General Nalvius on hearing of the death of the Director Faalx Smoothtongue ordered his army to parade for inspection. After ascertaining his mages were ready he began his speech. General Nalvius was making his bid for the Directorate. The points he stressed were increased pay, a cushy billet at the capital, his gratitude for their selfless service to date.

The army roared their approval and started chanting “Director Nalvius” and stamping their feet in approval.

General Nalvius concluded a hasty peace with King Foracates and led his armies back to Badonia and marched on Foraville.

General Saarbruk reacting to frantic orders from the Senate gratefully withdrew his battered armies from the scraps of the province of Lunarion still held by the Empire and marched to confront the self elected Director Nalvius.

General Nalvius swept his opponent from the field with ease. General Saarbruk fled with his bodyguard when his battered armies, bereft of their best troops due to the recent unpleasantness with the Russian forces in Lunarion and bulked out with hastily trained and for the most part unwilling conscripts just evaporated, some deserting to the enemy but most just running for their lives.

Nalvius resumed his march.

In Foraville a three sided civil war was raging. Senators Damytus, Garlena and Haa’ranos each controlled a gang of street thugs, reinforced by city guards and unscrupulous adventurers and these were clashing on a daily basis. Then Damytus’ gang managed to get hold of Director Bulgradtaz and killed him.

The capital was rapidly emptying itself of anyone who could afford to leave, and of several who couldn’t but preferred penury to death or rape.

* * *

General Kuznetsov, commander of the Russian forces currently on Badonia was staggered by the sudden influx of petitioners from the territories surrounding the province of Lunarion asking to be annexed. He kept passing them on to Governor Volkov.

After conferring and verifying the results of their most recent aerial survey, Volkov and Kuznetsov decided to concentrate on occupying the province of Gressoi to their south as Gressoi was a peninsula and it would shorten their borders by almost half. In addition they decided to expand up to the river Sarilus to the north. Once the new acquisitions were consolidated they would see where to use their increasingly stretched forces next.

Meanwhile they advised Moscow of the current favourable circumstances and requested reinforcements and permission to recruit local auxiliaries.

* * *

On Aurica King Foracates of Donatus barely waited Nalvius’ withdrawal before repudiating the peace treaty – he did have ample grounds to do so after all. Then his armies marched once again to wild acclaim. He was assiduous in liberating slaves, after all that was one of the principal evils the Empire had inflicted on Aurica. Previously slavery had been an accepted part of life but it had existed on a far smaller scale. It was a small price to pay for the help in retraining and rearming part of his forces provided by General Etienne D’Aramitz of France.

Foracates sat on his throne and received the delegations of the liberated territories. He blessed the Midgardians for once again they had inadvertently helped him. Converting to Catholicism was a shrewd move, his gods and his countries gods were all dead either due to the actions of the now deceased Gods of Light of through the actions of the Russians. Three new countries acknowledged him king, his kingdom was now five times larger that it had been before the Empire had taken an interest in Aurica.

He had sent ambassadors to all his neighbours and near neighbours with reassurances that he didn’t covet their lands and they were even true! He only hoped he was believed he really couldn’t afford any new wars until he had captured and fortified the world gates to Badonia.

The French had offered him help but... he was unsure as to accept any further favours from them.

* * *

Marcus Smith watched as the eighteen rejected candidates walked out of the house and noticed that the profilers favourites were all present, he passed his eyes over the profiles of the three remaining candidates. He hoped Cranshaw would be selected but he didn’t hold out any great hopes. He suspected that Garcia would be the unlucky one as she matched the looks of most of the kid’s previous girlfriends. Then sure enough Cranshaw walked out.

Inside the house Manfred and Moonbright dug deeper into their chosen’s mind. They conferred and agreed.

Smith watched Garcia walk out and sighed. Of course the kid didn’t suffer from raging hormones any more. ‘Please kid reject van Ophoven, then we can start again with better candidates.’

« Alice of all those presented to me I, we would like to choose you, why don’t you wish to be chosen? »

“Because I asked about Voices at the branches of the Adventurer’s Guild run by offworlders...”

« Maybe we can calm some of your fears... Let’s negotiate. You know your superiors won’t let you refuse. Don’t you? »

Alice van Ophoven shivered with apprehension, “God help me – yes I know, negotiate?”

« We prefer to have someone capable of thinking for themselves and willing to cooperate. Neither of us wants a puppet but, but we don’t want, won’t tolerate someone whose only wish is to follow someone else’s orders and policy. »

Moonbright added « We do intend to keep your masters happy for now and for the foreseeable future. Do you think you can work with us? »

Alice dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. “I... I have no... choice... do I?”

« Not really, but if you’re really against this just walk out, unfortunately I... we haven’t destroyed the bugs so... »

Alice cried quietly for a while. “Oh god, just promise you won’t—”

« There will be no puppet, we promise. »

“Yes, I’ll be your Voice.”

Then Alice felt the bond form that would allow Manfred act through her and allow her to talk mentally to Manfred and Moonbright.