The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2

Chapter 100

Part 16

“Meritocracy is the most just method of choosing leadership.” Karz insisted. “Perhaps in peacetime, the

huge difference in power and perception between gods and mortals may make it less practical for the

gods to exert direct leadership over mortals. But those considerations fade to insignificance during

warfare for the survival of Kellaran. Under battle conditions a commander needs to be able to assess,

react, communicate, make decisions, and issue commands as quickly as possible and with the greatest

awareness possible, and by those criteria, there’s no doubt that the gods should make better

commanders than mortals. Your vast power as spell-casters would be almost irrelevant in that role.”

“That’s the other side of the coin.” Val interjected. “Unless your command ability is vastly superior to

that of any mortal and is urgently needed at the time, it may be better to leave a mortal in command so

as to not waste any of your immense potential as front-line fighters.”

“Personally, I think you should all take part in the tournament, if that’s possible.” Fire stated. “And

regardless of whether or not you’re in command, the rest of us need to know exactly what you’re

capable of. About how many average Journeyman wizards is a god equal to on the field of battle? Or

how many well-equipped soldiers, or ships full of sailors? What spells can you cast, and how quickly,

and how many at once?

“Because there are three broad choices for you when the war comes; either you’ll act completely

independently from us, or you’ll command us, or you’ll be under our command through the Assembly

and military structure of The Just Alliance. You tried acting independently during the first demon war,

and look what that got you; you lost the chance for victory early in the war because there were people

in the way when you could have blasted the demons to bits otherwise. Any rational assessment of that

war has to conclude that your conduct during the entire affair was far less than optimum. And that’s

putting it as politely as it’s possible to say it.

“So, you should all decide now; either try for command and enter the tournament, or give us enough

information on your abilities to allow us to effectively command you. At the very least we’ll need far

more effective communication and co-ordination between the gods and mortals than we had last time.” All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.

“To be honest, we still don’t know our capabilities.” Falgaroth explained. “In all of history, the first

demon war was the only occasion when any of us truly exerted ourselves, and even then we were very

careful not to tear reality. None of us had ever done it, and we thought it might destroy all of reality in

an unending chain reaction if we did. So none of the gods have ever fought one another, and only the

demons ever presented any challenge to our power.

“Now we know from the Triax that tears in reality are self-limiting and self-healing. Almost every one of

the gods of the Triax have utilized far more power on one occasion by themselves than all of the gods

of Kellaran exerted together at any given time during the first demon war. That is despite the fact that

Triax gods inherently have far less power as individuals than we do, because of the fundamental

differences in their natures. Most of their biggest battles have been fought in the deep void, far from

any inhabited world, and they’ve been willing to strike with their utmost, and to cause immense tears in

reality in doing so.

“We have been carefully testing our limitations in co-operation with the Triax, but it’s difficult to do so in

a way that would not be obvious to the demons, even at their great distance. And we don’t want them

to know our true abilities until we strike them.

“Beyond that, we know with great certainty that your father and others will soon be joining us in divinity,

and that will change the balance of power and influence among our pantheon immensely. So it’s

difficult to say whether we’ll lead, follow, or fight independently.

“Be assured that we won’t make the same mistakes we made last time. However we proceed, our

every major action will be fully discussed and agreed upon by The Assembly and the military

commanders of The Just Alliance to the greatest extent possible before action is taken.

“For now, we assume that the war will begin in the void, and will be conducted there by the Triax, the

gods, and the senior mortal spell casters. We hope that it can be ended there, without directly affecting

Kellaran or any of the mortals on it.

“If the demons reach Kellaran while warfare still continues in the void, we expect that most gods and

the Triax will continue fighting in the void, while a few of us and a few gods of the Triax will join all

mortal Kellarani in defending the world.

“If all of the demons reach Kellaran, all of us and the gods of the Triax will fight them here, while the

mortal Triax fire down upon the demons from their worldlets in the void.”

“Your plans are about to change.” Six firmly stated, and cast a detailed cut-away model Illusion of The

Void Hunter, while psionicly revealing to the gods and Zarkog the details of its workings. “I intend that

we’ll have several million of these built and staffed with trained crew within the next ten months. With

these, the people of Kellaran will be able to bring most of our Strike Force to bear against the demons

in the void, and if the fight comes to Kellaran, these will make fine aerial dreadnoughts.”

“This is most strange.” Amirgath growled.

“Oh? How so?” Six asked, considering the model anew.

“Not that.” Amirgath stated as he looked at each of the four youngsters and Zarkog in turn. “That is

actually brilliant work, so much so that I wondered if you were Candidates for Divinity, and I checked

you for it. I cannot tell. I have never encountered any beings like you, though you share traits with your

father and with Glup of the Zurb. You may be Candidates, but if so, you are unlike any that have been

before.

“Zarkog, you are most definitely a Candidate, but I cannot tell how strong your Candidacy is or how

soon you may ascend. That may be due to the unique influences of these four youths.”

“With respect, Lord, I doubt it. My interaction with them has been minimal, and I doubt very much that

their mere presence could cloud your evaluation. I think it far more likely that it is my own unique

characteristics that have led to your uncertainty. As you will assist me, so I will share all with you, so

that you may evaluate the question further.”

Even Amirgath required almost two full seconds to take a complete Reading of Zarkog.

“I am impressed.” Amirgath stated. “Though the strength of your Candidacy is no more clear, I am very

impressed. If my religion were still intact, I would make you my First Disciple. As things are, I offer you

my friendship.”

“Thank you, My Lord.” Zarkog replied, and bowed his head a little deeper than he had the last time.

“I’m curious, Amirgath.” Fire giggled. “If I share all with you, will you offer me your friendship?”

“That would depend on how impressive you are.” Amirgath replied, with a chuckle of his own. “And I

would refuse your offer until after the tournament. Since I am already committed to helping Zarkog with

that, it would be unjust of me to do so. If I gave Zarkog what I learned from you, it would be unjust to

you, and if I failed to do so, it would be unjust to him.”

“Ah. Then I’ll have to wait until after the tournament.” she grinned. “Thank you for your most honorable

response.

“You’re a very incredible being, Amirgath, and while we’d like to get to know all the gods eventually,

your status as the second-eldest god, and the eldest that we can actually communicate with effectively,

along with the strong possibility that you’re the most powerful of the gods, make you especially

fascinating to us. Besides, you’re the most beautiful dragon, mortal or divine.

“Like most of the gods, as well as the eldest of the mortals of the long-lived races, your exploits have

never been well-known outside your own race, and even to most of the dragons your adventures have

been lost to the far-distant past.