Chapter 3 - Complexities of Growth

The scout ship slid to a stop next to the largest ship in the fleet. A walkway was created from the living wood of both ships, bridging the gap between them. The Magus walked through the hallways of her ship, flanked by her two guards. Passing by several common rooms and a cafeteria, all with several guards or servants in them.

Reaching the pros of the ship and end of the hallway, the Magus waved her hand, moving the wood to create a stairway to the deck. The deck was still, and quiet even though winds outside the ship’s shell were quite high. Majestically the Magus slowly walked across the walkway, greeted by a small selection including the Magistrate and a tall man with salt and pepper hair in regal dress.

“Good evening, Vexxa, We were all distressed by the news of your apprentice’s death, it is any consolation he acquitted himself well in battle.”

“Thank you for your concern my liege, may I view the battle for myself now?”

Noting Vexxa’s sharp tone, the Magistrate frowned and glanced at the king. An imperceptible shake of his head calmed the loyal advisor.

“Of course Magus, follow me please”

Saying this the Magistrate turned and swept his hand sideways, activating a ring as he did so. The deck opened up slowly and formed a stairwell leading into the depths of the royal ship.

The delegation returned to a large ornate meeting room, but now with two new guards and the Magus.

The King, Magistrate, and Magus, along with several other advisors, sat at a large u-shaped table. The rest of the guards and servants were dismissed except for an Apprentice Wizard. Who upon the King's signal, activated a screen, which began showing the events of Narad’s battle.

Several minutes passed, the room silent, everyone intently watching the screen. The view was from over a mile away, only the clear eyesight of the familiar used to record the event allowed for such detail. Finally, the recording reached the final clash between the two powerhouses, as Narid burnt, he cast a final glance to the watching familiar.

The King turned to Vexxa. “At least he killed the Dra-” His sentence was interrupted halfway through by the gasp of an advisor still watching the screen.

“What is th-this thing?”

The screen was showing a creature emerging from the Dragon’s body. Vexxa stood up suddenly, her face white.

“A creature that I thought long destroyed…” she paused, as past events flashed through her mind, a hint of fear in her eyes. “We retreat now, back to the Capitol, call back all troops and send this recording to the nearby kingdoms, and request that the ancient pact of Daphis be enacted."

Saying this, the Magus quickly reached and condensed over a dozen mana orbs, each containing a recording of the battle. One of the advisors hearing this grew red in the face and stood to oppose her.

"No! We must not allow this scene to be disseminated beyond those of us here, our position is already weak in the kingdoms, and that's without the loss of our most promising Grandmaster Wizard. If it was to get out that our most valuable treasure was stolen and we couldn't do anything? We would be invaded and destroyed immediately."

Slightly panting after his diatribe*, The man stood still, a small dagger floating and pricking his throat. A drop of blood seeped from a small cut, and was absorbed by the dagger, it shivered in excitement, pressing slightly further into the man's neck.

"Dare to speak to me in that tone without proper cause again, and a little bloodloss will be by far the least of your worries. The terror caused by that creature is unmatched, I saw records of it's supposed destruction from long ago, and even for the mages of old, it took many Grandmasters to even fight it to a draw. Only an Archmage was able to destroy it, just barely, and at the expense of their lifeforce. Do as I say."

Withdrawing her dagger from the throat of the now pale and shaking man, Vexxa's cold voice containing a hint of panic swept around the room. All of the King's cabinet looked towards him, reluctant to accept this decision. A hand rubbing his chin, the King was leaning forward onto the table, deep in thought.

"If we go after this creature now, can we kill it, and will we gain something from it?"

"Our kingdom alone is no match for the creature, it has been greatly weakened, but without several Grandmaster Wizards, we wouldn't last a chance. Our only hope for survival is to gain the help of the other kingdoms. We are not fighting it for rare materials, we must fight it because if we don't it will soon use the stolen artifact to evolve, at which point it will be on the level of a god!"

The Magus stepped forward as she tried to convince the King to make the correct decision, her voice becoming a tad louder.

"Alright, You haven't led us wrong before. We do need an edge now that Narid is dead, and those trade treaties we've been forced into won't allow us to grow back without his power. Set a course for the Capitol immediately, and send a message to the Ambassador's guild, their services will be required. Also, send word to the Historian, I want all the information about this pact, and our copy if there is one, available when we return."

Several advisors left the room to make arrangements, the rest began to discuss their plans or leave to contact their houses and clans in the Capitol. Ignoring them, the King made a gesture and left the room with the Magus and Magistrate behind him.

They walked for several minutes, the hallways growing emptier of bowing servants the further they walked. Until they stood outside a small chamber. The King placed his insignia against the door and chanted a quick spell. Opening the door into a lavish room, complete with rugs, paintings, several ornate plush chairs, and a small bar. The King and Magus sat, as the Magistrate poured drinks for them.

"Damn, I needed that" - said the King sipping from a glass of a dark amber liquid - "Now, We were able to alter the direction the creature was shown to be traveling in the recording. Now its heading west towards the Saudau, their spies will be frantic after seeing its power." - Darkly chuckling into his glass - "Even more importantly, while all the others kingdoms are off searching for that creature for its materials, we will be exploiting this region. From the scans, you completed of the valley, this area was altered by the mana and Dragon essence let off during the battle. The only area that comes close is the land surrounding the Mana-sink in the Deadlands. There is one spot in particular that I am interested in."

The King got up and conjured a still frame of the battle, showing the area after the Dragon's tail landed. Comparing it to an image from earlier that day, a large tree was seen to have appeared. The King pointed it out.

"This is one of our targets, I don't know how it grew to be so large, but the magic contained within must be immense, next I want you to take charge of finding out what beasts or plants are worth anything, you will have whatever you need."

The Magus nodded, already thinking of how she could discover the secrets contained within them. The Magistrate silent before this raised his head.

"This all sounds good, but is that creature a threat?"

Glancing at the other two, The magistrate appeared worried.

"No, while the creature is every bit as dangerous as I said, it will need time to recover, and then time to evolve, which will take hundreds of years. We will all be long gone and buried by that point."

"So this whole charade was to draw the other kingdoms focus away?"

"Not just that, but also to see how many of the so-called 'advisor' were spies, or only working for their own benefit with no real loyalty to the crown"

Saying this the King, put down his glass, presenting two rings to the others, explaining their use as private communication devices from the royal treasury. Everyone chatted for a while longer about the specifics of their responsibilities, before leaving. The Magus boarded the scout ship and took off ahead the rest of the ships, hoping to reach the Capitol and organize things for an expedition back to the forest.