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Chapter 7

  It was almost four hours after noon when they finally emerged from The Living Palace and made their way to Yazadril and Nemia’s tree on foot.

  There were a great many more elves enjoying the day near their home than would normally be the case, including many of the youths who had sworn to Mark voluntarily, all hoping to see and perhaps share a cheery word with the suddenly-famous couple.

  Mark and Talia noticed none of them. He carried her in one arm like a child, and both their expressions were of such introspective thoughtfulness that it was obvious their attention was elsewhere, and that they barely noticed their surroundings.

  Talia wore a simple white summer dress that fell to her knees, belted at the waist, with blue slippers, while Mark wore a new kilt, shirt and stout boots that closely resembled the tattered ones he’d worn when he first entered The Nine Valleys. And in a rare display in these lands, they both wore sheathed battle swords. Mark carried huge GrimFang across his back, the hilt over his right shoulder, the tip of the scabbard swinging inches from the grass, while Talia carried the sword of Visinniria in a silver sheath at her side.

  Between their expressions and their armaments, none chose to speak to them. Instead the scattered crowd accompanied them at a distance, as if it were only chance that they were going the same way. When the couple boarded the lifting platform at Yazadril’s tree and rode it up, the loose crowd of admirers took up station in the area around the tree and continued their leisure activities.

  Mark had to set Talia down at the door, for he could not pass the small doorway while carrying her. Rather than knock, Talia let them into her old home without thinking about it, and they heard Nemia’s call;

  “We’re out on the balcony! Come join us, for it’s a lovely day!”

  She, Yazadril, and Hilsith sat around a small table for six, talking and laughing.

  Talia waited till Mark was seated on a huge chair that had obviously been provided for him, then climbed onto his lap and snuggled against him again. He hugged her warmly, and lightly nuzzled the top of her head. Their thoughts were still so far away that neither remembered to offer a greeting, and they sat staring off into space while the other three halted their conversation in Elvish at their arrival, then picked up again in Common. The three older elves were content to leave them be until they were ready to speak.

  Hilsith and Nemia were engaged in a friendly argument as to which of them had pleasured Yazadril more times during their encounter, and Yazadril refused to be baited into declaring that either of them was correct. A wide and somewhat self-satisfied grin was locked upon his countenance, and he kept distracting them from their debate by fondly reminiscing on certain moments in their evening that he found particularly memorable.

  Finally, in an effort to prove her point, Nemia cast a Reading on herself and reproduced the scene on the tabletop with a miniature Illusion.

  “All right, we both keep count of his ecstasies. I will hurry the Reading through the unimportant parts.” Nemia laughed. “And Yazadril, be sure to tell us if we both fail to count one of your peaks!”

  They counted, and laughed uproariously at the high-speed antics of their miniature selves during the ‘unimportant parts’.

  When Nemia called; “There! I am at four! And that’s the last one!” Hilsith disagreed.

  “Well there is the core of our contention then, for you can plainly see that I was as responsible for that one as you!”

  “Well yes, but I had far more of it than you did, so it must count as mine!” Nemia declared with a grin.

  “You’re changing the rules!” Hilsith laughingly protested. “Our disagreement is of number, not of volume! And if you wish to contest on the matter of volume, I am sure his first one would give me the victory!”

  “Enough!” Yazadril laughed. “At my count you are equaled, at three and one half each! If you wish to contest it further, there will have to be a rematch!”

  Talia giggled quietly, and the three turned to her, glad to have finally succeeded in drawing the young couple’s attention, only to find that they had not. The two still stared into space, lost in their own thoughts.

  “I know what you’re thinking.” Mark chuckled to his young wife in a quiet rumble, unaware of the other three’s attention.

  “I know.” she replied with a wistful smile.

  Nemia lightly laid her hand on her daughter’s arm. “What?” she asked with a gentle smile.

  Talia jumped in startlement at the touch, then blushed bright red as she met her mother’s smile. “Mark, we’re being rude.” she giggled.

  “What? Oh, sorry.” Mark chuckled abashedly as he came back to the here and now.

  “Quite all right, and understandable.” Nemia laughed. “But since you chose to speak of it, what were you finding funny just now?”

  “Oh. Well it was just after I had first succeeded in joining us, after much effort.” Talia revealed, her blush deepening even more. “I said; ‘I’ve done it!’, for I had not been sure that I could, even with Hilsith’s spells. I looked up at Mark, whose face was full of love and concern for me, but more than that, it was a picture of absolute astonishment! He was looking down at our joining, and said in the most amazed and incredulous voice I have ever heard; ‘That’s impossible!” She giggled again at the memory.

  “To which Talia smiled and said; ‘No. It’s magic!” Mark chuckled. “It was amazing. I didn’t think anyone could voluntarily submit to such pain, and she would not reduce it further, saying she had no wish to be numbed. I couldn’t bear seeing it, and tried to make her stop, but she held me in place with magic force and disregarded me. She was in agony, covered in glistening sweat with tendrils of her hair stuck to her face, but when she said that, she got such a smile, a smile of love and care for me, but even more so, it was one of smug self-satisfaction like none I’ve seen before!”

  They both laughed again at the memory.

  “Mind you, as humorous as I found your expression then,” Talia teased, “My mirth was greater at your look when you realized that Mother had given you magic underbreeches!”

  “Oh? And why is that?” Hilsith asked

  “It was a look that was amazed, grateful, and horrified, all at once!” Talia revealed.

  “The underwear is spelled so as to hide my rampancy, by pressing it against me, and by puffing up around it a bit to hide the bulge.” Mark laughed. “I didn’t realize that until they were all that I was wearing. At first I was surprised, then grateful at the thoughtfulness of it. Then I realized how many times they had saved me from humiliating myself during the wedding! Without them, my many moments of arousal would have been obvious to anyone within fifty yards, as supple as the cloth of my kilt was!”

  “I’m glad you appreciate them.” Nemia laughed. “It’s a common feature for the clothes of elven males, particularly young ones!”

  “So your lovemaking went well, overall?” Hilsith asked.

  “It was absolutely heavenly!” Talia revealed. “At one point I was in ecstasy for over twenty-five minutes continuously! And it was while he was within me, at the height of our passion! The pain at that point was less, and it was no detriment, I assure you!”

  “It was paradise.” Mark agreed. “And the sensation when I reached ecstasy within her was unbelievable, for her body kind of ripples upon me then in a way that is almost too pleasurable to withstand!”

  “The bodies of elven females sense the introduction of a male’s nectar, my love.” Talia giggled. “Our femininity then engages in contractions that serve to pump your nectar high into our reproductive tracts. Human women’s bodies do so when they climax, as ours do, but theirs do not do so when the male climaxes within as ours do. And our bodies perform these contractions far more effectively. That is why I told you that your seed could not be spilled from within me.”

  “Yes, and we males are eternally grateful for the phenomenon!” Yazadril laughed.

  “Your mood now is wha
t I would expect after such joyous activities, yet a moment ago it was not.” Hilsith gently pointed out. “Something else must have happened. Is it anything I can help with?”

  “No. You cannot help. And I cannot speak of it.” Talia said, resuming her subdued mood.

  “Your parents should know, Love.” Mark gently murmured. “They will have hopes for us, and they should know what cannot be.”

  “You’re right. Please, you tell them, if you can.”

  Mark nodded, and spoke without looking up from his new wife. “It was after we were done and washed up, just as we were falling asleep. She suddenly sat up, her hands on her tummy, with an air of absolute happiness. She told me that she was pregnant, that elf girls always know with certainty. That she would bear my child, an unheard-of thing from a couple’s first mating, and even more so in a crossbreeding than among pairs of elves.

  “Before I had even absorbed the enormity of the thought, she screamed and clutched herself in pain for a moment, one hand on her belly, one on her loins. Then she cried in despair.

  “When she could speak, she told me that the curse had ended her pregnancy. It killed our baby. Upon further self-examination, she told me that it had also restored her maidenhead, so she is physically a virgin again. It seems the curse will keep her exactly as she physically was at the moment it was cast, in every way.

  “Yazadril, Nemia, I only tell you this because it’s natural for you to hope that we’ll make you grandparents, and I think you have the right to know that we never will.

  “Please keep this among us. We particularly don’t want Alilia to know. Who knows how she would react? Besides, it’s no one’s business but our own.”

  Nemia went to her daughter and hugged her in sympathy.

  “The worst of it is that I believe Mark’s seed to be so potent that he will impregnate me whenever my cycle allows for it.” Talia sadly revealed as she returned the hug. “And every time I conceive, I will have to feel the curse kill my baby. I would cry over it, but I have already done so until I am weary of it.”

  “How much time passed between the conception and the destruction?” Hilsith thoughtfully asked.

  “Not long.” Talia told her. “A few seconds, a minute at most.”

  “Hmm. I could remove your embryo in that time, and with Yzell’s skill in such matters, we could implant it in a surrogate mother, if you so chose.” Hilsith mused. “I would be honored to bear your child for you myself, if you wish it.”

  “I would as well.” Nemia nodded as she resumed her seat.

  “I cannot put my faith in that yet, for we all know that it would be an uncertain procedure at best.” Talia sniffed. “Though I am overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of your offers.

  “Now please, someone introduce another subject, for I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

  “All right.” Yazadril nodded. “I’m surprised to hear that you succeeded in restraining Mark with the power. I didn’t expect him to wear my first gift to bed.”

  “He did not.”

  “Oh?! Have you had a breakthrough then? Found another way for the power to affect him?”

  “Not at all!” Talia giggled, her lighter mood returning. “For technically speaking, my spell had nothing to do with him! Rather I cast Movement upon the air that surrounded his arms and torso, and held it in place against him! I’m almost ashamed to admit what a feeling of pleasure it gave me, to control my mighty husband in that way!”

  “You cast Movement upon air?!” Yazadril marveled. “What a clever thing! I’ve not heard of it being done before! Creating Wind, certainly, but nothing so fine and specific as that! We must experiment with the technique, for there are many possible uses for it!

  “And speaking of new techniques, we have less than three hours to work on awakening Mark’s power before the meeting of The Assembly of the Alliance. If you two wish to eat, you should do so now, and then we will get to it.”

  “The meeting of The Assembly of the Alliance? That’s new.” Mark said. “The last I heard, you elf leaders and the Xervian diplomat were going to do that magical talking thing.”

  “A multiple Speaking.” Yazadril nodded. “But while we have been enjoying ourselves, others have been busy. Very busy.

  “After we sent the warning to the leaders of the world last night, with the haste you suggested, astounding events ensued with shocking and sudden rapidity. The entire world is now a significantly different place than it was those hours ago.

  “Firstly, Prince Jaromer of Thon, Prince Gotimin of Sming, and Prince Fayam of Kuth arrived home after the meeting of the Elven High Council to find that the three human emperors who co-rule those empires with them were already meeting in response to our warning.

  “From what Prince Jaromer told me by a Speaking earlier today, his co-ruler in Thon; Emperor Osbald, dominated that meeting rather completely. Not surprising really, since Thon is the mightiest nation on the continent, and Osbald is a most formidable fellow in every way, not least of which is that among all human adepts he is Seventh Wizard and Third Battle Wizard. He has lived almost five hundred years, and has reigned as Emperor of the humans of Thon for over two hundred of those. He questioned Jaromer rather closely, then did the same with Fayam and Gotimin.

  He then insistently called for an immediate meeting of the councils, senior wizards, generals, and admirals of all three empires, both the humans and the elves.

  “When they had gathered, he explained what was known and the conclusions that have been drawn from the evidence.

  Then he said to them, and I quote; ‘Ladies and gentlemen, due to the weight of history, the human race is the least trusted race on Kellaran, with the exception of the demon-spawn of Serminak. If any are going to be unjustly attacked due to the machinations of hidden tricksters sowing strife, it is likely to be us and our allies. It is time for us to show where we stand, for if we do not, the rest of the world will never trust us.’ With that he drew the Imperial Sword of Thon, a powerful talisman of justice even greater than my own, and in the binding presence of many elven wizards, he swore upon it that he would not break the peace, and that he would defend the innocent, and that he would uphold justice, forevermore. He then demanded that they all do the same, and they did, every last one of them, even the elves.

  “He and they then summoned the kings, councils, wizards and military leaders of the northern kingdoms of the humans to attend immediately. Some refused, and were fetched to the meeting in their nightclothes by forced Translocation, for the wizards of the northern kingdoms are paltry indeed compared to those of the three empires. Osbald told them that they would swear to justice upon his sword as he had, by Compulsion if necessary.

  “King Sorin of Venak and half of his delegation immediately attempted to escape, as did several from other kingdoms, including the Royal Wizard of Finitra and three of his colleagues. When their way was blocked both physically and magically, they attacked. Sorin and most of the others were killed. Six were captured and questioned by magical means. The rest from the northern kingdoms then swore the oath, with blood still pooled on the floor.

  “Osbald and Jaromer have not said what they learned from their captives, insisting that it is too crucial to entrust to a Speaking. Though it is exceedingly difficult, a Speaking can be intercepted.

  “Osbald then contacted certain allies he had among the dwarves of Kletiuk and the giants of Felion. I was rather surprised to find that any human was on a first name basis with anyone from either of those races, and to learn that he had allies among them was a staggering revelation! He revealed what he had done, and shortly, similar meetings and swearings were being held among nations of those races, and then among the nations of the gnomes of Felion, who are closely allied with the giants there. In fact, we’ve learned that the societies of the gnomes and the giants are as intermingled as those of the elves and humans of the empires!

  “In Kletiuk, perhaps a tent
h of the attending dwarves refused to swear to justice, and two of those were leaders of nations. All tried to fight their way out and were killed. In Felion, all the representatives of the gnomes swore. Six giants tried to escape, none of them of very high position, but none fought and all were taken into custody for questioning.

  “An alliance was then formed between the nations of the humans, dwarves, giants, and gnomes. The elves of the empires stated that they intended to join that alliance pending the approval of the other elven nations.

  “They selected an ambassador, the eldest king of the gnomes, who contacted the Grand Council of Xervia, while Jaromer contacted me, and through these two routes, they were informed of the separate alliance made by Alilia, myself, and the ambassador from Xervia last night, while we learned what they had done.

  “The leaders of nations of every race outside the dark continent will meet tonight in the Hall of the Grand Council of Xervia, where we will formally declare The Great Alliance of The Nations United for Justice. In order to be sure beyond any doubt that the meeting is not infiltrated, every one of us who attend will swear Osbald’s Oath upon The Truthstone of Falgaroth. I know nothing of that artifact, but word from Xervia is that even a senior wizard or sorcerer of the dragons could not swear false upon it, and that’s quite impressive.

  “Then we’ll all share what we know, and discuss what further steps we should take.

  “The Xervians tell me, and I quote; ‘The attendance of Mark and Talia Longstrider is necessary, for they are Key to the Nexus.”

  “Wow!” Mark breathed.

  “Wow indeed.” Yazadril nodded. “Such a complete gathering of the powerful has never been held.

  “Now, we should work on awakening your power in the time we have before the meeting, for your attendance will be taken more seriously if we can succeed in doing so.

  “But this is great!” Mark said with a grin. “If everyone is allied, there won’t be a war!”

  “That was apparently Osbald’s intent from the moment he received our warning. As I say, a formidable fellow.”

  “And all that because of you, my husband.” Talia smiled. “The warning would not have been sent were it not for you. Your wisdom has triggered the uniting of most of the world as a force for justice and the greater good. Obviously you really are a key to the future!”

  “Now don’t start piling all that on my shoulders, for I don’t want the weight of it!” Mark laughed. “I made a suggestion, and that’s all!”

  “If you insist.” she giggled.

  “Before we start working on my supposed powers, I’d like to ask a few questions toward my more general education.” Mark told Yazadril. “I’ve been sort of saving them up.”

  “This would be a good time to get them answered then, because I’ll need Talia’s attention for a moment.” Hilsith stated.

  “Just as well, for I need two more procedures from you.” Talia told her. “Due to the demands of the curse, I will need to fully accept Mark within me in every way I might with an elven male of average dimensions.”

  “Ah. I think I can help you there, though as you would with an average elven male, you will still need to develop your skills in those two disciplines to achieve complete envelopment.

  “And I’ll cast a spell that will prevent you from becoming pregnant. It’s a minor thing, and the spell the humans use is directly applicable, which is lucky, as there is no such spell designed specifically for elven females.”

  “I am probably the first elven female to want such a thing.” Talia nodded sadly. “But it is a welcome thought, and good thinking on your part. I’ve no wish to feel the curse kill our child whenever I couple with Mark.”

  “Exactly.” Hilsith nodded as she rose from her chair. “Let’s step inside.”

  “Before you go, would you be able to bring me my globe?” Mark asked Talia.

  Talia smiled and plucked it out of the air with both hands, then released it to float in front of him.

  “Thanks Love.” he smiled.

  “You owe me a kiss for it.” she grinned, and collected a long one before following Hilsith inside with a giggle. She turned to close the door and saw that Mark had been staring at her behind as she walked away, so she took the time to show him an enticing little wiggle and bounce. Satisfied with his expression, she smiled smugly and closed the door.

  “Now, what would you like to know, Mark?” Yazadril asked.

  “What? Oh! Ah, what was that?” Mark asked sheepishly. “I was lost in thought for a moment there.”

  “What did you wish to ask? Your general knowledge questions?” Yazadril gently reminded, as Nemia giggled and Mark blushed.

  “Right. Well first off, I was wondering how many people there are in the world, approximately.”

  “A natural question. Let’s list them by race, from least to most, and add them up as we go along.

  “As you know there are about three and a half million elves, with nations all over the world.

  “There are exactly nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine dragons, and a bit more than half of them reside on the Dark Continent, the rest in Xervia. They have chosen to limit their population at that number.

  “Next most numerous of the known peoples would be the giants on Felion, with perhaps one hundred and fifty million.

  “There are perhaps two hundred million unicorns upon the plains of Xervia, say three hundred and fifty million gargoyles in the Xervian mountains, and about five hundred million Selkies in the lakes, rivers, and coastal waters of that continent.

  “As Alilia said last night, there are close to six hundred million humanoids on the Dark Continent.

  “They’d notice if we even named the continent?” Mark asked.

  “No.” Yazadril smiled. “Though some credulous fools think they would. Thus the custom to refer to Serminak as the Dark Continent.

  “To continue, there are close to one billion, two hundred million dwarves on Kletiuk, and slightly more than two billion gnomes on Felion.”

  “Great skies above!” Mark exclaimed. “I never dreamed there were so many people in the world!”

  Yazadril smiled. “Mark, there are some four billion, two hundred and fifty million humans on Kellaran. Most are on Debivin, and a fifth of them live on various islands and archipelagos scattered across the oceans, of which there are thousands, most of them too small to be shown on your globe.”

  At that, Mark could only gape.

  “Now, how many do we have so far?”

  “Uh, I’ve got this, but you’ll have to give me a moment.” Mark replied as his brow furrowed in concentration. “I get… Nine billion, two hundred and sixty-four million! Is that right?!!”

  “Yes, and in addition to that subtotal, there are unknown numbers of the hidden races on Xervia. From what I’ve been able to learn, there are perhaps four hundred million of them who are larger than a gnome, give or take a hundred million, and some of those are as large as a unicorn. There must be a billion of those of the hidden races who are smaller than a gnome, or as many as three billion, and some of them are a small as my hand. Sprites are that size, and we know of their existence for a fact since a few elves have seen one, though never outside Xervia.

  “Furthermore, there are two races that are kept in quarantine in Warded reserves in Xervia by the Grand Council. The first are the ogres, of which there are perhaps two million, the second are a race of insects whose name translates as The Swarm. Only the Hive Queens of that race are intelligent, of which there are a few thousand, but there are hundreds of millions of worker drones of the hives, which are the size of squirrels and no smarter than dogs.”

  “So there are some eleven billion people in the world, or there about?!! Eleven thousand million!!” Mark marveled. “That’s almost inconceivable! You’d think the very ground would collapse from the weight of them all!”

  “Not quite.” Yazadril chuckled. “It’s
a very big world we live on, Mark. Kellaran is over twenty-eight thousand leagues in circumference, that’s eighty-four thousand miles. And, most of the people have congregated in cities and towns and other settlements, which occupy a very small proportion of the land area. Though more than half the world is covered by the oceans, if you picked ten places on the land at random, and visited them all, it is likely that at none of those ten places would you see a single person of any race or any of their works, from horizon to horizon. Most of it is undesirable and unwanted land in its natural state, deserts and mountains and swamps and whatnot.”

  “Oh. Well, my next question has to be; what are gargoyles, selkies and ogres?” Mark asked

  “You’ve heard of trolls?”

  “Yes, and seen paintings of them. But I thought they were mythical.”

  “Troll is another word for ogre, and they are definitely not mythical. What they are is twelve to sixteen feet tall, ugly, smelly, somewhat solitary, and more mean when disturbed than a mother bear after you’ve kicked her cub.”

  Yazadril cast an illusion of two figures standing beside the table. “Gargoyles, male and female.” he pronounced. The muscular ape-like creatures were identical except for their loins and the female’s breasts, of which there were four, the lower pair smaller than the upper. They were dark gray, with heavy brows, tiny eyes, and thick fangs that were almost tusks protruding two inches out of their wide mouths, two upper ones and two lower ones each. They had huge arms and rested on their knuckles, and bat-like wings protruded from their backs. In their hunched-over posture the tops of their heads were about five and a half feet high.

  “I’ve seen statues of such things in pictures of old buildings, perched on the rooflines. I thought they were just decoration though. It kind of makes sense, since these two look like their skin is made of stone.” Mark commented.

  “The carving of the statues you’ve seen is a tradition that dates back to an earlier age, when gargoyles were often hired as guards for important buildings.” Yazadril told him. “They never sleep and are possessed of almost infinite patience. And while their skin is not really stone, it’s almost as difficult to pierce with a sword as stone. Their wings are only for guidance in flight, like those of dragons, for like the dragons their entire race has the inherent ability of Flight.”

  He erased the illusion, and cast one of another pair, these about four feet tall with sleek brown fur and long gray whiskers. “Selkies.” he declared.

  “They look just like big otters with slightly longer arms and legs!” Mark chuckled.

  “Not surprising, since selkies and otters descended from common ancestors. The female is the larger.”

  “Ah. Let’s see. Why are the hidden races hidden?”

  “Because they fear everyone else.” Yazadril told him as he dismissed the Illusion of the selkies.

  “Among animals, some are predators, like wolves and lions. Violence is their way of life. The humanoids of Serminak are like that, as are the dragons.”

  “Really? I mean, my bodyguard and his mate seemed pretty civilized to me.”

  “And they are, but it is also true that the hunting of live prey provides almost all of their diet. The only exceptions are treats and confections. Killing is their life. And the dark dragons of Serminak are not civilized in any way. Those would greatly enjoy hunting, killing, and eating you or me, and would consider us to be rare treats indeed.

  “There are other animals, like horses and mountain sheep, who are not predators, but who have some violence in their natures. Their males battle for the right to mate, and they are quick to defend their own with great force. Similarly, most peoples are capable of violence, but are more often peaceful. Humans and elves fall into this category.

  “Then there are animals with almost no violence in their natures. Like rabbits, they will flee from attackers at every opportunity, even if it means abandoning their young to die, and they will only defend themselves when they are trapped, or otherwise denied the opportunity to flee from attack. The hidden races of Xervia are like that. They are incapable of attacking others, and some do not even have the ability to defend themselves. It is simply not in their natures to do so. Thus they remain hidden, and under the protection of The Grand Council of Xervia, which is composed of the leaders of the hidden nations, and of the unicorns, gargoyles, selkies, and dragons of Xervia.”

  “I see. And how many of the races are magical?”

  “Why all of them, to one extent or another!” Yazadril laughed. “The selkies have the least magic in their nature, as is reflected in their short life spans of fifty years or so, and in the fact that they only have about a dozen true magic users among them, and only a few hundred others who are capable of casting one or two simple spells.

  “More magical than selkies is a category that includes humans, giants, gnomes and dwarves, though we’re not that sure about the gnomes. All have about the same proportion of wizards, about one per thousand persons, and while dwarves tend to live four times as long as humans, the life spans of the giants are about the same as those of humans, and that of gnomes about ten years shorter. Of course most Master Wizards of all four of those races can extend their life spans to a greater or lesser degree.

  “Next would be gargoyles, all of whom have several inherent magical abilities, though they produce no wizards, nor can they learn to use any spells other than their inherent ones. They tend to live five to nine hundred years.”

  “Next I think would be the humanoids of the dark continent. They have no inherent magical abilities, and they have a natural life span of about a millennium, though most are killed by each other long before that, and very few live past four hundred. On the other hand, almost every one of them is capable of using magic, the ones who are not are soon killed, and most who survive for more than a century are serious wizards indeed. The extent of their ability as wizards to extend their life spans is unknown, since they tend to kill each other long before that becomes an issue.

  “Elves and unicorns have highly magical natures. Most are capable of becoming wizards, elves more so than unicorns, and elves produce the highest proportions of wizards of serious power. Both races have unlimited natural life spans. Elves have the inherent magical ability to heal from all injury that is not immediately fatal, and have a perfect sense of time, unicorns have inherent psionic communication, and perfect senses of direction and distance. And while not inherent, elves have a greater affinity for horticultural and ecological magic than other races, while unicorns grasp Translocation and similar spells with almost instinctive ease. It’s interesting to note that while both races have unlimited life spans, in practice unicorns tend to live three or four times as long as elves on the average, because they have involved themselves in far fewer wars, and because unicorns are extremely difficult to kill, being both physically tough and highly resistant to magically inflicted injury.

  “Of course, the most magical race of people are the dragons, though we did not fully know why till last night. As we learned, only they can use both kinds of magic.”

  “Two out of three, you mean.” Mark chuckled. “Remember she said to me; ‘the power only you can use.”

  “I stand corrected. At any rate, all dragons have several inherent magical abilities, and while not all have the same ones, all have Flight, the ability to detect every person and animal within a league or so, and one of the four types of breath weapons. About eight out of ten have fire breath, about two of ten can exhale extreme cold, only seven dragons can exhale poison gas, and only three can exhale clouds of corrosive mist. Most have Invisibility, Translocation, psionic communication over global distances, and the ability to Ward themselves against detection by others over distance. Beyond their inherent abilities, many have become very adept spell-casters. Dragons are almost indestructible and have unlimited life spans. The oldest one in Xervia has been alive on this world for over sixty-three million years.”

 
“Are you serious?! I mean, that doesn’t seem possible, given what you said of the manner of deaths suffered by elves! As you said, the chances add up against you over time, even given how tough dragons are! I mean, your own life span still seems all but impossible to me, Yazadril! It just seems inconceivable that anything could live… over sixteen thousand times as long! Perhaps you have been misinformed, or mislead.”

  “And you said you were not skilled at maths.” Yazadril chuckled. “That was a rather quick calculation. And your thinking would be correct, were it not for the nature of dragons. You see, elves are social creatures, like most peoples. We do not sleep very much, nor are we tolerant of long periods of solitude. Most all of us are good people, and would find it difficult to see evil done, and simply bide until it had passed.

  “Whereas dragons are generally solitary, they are neither good nor evil by nature, and so their morality is a matter of choice and development and circumstance. They sometimes sleep in a hibernating state for centuries or millennia. They may let an age pass without speaking to a single other person, and are just as likely to ignore great evil as to join it or combat it. They are much less likely than elves to rush out and involve themselves in disputes and wars not of their making. You see how these factors, combined with their general indestructibility, explain their great average longevity.”

  “Yes, I guess. What does it take to kill a dragon?”

  “Powerful wizardry, other dragons, an attack by many, a lucky or skilled strike with a strong magical weapon. They die from the same injuries we do, it’s just very difficult to inflict such injuries. They can drown, they can suffocate, they can die of thirst, one even starved to death after being injured and immobilized in his sleep by the collapse of the mountain he lived within.”

  Hilsith and Talia returned to the balcony, and Talia snuggled onto Mark’s lap again.

  “Well, I think I had other questions, but I can’t remember them now.” Mark chuckled. “So I suppose we should get to work on my magic lessons.”

  “Excellent.” Yazadril said as he stood, and the others followed his example. “Hilsith, I would prefer you join us. It seems wise to have a Healer present while testing such new magics. And Nemia my love, I’d prefer your presence as well. I may need to call on your abundant power.”

  “Oh don’t you worry, Yazadril.” Nemia laughed as she hugged him. “We’re not letting you out of our sight until we get our rematch!”

  “Ya! So there!” Hilsith childishly declared as she hugged him from the other side, her smile beaming. It was so out of character for her to speak so frivolously that everyone got a good laugh from it.

  “Off to the workshop then!” Yazadril laughed, shooing them off before him. “Normally we would conduct such uncertain trials in The Hall of New Magic, but I think we can do without the attentions of your many admirers for now!” he told Mark.

  “How do you mean?” Mark asked as he stood.

  “Look down over the railing, my fine youth!”

  “Wow! There’s hundreds of them!” Mark exclaimed as he peered over the railing. “What do they want?”

  “To see us, to say hello, to offer a hug or a handshake.” Talia laughed, peering over with him. “Many are just curious, for life here is usually somewhat routine. And some want more than that. Notice the bright red hair by the bench there.”

  “Balen.” he chuckled as he turned from the rail, still carrying his bride. “I should’ve known. And next time, please don’t lean over so far. You make me nervous.”

  “You worry for nothing, then.” Talia told him, her smile slightly pained by memory. “For I’ve already leapt from that balcony railing, an hour or so before we met. The curse would not let me fall an inch.”

  That brought the mood of the group to a more serious state as they filed down the stairs.

  Once in Yazadril’s workshop, they set their swords aside. Yazadril set an armless chair in the center of the floor for Mark with another facing it for himself. He set another pair near the edge of the room facing Mark’s seat, as Talia began to whistle. “Nemia, Hilsith, please sit here and observe carefully. Take note of anything unusual you detect.” he instructed.

  “She’s making my chair grow.” Mark stated in amazement as Talia’s whistling and casting continued. “I’ll never get used to this.”

  “My girl, your skill is truly growing by leaps and bounds! Well done!” Yazadril congratulated.

  “I got a feeling for it from Mark’s conveyance chair.” she told him when she’d finished, and motioned her husband to sit. She then took her usual place on his lap.

  “Talia, I knew you’d insist on staying with him, which is why I didn’t seat you with your mother. But this is dangerous work. In this you must be a wizard, not a wife, and keep your wits about you.”

  “I will Father, but what makes you think it will be so dangerous?”

  “Just something in the Xervian diplomat’s manner when she spoke of it.” Yazadril said as he took his own seat. “Now Mark, you should be comfortable and relaxed. Hum a note; pick one at random, and with luck it will be your most comfortable note, and the one matching your body’s primary resonance.

  “That’s good, we can see you glowing now, as you did when you sang at your wedding. That will make this much easier. Hum a little higher now. Now back to your first note. Now a little lower. And back again. Excellent.”

  Mark had to stop and take a breath.

  “As I’d hoped, you glow brightest with the first note. Remember it. What did you feel as you did that?”

  “Nothing in particular.”

  “Most strange. Hum it again now, and close your eyes. Try to detect whether you feel anything different.

  “Anything? No? We’ll just have to be methodical then.” Yazadril nodded as he brought a small round side table floating over, and set it between them. He brought over a few other objects, put three of them in his pocket, and set a white pebble on the table.

  “Now, hum the note, and try to move the pebble with your power.”

  Mark did, and he kept trying with fierce concentration till he had slowly expended three deep lungfuls of air with his humming.

  “Pick up the pebble.” Yazadril instructed. “Feel it’s shape and texture with your fingers, look at it from every side. Tap it against the table, listen to the sound. Try to know the pebble completely, to become so familiar with it that you could pick it out from dozens of similar pebbles.”

  Mark did these things, then rubbed it against his cheek, then popped it in his mouth and rolled it around on his tongue. Talia materialized a napkin for him, and he spat the pebble into it and dried it. He then held it close before his eyes and inspected its smallest visible features. Finally he set it down on the table again. “I think I know it about as well as I can.” he shrugged.

  “Good. Now try the Movement again. Once you have controlled your power for the first time, you will feel it and recognize it, and it will get easier and easier after that. Much like learning to whistle, for example. To move the pebble as little as the width of a hair will start you down the road to wizardry.”

  Mark tried for over twenty minutes, re-examining the pebble a few more times while he caught his breath between humming. The pebble remained stubbornly stationary.

  Yazadril called an end to that, and had Mark try to guess what picture was on the topmost card of a deck in his pocket. Mark guessed wrong twenty-three times in a row, got one correct, then missed another nine.

  He then failed to make a seedling grow any faster for fifteen minutes, then he failed to light a candle for another ten.

  Finally Mark’s frustration got the better of him. “This is stupid, Yazadril!” he complained, slapping himself on the thigh. “Why don’t I just put the tine band on, then you can contact me mentally, and show me what I’m supposed to be doing!”

  “Because mental communication can be traumatic to one such as yourself. Skills such
as Speaking are taught in the third year of training for students of wizardry, not on the first day, and what you are asking for is a far more complete mental sharing than that. In order to be able to show you how to perform a spell, to know the feel of it, requires at least a partial melding of our minds, called a Link. And, not to sound boastful, but the fact is that my mind is particularly formidable. If our communication is the tiniest bit more extensive than we hope, you could end up with decades of my memories. Your personality could be subsumed beneath them, and you would become insane.”

  “Well look, I don’t need to know how to cast such communications spells, I only need one cast upon me by someone who knows this stuff. And Talia’s not much older than me, so her mind shouldn’t be so formidable, as you say, and I’m sure she knows all this basic stuff enough to show it to me almost as well as you could. So she could do this for me.”

  “It’s still risky.” Yazadril insisted.

  “We have the curse to protect us.” Talia said as she Summoned the tine band, seemingly plucking it out of the air. “And there is a chance that Mark’s power is so different from our own that these standard teaching techniques may never work. The very thoroughness of our knowledge of our own style of magic may blind us to what we need to see.”

  “Still, there are many other things we should try before we take such a drastic step! We must be patient! I had planned to try these standard techniques first, then begin working from the other direction, using the clue we were given that his power source is of a frequency two and six-tenths times that of the source!”

  “And how would we utilize that clue?” Talia asked insistently. “You have not particularly studied the source in its raw form, since we believed until last night that it could not be utilized that way. And even if we had, we would still have to adapt that knowledge to the different frequency and to Mark’s unique needs. His powers seem far closer to those of our unicorn friends than our own, from what they told us, and I think they are the ones who should teach all of us those lessons.

  “Which leaves us little else to try in the short time we have remaining now. I am willing to try this. So is Mark. I think we should do it, and unless you absolutely forbid it, we will do so.”

  Father and daughter locked fierce gazes and stubborn wills.

  “Well there’s a scene that brings back memories.” Nemia laughed.

  “It does, for she’s as reckless as you were!” Yazadril growled.

  “She’s also right.” Nemia told him gently. “Though I share your feelings in this, I know that they are overprotective. She is a qualified professional now, my dear, and in this matter, she knows as much as we do.”

  “She knows as little as we do, you mean!” he grumped, then shook his head. “All right. But you will perform each smallest stage of the spell discreetly, and check to be sure you are both fine with it before moving on to the next step, as you were taught when you were first learning this.

  “And before you do anything else, give me the tine band, for I’ve thought of some improvements for it.”

  She handed it over, and he began gesturing at it. “Since it’s the physical vibrations of it that matter, it doesn’t matter what makes the tines vibrate, so I will spell it to ring constantly while you are wearing it. This will allow a far more consistent effect than plucking it by hand.”

  “You know, I’m rather well grounded in basic theory.” Hilsith stated icily. “I’ve now seen and heard enough to realize that you hold an invisible object that allows Mark to be affected by conventional magic. Were I not a Healer, it would not matter, and it would be none of my business, and I would assume that you had good reasons for not telling me.

  “But it strikes me that it would have been a good thing for me to know how to use yesterday, when he was dying in my arms and I could not affect him with my spells to save his life! You should have told me then!”

  “I’m sorry, Hilsith.” Yazadril gently responded. “But things happened very quickly then, if you remember, and not one second after it became apparent that his life was threatened, the curse saved him.”

  “True.” Hilsith admitted testily. “Perhaps I should not be so upset, but it was a horrible experience for me. I’ve lost patients who could not be saved, but to lose someone so young and strong to a simple heart cramp that any third year Healer should have been able to cure, to have to helplessly revert to the most primitive techniques, only to see them fail…”

  “I’m sorry for not telling you, Hilsith.” Mark told her. “Yazadril, let her see the band. Nemia too. I’m sure my secret is safe with them, and they may need to know sometime.”

  Yazadril gestured again. “It’s a simple object, and its vibrations bring Mark into tune with conventional magics closely enough for the power to affect him at about one-twentieth of its normal rate. So if you must cast upon him, you will need to use twenty times your normal strength, even when he’s wearing it. And as I say, rather than him needing to pluck or strum these tines as he did yesterday, now he only needs to wear it.”

  “Remind me to examine it thoroughly later.” Hilsith nodded. “I want to be able to fetch it from a great distance if necessary.”

  “I will.” Yazadril nodded as he handed it to Mark, who put it on.

  “How does it feel?” Talia asked.

  “Better. I think the constant drone of it will be less irritating than plucking it was.” Mark nodded.

  “All right. Are you ready to share minds with me, my beloved?”

  “As ready as I could be.” Mark grinned.

  “Then here we go. Close your eyes. That’s it.”

  Talia closed her eyes and gently pulled his head down to hers, till their foreheads rested against each other.

  “I can feel you!” Mark exclaimed.

  “Yes. Now I’ll just come a little bit closer… a bit more… and… “

  Suddenly they both yelped and jumped a bit in their seat. Their eyes flew open as they hurriedly drew their heads back, and then they grinned at each other.

  “Wow! Did you feel that?!” Mark exclaimed. “That was close!”

  “That was past close! It saved us!” Talia laughed with relief.

  “What?! The curse saved you?!! From what?!!” Yazadril demanded in concern.

  “Not the curse!” Mark laughed. “The spell of the wedding chapel! The magic love!”

  “As soon as our minds made full contact, Mark’s just pulled me right in!” Talia revealed. “For a fraction of a moment, we were one! We were lost in each other! And then the chapel’s spell drew us back! Right now, it’s keeping us out of each other’s memories unless we consciously remember something, and it’s keeping us physically discreet so we don’t accidentally move the other’s body! But other than that, we are in absolutely complete communication! I hear his thoughts, feel his skin, hear my own voice with his hearing, see with his eyes! It was more than a bit disorienting at first, but we’re getting a grip on it.

  “And his mind! You would not believe it Father! His mind has such depth! Only in the silver dragon have I ever felt a mind with such… Such capacity! He is a great vessel, just waiting to have knowledge poured into it! I think he could easily accept my entire wizardry education in about a minute!

  “Here love, this is the basic Flame spell, to light the candle.”

  “I have it!” he exclaimed, closing his eyes. “I understand it!”

  “All right, don’t cast it yet.” Talia cautioned as she closed her own eyes. “Hum your resonant note first. Let me see if I can feel your power, and the differences between it and mine. Yes, there it is, you see?!” She opened her eyes. “You see through my eyes how your glow brightens when you feel that?

  “Now stop the humming, and just feel your power. Push a little harder now, and see, we bring your glow back up to full strength without the hum.

  “All right, now, this is what my power feels like.”

  “Oh! That is diffe
rent!”

  “Yes. I’ve never felt anything like your power before. I want to try something before you try to cast with your power. Here, this is what it’s like to cast the Flame spell with my power. I’m wondering if the tine band allows you to cast with regular wizardry, as well as be affected by it. Carefully now, open your eyes, and try to light the candle that way.”

  He did, and the candle sparked, then lit.

  “He did it!” Yazadril exclaimed in surprise.

  “No he didn’t!” Talia laughed. “Not really. He cast the spell, but he did so with my power, not his own!

  “Here, Mark, feel the difference. Now try it.”

  “But I don’t feel that at all, except when you’re showing me yours!” he protested, and extinguished the flame with his fingers. “And so… Right. As you felt, I did the same thing, but I just don’t have any of that myself, so it didn’t light.”

  “True, but it was worth a try. Now, as you used my power, let me try to use yours. Just relax, and let me guide it. It’s not working, but we feel it almost working… you’re so different… perhaps… no, that’s not it.”

  “Try the other way, like this.” he suggested.

  “I see! That’s closer, but not quite it. But if we… That’s it! That’s it, I’m sure of it! Now, to light the candle, I just…”

  “Wait!!!” Mark suddenly screamed in absolutely terrified panic just as a fireball a foot wide appeared around the candle. Its expansion was not quite fast enough to be called an explosion.

  Nemia frantically tried to cast a heat shield in front of her husband before he was burned.

  Yazadril just as frantically tried to contain the fireball, but it brushed aside his efforts like cobwebs.

  Nemia’s almost instant protective reflex managed to get enough energy into her heat shield to deflect about three-quarters of the fireball’s power from her husband. Still, it blasted him back through the air, and he struck the wall ten feet behind him and fell to the floor, his hair and clothes aflame.

  Hilsith managed to counter most of the heat and force that hit her and Nemia with a blast of cold, but they were still lightly burned on every inch of exposed skin.

  The fireball blasted into Mark and Talia with unimpeded force and heat, and Nemia’s heat shield directed most of the power on the other side of the fireball their way as well. They were killed instantly, their hair and clothes burned away and their flesh itself set afire as they were blasted back into the wall behind them, Talia still in Mark’s arms.

  Most of the inside of the room caught fire as the fireball filled the entire room, and then dissipated.

  The room’s fire-fighting spells activated, sucking great quantities of heat from the hottest places in the room and releasing it outside the tree. A second later the flames were gone, ten seconds later the warmest things in the room were cool enough to touch.

  Hilsith rushed to Yazadril and cast upon him frantically. Nemia ran up behind the Healer, laid her hands on the polar elf’s shoulders, and poured power into her.

  “Enough! We’ve got him!” Hilsith frantically yelled. “Stop, or you’ll deplete yourself to death and burn me out besides!”

  The two turned and ran to Mark and Talia. A choked sob came from Nemia at the horrible sight.

  “Let’s hope the curse is as good as it’s been said to be.” Hilsith murmured, and checked herself and Nemia with diagnostics. Their own natural healing was almost finished with their burns, so she returned to Yazadril.

  A minute later, Yazadril regained consciousness.

  “Rest easy.” Hilsith told him. “You were half a second from death, and it took both of us and every bit of power you had to save you. You are completely depleted, and your system will be in shock for days from such a complete injury, and the healing of it.”

  “Talia and Mark?” he croaked.

  “Gone.”

  “Something’s happening!” Nemia shrieked from across the room.

  “Draw my sword. Over there, by the desk.” Yazadril groaned. “Give it to me.”

  Hilsith stepped through the drifting ash and drew the great sword, brought it over and handed it to him hilt first.

  He drew strength from it the moment it was in his hand. He took a pair of deep breaths, and used the sword as a cane to help himself stand.

  Hilsith helped him up, sensing she would be unable to dissuade him.

  He pressed the sword’s crosspiece to the center of his chest and closed his eyes. “Mountainfire, my old friend. Help me out, would you?” he murmured.

  Hilsith saw the field of magic swirl about Yazadril as the sword flowed power into him, and he used it to further Heal himself.

  “Ahh!” he breathed. He took another great breath and shook himself a little, then stood straight and strong. “I’m all right. Thank you.” he told Hilsith, and strode over to his wife.

  “What’s happening?! Is that mist or dust?!” Nemia asked in pained confusion.

  A light was glowing from Mark and Talia’s bodies, and in it they could see particles drifting through the air toward the fallen pair, accelerating as they neared, then disappearing into the bodies.

  “It is both, I think.” Yazadril marveled. “Most of the material of their bodies was blasted and burned away, and most of the water they were made up of was blasted or evaporated off as well. Now I think it is being drawn back into place. They are being… Reconstituted. See, already they look… better.”

  Over the next seven minutes the process continued, and the two were gradually transformed from desiccated husks to exactly what they had been before, even their hair was back in place. Then the light intensified, flashed blindingly bright, and was gone.

  They jerked into motion so suddenly that the other three jumped in startlement. “Mark!” Talia yelled, exactly as he yelled; “Wait!!!” She threw her arms around his neck as he sat up with a jerk, staring wildly about.

  He noted the burned or singed look of everything, the drifting ash, and Yazadril’s thoroughly burned clothes. The old wizard’s hair had been mostly burned off, his eyebrows and eyelashes were completely gone, and his skin had a baby-new look. Nemia and Hilsith’s hair and clothes looked well singed. The three were staring at him and Talia with an amazement that was almost fearful.

  “I… I feel like I should bow down on my knees before them. Isn’t that strange?” Hilsith mumbled.

  “And no wonder.” Yazadril quietly agreed. “I’ve seen some things in my life. But that was a miracle. They are truly immortal. Nothing could be more certain proof of it.”

  Nemia slowly knelt beside them and hugged them, and softly cried in relief.

  “We… We were dead?” Mark stammered.

  “You were almost completely consumed and destroyed by fire.” Yazadril stated reverently.

  “We were Healed?” Talia quietly asked.

  “You were slowly re-created from the ash and dust and mist that you had become. There was light. Quite bright at the end, it was. And then you woke up, as if it had never happened.”

  “You’re all right?” Mark asked. “I mean, you’re quite a sight!”

  “Hilsith and Nemia saved my life, though they tell me it was a close thing.”

  “If Nemia hadn’t shielded you so quickly, there would have been no chance for you, Yazadril.” Hilsith stated quietly, still staring at Mark and Talia.

  “Uh, sorry about that.” Mark guiltily said. “You’d be well within your rights to say I told you so.”

  Yazadril started to chuckle. “No.” he laughed. “You were both killed, and if that knowledge isn’t enough to make you more cautious, any admonishments I could add likely won’t either.”

  That broke the mood.

  “I think new clothes all around are in order.” Nemia smiled. “We three could use some hair styling as well. Then some cleaning and restoration of this room.”

  “The room will have to wait.” Yazadril said. “We have only thirty
-two minutes remaining before we must leave for the Council of the Alliance!”

  “You two stand up and I’ll clean you off.” Nemia chuckled.

  “Uh, we’re kind of naked here…” Mark protested in embarrassment, glad that Talia was in his lap, hiding his loins from view.

  “I’m quite aware of that.” Nemia smiled. “The ashes you’re wearing are all that’s left of your clothes! But you two almost killed my husband, and so I think I deserve to see your beautiful, magical nakedness, should I so desire it in recompense!”

  “All right.” Talia said, and calmly stood.

  Mark quickly covered himself with his hands.

  Talia stood with her arms up and slowly turned around as Nemia cast the cleaning spell upon her.

  “You daughter is almost as lovely as you are.” Hilsith sighed.

  “She is.” Nemia grinned. “And now that she’s married, I’ll be enjoying her soon!”

  “Will you invite me along?” Hilsith giggled.

  “I think I will! Now you, Mark! Stand up tall and proud for us!”

  “I won’t!” he protested.

  “Now Mark, don’t be petty.” Talia chided. “We almost killed them all. They had to see us dead, and you know how that must have hurt. Do you truly think they do not deserve this small act of contrition from us, if they wish it?”

  “But…! But Yazadril’s… I mean… I can’t!” Mark stammered.

  “Well, while I have no real sexual interest in you, I admit that I am curious to see what a human as huge as you looks like when he’s naked!” Yazadril laughed. “And you did almost kill me,

  so I think a bit of embarrassment will do you good right now!”

  Mark glared at him for a moment. “Fine.” he declared brusquely, and stood, his arms firmly at his sides.

  “Impressive!” Yazadril laughed.

  “Quite!” Hilsith agreed.

  “Oh sweet source above!” Nemia exclaimed with a giggle. “What a mighty phallus! I feel like I might faint!” She began casting the cleaning spell on him.

  “And on that note, I’m off to fix my eyebrows and whatnot.” Yazadril laughed as he retrieved his scabbard and headed up the stairs. “Don’t forget to bring your swords and the tine band.”

  “Now can I have some clothes?” Mark asked.

  “Not so fast.” Nemia smiled, licking her lips. “I wish to see it rampant. And I would very much like to drink your nectar from it.”

  “And I as well!” Hilsith grinned.

  “Now just a damn minute!” he growled.

  “Mark, I love you very much, but you are making me irritated with you.” Talia stated firmly. “They saved my father’s life just now, and if they ask it of me, I will gladly lick their toes clean of ashes and service them in whatever way they ask for as many months as they wish. Now if you wish to stay in my good graces for the remainder of the week, you will do as they ask, whatever they may ask.”

  “You’re serious!”

  “Absolutely.”

  “But you heard Yazadril! We don’t have time for this!”

  “Young man, between Hilsith and I, we have more than nine hundred years’ practice in the arts of pleasure.” Nemia grinned. “Believe me, you will last exactly as long as we wish, and with a youth like you, that need not be long at all! We do have time for this, and I will personally guarantee to have you ready to go in time!”

  Mark struggled in indecision, but the thought of Talia’s displeasure was too painful to bear. “All right.” he agreed, and closed his eyes.

  “Oh come now, Mark!” Hilsith laughed as she and Nemia stepped up to him. “Don’t act like you’ve been sentenced to torture! Believe me, you’re going to enjoy this!”

  And he did. The two elven beauties brought him to ecstasy twice in the space of fourteen minutes.

  Talia renewed their mental contact just as Hilsith brought him ecstasy, and she shook and gasped along with him. “How absolutely exquisite!” she thought to him. “I can’t wait to show you mine!

  “Now feel my love, my husband. You see? I don’t love you a smidgen less, I love you more, knowing that you did this for me. And you still love me just as much.”

  “I do. And it’s a good thing we’re talking mentally, for I’m panting too hard to talk out loud!” he chuckled.

  “Up the stairs with you now, children!” Nemia laughed. “There’s no use putting on clean clothes in this mess!”

  Mark and Talia gathered their weapons before leaving the room. Both swords, as well as Mountainfire, had emerged from the inferno unscathed, as had their scabbards, though the belts were ruined.

  “You know, I really have to thank the three of you.” Mark said in thoughtful bemusement as they climbed the stairs. “My love Talia for pushing me into accepting pleasure that was generously offered. Thank you, sweet wife.

  “Nemia and Hilsith, thank you for valuing me and desiring me enough to ask to do that for me. Thank you so much. I can’t believe the fuss I made, when all you asked to do was give me pleasure, while asking for none for yourself! And thank you two again for the exquisite pleasure of your deep kiss!

  “Nemia, though you pleasured me for less than four minutes I think, it was heavenly! Thank you so much.

  “Hilsith, your touch was… Well sorry for saying so Talia, Nemia, but Hilsith’s physical skill was supreme! Thank you so much!”

  “You’re welcome!” Hilsith smiled as she stepped into the kitchen, and Mark stepped up to be cleaned. “As to my skill, I’ve had seven centuries to improve it, and my performance is entirely due to the methods, control, and discipline I’ve developed. I used no magic, nor am I spelled in that way. It is a discipline similar to that of the sword swallower we saw at the pavilion of Kuth last night, and his skill was not magically enhanced either.

  “I did enjoy joining Nemia in her ‘giggling adolescent’ sort of mood, though that frame of mind is rare for me.” Hilsith smiled.

  Mark chuckled. “Anyway, what I’m leading up to is this; somehow that experience has freed me from a great fear I didn’t even know I had! I now feel so much more at ease! So much more relaxed to be here, living with you elves, and so much more comfortable with your ways! I don’t know how I could carry around such fear and not even be aware of it, and now that it’s gone, I don’t even know what I was afraid of!

  “Anyway, thank you so very, very much, all three of you lovelies!”

  “Your fears are the ones taught to you by your culture, and within that culture, they were valid fears, while within our culture, they were merely impediments to your happiness.” Hilsith explained as they all moved to the central room, where Nemia and Talia began producing clothing and accessories. Talia handed Mark an outfit similar to the one that had been destroyed, as Hilsith continued. “You feared being ridiculed and shunned for exposing your nakedness, you feared offending everyone by desiring females other than your wife, you feared that your sexual performance might be judged to be poor, you feared that promiscuous sex with promiscuous females would lead to sexual diseases and unplanned pregnancies and bastard children and the loss of your wife’s love and the breaking of your marriage, as well as shame, dishonor, humiliation and loss of respect from everyone involved. All being what your good mother must have warned you about dozens of times since you first looked at females with an eye to doing more than playing pranks on them.

  “And you, Mark, make a greater effort to be perfectly honorable than any other human I’ve met. Most human males who enter elvenlands only take about ten minutes to joyously dispense with their mother’s warnings, seeing they are not valid among elves, and embrace the ways of their hosts with phenomenal eagerness. Whereas with you; your towering nobility has left you quite sexually repressed by elven standards, and even a bit by human standards.”

  “Talia has also been phenomenally sexually repressed for a female elf,” Nemia laughed as she re-contoured her eyebrows, “Especially one as beautiful and as unive
rsally desired as she is. For such a girl to save her virginity until the age of twenty-nine is unheard of, and is a widely admired act of pure willpower. The differences between her repression and yours being two; One, that she consciously chose hers, knowing full well how it would affect her, and two, that she now has the trigger she has been waiting for to release her from her repression, namely having married you.

  “Before she met you, she expected to marry an elf. And while we knew she was too shy to share pleasure with anyone but her sister before she fell in love, and probably too shy to share herself with anyone after that unless the man she loved was present and part of it, I can guarantee that she has always planned on, and fantasized about, sharing her marriage bed and her husband with all her young friends, once she married.”

  “And now I can comfortably indulge her in that, though part of me still wants to keep her all to myself!” Mark laughed.

  “Don’t worry about having enough of me, for I am always available to you. Always.” Talia smiled. “I had not planned on sharing you with anyone for months yet, though I admit, now that my sexuality is fully awakened, there is a part of me that wants to mate with everyone in The Nine Valleys! At any rate, I will not share our night sessions more often than once in four, or day sessions more than once in three. That is elven slang, night sessions tend to be more serious, romantic, passionate, and generally last one to three hours. Day sessions are usually more playful, and tend to last about an hour. The problem being, that I cannot share you with my friends unless they’ve had the treatments Hilsith has given me.”

  “I can help you there.” Yazadril said as he emerged from his bedroom, looking much the same as he had before the fireball, but with a much shorter hairstyle. “I can impress those spells into an item; a wand or jewel, so that you can cast them upon your friends at need.

  “With your permission, Hilsith, why don’t we get that out of the way now. We’ve a few extra minutes, and we should still discuss what went wrong downstairs.”

  Hilsith merely nodded, already mentally reviewing her spells.

  “Do you have an item in mind?” Yazadril asked his daughter.

  “Yes.” she said as she pulled a ring from her finger and held it out.

  “Your engagement ring?” Yazadril asked in surprise.

  “Yes.” she giggled. “I want those spells handy.”

  “I will give you temporary versions of the spells for the ring.” Hilsith stated. “They will last for six hours, and will give the recipient five minutes warning before they end. If necessary they can then be re-cast, but you can imagine if a female procrastinated, and was still engaged with Mark when the spells ended.”

  “Ouch!” Nemia giggled.

  “Also, I have included the anti-pregnancy spell. I find it hard to believe that Mark’s seed is as potent as you think, but if it is, I doubt you will want him impregnating every female you share him with. You can choose to cast it with the other spells, or not.

  “I am ready, Yazadril. If you are also, I will give you the spells.”

  Rather than answering, Yazadril held up one palm while he held the fingertips of his other hand to his forehead and closed his eyes.

  “One moment, he is contacted by Tithian.” Nemia answered for him.

  “The Alliance meeting is delayed two hours.” Yazadril announced a minute later. “Apparently, the number of attendees has grown beyond the capacity of The Hall of The Grand Council of Xervia, even though that building had been enlarged to accommodate the meeting. So they are constructing a new facility.”

  “In two hours?” Mark asked in surprise.

  “I’m sure that the bureaucrats in charge of the arrangements will consider the prestige of all Xervia to be at stake in the matter. They will not postpone the meeting to tomorrow if it is at all avoidable. And since the meeting cannot be held elsewhere because the hidden races will not leave Xervia, they are stuck with it. At any rate, you can be sure that considerable resources are available to the project. It will be finished in two hours.”

  “How will the hidden races attend, and still remain hidden?” Talia asked.

  “They will be obscured by Illusions, or disguised as something else in that way.” Yazadril told her, then turned to Hilsith.

  “You can pass me those spells now.”

  Hilsith nodded and closed her eyes in concentration a moment.

  “There are twelve spells?” Yazadril asked in surprise.

  “Seven primary spells, four diagnostics and a fail-safe.” Hilsith nodded. “If the diagnostics find that it is unsafe for a female to have the primaries cast upon her, the fail-safe will prevent it. This would be obvious to the caster, presumably Talia, at the time.”

  “Wise.” Yazadril nodded as he impressed the spells into the ring with a waving gesture, then handed it back to Talia.

  “Thank you, both of you.” Talia said as she replaced it on her finger.

  “Now, as to our candle-lighting experiment. What went wrong?”

  “I’m not sure, Father. I was very cautious. I used only the tiniest part of Mark’s power, and fully expected to have to gradually increase it for a few seconds before the candle would light.” Talia shrugged, pensive at the memory.

  “Ah. And you, Mark. You noticed something wrong. What did you feel, and why do you think Talia did not notice it?”

  “Talia was casting, and I was just observing.” Mark said, his brow furrowed in thought. “I think that’s why she didn’t notice. And I’d just cast Flame with her power, so it was noticeable to me that she was using a lot more of my power. I could feel it kind of rushing out of me, though it was a subtle sensation.”

  “So it’s a matter of control then.” Yazadril nodded. “She and you will have to learn to cast with less of your power.”

  “I’m not sure that’s possible.” Mark shook his head firmly at the thought. “The fraction of my power that she cast with was a smaller amount of it, compared to how much was available, than the proportion of her power I used to light the candle.

  Two seconds later he realized that the other four were staring at him open-mouthed. “What?” he asked.

  “Think about the implications of what you’ve just said, Mark.”

  “Oh. You’re saying I have more power than her?”

  “That’s putting it mildly. Talia is among the most powerful of elves. With… with Dalia gone, she is second in raw power among The High People, after Nemia. And that fireball was thousands of times more powerful than the Flame spell should have been. Perhaps millions of times. If she cast with a smaller fraction of your power than she would have used of her own… No, there must be some mistake.

  “Talia, give me your memory of the event.”

  Talia whistled a trill and gestured at her Father.

  “All right, now we’ll see.” Yazadril nodded, as he examined the Reading in detail.

  Then his eyes popped open and he took a step back from Mark.

  “There’s an expression I’ve not seen on your face before, husband.” Nemia quietly observed.

  “I’m sorry. It’s fear.” Yazadril stated, a quiver in his voice, then glared at his son-in-law.

  “You listen to me very closely, Mark Longstrider!” the ancient elf declared. “You will not cast your power anywhere within The Nine Valleys, or anywhere within a hundred leagues of any settlement at all, until you have gained absolute control of it! Absolute control, you hear me! You understand that?!!”

  “I’ve got it Yazadril, no need to yell.” Mark said, a little hurt by the other’s manner.

  Yazadril stared at him another moment, then gave himself a shake and asserted control of himself. “I’m sorry. That was rude. But you are a holocaust waiting to happen. You are undoubtedly the most powerful caster of any kind of power that has ever appeared among the humanoid races; perhaps among any race. There may be a few senior dragons who are stronger casters than you, but I would not bet even a single copper on it.
/>
  “You own Hilia, an isolated island. That would be a good place for your training. And such training is beyond me. I suggest you ask your bodyguard’s mate to help you with it. If she turns you down, I will petition the Xervians to have one of the other senior dragons help you, or perhaps the Xervian ambassador. She says she is first in power among her people, perhaps she is qualified, though I doubt it.”

  “Oh come now, Father! Aren’t you over-reacting a bit? I fail to see how raw power makes Mark unsuitable to be your student.”

  “A teacher must have the raw power to shield and contain his student’s power! Though such shielding is usually unnecessary until the student is attempting things more dangerous than lighting a candle! I could only train you and Dalia during your more dangerous stages because your mother or Alilia were there to shield you! When Alilia was trained, it was with the entire circle of senior wizards of The People of Life shielding her! And before you ask if Alilia could shield Mark, know that she could not! Mark is as much above Alilia in power as she is above me! If Mark slipped a bit while attempting to boil a pot of tea, he could… Great missing gods, there are no words for the possible destruction! Imagine if he actually attempted to cast a Fireball! Furthermore, his power may have only begun to reach it’s potential!”

  “Calm down.” Nemia told him firmly. “You’ve made your point.”

  “Great stars, when I think how close I came to losing you two…” Hilsith murmured. “I don’t know if I could bear that. I’ve never been in… I mean… Sweet source, what am I saying?!”

  “I think you’re saying that you’re falling in love with my parents.” Talia smiled.

  Hilsith looked stricken with shock.

  “You don’t look ready to talk about it.” Nemia giggled, and put an arm around the other’s waist. “Let’s just leave that conversation till after we return from the meeting.”

  “I’m not going to the meeting, am I?” Hilsith asked. “I am neither leader, nor senior wizard. In what capacity would I attend?”

  “As Yazadril’s Healer. He was almost burned to death today, and were it not for Mountainfire he would still be weak and suffering system-shock. I think all will agree it right that you keep him under observation for a few days.”

  “It will not be a question at any rate.” Yazadril said as he waved it off. “Councilors of nations are each allowed one personal staff member at the meeting, leaders and rulers are allowed three. This is a tiny nation, and I have never needed staff, so it is not a problem to take you.”

  “I think we’ll return home until it’s time to leave.” Talia smiled. “Now that we have time, I’d like to choose clothing and accessories more suited to such a great event.”

  “A good idea.” Nemia nodded. “But before you go, I’ve been meaning to ask you; why did you both decide to arrive armed?”

  “Mark’s sword is too dangerous to leave unattended.” Talia told her. “This one is as dangerous in it’s own way, though she knows who she belongs to and could not be stolen. I had a nice talk with her today while Mark was out seeing that Stripe and Scout were well housed and fed in the stable.”

  “It has a personality?” Yazadril asked in surprise.

  “Yes, though she only responds to her rightful owner, and only if her owner is a female elf. When Visinniria was a young Battle Mage of about mother’s age she often feared that she was going insane. She was more powerful than Alilia, and her power was more difficult to control. As well, she lived in an age of strife and turmoil, and had spent every day of her life at war since she was sixteen. She had seen things that could unhinge anyone. So on one of her better days she had her Healer confirm that she was still sane, and she stored a limited version of her own personality in the sword, so that she could check herself against it, and thus know if her mind was slipping.”

  “I see, but why did you choose to wear it, or her, here today?”

  “Oh.” Talia smiled, laying her hand on the hilt. “She was lonely.” Her face clouded over for a moment. “She tells me, rather stridently, that I was a fool to take her off, and that if I had been holding her she would have shielded us from the fire-blast downstairs.”

  “She likely would have. Battle Shield is one of the mage spells she is charged with.” Yazadril nodded. “If we’d had the slightest clue what would happen, you could have worn her and I’d have worn Mountainfire, and we’d all have been shielded. For that matter, if we’d known, we’d have been prepared enough to shield ourselves.”

  “She has examined my memory of the event.” Talia reported. “She says that if I hold her while I Link with Mark as I did today, she should be able to shield him and train him. She says that both me and Mark should learn to wield his power, since I should learn the first steps more quickly than he, and that he will likely catch up after the first two years or so.”

  “I beg to differ!” Yazadril frowned. “As impressive as that sword is, it has not a fraction of the power required to shield Mark!”

  “She says that she will shield him with his own power. That’s how Visinniria was trained, when she was faced with the same problem.”

  “Well! Just how limited is her personality then?”

  “Only the memories that she was given the day she was impressed into the sword are permanent and complete. Some of the more vivid experiences she had as a sword in Visinniria’s hand have been retained as well, though less perfectly. She forgets everything else within a century. Her personality will always be Visinniria as she was at the age of two hundred seventy-one. She does not have Visinniria’s power, except for the spells she is impressed with, but she has Visinniria’s knowledge from that time. And she has been made to be comfortable with being a sword.”

  “Amazing! Even I could not craft such a thing!” Yazadril marveled. “Could she cast with Mark’s power right now?”

  “She says she could do a few basic things with it now. The rest will take time and practice.”

  “Huh. Just how good a mage was she at two hundred and seventy-one?”

  “She says that without the impetus of constant war to drive us, we learn slowly and cautiously compared to her day. She thinks, judging from what I know of you, that Visinniria at that age could take either you or Alilia as you are now, and probably both of you together. Though she does admit that you are far beyond her in matters not involving war or combat.”

  “Is that so? Well my darling daughter, you know almost nothing of my military career, which adds up to almost eight hundred years of combat and command! Alilia’s military experience has included some three hundred years of war as well!”

  “Now look, I’m not going to stand here and argue with my father for you!” Talia told her sword. “All right, I’ll tell him that, but that’s it!

  “She says that may be so, but that she grew up during the great global war of the Segregation, which had been raging without interruption for six thousand years when she was born, and that from what she knows from me, wars in this era have been much more limited affairs. She also points out that my memory tells her that the real Visinniria had become a goddess before she reached the age you are now, and that her ability, even at the young age she was when she made the sword, was indicative of that potential.”

  “Hmm. Two very good points.” Yazadril admitted. “She may be right, but it’s a question we’ll never fully answer.”

  Talia grinned. “She says she’ll settle for that.”

  “How very generous of her.” Yazadril smiled wryly. “You two must run along home now. The Sentries tell me that you are about to have visitors.”

  “All right, but before we go…” Mark began, and gathered his thoughts before he continued. “Look, all of you. I’m so sorry for what happened today, and I assure you, I’ll never take the chance of it happening again.

  “But Yazadril, I’d still like you to train me. We could find someone from Xervia to shield me, or we could have Talia’s sword do it
as she said. And then you could train me, as you trained Talia with Nemia and Alilia to shield her.”

  Yazadril considered him, then sadly shook his head. “My boy, I am proud to have you as a son-in-law, and I almost love you like a son already. But I can’t train you.”

  “I, ah, I see. May I ask why?”

  “Well. I hesitate to tell you, but perhaps you need to know. A trainer needs a certain frame of mind toward his student, and I cannot hold that mood with you. Because I fear you. I’m sorry; I should say I fear your power. No one who is so totally ignorant as you has ever held such power. The few who did have such strength did not wield it when they received their first lesson in its use, when they still knew nothing about it! They developed it and gained control of it over millennia!

  “If Talia had not planned on building up the power of the Flame spell from almost nothing, if she had simply cast it with the strength she thought she needed to light the candle, all the shielding we could bring to bear would have been as nothing! For that matter, this tree would have been incinerated, and everything for a mile around would be dead, including your hundreds of admirers outside! But you two alone would live. And thus I cannot even count on your fear of your own death to keep you cautious!

  “As I said, you are a holocaust waiting to happen. As we stand here, I am terrified for Nemia, due to her proximity to you, and I’m tempted to ask you to leave the continent of Debivin until your basic training is complete. Perhaps later I’ll feel differently, but for now, the memory of the pain of being practically burned to death a few minutes ago is far too fresh in my mind.

  “I cannot train you with such terror in my heart. I will not be within a hundred leagues of you when you next attempt to cast your power, not if a thousand living swords and dragons assured me that you were fully shielded. Not if I can possibly avoid it.”

  Mark stared at him for a long moment, then shook his head and grinned. “That does put things into perspective, doesn’t it?”

  “I was hoping you’d see it that way.” Yazadril nodded. “Your guests are arriving. If you walk or fly you will keep them waiting. Let me repair the tine band, and Talia can Translocate you.”

  He cast Restore over the dented and discolored steel band, and it returned to what it was.

  “We’ll drop over before we go to the meeting.” Nemia told the young couple as Mark slipped the headband on, and checked that his sword was secure.

  “Let’s just keep the news of the extent of Mark’s power to ourselves, all right?” Talia asked. “Give us a chance to go to Hilia and work with Visinniria’s sword before we bring anyone else into it.”

  “Wise.” Yazadril nodded. “Just try not to even think about it till then.”

  “Bye for now!” Talia called, then whistled a complex melody, and cast.

  She brought them home in the center of the entrance hall.

  “Good day!” Silaran called to them. “We’ve just arrived. We’re in the back yard.”

  “We’ll be right out!” Talia called, then considered her husband.

  “Are you all right, my love?” she softly asked.

  “I’ll be all right.” he nodded as he carried her through the ballroom. “It hurts a bit that Yazadril’s afraid of me like that, though I understand it. I’m afraid of my power myself, now. Mostly though, everything’s just happening too fast. I feel almost like I’m out of breath from it all, and I never get a chance to get it back before I have to start hurrying again.”

  “Me too.” she nodded. “But we’re young and resilient. We can face our challenges, and overcome them. We’ll either get a chance to rest and assimilate everything that’s happened, or we’ll become accustomed to the pace. Visinniria often thought she would break under the strain of her life, but she never quite did. She just kept getting stronger. And so will we.”

  “And so will our love. I love you, Talia.” he smiled, and then he was carrying her outside.

  Silaran, Equemev, Kragorram, Povon, Stripe, and Scout filled the back yard almost completely.

  “Thiz one iz magnifizent!” Kragorram laughed as he playfully swiped at Scout, who made half-hearted swoops at his eyes. “What a zkilled flyer!”

  Povon and Stripe crouched nose to nose as the dragon gave the cat a scratch on his ribs with the tip of one claw. “This one’s psionic sensitivity is rather exceptional as well.” Povon noted. “I could not conceal our approach from him, nor could Equemev. Magnificent. Run and play now, kitten.

  “Greetings, Mark, Talia. I trust your wedding night went well?”

  “It did, thank you for asking.” Talia smiled.

  “Any memorable moments you’d care to share?” Povon snickered.

  “That I’d care to share? Well, when Mark first saw me unclothed, he was sure I had cast an enchantment upon my body to be irresistible to him! He actually asked me if I could show him what I looked like without the spell! It took me a few moments to convince him that he was feeling purely natural desire for me!”

  “Oh that is rich!” Povon chuckled. “And flattering!”

  “Very!” Talia laughed.

  “I know what that iz like, Mark!” Kragorram boomed in merriment. “There iz a mozhion that Povon doez, a long, grazeful ztretch, and zhe holdz her wingz out all the way and they get a little flutter at the tipz! I tell you, it zendz zhiverz up my zpine!”

  “I think you understand exactly, my friend!” Mark laughed, as he scratched under Stripe’s ear.

  Seeing that Stripe had padded over to make his re-acquaintance with their owners, Scout flew over, landed on Mark’s shoulder, and loudly called for his share of attention. Mark gave him a friendly scratch as well, and Talia gave him a firm rub on his neck, which he obviously enjoyed.

  “Welcome, by the way. I hope you are all well?” Mark inquired.

  “We are, for with your permission, we are all going to the greatest conference of the mighty ever assembled!” Silaran enthused.

  “Now, bright one, don’t get ahead of yourself.” Equemev chuckled. “We haven’t even asked them yet. They might have someone else in mind.”

  “Allow me to explain.” Povon politely interjected. “This first assembly of the Great Alliance will be an historic event, and Kragorram wanted to go, so he asked that he and I be allowed to attend. We were refused; on the grounds that there are many more wise and experienced dragons in Xervia who are more appropriate choices to represent our race, and that there will be limited space available at the meeting.

  “Silaran and Equemev also asked to attend, and were rebuffed on similar grounds; all this despite the fact that we four are among the most formidable of our peoples. Xervia chooses it’s representatives by both wisdom and power, and while we have an abundance of power, they give us little credit for wisdom, compared to that of our elders.

  “But Silaran has learned that you will both attend, since Equemev’s mother insists your presence is necessary, and that you are each allowed to be accompanied by three personal staff members.

  “We are thus hoping that you have not already chosen more than two to accompany you, and that you will allow us four to attend as your staff.”

  “It is deeper than that, Povon.” Equemev informed her. “Those who attend will be vouched by many security spells, and in order for us to pass the identity verification as Mark and Talia’s staff, we will have to truly be their staff. This is not a problem for Silaran and Kragorram, as they are already under hire as Mark and Talia’s security and transportation staff. But for you and I to attend under the same consideration, we will have to arrive at some agreement with them whereby we are accepted into their service. And it must be genuine. Diplomats have already been censured for hiring their friends as staff for a day or a week, in order to bring them to the meeting.”

  “I see.” Povon nodded. “I am not sure about this. There are limits to what I would do in order to attend the congregation. I only truly wish to go because Kragorram wishes t
o, most fervently, and I would not choose to be separated from him right now. And because I have been refused admittance, which irritates me a great deal!

  “What will you do, Equemev?”

  “I will present them with a list of the skills and services I can offer, and if Mark and Talia are interested in contracting for any of them, we will negotiate. If we can come to an agreement, I will be able to attend the meeting, unless they have already chosen who will accompany them.”

  “We weren’t told that we are allowed to bring staff, so we haven’t chosen anyone to accompany us.” Talia told them. “For my part, I’d be glad to have the four of you along. And I can think of several ways in which the hire of two such capable ladies as yourselves might be very advantageous to Mark and I. And one in particular.

  “One moment please.”

  She conferred with Mark privately via their Link. “Here is what I’m thinking, Love. My, you accepted all of that almost instantly! That’s amazing!”

  “I like it. All of it.” Mark stated out loud with a grin. “Go ahead.”

  “Thank you.” Talia smiled, and stood on his belt buckle to give him a quick kiss, then hopped up on his shoulder, almost balancing the weight of the great eagle on his other shoulder.

  “Here’s what we’re thinking. I’m assuming you both know about the approaching nexus in history, that Mark and I have been declared key to it all, that the leaders of the humanoid races have met and sworn to justice, and that some fought to the death to escape, while some were captured.

  “Yes. Equemev and Silaran told us all of that earlier today. That’s when we learned of the assembly of the Great Alliance.” Povon nodded.

  “And do you also know of the curse cast on my father and Alilia, and of the atrocity at Shinosa Valley?”

  “We knew of those, as they were revealed in the Reading Alilia placed in the sapphire she gave to my mother, and thence to the Grand Council of Xervia.” Equemev revealed. “We may not be considered wise enough to help decide our people’s fate, but we are considered important enough, and trustworthy enough, that we are privy to all available information.”

  “Excellent. The approaching nexus may or may not include a war. We are determined that it will not. It is in our minds that we will study battle wizardry, and we will strive to contain any violence that may erupt before it spreads into open warfare, by apprehending the perpetrators or instigators at the earliest opportunity.

  “Kragorram and Silaran are already contracted to assist us in combat. I cannot picture the two of you allowing your mates to charge into danger without you, so if we attack our enemies, we almost gain the assistance of the two of you by default. Since Kragorram and Silaran were well compensated for these services, it would not be fair if you were not also compensated.

  “We have already agreed that we three would share our arts, as our males agreed to share their martial skills. I now propose that all six of us share all these skills, that we train and practice together as a unit, a relatively small but powerful strike force that can act far more quickly than the great hosts of the Alliance.

  “We would be under Mark’s overall command. Since he already has seventeen hundred and sixty-five elves and the Second Wizard of the elven race under his command, he is the logical choice, and he will need to develop his leadership skills.”

  “Hey! You didn’t tell me that part!” Mark protested.

  “Hush, I’m negotiating here.” Talia smiled.

  “I did not know you had formed a command, Mark!” Kragorram exclaimed excitedly. “That iz almozt the entire nazhion of The High People!”

  “Only a few are of my nation.” Talia smiled. “The rest are of every nation of my race.

  “To continue, Mark will have overall command, and who is best suited to provide us with tactical leadership during various combat situations will become apparent during our training. That training will also include our learning to work closely with Stripe and Scout.

  “Povon and Equemev, the term of your hire will be until stability is reached after the nexus. The nexus is projected to happen in one to three years, but it may leave the world in turmoil for decades or centuries. The judgment of a new stability having been reached will be decided by The Assembly of the Alliance.

  “As your compensation, I offer two of the Magical Items of Special Significance that we were given as wedding gifts.

  “Povon, I offer this.” Talia pronounced as she produced the staff from that collection, a slightly gnarled six-foot length of a wood that had been bleached almost white, topped with a brass circle four inches in diameter. “It would be of use to any power caster, and of most use to those with the most power, so I think you would find it very useful indeed.”

  “I don’t know, I’ve never cast with a wand before. Few dragons ever have. Maybe none have.” Povon mused, eyeing the item with interest. “And that one is strange, I can feel it from here. It feels kind of nice though.”

  “Why don’t you try it in your hand?” Talia smiled, offering it up. “See how it feels, and note its function, while I negotiate with Equemev for a moment.”

  The silver dragon tentatively took the staff, which was just the right size for her to hold as a wand, and considered it for a moment. “Ooooh!” she exclaimed. “It’s a general purpose focusing amplifier!”

  “Yes.” Talia giggled. “Equemev, I offer this.” she said as she produced the ring from the Significant items, a simple gold band that would fit on her thumb. “It is an elven ring of protection, and is charged with formidable power. It offers several layers of automatically activated Illusions, Shielding, Force barriers, and transducing-reflecting spells, the design of which are based on the border Wards of the lands of The People of Rain, in Felion, and there are also giantish and gnomish aspects to some of the spells. It would take several dozen very intelligent, very powerful, and very determined wizards to harm the wearer of this ring, and it would take them a long time.”

  “No, Talia, you must keep that for yourself.” Equemev insisted. “You are very small and fragile compared to one such as I. As the most vulnerable of this company, you are far more likely to need it than I.”

  “I beg to differ, Equemev.” Talia countered. “Mark and I are practically immortal. We proved it conclusively today, so we two are the least vulnerable here. And while I’m sure that you are very resistant to harm, I think of us here, you are the most likely to sustain injury should we engage in battle. Except for Stripe and Scout, and this ring is not appropriate for either of them.”

  “I see. I admit that I do covet it.” Equemev mused. “I have had only the basic training to qualify as a Combat Sorcerer as part of my general studies, but I have learned enough of war to have a healthy fear of it.”

  “I accept.” Povon interrupted, and it was strange to see that the dragon was recognizably grinning as she fondled her new wand. “I will not give this up. No one will expect me to bear such a thing, and it is a wondrous tool. And besides, you had me with your first argument. That I could not possibly sit at home like a human housewife while Kragorram battled without me. Where he fights, I fight, for as long as our love lasts, which I hope will be forever! Though I do admit that I feel better about agreeing now that you have compensated me fairly for my service.”

  “Talia, Mark,” Silaran said, “If Equemev does not contract for the ring, I wish to negotiate for it, and if I can gain it, I will give it to her. It would ease my mind greatly to know that she is protected by such a thing during the days ahead, and I mean for her to have it.”

  “That will not be necessary, my love, for Povon’s agreement and reasoning have decided me.” Equemev told him. “I’d have negotiated longer I think, just for the principle of it, but as Povon said, my agreement was forgone at the first argument.”

  “Any of your people would negotiate till the moons fell, simply for amusement!” Povon chuckled.

  “True.” Equemev agreed with a mental smil
e and a playful flick of her tail. “Fit me with the ring, Talia. Then ask our vow, and we will give it.”

  The black and silver unicorn trotted lightly up the steps and lowered her head. Talia slipped the ring over the tip of her tapered, spiraled horn, and snugged it firmly.

  “Do you, Equemev and Povon, swear to serve us under Mark’s command as contracted comrades at arms, according to the terms and conditions I have described here today?” Talia asked.

  “We do so swear.” The two answered, and again Mark was dazzled by brightness.

  “Drat!” he cursed, rubbing his eyes as spots swam in his vision. “I wasn’t expecting the flash with you two!”

  “I am as surprised as you!” Povon marveled. “I would never have expected enough power from a single elven wizard to make me feel it adding binding to my vow!”

  “I would not have expected such a thing from all the elves alive!” Equemev exclaimed. “I was taught that such bindings did not affect my people at all, yet I clearly felt it!”

  “I don’t think it was entirely my own power that was responsible for that.” Talia conjectured. “I also carry within me the power of Alilia’s curse, and the power of my wedding vows taken within the great chapel before the entire elven race. Mark carries enormously more of that, plus power he drew directly from every elf at our wedding, plus the power of sixteen hundred and eighty one elven Compulsion spells. We can’t draw on any of that to cast with, but it’s still ambient elven magic, and so it should add to the binding of vows sworn with us. And of course you both now hold highly powerful elven artifacts.”

  “It was a very pleasant sensation!” Povon giggled.

  “Was it? It made my mind itch for a moment.” Equemev revealed, tossing her head and mane in irritation.

  “Careful you don’t lose the ring!” Mark advised.

  “No chance of that, I assure you!” Equemev laughed with another toss of her head.

  “Well, we welcome you to our company.” Mark grinned. “We’ll raise a few eyebrows when we make our entrance tonight, I think!”

  “Yez ladies, welcome to our unit!” Kragorram laughed, tossing his head and blowing two black smoke rings from his nostrils. “And may the forzez of evil tremble!”

  “I know it sounds juvenile of me, but I can hardly wait to observe my mother’s reaction when we arrive!” Equemev giggled mentally as she whinnied delicately out loud.

  “Speaking of mothers,” Talia commented as she agilely climbed down from Mark and scratched Stripe’s chin, “I should ask my parents to inform the meeting’s organizers that we will attend with our full complement of staff, and how much room our party will require.”

  “Go ahead, my love.” Mark nodded.

  As Talia cast Speaking to her parents, Mark addressed their four companions. “The first thing we need is information. Who struck Shinosa Valley? Who cursed Yazadril and Alilia? What were King Sorin of Venak and the Royal Wizard of Finitra up to, and the rest who refused to swear to justice, and what have they been doing, and do they have anything to do with any of the other acts of sinister wizardry? And just to be on the safe side, I’d really like to know how things are going on the Dark Continent.

  “Hopefully, we’ll learn all of that tonight.

  “Now, do any of you have any commitments on your time?”

  “Povon and myzelf have no formal dutiez, and no personal commitments exzept to each other and to thiz company.” Kragorram grinned.

  “I am part of the reserve of the Xervian Guard, but I am presently in a stage of life you might call ‘the gaining’ in this language, when I am expected to earn my own way in the world, and to amass sufficient wealth to cover any short-term needs or emergencies.” Silaran told him. “My present status in the Guard is; detached to your service.”

  “What he’s saying is that he’s available, and I am as well.” Equemev stated with a mental smile. “I am still a student and researcher, but I schedule my own curriculum. And since I will learn useful knowledge and skills while in this company, I will consider it a valuable part of my education.”

  “All right. Talia and I have a lot of work to do over the next few days. Especially me. Talia is already a serious enough wizard to merit standing at your side. Whereas I recognize that my own abilities as a warrior hardly make me fit to be more than a hindrance to the five of you, if we actually meet anything that could challenge you.”

  “Perhaps, perhaps not.” Povon mused. “I think you have yet to inspect the collection of weapons and armor I noticed at your wedding last night. And I recognize your sword from histories I’ve studied. A nasty toy indeed. When I consider that Stripe and Scout are your weapons as well, I can think of worse choices to have beside me, come what may. And if necessary you can call on your little army of elves.”

  “I won’t involve them if I can help it.” Mark stated firmly. “And while I thank you for your generous assessment of my possible contributions, we have learned that I can cast with Talia’s power. With a bit of work, that could almost make me a wizard. I think I could do some serious things with only a little of her power.”

  “Have you made any progress with your own power?” Equemev asked.

  “Yes, though we’d like to keep that to ourselves as much as possible for now. I haven’t cast with it yet. Talia cast with it while Linked with me, but it didn’t work out the way we’d planned. Learning to use it will take a lot more work than my learning to cast with a bit of Talia’s power.

  “We’ll be working on those, and as she teaches me her art, I will also be teaching her the ways of a Ranger and a warrior.

  “For at least the next few days, I’d like you four to do the same. Show each other the basics of what you know, and get a feel for what the others are capable of. At this stage it’s more important to learn how to complement each other well, than to be able to duplicate each other’s abilities.

  “We’ll all get together for an hour or two every day to work together as a group, and we’ll gradually increase that time.

  “When we’ve learned all we can from each other, we’ll seek the finest instructors we can get.

  “But let me be clear on one thing; we’ll do what we can, when we can. If something comes up in the next five minutes that we can do to help ensure a bright future for all of our peoples, we will do it, whether we could be better prepared for it or not.”

  “Well zaid, Mark!” Kragorram laughed. “We will ztand ever ready to combat evil wherever we find it!”

  “Ah, Kragorram, you are so rambunctious!” Povon laughed. “And Talia, your mate seems ready for leadership already!”

  “He is strong and noble, but still hesitant to lead.” Talia giggled.

  “My husband, consider that many of the elves who swore to you are valiant and impulsive glory seekers, as you put it, who swore to you because they hoped to be part of great events. If you go forth into peril and don’t include them in any way, many will likely try to accompany you of their own accord, which could lead to disaster for them and chaos for us.

  “It would be far better to form them into a company, and to train some healthy military discipline into them. Then, if we can avoid involving them, they are more likely to follow the order to stay behind. If we are forced to involve them they will at least be prepared for it, and will have their best chance to emerge unscathed.

  “The rest who have sworn to you will want to help as well. All of them have skills and resources to offer in support of our efforts, that we may have to use, and that would not involve them directly in combat.

  “Perhaps most important, if we learn the required spells and procedures, you and I will be able to draw upon the magic of all seventeen hundred and sixty-five of them, so that we can add that power to our own, vastly strengthening our spells. If we practice this with them, we’ll be able to draw on their power quickly and easily, even if we fight on the other side of the world while they’re safe at home.”

  “That’s a
pretty impressive thought!” Mark exclaimed. “But still, I don’t feel comfortable with commanding any of them to do any of that. I don’t think risking their lives was included in what they had in mind when they swore to me.”

  “We can ask them politely.” Talia smiled.

  “All right, you’ve convinced me!” Mark chuckled. “See to that for me please, would you dear?”

  “I would be delighted to!” Talia smiled, and floated up to kiss him on his cheek.

  “Well, perhaps having command won’t be so difficult!” Mark grinned as he gave her a quick hug. “All I have to do is decide which of you vastly more capable people to delegate to!”

  “Exactly. And right now you will designate me to choose what we will wear tonight.”

  “Of course!”

  “All right.” Talia smiled, then addressed the group. “There is a saying among my people that loosely translates as; if you’re going to have a surprise, make it a great one. I think we should make every effort to appear as impressive as possible tonight. It’s a fine thing to attend such a congregation, but it would be better yet if we were taken seriously by the assembly.

  “Now I know that you dragons and unicorns don’t tend to decorate yourselves as we do, or to wear arms or armor. Yet perhaps you have a few things that you could wear to maximize your magnificence? Mark and I have enough selection that we could complement almost anything you might choose.”

  “I will wear my mozt magnifizent item! I made it myzelf!” Kragorram declared.

  “And I will wear your most magnificent courtship gift!” Povon told him as she nuzzled him under his chin. “He made that as well.” she proudly revealed to the others. “The crafting of items is Kragorram’s only real use of the power, beyond his inherent abilities, but the items he makes are wondrous, crafted with strong hand and strong power, forged with his own fiery breath focused white hot.”

  “I will wear my formal uniform of the Xervian Guards.” Silaran told them. “It’s gold plated steel armor and shoes, with silk accents. I like to think you’ll find it rather impressive!”

  “I have a vast collection of accessories.” Equemev happily revealed. “Let us confer.”

  “Gentlemen, or should I say noble male companions, let’s leave our ladies to their task for now.” Mark said, as he grinned at the three females’ eager fashion conference, then turned to Silaran. “As for us, I wonder if you could put the three of us in contact with Prince Dizil of The People of Rain, in Felion?”

  “I can, but it would take a minute.” Silaran nodded, and thoughtfully tapped his right rear hoof. “I am not familiar with that person, so I will need you to give me your memory of him so I can find him, and even then I will have to, ah, look for him? Scan for him? This language is so imprecise. I am not familiar with Felion, so I will have to mentally search it for him. Once I have him, I will need to have Equemev lend me a bit of her power, so that I’ll have the psionic strength to include you both in the Speaking.”

  “Here, Love.” Talia psionicly told Mark, and she tossed him a smile over her shoulder just before the three females Translocated to the ballroom. His globe appeared floating before him.

  “Thanks Talia.” Mark grinned.

  “Here Silaran, this globe shows the location of the lands of The People of Rain within Felion, and here is the capital; Shem Cladi. Dizil will likely be there. Does that help?”

  “Very much so, thank you.” Silaran nodded.

  “Good. Now, if am I correctly remembering and imitating what Talia did to pass me her memory of a Flame spell earlier, Dizil is like this.

  “Did you just receive my impression of him?”

  “I did, and wonderfully well done!” Silaran exclaimed. “You do learn quickly! Your image of Dizil is among the most detailed I have ever felt, in sight, voice, character, and aura, and it was expertly passed to me!”

  “Perhapz I could lend you the pzionic power you will need to include uz in your Zpeaking, rather than dizturb Equemev for it.” Kragorram offered. “I think we zhould leave our femalez uninterrupted right now. Theze will be momentz of bonding in their friendzhip.

  “You likely could! Once I have contacted Dizil, I will Speak to Mark. At that point, they will both be Speaking with me, but not to each other. Then, you will Speak to me with your power, rather than me initiating another contact with you. In this way, your power will be bought into the link that my spell controls and stabilizes, and it should be more than enough to sustain vibrant four-way communication, despite the great distance.

  “Give me a moment while I get Dizil’s attention.” Silaran said as he closed his eyes, and went silent in Mark’s mind.

  “By the way, Kragorram, we’ve all noticed the difference in your speech.” Mark told him with a smile.

  “Thank you. After we left your wedding, many hourz after actually, Povon and I dizcuzzed it. At that point, Povon was zorry for critizizing it, while I wanted to correct it. We zpent a pair of hourz working on it, and we agreed that I would zpeak in thiz manner, which iz a compromize. Though I am now capable of normal articulazhion. Lizten.”

  The great red dragon’s brow furrowed with intense effort, and he spoke even more slowly than he usually did. “If I concentrate very hard, I can remember that most sibilant sounds are whispered, and not vocalised. Vocalized. And reduce the resonance of my vocalized sibilances.

  “But that iz too much work.” he concluded with a shrug.

  “I have him, Mark.” Silaran said, and nodded to Kragorram.

  Suddenly the four-way Speaking was obvious, and of such clarity that they could hear every tiny background sound in Dizil’s location, which was the Council Hall of his nation.

  “Greetings and good Day, Prince Dizil, on behalf of me and my companions here.” Mark said, still speaking out loud, simply because he felt more comfortable doing so.

  “Greetings and good day, on behalf of myself and The People of Rain.” Dizil formally returned, then chuckled. “What can I do this fine day, for you and your unique fellowship?”

  “Prince Dizil, I wish for Hilia to be a sovereign nation. Is it possible that this might be arranged?”

  “Huh! It might, but I’ll need to know why you desire this thing!” Dizil exclaimed in surprise.

  “Talia and I and our company, which now includes Povon the silver, Equemev, fifteenth sorcerer of the People of Morning, and many citizens of every elven nation, wish to institute an elite military academy on Hilia. We further intend that upon completion of our training, we will form a specialized mixed fighting unit serving directly under the most senior command of the forces of The Great Alliance. To do these things, I will need to have them approved by the governments of the nations we are presently citizens of, as well as your government, and perhaps the governments of the giants and gnomes of Felion. I wish for Hilia to be sovereign because I think it will help minimize the diplomatic negotiations necessary for this.”

  “Huh. You’re right about all of that.” Dizil agreed. “Except that the giants and gnomes have no say in the matter, unless you have some of those in your company. My people are fully independent and sovereign, we are not here under the sufferance of the other nations of Felion, as the Lava Shapers hold their land under the Xervians.

  “Now, it sometimes happens that one nation will pass land to another. Of the various methods used to do so, only purchase would be appropriate here. And I suppose if you formed a nation first, mine could sell Hilia to yours. For now I could consider Talia and yourself to be the provisional government of a newly forming nation. What titles would you assume?”

  “Prince and Princess of Hilia, I think.”

  “Wise. If you chose king and queen, some would resent it.

  “Now, Hilia is of no strategic or economic value to my nation, as it is hundreds of leagues in distance from Felion, and well clear of any major shipping routes. Sometime I must tell you how we acquired it, for it is a surprising and complex tale.
We have derived no tax revenue from it, on the contrary, we have absorbed the minor cost of having it checked periodically to be sure that it has not become a haven for pirates. Our scouts generally used the occasion as an excuse to go swimming while on duty.

  “I am in favor of your plan, as such a mixed force as your own have never trained together as a permanent unit, and the formation of such can only be of value to the Alliance. You would be a surprise to our foes, to say the least, should it come to that. As you already own title to the island and to the waters around it for one hundred leagues in every direction, that leaves only the matter of negotiation for sovereignty, and since the transaction is of benefit to my people’s treasury, I will limit your cost to a token ounce of gold.”

  “We will pay your people one thousand ounces of gold for the sovereignty of Hilia. Let no one say that we did not value this great thing you are doing for us.

  “And you can tell your scouts that they’re still welcome to visit, as are the rest of your people, as long as the visits are scheduled. Due to the work we will do there, it would not be safe for them to be allowed surprise visits.”

  “Wise in both points, and most appreciated. We’ll consider it done then, on the condition that the exchange of your payment for our receipt occurs within seven days. We should hold a small ceremony then.

  “For now, know that The People of Rain are proud to be the first nation to recognize the sovereign independence of The Principality of Hilia! Congratulations, Prince Mark!”

  “Hail Prinze Mark!” Kragorram laughed, delighted with the development, and managed to sweep an acceptably courtly bow. Silaran joined his bow with a mental chuckle.

  “Thank you. It’s been a pleasure Speaking with you, Prince Dizil. A very pleasant day to you and yours, and we’ll see you at the meeting of the Great Alliance.”

  “Thank you, and best of luck in all your endeavors, Prince Mark. Pass my felicitations to Talia and to your other associates.” Dizil said, and disengaged from the Speaking.

  “Well, I’ll have to interrupt Talia to tell her of this!” Mark laughed. “I think she might be upset if I didn’t!

  “Oh Talia? I have something to tell you. Could you include the girls in this Speaking?”

  “The girls?!” Povon laughed. “Did you hear that, Equemev? He refers to us as he would a pair of human tavern wenches!”

  “I did. The girls.” Equemev mused. “I think it indicates a certain friendly camaraderie, in this context, in this language. I think I rather like it.”

  “Do you? Well, then I shall like it too!” Povon giggled.

  “Thank you.” Mark grinned. “I would like to announce that I have successfully concluded negotiations for the independence of Hilia. And so, I would like to offer my congratulations on your ascension, Princess Talia, co-ruler of the sovereign Principality of Hilia!”

  Talia suddenly appeared standing on three and a half feet of air right in front of Mark, her face beaming with incredulous joy. “Are you serious?!!” she demanded as she grabbed both his lapels and gave him a tiny shake.

  “Quite serious, Your Majesty!”

  “Oh you great big beautiful man! Prince Markhan Reginus Longstrider of Hilia! Thank you thank you thank you!” Talia gushed as she jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, then gave him a very serious kiss indeed.

  “Oh that was fine!” Mark enthused when she was done.

  “Oh? Then here, have another!” she giggled, and kissed him again.

  “We already knew, but we didn’t tell Talia.” Povon chuckled. “Us ‘girls’ that is. We couldn’t help listening after you named us to Dizil.”

  “Then thank you for not spoiling my surprise.” Mark told her a moment later.

  “Speaking of surprises, it’s time to get ready to go.” Talia smiled. “If nothing else, we’ll be the best-looking party at the meeting!

  “By the way, Mother tells me that we will not be announced at the same time as the delegation for The High People, so they’ll be leaving separately. All the attendees will receive a Projection from the meeting’s organizers, wherein the delegates from Xervia will be announced and will swear Osbald’s Oath upon the Truthstone of Falgaroth in the center of the Hall, then take their places in the areas assigned to them. Then, as each visiting delegation is announced, they will be Translocated to the center of the hall by the Xervians, swear upon the stone, and take their places.

  “Apparently, we’ll be announced last.”

  “Get ahold of them again, would you please Princess Talia? It would be nice if we were announced with our new titles. You might mention that our nation’s independence has been recognized by the government of The People of Rain.”

  “Excellent idea.” Talia smiled, and closed her eyes for the Speaking.