongue over my upper teeth. "Well, technically, High Priest Koro would like the Divine Key. He has it on good authority that we might find these artifacts safely being stored in the Andretara Monastery. I do thank you for keeping them secure, though notifying the authorities earlier would have likely been the better course, at least for the Temple."

I watch with some fascination as David's skin suddenly drains of blood, becoming lighter than even Basch's. Apparently Basch has noticed as well, if his suddenly bulging eyes are any indication. "The Monastery is off limits," David croaks.

Basch speaks. "Perhaps you will then explain to the High Priest why you are denying entrance into Temple-governed land to his Inquisitor and the Chief Paladin."

The president looks stunned. For all his worry about my conspiracies and plots, he has neglected to stanch the flow of paladic influence in the priesthood. "The Monastery is Andros land," he chokes out. "It is private property. You have no jurisdiction there, Chief of Paladins or traitorous blackhelm!"

Basch tilts his head to regard the object of David's derision, but is otherwise unperturbed. "Are the artifacts housed within the Monastery or are they not?" he asks, his voice displaying no trace of anger or irritation.

"They are where they belong," David counters.

"I see," Basch replies. Then he walks over to David's second-in-command, an unassuming man named Ken Telek. "Senator Telek, I have spoken with your daughter earlier today."

I marvel at his technique. It's not that Basch is malicious, or even intentionally threatening. Simply, it's that "blackhelm" equals "terror" to many who are weak in their faith, or who have something they feel needs to be kept secret. And so Senator Telek's head spins with horrible scenarios, each worse than the last, even as Basch means only to ask exactly what he has asked.

Ken Telek wilts under Basch's steady, patient gaze. "They're in the reactor core by now," he says softly. "She is young, Your Excellency..."

"Kira is quite intelligent for being only nine years old, Lord Senator." Basch kneels beside the stricken man. "She asked me if I was going to take you away. I told her that I would not, because her father would be true before the Gods. I am happy that you have allowed me to keep that promise, Lord Senator. Now return to your family and reassure them, for I declare you to be among the faithful." He picks up his helm and turns toward the president, who, with all the other senators, has been silent. "Lord President, I would inspect the reactor core of the Andretara Monastery, along with the rest of its grounds."

For a moment, it appears that David might relent, that a peaceful resolution is at hand. But as an ancient north African leader once decided, regarding a few slaves, revulsion overtook pragmatism. Jabbing a finger into Basch's armor, he says, spittle flicking from his mouth, "Leave here, traitors, blackhelm and chief among deviants, and tell your quisling priest that the rule of secular law, not the philosophical meanderings of a twisted faith, decide this nation's fate."

"...decide this nation's fate," I repeat, hurriedly jotting down the sentence. "I'll see that His Grace gets the message, though I suppose he will want to...er...discuss the matter with you this evening." I bow deeply. "Good day, Senators, Lord President."

A young man stands as Basch and I walk from the room. "Congratulations, but it's a sucky start to a honeymoon."

I touch my left index finger to my forehead by way of acknowledgment and blessing for the kind words. Then I see Kara Tyvok, rushing from her seat to meet us at the door.

"Walk with me," she says. When we have covered some distance, she speaks again, in a whisper. "What comes next, Serph?"

"My Lady," I respond in kind, "gather your family together. Lord Halvar, your husband, your children and grandchildren. Go to the Tarusen Temple, or to the Karo Tevas palace, or to the White City." I leave her bewildered, but not before adding, "Beneath the paling you will be safe."

Two Hours Later

He moves as if the very avatar of fury, running fast enough that, to the unobservant, his feet appear to never quite touch the ground. The ornamental headdress had been lost somewhere during the dash from the Senate rotunda to the chambers themselves, and his red hair now seemed to crackle with a barely contained charge. Koro Vartek was a capacitor of righteous wrath, and if his reaction to my report was an indication, a certain head of the Senate was about to receive the blast.

Then, abruptly, he pauses just outside the room where Basch and I had been only a short time earlier and retrieves a secondary headdress. I suppress a chuckle as I watch him futilely try to smooth out his hair enough to balance the thing. Finally he manages to do so, and I can see the slightest hint of a sheepish smile as he realizes the absurdity of the day's events. But then the mask of composure descends again, though the storm is far from over. We open the door and cross the threshold.

"David Andros." There are no suggestions of politeness or deference in the High Priest's tone. "Explain yourself."

"Which part? The bit about my property being off-limits or the bit about boys playing at power?"

"I suppose we could start with the 'bit' about the Monastery being under ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The Monastery will be open for inspection by midnight or I will authorize it to be opened by force. As for the other 'bit', don't be bitter that we are simply better at the game than are you, Lordship."

"Why don't you go back to your little tree fort or whatever it is? Gods above."

"Do not blaspheme in my presence, David."

"I am the elected leader of Krioval. I will do as I please here. Gods. Above." David repeats himself several times, and I watch Koro's hands clench into tight fists - profaning the Gods is one of the few things that has ever come close to inciting the otherwise gentle young man to violence. "Gods..."

The slap silences the older man, and a collective gasp rises from the assembled senators and even a few of the reporters on hand. I momentarily wonder if K-SPAN is going to sweep tonight's ratings, not to mention the headlines that will be circulating within the next twenty minutes.

"You were warned," Koro says simply, though I can hear a tinge of satisfaction in his words.

"Guards! Place this man under arrest!" David bellows.

Two very nervous soldiers look at each other, then at the priest, and finally at the president. "Arrest the High Priest, Lord President?" one asks.

The other guard is even more hesitant. "Just for that little slap? It's not like he did any damage..."

Koro is not speaking, and when I see his eyes, I understand. "He's almost at psionic breakpoint," I whisper to Basch.

"Oh, Gods," he responds. If the priest has heard this utterance of the divine, he shows no notice.

"Now," David prods. "Assault on the President of Krioval is a felony offense, no matter who does it."

"Um," I venture, "I think that would be a singularly bad idea right now."

"You stay out of this," the president grumbles.

I fumble for my commlink and activate it, sending a signal for a priority one transmission. When I have verified it, I speak again. "Lord President, I feel that this situation may not be fully in control." I may strongly dislike the man, but I don't want to see him get killed.

A voice resounds in my concealed earpiece. "Gods in Heaven, Serph, what's going on down there." It's Valkai.

"Breakpoint," I say.

"I thought I told you to stay out of this." One of the guards actually begins to move toward Koro. And then the priest crosses the point of no return. Slowly at first, he lifts a few centimeters off the ground. When a hand grabs him roughly on the shoulder, the energy is released in a shockwave. A sickening crunch is heard as the guard's arm is wrenched in a direction that nature would never allow, though I note with grim satisfaction that his arm remains with the rest of him.

The second guard plows into David Andros, which may well be his saving grace - the presidential podium bears the brunt of the kinetic blast, shattering into a mass of splinters that rain onto the dais. Another stroke of luck - the projectiles embed themselves into the seat earlier vacated by Senator Telek. There will only be minor injuries.

I run forward, Basch close behind. One of the presidential guard tries to block my path and is rewarded with a sucker punch to the gut. There is no time for niceties. Another is practically trampled by Basch, whose armor lends him previously undetected mass. We fend off another doublet before arriving on the dais. I manage to catch Koro as he collapses, and I thank the Gods mentally when, a few seconds later, the lights in the chamber are extinguished. And thank you as well, Valkai.

It is a reasonably easy task, then, to make our way up to the roof by judicious use of concealed passageways. There, glinting in the dwindling sunlight, is the Gold Dragon. Inside, Acting Security Director Tevak is anxiously waiting.

"What the hell happened down there, Chief?"

"Long story. Tell you in a bit?"

"Sure. Where we going?"

"Tarusen Temple. Tell Guardian Kital that we're coming. On a secured channel."

"Yes, sir." He punches in the information. "Why not the White City?"

"Because the Temple will not be attacked."

"And the Guild?"

"Remember, Tevak, that David Andros believes that I have been working against him and his allies for over ten years. He'll strike my power base rather than risk alienating the Temple completely."

"Pfft. The Temple isn't going to like this," Tevak replies. "But tell me, Chief. How long have you been working against him?"

"Since they took Basch away on the eve of our reunion."

"Oh. Fair enough then."

Temple of the Waters
Early Evening

Koro awakens as the 'Gold Dragon' arrives on Temple grounds. We are met by a small group of attendants, plus Guardian Grace Kital, who is clearly pissed off. Not to mention that the Lady Guardian is not precisely a shrinking violet to begin with, and that her musculature rivals that of several North American football players. And I am not only referring to the punters.

Black skin and white robes are a blur as she gesticulates wildly. "I am going to kick his sorry ass so hard he'll be lucky to ever sit comfortable again!"

The High Priest looks at her and waves her suggestion off even as he struggles to stand. Basch and I each get underneath a shoulder, pretending to not hear Koro's protests. "Really, I'm fine. Just a little too much...exercise?"

He looks at me, hoping for some small sign that I might relent. Nothing doing. "Soccer is exercise. Blacking out while flinging the president across the Senate floor...not so much. Why did you release your controls?" I ask critically, suddenly the teacher again.

"Because it was needed."

I stop. "Explain."

"Giving orders, are we?" He laughs dryly. "Maybe I'm a bit vengeful, Serph. Maybe Lord Andruik decided that I'd be the perfect instrument of divine retribution, a warrior-child not beholden to the traditional powers. That a possibility?"

Basch snorts almost derisively. "No. You did it for reasons far more elusive." He pauses, and then says, playfully, "not that I would deny your somewhat pugilistic side after this day's events."

Grace finally speaks. "Elusive reasons. Such as..." she drifts off, considering options, "...putting the fear of the Gods into him?" Her eyebrows rise slightly in anticipation of Koro's answer.

"David Andros is stubborn but intensely conservative in action. But if he were afraid, for even a minute, that he was in very real danger..."

"...he would act rashly," I interrupt. "And he would inadvertently force his own hand."

"Precisely," Koro replies. "Hiroshi was one of a network of infiltrators into the Guild secretly vested with its subversion. How many false paladins do you suppose there were? How many priests?"

"In the Guild? Few or no others, and if you honestly think I had no idea about Hiroshi..."

The priest laughs. "Oh, I knew. I was there, remember? But in the Temple? Where tradition rules? More than a few. Now imagine that you're David Andros."

Basch jumps in first. "First, the military is a problem, being controlled by, well, me. So one trumped-up charge later, and I'm on the iceball. Micah has the Guild - good enough - and Andruik Dova is High Priest - tolerable given his age. Fast forward three years, and Micah dies unexpectedly. Two Andros candidates, Hiroshi and Valkai, are the forerunners for Chief Paladin. Hiroshi is preferred, of course, but Valkai is still considered loyal enough."

My heart beats a bit faster. "But then, nightmare," I say almost giddily. "Valkai backs out and pushes me to run. The young set adore me, and the split between Hiroshi and Valkai makes the rest a wash. Chief Paladin Serph. He had to have been sick."

Now it's Koro's turn. "And all this time, he hedged his bets entirely on the Temple, stacking it with extremely conservative priests as best he could. He relied on Andros control of the Guild. Fast forward another three years. David Andros actually takes the Senate, but on a narrow margin. A bit of a countervailing force for him, though the liberals and Kara Tyvok keep the victory always within perspective. So it hinges on David's conservative clerics to elect one of their own when Lord Andruik finally passes on. But we know how that ends too."

"With tribe Andros failing to secure either the Guild or the Temple, and with David's coalition crumbling under the twin threads of secular partisan strife and having both arms of the Faith polarized against his aims." Koro looks smug. "Having ninety percent of Krioval following the old religion actually worked against him."

"You know," I follow, "his plan wasn't half bad. Make himself king when his favored High Priest chose him to 'end the chaos' or something. It's almost too bad that my grandfather Erik had moved against Micah long before David began to move against me."

The Sanctuary Guardian finally speaks. "Your Grace, do you know the identities of these spies?"

"The Lady Guardian will find a list of suspected traitors in my study. I ask that the Lord Inquisitor detain these individuals to discern their guilt or innocence. There are one hundred thirty-five..."

"We may need a bit of backup," I interject.

"I thought you might. Director Valkai Andros is on his way with some muscle for the pickups. Director Ayumi Machida will be assisting with the questioning. Plus, the Temple is the safest place right now for a woman so far along in her pregnancy."

"Thought of everything, then?" Basch asks, apparently admiring the new High Priest's efficiency.

"For the next half hour or so. Then it gets dark."

9:30 pm

Valak Long-Range Sensor Post

"Sir, you might want to look at this," a young male voice exclaims.

"What is it, paladin?"

"Ships, sir. Lots of ships."

And so there were, speeding eastward out of the capital and Andretara at incredible velocities. Heading...

"Notify the White City at once. Tell High Commander Telovar that the attack is coming. And raise the paling immediately!"

"Sir!"

Temple of the Waters

The detentions were performed almost flawlessly, and the interrogations were textbook. Basch was incredible at procuring confessions by doing little other than standing in the same room as the guilty parties. But it was Ayumi who stole the show. Fear of some unvoiced punishment is a motivation, but trying to maintain a mask of defiance while a woman wails about her baby's future in a war-torn country requires almost superhuman coldness. The priests' barriers fell in mere minutes when subjected to the Director's lamentations, though their fury resurged when the tears proved more of the reptilian variety.

"How are we holding up?" I ask her.

"Not bad, though I swear if I go into labor because of this, I'll kill you myself."

I laugh. "Now that would be an unanticipated result. Though I should be safe enough. You're only seven months in, right?"

"Almost eight."

"I'll break the bad news to Basch, then. To make him a widower so soon and all..."

"Fucker."

"Wrong gender, my Lady." Ayumi rolls her eyes in response. "Don't you roll your eyes at me. And admit it. Men like me are far more interesting than those other types. It's all 'Oooh! My blaster is bigger than your blaster' and other such nonsense."

The Information Director is attempting to keep her composure, though she ultimately fails, erupting into gales of laughter. "You're bad!"

"Now that's something I don't hear every day." Banter aside for a moment, I scan the reports. "They're all saying the same time?"

"Pretty much. The Monastery is shielded much the same way as the Guild, and before you ask, they've discovered your 'secret' entrance. That's a no go."

"Of course they did. How do we get in?"

In walk Basch, Valkai, and Koro. Basch speaks first. "Two possibilities. First, someone with extremely high-level access opens the door for us."

"Who would that be?" I ask.

"Hiroshi or David, as far as I can tell. Possibly Elizabeth or Valkai." The Commander regards Valkai hopefully.

"Let's just say that Father is a bit paranoid," Valkai says. "Any of us could probably get you through the first, and maybe even the second of the walls. The main structure, though? Not likely."

"And the second possibility?

"We knock out the shield."

"How," Valkai challenges, "do we disable a paling?"

"We could try electronically," I offer. "The Monastery probably uses a cruder system than Kenji designed for Valak."

"So you'd power the reactor down and wait for the shield to be drained?" Valkai asks.

"Too obvious. No, consider the reverse."

"An overload? Wouldn't that blow up the reactor?"

"A controlled blow-up. At worst, it might shatter a few windows."

Valkai looks troubled. "Then what? Sack the place? Come on, Serph. Besides, my father isn't going to be stupid enough to doing something so...so...uh..."

A second later, the report arrives on my commlink. Military airships are attacking the western edge of Valak. And at their command, Hiroshi Andros.

"All right, Valkai, what do you want to do now?"

He clenches his fists tightly. "Forget the virus. My family seems to speak a language different from my own of late. Perhaps it is time for a crash course in it now."

Guild of Paladins
White City - Valak, Krioval

"They're powering weapons, Director."

"What are they targeting?"

"Mainly the perimeter, it would appear. They know they can't pierce the paling, so it's going to be a blockade of sorts. Unless they go after the eastern towns or the croplands in Tarisia."

"Which are adequately defended as it stands." Tevak skims battle readiness reports and then examines the attackers' positions. "They're trying to pin us down, just as the Chief predicted."

"Director, a transmission from the military flagship."

"Put it through."

Hiroshi's face fills the viewscreen. "So you're Serph's new lackey, huh. Good to see that he can replace a missing cog so efficiently."

"Good evening Lord Andros. What brings you to the White City at such a late hour? And with such a large escort?"

"We're here for the High Priest," Hiroshi snarls.

"Then you've come to the wrong place," Tevak retorts. "Though I have to wonder. Did you think the Chief so incredibly foolish to bring His Grace to Valak?"

"Where are they?!"

"Elsewhere. I'm not paid to track them. Try their secretaries."

"Give me their locations or I will start blowing shit up!"

Tevak pretends to be taken aback. "Well, in that case...let's see..."

"Hurry the hell up."

"...what time is it again?"

"Nine forty-five."

"Quarter until ten? I see. In that case, I must bid you a good evening. So many things still left to do tonight." He disengages the console and turns to his subordinate. "They'll be here any minute now."

9:55 pm

Valak District Airspace

"Damn it, Balthasar, you're lucky I'm a woman."

"And why is that again, Commander?"

"Two reasons. First, when I get lost, I don't feel bad asking the zarking computer for directions," she spits in her colonial dialect. "The other being that I'm only in the mood to kick your sorry butt four days out of the month, instead of all the time."

"She's got a point," another crewmember says.

"Oh, can it, Thompson," Balthasar snaps. "Try looking at the good - we're where we needed to be, and pretty much on time."

"Right, Bal. Whatever you say. What's a few minutes when every one of 'em counts."

"Gods, Thompson," the Commander says, exasperated. "Anyone ever tell you you talk too damned much?"

"Not recently," he says smugly.

"No surprise," she retorts acidly, "since you never shut the fuck up." Before either man could mount a response, she crisply continues. "Coordinates?"

"On target," Balthasar says. "Entering Valak District airspace."

"Good. It's the perfect night for a revolution."

Guild of Paladins
White City - Valak, Krioval

"Director! Ships approaching from high Terran orbit!"

"On viewscreen." Tevak pumps his fist into the air in celebration. "Ladies and gentlemen, the cavalry have arrived. Now to speed them on their way. Commander Kaiyoji, arm the shockwave catapult. When our guests clear the effective radius, hit our intruders' flagship. Knock a few of them out of commission."

"Arming the catapult, sir." A few nearby recruits snicker softly.

Silvery objects race past the White City, their ion trails creating a comet-like tail behind them. As the last crosses the invisible meridian marking the shockwave catapult's range, Yuki Kaiyoji unleashes the weapon's power. The military vessels, either mesmerized by the spacecraft contrails or barking order to one another, are caught flat-footed by the assault, and the results are as comical as devastating. No longer paying attention to communications encryption, every comment is clearly heard in the Guild command center.

"My Lord, shields are losing power," a voice cries out.

"Weapons offline," another says.

A few seconds later, "main engines failing...auxiliary engines not responding."

And so the vessels begin, slowly at first, and then accelerating, to fall from the sky. They splash mightily into the ocean, though they are engineered to return automatically to the surface. More than a few begin to take on water, and the muffled curses seem to indicate general annoyance, but no deaths and few injuries.

"Well then, boys and girls," Tevak laughs, "let's go fishing. We've got quite a haul to bring in tonight."

Temple of the Waters

"Your Grace, ships have been spotted approaching from the White City," a votary intones, touching his index finger to his forehead in subservience.

"Their identity?" Koro asks, returning the gesture in perfunctory acknowledgment.

"Unknown, Your Grace. They ask for Lord-General Basch."

"Put them through," Koro says, puzzled.

"Basch? You there?" a female voice asks.

"Hogan?!"

"Ah. So you do remember."

"I remember much from those days. What news have you?"

"The colonists have overthrown the regional governors this past Tuesday, may they rot in their cells as long as we did."

"A bit earlier than expected, though I am not surprised overmuch."

"Thanks," she said sarcastically, "though it's better than 'acceptable' or something along those lines."

"And from the Guild?" I ask.

"Good evening, Lordship. The White City shines with radiant beauty tonight, for the force that assailed it is now lost at sea. And with no deaths, I'm pleased to report."

"That's good to hear, Commander...?"

"Sorry. Commander Natalie Hogan, First Iceball Defense Force. Try to get above one-eighty Kelvin and we'll put that to a stop right quick." She cackles evilly.

"First Iceball Defense Force, huh? Good. I will be needing some cooler heads around this place." I turn to Basch. "What's the plan."

"Well, 'Hogan's Heroines' should be able to give us air cover should we need to push north. If Hiroshi's fleet is truly sunk, it means that almost a quarter of David's forces are out of commission."

"Not to mention that General Leo's probably going to have a 'communications breakdown,'" Natalie says sardonically. "Puts him below the numbers of paladins and Temple fighters."

"Time for 'deal or no deal' with our beloved president," Valkai says. "Maybe he'll be in a more communicative mood now."

"Worth a try," I assent. "First, Commander Hogan, I would like the capital to be placed under interdict."

"Sure thing, boss."

"Open a commlink."

10:30 pm

Senate Chambers
Torokara, Krioval

President David Andros looks like a man fifteen years his senior. "What?" is his greeting.

"Lord President, good evening from Tarusen Temple, a location that has mercifully been unassaulted today." I glide over the words, watching for the slightest crack in his defiant facade. "I presume that you have received battle reports from Valak District?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Serph."

"I see. So Hiroshi acted on his own, then? Good to know."

"Where is he?"

"Safe within the White City's glow, Lord President. And I'm sure he'll get a fair trial from his fellow..." I mock-giggle, "...former fellow paladins."

David's face grows darker. "What do you want?"

"In exchange for releasing the miscreants into the civilian courts, and recommending leniency, perhaps only stripping them of military credentials and rank, I want a Senate resolution affirming the functional autonomy of the Paladic Guild, effective immediately." I see a glimmer of hope, so I press forward. No need to make this too comfortable. "Also, your resignation, effective immediately, and a call for new elections within the next month."

"You have no right to meddle in the affairs of the legislature!"

"Just as you have had no right to meddle in the affairs of the Guild. But you did, Lord President. And so I name my price. Hiroshi's freedom for mine."

"Unacceptable. You will not blackmail me, Serph Dekker."

"As you like. I'll keep in touch. Don't go anywhere." I cut the link.

"So he has finally lost all vestiges of decency," Valkai sighs. "He has become what he once fought against. How sad."

"How predictable," I counter. "This petty tribalism has gone on long enough, and worse, my grandfather reveled in it. Of course, we all know how that ended."

"With him abdicating at the height of his popularity?" Valkai asks sarcastically.

"It was his height. And if it had ever been revealed how many little dealings he had forged in darkened back rooms, he would have been annihilated by the Royal Council. Honestly, do you think that Halvar Tyvok would have put up with Sylvan's petty extortion attempts that had silenced the old guard? Erik Dekker? Isamu Machida?" I pause for breath. "No, he was a carbon copy of your father, Valkai. The world changed around both of them faster than they could keep up, and their reaction was to try to hobble those around them. So I will do my part to end the cycle."

"What did you have in mind?" Basch asks.

"A trip to Andretara. I have unfinished business at the Monastery."

"And then?"

"Maybe a moonlit stroll through Torokara's administrative sector? I remember you liked the view near the Senate building."

10:45 pm

Senate Chambers

"What the hell is going on out there?" David bellows, sending a Senate attendant scurrying for a report.

"Sir," one of the Senate guards says tentatively, "it would appear that the Chief Paladin's assessment of the situation is correct." He places a holodisc on the president's desk. "The Valak strike force has been completely neutralized."

"Where are our reinforcements? Where is Leo Sokolev?"

"Unfortunately, Lord President, a hostile space fleet has jammed our communications arrays and sensor grids. Most of our intelligence is coming from direct sightings and from people on the ground."

David curses loudly, sparking transient interest from the other Senators before they realize nothing particularly groundbreaking is taking place yet. "What do we know for sure?"

"The Chief and his entourage have left the protection of the Temple grounds and are heading north. They appear to travel by hovercar, low to the ground. Also, there appears to be some metallic construct traveling in tandem with the vehicle. Nobody's got close enough to it to identify it."

"Well, get them into place. I assume that ground-based communications are still in operation?"

"Yes, sir."

The attendant returns. "Lord President, General Leo Sokolev has reported in that his forces are pinned down to the south, due to a power failure. He estimates that the sabotage will take at least four hours to correct."

"So we need only hold out for another few hours? Excellent. The rebels will be crushed by the true sovereign authority, and we will again have peace. Without the treacherous Guild and interfering Vartek boy."

Outskirts of Andretara City

The craft speeds across the Taru River and through the protective fields that enclose Temple grounds. A few seconds later, the gleaming black golem turns to face me. "THE PALING IS CHARGING, KAIYOS."

"Excellent." I pause. What does one say to such an entity as the Colossus? "We thank Your Lordship for aiding us."

Twin red orbs in the Colossus's head dim slightly and then brighten. "I SERVE THE WISHES OF THE GREAT ONES."

I nod, and turn my attention to Koro. I give him a mischievous look. "Exactly how fast can this thing go?"

"Faster than this," he says calmly, right before the acceleration hits us. I feel the shield snap into place around us as we pick up speed. Next order of business - contact my plant within the Monastery. I press a long sequence of numbers into my commlink.

"'Ey dere, Leader!"

"Good evening, Director. What is our status?" I notice in my peripheral vision that Valkai is completely shocked, and Koro only slightly less so.

"Kiros?!" Valkai exclaims.

"Director!" Kiros responds enthusiastically. "Thought I was gone, ya?"

"Serph?" Valkai asks, turning to face me. "Explain?"

"We fabricated the explosion to get Kiros into the Monastery. Nobody checks the auxiliary controls for intrusion, considering the security in the place. A well-timed power short, and in he went. Keeping him supplied was another matter altogether. Only the Director of Guild Logistics could have come up with that plan."

"Uh...Leader? Ready over here," Kiros says.

"Stand by," I say. I rotate a dial and am looking at Teresa Vartek, Koro's sister and the Guild's assistant Director of Technology. "Ready over there?"

"Ready and waiting, Chief."

"Good. Cut all power links between Andretara and the rest of Krioval."

"Roger that." I hear a few indistinct beeps in the background, and then I see an almost imperceptible flicker of the street lights. "Links cut, Chief."

"Excellent work. Stand by for phase two." I return to Kiros. "How are the reactor levels?"

"Power drain rising, Leader. Dat's too much, for this reactor to keep goin'."

"Let me know when it approaches critical."

"Ya, ya, ya. Will do." The link dissolves.

Now we are entering the more affluent sectors of the city, and with the crowds milling about on a Saturday night, we are forced to slow down. Surprisingly, many of the vehicles out allow us to pass; the Temple identification tags seem to be a boon, rather than a detriment. Or perhaps nobody wants to get in the way of a paling-sustaining Colossus. Carefully, we make our way out of the nightclub district and into the heart of the inner circle of Andretara.

"Reactor levels approaching critical, Leader," Kiros says, shaking me from my thoughts. I still haven't figured out a foolproof escape plan yet.

"Set reactor controls to locked position."

"Got it. Locked, Leader."

"Now get out of there. Fastest means possible."

A sigh. "Dat won't be easy."

"Compared to getting you in? Get it done, Director."

"Yes, Leader."

I wait until I hear sirens from ahead before I know that Kiros is effecting his departure. "Lady Vartek?"

"Yes, Chief."

"Flood the system."

She laughs. "Sure thing, Chief."

Now I watch as the lights increase in luminance. A few pop from the power surge, and I feel an underground power transformer seize as it tries to contain the load from both the Andretara Monastery reactor core and the outlying power grid. The system complains, but manages to handle it finally by dropping the Monastery's power output. I grin evilly. "Cut the lines again," I order, and I am rewarded with watching Andretara gradually go dark. I turn to Koro. "Hit it."

He does, and we're half-flying toward the Monastery at a speed I don't even want to estimate. It will be revealed to me later that the engine on this particular Varos model was custom built for maximum acceleration and top velocity. The blackout reaches downtown, and the party crowd is beginning to panic. The Monastery is just ahead, now, but I still see lights burning in its towers. Under my breath, I begin to pray. Seconds later, the gateposts along the Monastery's walls dim, and then go completely dark. Then the chapels, and finally, the main structure. The overloaded reactor is, for the moment, silent.

Koro's prayers are far more fervent. As he pushes the accelerator with all of his strength, his words echo in the confines of the vehicle. "Glory to the Highest! And to those before us! Gods and mortals onward! Let this be our battlefieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeld!"

We cross the boundaries of the Monastery's paling. Intact. The air of celebration is dashed by Koro's next move, namely, deploying a thruster on the underside of the hovercar. We take off, sailing over the first gate post and crashing through the second one, which, fortunately, is unmanned at this hour. The deceleration fields are activated as we hurtle toward the ground, and after skipping like a rock on a still pond four times, the vehicle, and we, come to a rest.

"Thank the Gods for Guild technology," Koro says breathlessly.

"I WILL RELAY YOUR THANKS, KORO-TARUKAI."

I take a moment to both breathe and check my chronometer. It's very nearly...

11:30 pm

Senate Chambers

"Sir, the power has failed throughout the city of Andretara."

"Impossible. Even if Serph managed to wrest control of the main grid, the reactor...er...the reactor..." David splutters to an end. "What of the Monastery?"

"Dark, sir."

The president grabs the attendant by his lapels and lifts him several centimeters from the ground. "Tell me something useful or keep your mouth shut!"

"The paling...has failed!" comes a gasp from one of the senators. The reedy high-pitched voice could only belong to the Lady Valia, whose cloying religious expression grated on David particularly. "It soon comes!" she shrieks half in horror and half in exultation. Her voice rises in volume and in pitch. "The Gods return to us! He is already among us...the Colossus!" Her gray hair is frazzled on its ends, and she clutches her hands to her chest as if her heart might explode at any moment. "They come soon, and the Monastery is their battlefield!" The senator's arms drop limply to her sides as she cranes her neck and looks skyward, lost in some private revelation.

"Lord President, there is a security breach in Andretara, sector one."

"Lord President," another voice interrupts, "the metallic object is being described as the Devokai Colossus, sir."


Andretara Monastery


"This way," Valkai says quickly, motioning toward the main doors of the Monastery's largest building. "Reactor's in the basement."

"We're just going to walk in?" Koro asks, incredulous.

"Why not?" I shrug. "Guards are going to be busy trying to figure out what's going on for a few minutes at least."

"If you say so."

"Let's get moving," Valkai snaps. I find myself propelled forward without having to think about it. It seems my legs remember my years of Valkai's training better than my brain.

We enter the building and are greeted by silence. As softly as possible, we traverse the cavernous entryway, pass the makeshift altar, and locate a small stairwell a few meters beyond. It is then we can hear steps approaching from the east and west wings of the building.

"Time for a diversion," I say, smirking, and I press a button on my wristband. An explosion rocks the building from outside. "Too bad about the flyer, though," I say, and I pat Koro on the shoulder. Down we go, Valkai leading swiftly and the rest of us trying to keep pace. If the Colossus weren't a metallic entity, I might feel bad for his exertion, not to mention for the number of times an audible clang can be heard when the ceiling's level drops unexpectedly. With the power being out, the trip is dark and treacherous, and it takes over half an hour to reach our destination.

The engineering section of the Monastery still has backup power and emergency lighting, and I can see from the upper level down to the core controls. The hum of the stricken reactor is almost soundless, though I have heard it at full power, when its sound - at the time - was one of the few that reassured me. We descend the remaining stair and stand before the nearly lifeless core until I see them. The Divine Key and the Dragon Totem are resting on a small platform to which several wires are connected. They radiate heat, though not of an intensity likely to burn one who should pick them up. I reach for the objects reverently.

"So you've come at last," a voice mocks from the shadows.

Basch, who has been deathly quiet to this moment says, in a commanding tone, to me, "Down."

I comply, falling swiftly to the floor as a plasma bolt whizzes past. Basch returns fire and the weapon's holder crumples to the ground.

"Hiroshi." Valkai looks at his brother as he emerges from the darkness. "Did you kill the High Commander?"

"You underestimate him so?" Hiroshi sneers. "He escaped. Maybe I got an arm out of the bargain."

"Barbarian," Valkai growls, and he spits on the floor. "Your form has deteriorated, however, much to our benefit."

I stand up. "I'm not about to complain."

"I must admit, Serph, the metalman was unexpected. I didn't think your boytoy could manage that kind of power." He snorts derisively. "Then again, he's handled you, haven't you, Your Grace."

To his credit, Koro starts laughing uproariously. "Oh, you can't..." The sheer force of his laughter makes him unintelligible. "Can't...be...oh Gods...too funny!"

"The hell's so funny about that?!"

I walk toward Hiroshi with a bemused expression. "Do you honestly think I've fucked every man in my proximity?" I run my left hand down his arm. "Feeling envious?"

Hiroshi tries to slap me, but Basch grabs his arm mid-swing. "Insubordinate cur," Basch mutters.

"I tell you what, Chief. You want the dragons? You fight me, one on one. No help this time. Win, you get them. I win, I get to be Chief, as it should've been three years ago. Game?"

Valkai looks up in shock. "You can't be serious. Serph, you can't..."

I hold up my left hand, and Valkai goes quiet. "Your terms are acceptable." I turn to face my former teacher. "Get Koro and the Colossus back to the Temple, 'Kai. I'll be back in a bit."

"As you wish."

"Hey, Chief!" Koro says, grinning. "Kick. His. Ass."

"Such language, Your Grace," I say in mock horror.

"Enough, already," Hiroshi screams. "Are you the drama center of the fucking universe or what?"

"I'm waiting on you, 'Hiroshi the Great'."

His eyes narrow and his skin turns brilliant red at the invocation of his play-title from years ago. He last used it in front of me before I brought him down with a cheap shot - but I had won that particular fight. He rushes at me, full speed, and succeeds in tackling me. I have forgotten how strong Hiroshi is, and I'm taking quite the beating as a result. Struggling, I finally manage to wrestle out of his near-pin, and I manage to find a small pole, Gods only know what its normal function is, and I whack my assailant soundly on the back of the skull.

Hiroshi relents momentarily, and I swing again. He ducks out of the way, and prepares a headbutt. Pretending to evade it, I instead place my torso directly in his path. He rebounds off the body armor in a daze, though the impact causes me to lose my weapon. Unable to draw either my stunner or my small knife, and weaker than my opponent, I'm going to have to improvise. We circle one another, and he goes for another tackle. Damn. He connects, and we go sprawling across the floor.

Meanwhile, Basch takes advantage of Hiroshi's distraction to disable the device binding the holy artifacts, and he secures them. Unfortunately, he is unable to come to my aid at the moment - Hiroshi has maneuvered our combat into another room, and has secured the door.

"Hoping that your precious Basch would save you?"

"It had crossed my mind."

"Just like I thought. Can't handle anything on your own."

"That lump on your head says otherwise." I feint left and fling myself at him suddenly from the right. He isn't wearing body armor. The squishy thud is satisfying to hear as Hiroshi crumples to the ground.

"Had enough?" I ask sweetly.

"Hardly," he snarls, and pulls out a rather large dagger. My stunner is gone, lost in the brawl, and my small knife is the only weapon left to me. "Is that all you've got?"

"Are you that much of a size queen?"

He rushes at me again, and I manage to deflect his thrust toward the wall. He recovers quickly, and again has me on the ground, dagger menacing as it descends toward my face.

"You're not going anywhere, Serph. Ever."

Suddenly, a piercing squawk fills the air, and I fling my adversary into a corner. The dagger flies into the darkness, with Hiroshi following quickly after it. I ready my blade, such as it is. As the siren continues its intermittent squeal, I softly move toward Hiroshi's form.

"Here it is," he half-whispers triumphantly. He swings toward me, but slips on a holodisc that has fallen during our contest.

I curse inwardly. Begging forgiveness for what is tantamount to the greatest dishonor a fighter can know, I wheel, and speak very softly, "May this be your last battlefield."

I plunge my knife into his back and pull upward and to the left with my remaining strength. The metal cuts through fabric and flesh, and I hear Hiroshi gasp from the pain and shock. The cut is devastating, as I had planned, and I watch in revulsion as his arms and legs spasm repeatedly, and then go slack. For the first time, his eyes are brimming with fear, and I watch as he takes a few more ragged breaths before the paralysis claims his entire body. It's not the first time I've killed, but it's certainly the most difficult. I walk to the barred door before I realize it needs Hiroshi's handprint to open. As delicately as possible, I move his body into position and get the door opened. The whole time, evacuation sirens are blaring.

I get outside, where Basch sees me, bloody and visibly shaken, and for a few moments, I can't even look him in the eye. Then I am violently sick. When I think the worst has passed, the tears come, full force, and I sink to the floor as exhaustion and anguish overcome me. I howl with frustration, and I swear I can hear twin howls that match my own. Basch holds me until the intensity of my sobbing spasms diminishes, and when I look up, it is with grim determination.

"I hate this fucking place," I say, oddly devoid of emotion. Without waiting for a reply, I return to the adjacent room, retrieve both my and Hiroshi's weapons, and I tuck them safely away.

"What next, Valiyos?"

"Are the artifacts damaged?"

"No. Are you damaged?"

"Not physically. We should go."

"Agreed. The reactor still has some power. The lift is working."

We ascend in dead silence, except for me, removing my ruined overcoat and a few damaged accessories, symbols of office, and the like. Anybody who needs to know my identity at the moment damn well knows it. At the top floor, I am relieved to find a uniforms closet containing inquisitorial garb.

"Now we're matching," I deadpan.

"I bet nobody tells us apart," Basch teases lightly.

"Well, either you'd need a lot more sun, or I'd need to swim in peroxide for a few months." I try to smile, but the effort is too much. Basch is kind enough to pretend not to notice. We climb onto the roof. Below us, flashing red lights and fleeing Monastery employees show an evacuation in full swing. They scurry across the southern bridge and into the darkened city, some flailing about in near-panic, and others in a semi-coherent daze. Still, they are leaving.

"I can hear them," I say absently.

"The evacuees?" Basch asks.

"Bahamut. Tiamat." Basch nods in agreement. "I think it's time."

"There is no turning back if we call them. Just so we understand."

"Valiyos, I killed a man not more than fifteen minutes ago. He tried to kill me. This is as real as it gets."

"I just want to make sure."

"Do you think it will end all of this?"

"I do."

"Then let's begin."




Behold, we have returned for judgment
Against those who have disobeyed all forces of Nature
So shall Nature deny her bounty

Against those who hide in shadowy Darkness for malign purpose
So shall Darkness devour them utterly

Against those who proclaim the Light falsely
So shall they come to fear the Light

So shall the Colossus come forth
So shall the Dragon Bahamut come forth
So shall the Dragon Tiamat come forth
From beyond the Gates of Space and Time

~ Valarok, 1:28-34

Sunday, 19 November 2006
12:40 am

Senate Chambers


Senator Valia sits quietly, though she can clearly see what it soon to come. "The Valarok. The field of a battle fit only for the Kaiyos himself," she says softly. Most of the chamber is riveted, however, if for no other reason than the paucity of information coming in from the rest of the country.

"Lord President," a voice booms through the chamber, "we apologize for the sporadic power interruptions and have restored service to all of Krioval."

"Ah, the Lady Director Vartek," David says sarcastically. "How thoughtful of the Guild to bestow its gifts unto us."

Teresa harrumphs and rolls her eyes. "Someone has to monitor these things." Her expression brightens. "Seems there's a fireworks display in the west, Lord President. I have it on good authority that it will not be able to be duplicated for another three hundred years, or so."

Before David can utter a word, Teresa disconnects the commlink. The president frantically looks around for an attendant - most are assiduously avoiding him by this point in the evening. "Get the damned video running!"

A few minutes later, he wishes he hadn't.


12:45 am

Temple of the Waters


"We interrupt...whatever the hell normally runs this late to bring you this breaking story, from Tarusen." The reporter doesn't bother to identify either the news organization, or for that matter, her own name, but instead motions for the camera crew to focus on the front steps of the Temple. Koro, Valkai, and the Colossus emerge from the massive doorway. The reporter mumbles an introduction to the scene. "The High Priest is about to make an official statement of some sort."

In fact, the High Priest is in full ceremonial regalia, including headdress, several signet rings, and the Staff of the Ancients. His head is bowed in prayer. When he lifts his head, the entire square goes silent. "Beloved citizens of Krioval, faithful before the Great Gods in Heaven, and steadfast to the principles of honor and sanctity that have come long before us, I stand before you tonight, not yet twenty-four hours at my place before the Gods. I fear I bear terrible news. The holy relics, the Key of Divinity and the Dragon Totem, were located within the Monastery at Andretara, and therein secreted away under conditions so deplorable that the Gods even now move toward expressing their most righteous wrath against those responsible. I have released holographs of these items, both confined to the Monastery, for dissemination, that those tempted to pilfer from the faithful may well repent their evil and base desires before it is too late."

Koro pauses, and through my video link, I see that he is barely holding back a tidal wave of emotion. Yet he presses on. "I fear for some, it is already too late. Even as I departed the Monastery under the aegis of Lord Valkai Andros and with the Devokai Colossus, the Lord Inquisitor and the Lord Chief Paladin were locked in a titanic struggle against the treacherous Hiroshi Andros, who perpetrated these many crimes against the Faith, and who," he takes a huge breath, his eyes wide with terror and wonder, "acted under the direct instructions of the Lord President David Andros!"

Reporters, priests, and ordinary citizens alike gasp in shock even as the High Priest continues, accelerating breathlessly. "The Gods have demanded that Hiroshi Andros be excommunicated and anathema to all faithful, that David Andros be excommunicated and anathema to all faithful, and that any individual who aids or abets their continued crimes against the Faith will be excommunicated and anathema to all faithful. The corruption at the Monastery will be cleansed by the purity and might of the Great Gods. Look to the North and behold their glory!"


Andretara Monastery


"I suppose that would be our cue," Basch says, watching Koro's speech conclude.

I nod, and begin to chant. "I am to the Gods true and faithful, and I have fought that which they would have me fight, and aided those who they would have me aid. Devokai Bahamut, born of the Fighter for Light, the Solokaro, together we will perform the Divine Work."

Basch follows along. "I am to the Gods true and faithful, and I have fought that which they would have me fight, and aided those who they would have me aid. Devokai Tiamat, born of the Destroyer, together we will perform the Divine Work."

Taking each other's hand, we run along the length of the roof. The holy relics pulse with energy. We jump, but do not fall very far before we are lifted skyward, our weight borne by the legendary dragons. For a minute, I lose myself in the experience of flight - outside the bounds of mere technology - and I call out to the Gods in thanks. Basch is far more subdued, and he and Tiamat wait silently for my return to lower altitude. Slowly at first, we circle in opposite directions, myself and Bahamut clockwise around the inner wall while Basch and Tiamat move counterclockwise over the outer wall. The shrieks and cries of surprise from below are barely audible so far up, and I find them irrelevant at this point.

Basch and I clap three times, each echoing as if a blast of thunder, and the ground shakes. The third time, I watch in rapt fascination as the entire main building flashes in a blinding light as a massive wave of energy flies outward. Every window shatters instantly, and as the wave radiates from the center, trees are uprooted and small statues are toppled. The resulting wind is as strong as a weak hurricane, and the stunned observers below are thrown to the ground, some are even flung from the nearby bridge into the Andretara River. Still, I hear the rumbling from beneath the Monastery, and I know that the Gods are not yet satisfied.

Basch points to me, and then upward. The meaning is clear enough. We both begin to ascend in tandem. "This is your show, Valiyos," he calls out over the din below. "The Gods await." He levels off and circles the Monastery as I continue to rise. The ends of my hair finally escape from underneath my helm and I notice the ethereal glow spreading over my armor. As I reach the pinnacle of my ascent, I can hear singing below.

"Hail, Blessed Fighters! Lead us off to the battlefield! Hail the Dark! Hail the Light! Valiyos, on this Day of Days, go to fight! Be Strong!"

I recall Basch's words earlier. Every Kaiyos has their battlefield. Bad grammar aside, it's sadly true. To Bahamut, I say, quietly, "Let this be my battlefield. My only battlefield." He seems to understand. Now comes the easy part. I withdraw the Divine Key, which is glowing white-hot, and I fling it earthward.

"In the name of the Gods of the Darkness!" The outer wall of the monastery explodes violently upward in a single instant, leaving little other than dust behind. "In the name of the Gods of the Light!" The inner wall does likewise, though it appears even more spectacularly devastating. "In the name of the Gods of all Nature!" The various outbuildings collapse, suddenly engulfed in flames, which begin to spread into the main building, consuming each floor in rapid succession. Fire bursts out of the holes where glass or wood once existed, and only the stone structure of the main building remains.

"The judgment of all the Twelve be upon this accursed place. May the sun rise upon this land purified once more!" The stone gives way under unseen forces as the building is pulled in every direction at the same time. Ultimately, gravity takes control, and the rubble collapses, a dust cloud billowing toward the spectators below. But Tiamat is quick, encircling the fast-moving swirl of debris and pulling it upward and back toward the center of the former structure. I descend and meet him just east of the Monastic grounds, now barren wasteland.

"I think it's time we address the Senate," I say.

"Agreed. I believe we may find Lord David in a more talkative mood at this late hour."

I swear I can hear tittering, though very dignified, from directly beneath me.

1:30 am

Pacific Ocean - East of Andretara City

"Uh...Chief? Did that just happen?"

"Which part, Tevak?"

"Uh...the big explosion?"

"Yes, that happened."

"Huh."

"Now, if it's not too much trouble, could I have the report on the capital?"

"Oh, right! Heh heh. Let's see here." He pauses, and I can hear people scrambling around the command center. "Sorry about that."

"Focus, Director," I say as patiently as possible.

"Hogan's forces have secured the airspace in and around Torokara City, including the government sector. Paladins have entered along the eastern and western axes and are holding position in the suburbs. There have been only a couple reports of isolated resistance. Mostly, people seem to be waiting."

"Let's not keep them, then. Basch and I will enter from the west and proceed to the Senate in fifteen minutes. Our arrival, then, will be in approximately an hour and a half."

"So long?"

"One last thing to take care of, I'm afraid. Clear the way for us."

"I'm on it, Chief."

"Oh. Tevak?"

"Yeah, Chief?"

"Take care of that arm."

"Sure thing, Chief."


House Andros
Andretara, Krioval


Elizabeth is the epitome of stoicism this evening, watching detachedly as the Monastery falls. She pulls her hair back, brushing it evenly, careful to disentangle any knots, and she ties it close to her head. She thinks of herself only the night before, practically begging for romantic attention from her husband. Now he is publicly disgraced, and one son is pitted against the other. Not that it matters to her at this point. Elizabeth Andros's maternal instincts are fully functioning - she knows that Hiroshi is dead. She knows she should hate, but the dizzying array of targets for her enmity makes it impossible to choose. So she stares at the holoscreen numbly, hearing the sounds of her chosen tribe's damnation.

The Lady Andros withdraws to the kitchen, where she selects a large carving knife. For a moment, she laughs inwardly, considering the view of an outsider upon viewing this scene. "As if I might just plunge it into my heart?" she muses, "or do they feel I would go for the wrists? So overdone." Instead, she raises the blade to the back of her head and pulls backward, underneath her hair tie. Red hair cascades to the ground as she shakes the tie out of place. Absently, she places the knife on the counter and walks slowly upstairs. Once in her bedroom, she removes her bright dress and jewelry and reaches into the depths of her closet for something somehow more appropriate. "What to wear when your family is excommunicated?" she sings, tone rising and falling in an irregular cadence. "Black, obviously," she continues with false brightness. "But no veil," she hastily adds. Elizabeth chooses a conservative black dress and a matching lace shawl that she last wore for her mother's funeral, only three months past, yet now a lifetime ago. Then she moves to the window, watching and waiting.

Ten minutes later, she makes out the form of two aerial objects. As they approach, the Lady Andros notes with some interest the differences between the two. The female, Tiamat, is truly black, though iridescent beneath her body and along the edges of her wingspan. Bahamut was the stereotypical male, then, his black body accented with colorful wings and bright, intelligent eyes. "They match their riders well."

They arrive, hovering off of her balcony. Elizabeth looks at us indifferently. "Lord Dekker, Lord Kriov. Do come inside. Though do not think I approve of this evening's actions."

I jump down, noticing her face in the shadows, the tranquil eye at the center of a typhoon. "Do you think that I am cruel, Lady Andros?"

"Yes," she replies in the same monotone, "but I think myself cruel for saying as much." She gestures between me and Basch, who has just made his way into the room. "How did Hiroshi die?"

Basch goes to speak, but I motion for him to wait. "I killed him in defense of my life, and that of Basch."

"I see." Elizabeth closes her eyes tightly, though no tears are forthcoming. "It is most likely true. Hiroshi lived for conflict. I always worried that one day, he would overcome your fear of your own strength, Serph. So it is done, then. What will be his fate, I wonder."

"He will enter Heaven, though the road he will walk will test him severely," I say gravely.

"That is kind of you to say, Serph, though we both know otherwise," comes the sad response.

"He will make it," I say again. "I will see to it."

"So you say. But that cannot be the purpose of your visit, to assure me of Hiroshi's salvation, however the odds. What do you want from me?"

Basch steps forward. "We need you to convince David to surrender the government."

"Is that all? Why am I needed? As a hostage?"

"If that were the case," Basch continues, "we would not be discussing this with you now."

Elizabeth is taken aback. "Then what?"

"We want to prevent a civil war, and save your husband's life."

"I no longer care about politics," the Lady Andros snaps, "and I need no favors from my son's killers."

"Killer," I interrupt. "Only one. Basch is innocent, and I will pay for my actions forever. But that is beside the point. We do not do this for you, my Lady."

"Then..."

For the first time, Basch looks almost out of patience. "I believe that the Lord Valkai would like for his family and tribe to not be eradicated." He fixes his gaze on Elizabeth. "Are you coming, or not? We have pressing business in the capital that can wait no longer."

"I will need a coat," she says, voice heavy with resignation.

"You will not need it," Basch says, hoisting her onto the female dragon. Moments later, we're off.

2:30 am

Over Andretara City

"Apologies for the delay, Tevak, but I think it will be a profitable one."

"Gods, Chief, don't do that, going off the grid for that long."

"Apologies for that as well. We're leaving Andretara now, with a passenger."

"Director Valkai?"

"Close. Lady Elizabeth Andros."

"No shit!"

"Language, Director," I chide. "There is a Lady present."

"Boots are on the ground now. They're skirmishing around the Senate and the government sector, but no major injuries. Both sides are using stunners only."

I'd bet they are. Nobody wants to kill their brother or sister over some political struggle taking place way over their heads. "Good to hear. Keep it that way."

"Chief."

We begin our trip northeast, rising high into the air, higher than I would have thought prudent (or possible). Yet the temperature remains reasonably comfortable, and the air seems almost still,

What's going on, Bahamut?

Paling, is the response. I would have wanted to hear more, just to savor the resonance of the dragon king's thoughts in my mind.

Psi-shield, Tiamat corrects. I wisely decide to stay out of the resulting argument, which seems to only resolve when Bahamut snorts loudly and pretends to not hear his counterpart.

Females, his thoughts echo.

I am hardly an expert, I respond in mock sympathy. We continue the remainder of the journey conversing about the nature of non-Devokai dragons, and how Bahamut and Tiamat were the manifestation of the gold dragons' collective unconscious mind. Or, at least, that was how it started. Both had fought in the Valarok (!) around the same time that humans were learning how to survive in packs. I listen intently until I realize that almost half an hour has gone by, and we're still cruising toward the capital.


3:00 am

Torokara, Krioval


"Hey, Basch," I call out. "Is that Commander Hogan's airship?"

"I believe so." Then more suspiciously, "Why do you ask?"

"I would like to say hello to her," I try to say innocently. I fail.

"I'll take the left side," Basch says, winking. He veers off, and we both accelerate.

"We aren't going to do anything obscene, I hope," she says primly.

"Not intentionally, my Lady," Basch says. "Ready?"

"Always." I ready a commlink. Waiting a few seconds, I speak. "Dragon Force one and two, requesting flyby." We accelerate to the limits of the mysterious shielding force surrounding us, and I can feel the wind trying to punch through. But the maneuver has the desired effect, and we ratchet past with only centimeters to spare on either side. The motion even causes her ship to bounce in place before the atmospheric stabilizers put a stop to the tremors.

"Oh fuck you very much, Basch."

"You'll have to take a number," I cheerily reply.

"Lord Kaiyos," Commander Hogan says irreverently. "Don't tell me this was your idea."

"Basch made me do it."

"Right. On another note, why are there three of you?"

"The Lady Elizabeth Andros," Basch informs her. "Who happens to detest profanity."

"Oh fu..."

"Commander Hogan, is it?" Elizabeth says testily. Not waiting for a reply, she continues, "My son has died today, the world is going mad, and I swear before the Gods that if I hear the word 'fuck' come out of your mouth again, I am going to take a switch to your bottom."

"...yes, my Lady." She pauses. "Hey, Lord Serph!"

"Yes?"

"Kick some serious...er...butt."

"Good night, Commander."

Inside Natalie Hogan's ship, two men laugh uproariously. "Oh. My. Gods. She actually said she'd whip you if you swore again," Mika Thompson says between fits of hysterics.

"Technically, I believe it was only if she said the eff-word," Balthasar cheekily grins.

Natalie smacks Mika swiftly on the back of the head. "And don't think I wouldn't hit you too, if you weren't a blue-blood Novak!" she spits at Balthasar. "Honestly!"

The barely suppressed giggling continues, receding into the distance as we approach the capital city. Torokara. It looks like it would on most any other night - streets brightly lit, homes dark, people furiously negotiating with one another on street corners. Damn. The sex workers' lobby is really going to complain about lost revenue after this. Not that one pens in a revolution on a calendar. I snicker.

"What's so funny, Serph?"

"Oh, Valiyos, I just had the most ridiculous thought."

"Do share."

"The SWL is going to pitch a fit, what with three-quarters of the country being shut down on a Saturday night."

"Your mind is truly dizzying, beloved."

"The SWL?" the Lady Andros asks.

"Sex Workers' League," I say as softly as possible to a person ten meters away.

"Oh." Suddenly, Elizabeth seems far more interested in the architecture of buildings to her left.

"Turn right. I want to approach over the fountains," I say a bit impulsively.

"You are not Keldar the Great," Elizabeth rebukes me.

"No. For example, I bathe more frequently and sleep exclusively with other males."

"Gods save us all," she says snarkily. I choose to ignore her as we sweep to the south, over a series of shrines and toward downtown Torokara. Reaching the theater district, we then arc northward. The capital's magnificent fountains loom before us.

"Down," I say simply, though I leave the timing to Bahamut. Almost leisurely, we descend until we are nearly touching the water in the reflecting pools. We spend the last five minutes of our trip in this manner before arriving at our destination. Then the dragons touch earth, and we disembark.

We will be up there somewhere, I am told, and the two lift off, criss-crossing one another's path until they are high above the Senate complex. We approach the entrance.


3:15 am

Senate Building


"You may not enter!"

Elizabeth stomps up to the guard, who is visibly shaking. "Open this door immediately. I would speak with my husband."

"Yes, my Lady." The ornate outer doors creak open. "Allow me to escort you...?"

"Why not?" she says, exasperated. "Let them know we're coming. I am not up for another mess tonight."

We make it about halfway to the central chamber when two new guards block our path. "We have strict orders from the Lord President to not allow anyone past." Their point is emphasized with blaster rifles.

"I am not 'anyone'," Elizabeth rants. "And in any case, do you really want two angry Devokai to level this place like they did the Monastery? Oh, you didn't realize that was real? Well, it was. And it will be if you don't let us through."

Chagrined, they holster their weapons and move to either side of the corridor. Some time later, our escort summons the courage to ask the Lady a question. "Why are you on their side, my Lady?"

"Don't be obtuse. I am on my side. And a bit on Tiamat's side. How unfulfilling, to be beneath a man with no interest in females."

Basch looks at Elizabeth askance. "I am afraid, my Lady, I cannot relate to your position." She reddens considerably, but remains silent. I am grateful for a lull in the conversation.

Finally, we arrive at the door to the central chamber. Almost instantly, we are fired upon, and I thank the Gods for personal forcefields, and our escort's quick reflexes - Elizabeth is ushered behind a pillar with almost superhuman dexterity. Fortunately, our assailants are located within my effective psionic range. One particularly violent thought later, they are lying on the floor, unconscious. So much for a civilized welcome. Well, I can play dirty as well.

"Basch, break it down."

The guard protecting Elizabeth looks up in alarm. "You can't! That door is over fifty years..."

Basch pulls out his blaster rifle and fires two rounds into the locking mechanism. Then he kicks the door wide open. Two guards on the inside are stunned by the impact, and quickly disarmed, and Senators run for the relative safety of their desks. In the center of the room, alone, stands David Andros. Basch and I speak at the same time.

"Blackhelm, blackhelm, at your door.
For you have sinned, but will no more."

I remove the helm and shake out my long hair. "Good morning, Senators! I bring glorious news from the field of battle," I say grandly. "Krioval is once again victorious against its enemies, the holy relics have been recovered, and the once sacred ground that has been corrupted by years of defilement has been purified. Accompanying me is a witness to this last act, the Lady Elizabeth Andros."

She steps forward, into a sea of silence. Normally quite argumentative, the senators are quiet and on edge. I wonder whether they think I have come to consummate a violent revolution. Let them think as they will for the time being.

"Good morning, my husband," the Lady Andros speaks slowly. "I have news from the City." Her tone remains entirely devoid of emotion. "The Monastery is destroyed totally. The Devokai have come forth." She walks toward the front of the room. "And...Hiroshi...our youngest son..." Elizabeth collapses halfway down the main aisle. Basch motions for the guard to assist her. David remains rooted to the spot, hundreds of eyes locked on him, waiting for some reaction."

"Has he shown you proof of this?" David asks.

Elizabeth simply looks downward, at the carpet. I can see that her composed facade is finally about to break apart.

"The Lady has seen enough," Basch intervenes. He gestures toward a curious attendant. "Prepare a room upstairs for Her Ladyship." Two quick head motions in the direction of Elizabeth, and the guard helps her to her feet before they return to the entrance.

"Was it worth it?" Elizabeth asks, eyes tearing up, before she runs from the room, wailing, the guard in tow.

"Personally," Basch says, removing his own helm, "I would have to answer in the negative. Serph?"

"I would have to agree. Lord President?"

"You lie about his death," David says.

I sigh, and I hold out Hiroshi's weapon, reading the inscription. "For I am surely favored by the Great Gods, and in their names I will obliterate evil, so long as I live."

"Then it is truly over," the president says. "Should I congratulate you, Serph Dekker? For both your conspiracy and its execution were flawless." He spits out every word, his face locked in a tight sneer. "Did you enjoy it at last?"

"That is entirely unfair," a gruff male voice bellows. Valkai stomps into the room, shaking off the two recovering guards who, at this point, are merely keeping up the appearance of maintaining order in the Senate. "It's enough that you ignored his violence for the past twenty years, but to pin it on Serph Dekker? That, Father, is the height of cowardice."

"Ah. So the boy's shield makes an appearance. How delightful the timing. Are we to continue this little performance into the dawn hours?"

I walk purposefully down the aisle, arms swinging back and forth, and with an aura of ferocity cascading from every fiber of my being. I close the distance between myself and the president wordlessly and then my right arm snaps forward, hoisting him into the air by the front of his suit coat. "Now you listen to me, David Andros, and you listen very well, for I will say this exactly one time. This 'performance' involves the lives of millions of innocent people, and it ends right now. You want to believe that I killed Hiroshi in cold blood, that's your choice. But I will not have you use my private shame for your propaganda. Those days are over, David Andros, as are the days of your administration.

"Oh yes, defiler of the wellspring of the Faith, while I would gut you right here and right now, and let your dying echoes stand as testament to my will, instead I will show no such mercy. You will leave here powerless and without a shred of honor remaining to you and turned over to His Most Holy Grace, from whom you may beg absolution before the whole of Krioval, or else you will be cast from this nation's borders for the remainder of your life, and your corpse will be left to rot without the blessings of the Gods." I drop him. "Should you even consider crossing me in the future, your head will adorn a pike before the next morning's sun rises. And this will be done not only with the permission of the Gods, or even their approval, but by their very command, in accord with the ancient texts. Now get out of my sight, accursed one."

To most everybody's surprise, the now-deposed president staggers up the aisle and out of the Senate chambers. Valkai, followed very closely by Basch, descends. "Was that all necessary?" he asks, though not accusing.

I take a breath. "I don't know," I say honestly. "What would you have done?"

"I don't know."

"Uh...Lord Chief?"

We turn to see a quite a few senators looking intently at us. "Yes, Senator Valia?"

"We were just wondering, that is, if there has been a decision, that is, about, well, um...us."

"The Senate will continue to convene, though I suppose it can wait until Tuesday. Go home and see your families."

"With all due respect, your Lordship," she continues (I wince), "we might as well deal with this messy succession before we go."

"As you like. Pick whoever you want for president," I say neutrally.

"Lord Valkai," several voices say at the same time. He looks stunned, and I try to not laugh at the irony.

"Show of hands?" I ask, "or would you prefer a secret ballot?"

The senators opt for a ballot even as Valkai tries to protest his inclusion, not being a senator. So I name him one, replacing his father. And that ends the discussion.

"The vote is one hundred ninety-six in favor and seventy-four opposed. That leaves thirty abstentions or absences. Congratulations, Lord President."

Valkai shoots me a wry look and addresses the Senate. "I thank you for your confidence in me. However, this body has undergone a great deal of stress, and as we are, we will need a strong central leader who can guide us forward. I hereby move that Serph, Lord Dekker, grandson of the Kaiyos Sylvan, the Builder, receive his late grandfather's title as outlined in the Laws of Succession, and that the Senate exist as an advisory council until new elections can be scheduled." If his glance conveyed words, they would be, I'm not being stuck running this mess.

"Seconded," Senator Valia said quickly. From there my fate was pretty much sealed, with a vote of 144 to 119. Satisfied that my occupation of Krioval was now legitimized, I prepared to go.

"I will thank the Senate more formally and certainly more properly for its decision in this regard. It is said that every man and woman to be Kaiyos has had his or her battlefield. I pray mine is in the past. But now, I must go, with my beloved, and watch the sun rise."

Basch and I leave the chamber and arm in arm, as much for mutual support as any romantic inclinations, we walk slowly into the predawn air. Bahamut conveys us both without complaint to the White City, Tiamat somewhat miffed at being left out, and we ride into the sunrise - appropriate not for an ending, but instead a beginning.

Epilogue - The Man Who Would be Kaiyos

Slow step. One, two, three, four.

Kaiyos is a simple enough word in the old Kriovalian language, a compound of kai, meaning person or soul, and yos, meaning royal or noble leader. Its true meaning, on the other hand, is complicated. Some believe it refers to an ancient concept known as divine right, whereby one obtains the power to rule through the intervention of deities. Others would argue that it refers to an individual whose actions attract divine attention. Still others say that the ideas of a soul or of divine influences are archaic. That's why I leave such things to philosophers.

The cheering is deafening, though I wonder how many are cheering me in particular, and who are more satisfied that someone, anyone, is in control for the first time since last summer. I also wonder at how much the world can change in seven days, when last Wednesday I fought off the Senate, anguished over the recall of Basch, and felt as if the universe might swallow me up altogether. Now I take another slow step...five, six, seven, eight...northward along the Torokara fountains.

I am flanked by soldiers in their black dress uniforms, though I notice several prominent faces missing. General Leo Sokolev, who swore he would never fight in another revolution, resigned. General Kalon, whose first name eludes me despite my pronunciation of his death sentence for treason. Several division commanders, who have alternately quit, been detained, or have killed themselves rather than submit to the rule of a "boy-king". Intermingled with the troops are paladins, their white uniforms providing the counterpoint to the somber military black. This is the future, I realize - the merging of separate cultures and traditions into something more dynamic and powerful.

I wave at the throng of civilians, many of whom are either frenzied or awestruck. Strangely, I feel humbled by their collective gaze, as if they have now been promised perfection, and I will be compelled to deliver it. I scan the crowd even as I pick up the pace ever so slightly. A multicolored patchwork on my left can only be the various tribal elders, who were truly indispensable in keeping the order for my first hundred hours. Perhaps my views on the evils of tribalism might be softening despite myself. I look closely at the cluster of tribal leaders in particular. By now, my 'handlers' have moved me onto a moving platform, as if overthrowing a government is within my abilities, but walking a kilometer is not. The motor kicks into gear, and we're moving rather briskly. Thus, I can only make out the faces of Isamu Machida, along with Shinji and Ayumi, Philip and Maria Vartek, and Yoshi Takahara. Missing is Dora Kriov, whose rather impertinent screeds these past two days have earned her a brief vacation.

We hit a bump, and Basch has to steady me. Before he releases me, I manage to whisper something quite naughty into his ear. He refuses to visibly react, but he does say, "Maybe later." Hope springs eternal.

About five minutes later, we arrive at the steps to the Senate building. I had been adamant that the ceremony take place here. After all, it's where this whole thing started, with the August elections and ending with Valkai's intervention. And so stands Valkai, now Lord President for three whole days. Beside him is the Lady Elizabeth, who manages to give me a look conveying both approval and disapproval at the same time. I will always wonder how tribal elders develop this skill - especially the women.

I am glad for having a small family right about now. My grandmothers are before me, a bit to the left of center. My mother and father are standing to the right, their expressions still frozen in shock that only now is beginning to be replaced by parental annoyance and concern. I know that I'm going to be told how proud they are while they manage to chastise me for my "risky behavior". Despite their relative stoicism, I manage to catch my mother making some kind of gesture toward Basch, and I mentally curse that I can't stop the procession to tell her, for the love of all that is holy, that I'm thirty-three years only, and would she please stop embarrassing me in front of my friends? And the rest of the nation, for that matter?

Standing directly before me is His Most Holy Grace himself, the High Priest Lord Vartek. Of course, he'll always be Koro to me, at least when seventy-three news cameras aren't broadcasting every word I say to the farthest reaches of the universe. I think he's more nervous than I am. He motions me forward.

"Gods, Serph, I didn't think you'd take it this far," he whispers, though his admiration seeps through. "Of course," he continues, mischievously, "there is the matter of an heir."

I smile broadly. "Your Grace need not be concerned," I say loudly. "We will work tirelessly for this nation, day and night, with as much energy as we can command."

Koro reddens slightly. "Well," he says primly. "In that case, I see no reason to delay this any further."

"Nor do I," I respond, surreptitiously raising an eyebrow.

He lifts a small gold crown from a table behind him. "By the authority of the Gods of Krioval, and with the approval of the Kriovalian Senate, I hereby declare this man, Serph, Lord Dekker, to be elevated as Kaiyos, King of Krioval, and Defender of the Realm." I bow slightly, and Koro places the crown on my head. "Long may you reign, Your Majesty," he says.

"Long live the King!"
"Hail to the Light!"

Koro bows deeply, and I am amazed to watch, as if a wave, people drop to one knee. Each soldier. Each paladin. The tribal elders. Valkai, Elizabeth, and then my entire family. Finally, even Basch follows suit. I reach for a smaller crown, and place it on my beloved's head.

"I name you, Basch, Lord Kriov, to be elevated as Kaivok, Crown Prince of Krioval, and Lord-General of the Realm. Arise."

Slowly, the assemblage realizes that my last command is meant more universally. I move to assist my grandmothers - Melena bats away my proffered arm and struggles to her feet while Yumi accepts my aid though it is probably unnecessary. My father offers sage advice.

"Try not to fuck up."

"Don't worry," Basch reassures him. "I won't let that happen."

And then it's done. Valkai invites me into the Senate building to sign the official succession documents, and he notes that I will probably be listed as ascending the throne of Krioval twice. I let him know in somewhat crude language that I couldn't care less. Then we laugh like it's eight years ago, and the biggest thing to deal with is an overcrowded class in the Guild. Koro follows silently, still absorbing the impact of performing a sanctification, a paladin-binding, two major excommunications, the lifting of those excommunications, and a coronation in only four days on the job. But he's still standing, so I'm not particularly worried.

My family adjourns to the Kriov Palace in Karo Tevas, and I get the "fun" job of assembling a new government from scratch. Well, that can wait a few days, I'm sure. After all, what good is power if it can't be used from time to time?