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

Chapter 63

Part 12

“Maybe a few of the senior ones will have the sense to realize that what we’re doing is smart for them,

since the demons will do a lot worse to them than we will, and we’ll help them be more dangerous

against the demons.” Helemia theorized. “But their god only said not to mess with the colony here. I’m

sure he didn’t tell them not to defend themselves against four kids who come to take them over, at least

temporarily, so we expect a strong resistance from most of the adults, and of course there’s no

question that the young ones would fight, since it’s basically all they do.”

“So really, you’re going to do the same thing to the Sylvan here that they left Serminak to avoid?” Mark

inquired. “I mean really, it sounds like you’ll be doing exactly the same as Zarkog did.”

“As far as what we’re doing goes, that’s true.” Reggie nodded. “The difference is, Zarkog didn’t tell the

Serminakis that he was taking them over so he could prepare them to defend themselves against the

demons, which is what we’re going to do. He just said; ‘do what I say, or you’ll be beaten for it.’ Once

we’re sure that they’ve stopped letting their kids kill each other and that they’re working hard to get

ready to fight the demons, we’ll relinquish our control over them and leave them alone.”

“And besides, it’ll be fun!” Helemia laughed. “We’ll make some gains until lunch, then leave Karzog to

keep an eye on things while we come home to eat. Oh by the way, can we use the backyard valley?

We won’t disturb the livestock or anything.”

“You keep them from being disturbed when you’re sparring back there, and that’s generally pretty noisy,

so I don’t see why not.” Talia laughed.

“So? Can we have your authorization?” Reggie asked.

Mark smiled at Talia, and they shared a quick thought. “All right, since this seems like a pretty good

project, you can.

“But before I pronounce it, I want a better idea of your organization and plans.”

“I’m the political leader, Helemia is our General, Valentia is in charge of logistics, and Karzog will be in

charge of discipline and moral among the conquered. Once we’ve convinced a few of the more

sensible young Sylvan of the reality of the threat of the demons and the futility of resisting us, we’ll

groom them for positions of leadership among their cohort.

“We’ll capture the ones who are about to get killed first, and the ones who are about to kill them. As

soon as we capture them we’ll start turning them to our point of view. We’ll start training them, and

organize things to keep them fed. Along with training them to fight the demons, Valentia will get them

started on taking better care of the forest and waters in the Sylvan area of Hiliani, so it can support their

population as it increases. Which it will, rapidly, once they stop killing each other.

“That’s about all we have so far. We know we’ll have to keep it flexible, and adapt to events as they

happen.

“We’ve told Quewanak that we won’t be available for the exercises until this is done, so that’s okay.”

“Hm. All right.” Mark nodded. “Prince Markhan Reginus Longstrider the Sixth, I do pronounce you

Governor of Hiliani, with full power to act in regards to the Sylvan of Hiliani in the manner that you’ve

described to us here today, to promote and name to positions of authority such personnel as you Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.

require to assist you in those duties, and to draw upon the treasury of Hilia as necessary, all subject to

our supervision and continued approval.

“And if it turns out that you need some help with it, don’t be shy about asking for it. We’ll give you as

much help as you need, and we won’t take it out of your hands unless you’ve really made a stew of it.

Even if you four are capable of doing this yourselves, you may find that it’s worth it to speed up the

process by getting some help once in a while.”

“Thank you Father, on behalf of myself, General Helemia, Vice-Governor Valentia, and Vice-Governor

Karzog. We do solemnly swear to fulfill the duties you have entrusted to us with honor and diligence.”

“Carry on, Governor Longstrider.” Mark chuckled.

“As you will, Sire.” Reggie said as he and his sister offered a formal bow, then broke out in giggles as

they looked under their shirts at their markings. Having just sworn to Hilia, they now bore the marking

of the Sword-star of Hilia.

They kissed their parents good-bye, then disappeared with their gear in a perfectly silent Translocation.

“Gods, they’re such adorable little tykes, aren’t they?” Alilia laughed. “Five and six years old, and our

little army is off to play with the Sylvan, and conquer them.”

“I assume you three will be following every second of our children’s adventure with rapt interest?”

Povon psionicly inquired. “If so, Kragorram and I invite you to join us here, where we can all watch it

together.”

“Thanks Povon, we’ll take you up on that.” Talia replied as the trio Translocated to the dragons’ main

cavern. “We were going to work with my father today, but I imagine he, Mother, and Hilsith will want to

watch this as well.”

She was right about that, Yazadril and his family did want to join them, and word spread quickly across

the community. By noon there were so many people in the den watching the Revealings and following

the Readings that they moved the event to the gathering hall.

Reggie’s quad hovered kilometers above northern Hiliani, psionicly listening for the emotions of deadly

violence. It was the easiest way to find those they were seeking.

A fourteen-year-old Sylvan ran silently through the forest, cursing his luck. Only an hour since his father

had thrown him out of the house, and already one of the other wild kids was stalking him. He’d caught

a glimpse of her and thought he recognized her; a seventeen-year-old who ran with one of the big

packs, though he hadn’t detected any of the rest of them yet. Well he wasn’t afraid of any of them, and

he knew he was smarter than any of them besides! Once he got out of their territory and built himself a

hut, he’d form his own pack among the other new wild ones and kill all those stupid…

His thoughts were shattered as someone he didn’t recognize stepped out from behind a tree just in

front of him and cracked his Shields while thrusting at his throat with a spear. He was running too fast,

there was no time to avoid it…!

The world went dark.

Five twenty and twenty-one-year old Sylvan were cornered on a tiny peninsula, with the sea behind

and to either side. The boulder they were taking cover behind was connected to the shore by a sand

bar, and they knew that at any second the pack of three dozen seventeen and eighteen-year-olds

would come rushing at them down the sandbar. They’d called for help, and knew that if they held out

for another minute or two, their own pack would surround the younger pack and drive them onto the

sandbar, where they would be trapped between the two groups of older Sylvan. They hunkered down

as a deluge of spells crashed against the boulder and their Shields, and cast a few spells back blind,

casting around the rock without looking, just to keep their attackers cautious. They clutched their

weapons tight, and waited for the wave of battle-cries that would come with the rush.

“Hold on, we’re almost right behind them!” their comrades told them.

The tension built, then the shrieks and yells began with the charge, but they didn’t know which group

was yelling…

Darkness fell, and consciousness followed the light…

“Wow! Eighty-seven of them at once! That was a good one”! Karzog laughed as they Translocated with

their unconscious captives to backyard valley, leaving them on the grass in neat rows of slumbering

Sylvan.

They checked their prisoners and Healed a few wounds, spent a few moments working together on a

girl whose abdomen had been deeply slashed, then went back to their hunt.

As with anything they did, they weren’t just hunting the Sylvan, they were striving with all their will to

improve at it as quickly as possible, and they did. By lunchtime any one of them was capable of

conducting the hunt by themselves, with only occasional borrowing of the others’ power for a big

Translocation. But by that time, most of the young Sylvan knew that something strange was happening

and that people were disappearing, and violence in their area dropped off to almost nothing.