Chapter 205, 1/2

Chapter 205, 1/2

“We have two duties to discuss today, which is why I have called you all here,” Erick said, while seated on his chair in his throne room.

He wasn’t on his throne. His chair was one of many others exactly like it, which circled a round table in the middle of the room. Up above, the roof was a tessellation of glass triangles and cloudy blue sky higher still, while the walls of the room were carvings of trees, and decorative lightning.

Zolan, Mox, Raingorl, Aisha, Volaro, and Burhendurur sat around the table with Erick. Each of them had a copy of the paperwork Zolan and Mox and Erick had finalized this morning. The other four Overseers had read it already, for Erick had given them hours to do so, and now they were here.

Erick said, “One of the duties is much easier to finish with than the other, so we’ll do that first. The end of the year is approaching and this means Shadow’s Feast. Hopefully nothing happens, but I want assurances that nothing will happen, so... Goldie? Are you here?”

Zolan gave a little sigh; he was hoping that this would not happen, that Erick would not call out to the Darkness. Most others at the table shared his sentiment, but Burhendurur and Volaro, the dragons, were ready for a fight if it came to that. Goldie had been spotted here and there over the last few months so Erick had hoped that an actual talk with her wouldn’t lead to this, but now they were here and Erick was not backing down.

The Shade of Assassination stepped out of the air to Erick’s right, going down to one knee. Her black armor and her large floating, plank of a sword gleamed in the cloudy sunshine. “My king. The Darkness has no plans for endangering the world this Shadow’s Feast. But since we are on this topic, he would not be angry if you decided to throw your own party.”

Ah...

This was going one of the ways that Erick did not want it to go, but it was better to confront these problems than to ignore them.

Erick asked, “Should I consult Melemizargo directly for his wants?”

“That would be for the best, in this one’s humble opinion.”

“Then that is what I will do. Later. Thank you, Goldie.”

Goldie stood up and vanished into the air, like she was never here.

Erick turned back to the table and saw sudden fear in almost everyone’s eyes. He rapidly decided, “I’ll talk to him later and on my own, if you all want. Or I could try to call him now. A show of hands who wants me to call him now, please.”

Every hand remained on the table.

“Moving on to the main topic, then.” Erick continued, “Kiri, Mox and the Office of the Overseer, and Burhendurur and the Office of Enforcement, are about 90% done with securing the 100 kilometer ring surrounding the lake. Beyond that land lies a triple set of ringed walls which Burhendurur’s skeletal forces continue to prowl and empty of mimics, though we haven’t had an incident of a mimic in the last few days. Burhendurur, Mox, and my own [Cascade Imaging] assures me that we’re ready to accept settlements. Which is the main topic for today.

“We have three groups of people seeking primarily asylum, refuge, or opportunity, here under the aegis of Candlepoint. All of you have read the proposals and the reports collected and organized by the House, and now, we will decide who gets to live here.”

Burhendurur and Volaro looked across the table at their equals, worry and brief flashes of hate swirling behind their eyes. Zolan, Mox, Aisha, and Raingorl, stared back. The people from Ar’Cosmos wanted their own proposed city to happen. The people from everywhere else did not.

“Let us start with Ar’Cosmos’ offer.” Erick sided with Ar’Cosmos on this one, saying, “Ar’Cosmos is getting a proper settlement, and it won’t be a punitive one. Though it will be far away from everyone else in order to stave off any potential dragon fights. Pick a spot on the map, Burhendurur and Volaro, and explain how you will be using that land.”

Burhendurur spoke for both of them, saying, “Ar’Cosmos chooses the southwest corner of the lake, including the southern side and the western side. A full 3/8ths of the lakeside. We have a hundred thousand people willing to move here within the month, and so we need all of the space we have suggested. We also desire a Gate from here to the northern edge of the Forest of Glaquin, and one to the beaches of Quintlan, specifically at the Ar’Civ Delta. We do not require an embassy on Gate Road. We would prefer these Gates to be at our new city, but if we have to do it, then we could accept Gates on the Financial District road.”

Erick had expected them to try and take more than they should, and to include some odd parts that were not in the proposal. The Gate to the Forest had been in the proposal, but the Gate to Quintlan was new. Taking up a full 3/8ths of available lakeside was unexpected, too. So Erick pushed back, “The southwest eighth of the map is acceptable. You may have the lakeside land north or east of you as well, but not both, for these other proposals will likely be granted in those spaces, and you cannot have all that land. Choose which area of land matters more.”

Burhendurur and Volaro had expected some pushback.

Volaro answered, “The southwestern side, the southern side, and all of the lakeside between, including another ten kilometer area between those two areas, and permission to expand the coast outward.”

Erick nodded, then looked to everyone else. “Problems?”

Erick had already seen a lot of problems with Ar’Cosmos’ proposal, but he wanted other opinions before he unilaterally decided what would happen.

And a lot was happening there in that room that had nothing to do with Erick; in the silences of looks and in the worries behind narrowed eyes. Violence was not in the cards, but violence could happen later, which is why Erick called this meeting to have this discussion. He wanted everyone to be on the same page, and for House Benevolence to weather this storm as a united force.

But with the addition of an Ar’Cosmos city on the lake, House Benevolence’s ‘united force’ could fracture.

Zolan spoke first, “What need is there for a Gate to Quintlan?”

Zolan’s tactic was to go after the most obvious problem, and not the insidious one, to see how Burhendurur and Volaro would react.

Burhendurur noticed this too, but he answered anyway, for that is what he had to do, “House Death has interests in the Fractured Citadels, as you very well know Zolan, and while that land is innately harmful to life, House Death can ensure that benevolent trade develops between the Fractured Citadels and Candlepoint. I, personally, can ensure that the dangers of that land never spill into this one.”

Zolan said, “Deathsoul shrooms originally came from Quintlan, as did the whole subset of monstrous mushroom people and spore magics. Those tragedies have always been blamed on adventurers and on the Shades, but you very well know, Burhendurur, that the only people who routinely travel between there and everywhere else are stupid adventurers that never have time to escape those types of monsters, to spread those spores, or dragons.”

Burhendurur glared at Zolan, saying, “That is slander.”

“You used those deathsoul shrooms to protect Ar’Cosmos for centuries.” Zolan said, “You purposefully spread them, because you were capable of subduing them and using them without suffering the side effects. All the rest of the Forest of Glaquin suffered, though. It wasn’t until our King’s undertaking with Treehome that the menace of the shrooms has been handed down the road to next century’s problem.”

Burhendurur opened his mouth—

But Erick was the one to speak next. “Ar’Cosmos is getting property by the lake. Let us focus on solving future problems instead of dragging up speculative history, no matter how true it might be. In that spirit, I have a suggestion for Ar’Cosmos’ new city, to better integrate the incoming people with what we have already built, and also to break the power block that would arise from the introduction of a hundred thousand more people to this land.”

Burhendurur held his tongue, though he was ready to argue against whatever foolishness Erick was about to spout. Others were more reserved, though Zolan was glad that Erick was tackling the issue of a hundred thousand more people suddenly making a city in these lands; that many people was a central problem to Ar’Cosmos’ request.

When no one interrupted, Erick continued, “Ar’Cosmos will not get the three lands they desire, of the southern edge, the southwestern edge, and the lands between. Instead, the people who were going to settle in the lands between now settle in Candlepoint.” A few people around the table gave a quick intake of breath, though none were too loud about that. “These people will fall under Candlepoint’s purview, and Candlepoint will continue to grow, which is to the benefit of us all.”

Erick let that percolate.

Volaro spoke up, “This is a highly unorthodox measure to take, my king.”

“You would split our people?” Burhendurur asked, rhetorically.

Zolan rhetorically asked, “How else are we to break up the power of a sudden influx of a hundred thousand people into these lands?”

Burhendurur pounced on that, saying, “We can control our own.”

“Which is the problem,” Mox said, choosing to speak for the first time. “You will control your own and thus control everything eventually. Even Erick’s measure of splitting your power is not enough. Half of your people should go to Candlepoint instead of a new city, and they should be under the rules and laws of Candlepoint, not your own. Even this much is likely not enough, for inviting a hundred thousand people into this land is like inviting a foreign army to make a city right beside your borders.” She looked to Erick. “You should deny half of these people, and preferably a lot more. 10,000 people would be an easier number to handle, but even that is double the size of Candlepoint.”

Candlepoint had regained a few people since Erick’s declaration of Wizardry months ago, but they were still a fraction of their former size. Erick did not feel that Mox’s complaint was that valid, for he was still in power here, but he certainly could use her words to force Ar’Cosmos into something more reasonable.

Erick said, “If Ar’Cosmos needs to vent a hundred thousand people, then they need to vent a hundred thousand people. What would the rest of the world like to see out of Ar’Cosmos’ new, open cities?”

A bit of silence. A lot of staring.

Aisha spoke up, “Quarantine zones around the Gates, and the Gates go onto the Financial Road and not in the city itself. A political structure more standard, like in Candlepoint, so that we can address problems through one governing power instead of going through three individual houses. If the Houses of Ar’Cosmos are to come here in full or in part, which I am sure they will, then they will be subject to that political structure. Your city will be subject to the rule of House Benevolence, and your rulers will swear fealty to our Apparent King and Wizard of Benevolence. Furthermore, you will be allowed 30,000 people maximum, with 5,000 of those people headed off to Candlepoint, to live there.”

Volaro eyed Aisha. “You would have us beg for scraps and our people starve! We have a need to vent 100,000, and so we have asked for 100,000.”

Before anyone else could speak, Erick said, “Let us table this offer for now, and move onto the other two, for the words we have over those might influence the words we have about Ar’Cosmos’ new city.”

The anger in the room pulled back.

Erick moved on to the next packet. “We have a collective request from Stratagold and Oceanside to accept refugees from Portal and the Tribulations of Nelboor. This second group originally began as Cultists of Melemizargo from Nelboor, in those Tribulations, but after my [Blessing of Empathy] and after the Church of Koyabez helped them to solidify under a more productive banner, they have been gathering others from around the world. Mostly people from monster disaster areas, but a lot of people from the lands around Songli, as well. They want to move here, and there’s about 38,000 of them. All they want is to make some homes in a safe land. The details will be worked out later, but are there any general objections to this request?”

No one seemed to feel the need to say anything.

Aisha spoke just because someone needed to. “As long as they swear fealty to you, then Stratagold has no problem with Empathy-blessed Cultists forming a city. I would ask that whatever governing structure they create is as easy to work with as the current structure of Candlepoint.”

Erick said, “Then we’ll begin talks with them soon.

“Moving on.

“The third group wishing to create a city here at Candlepoint is the Dicers, out of the Sovereign Cities. According to them their leadership is in tatters after a failed peace talk where Charme brought bombs instead of words, and no one brought a [Zone of Peace] from Koyabez. They are 5,000 people, and they are tired of fighting a war that never gained the overall support of the people. They seek asylum.” Erick said, “I would have told them to move into Candlepoint, but they will likely be targeted by the Sovereign Cities, and especially by Charme, so I want them away from our main areas of commerce and other people.”

Aisha spoke first, “I believe with the nature of this petitioner, and with the vast increase in local populations of people, that we should now discuss the deployment of your Denial Spheres; what sort of Denials you will be putting out there, and where you will be placing them. And also: are they necessary? Most cities in the Crystal Forest do not have Denial Magics of any sort, though all the rest of the world usually has some sort of control on the power of the local population in order to prevent tragedies.”

About a week ago Erick had managed to make iron work as well as platinum for large runic webs. He was still in the process of turning a spherical prototype into a square Gate, but Denial Spheres were easy to make. Erick had planned on putting them all over the place, using them like Songli used the Void Song to prevent destructive things like [Stoneshape] or [Fireball] from being used in public places. Those Void Songs only covered the main cities of Eralis, Alaralti, and Holorulo. Those were the most populated parts of the Highlands, though, because all that denial magic made trusting your neighbors a lot easier.

For the Greensoil Republic, they used archmages who had spent points in order to purchase the spell [Weaken Monsters], to then use that spell across that entire country. When used properly, [Weaken Monsters] inhibited all monsters from gaining levels past 10, meaning most people in the Greensoil Republic only gained levels to the natural maximum of around 13-16, depending on spell and skill choices. But the problem with [Weaken Monsters] was that if the gridwork casting of that spell somehow missed a monster, and the month-long spell duration lapsed, those missed monsters would enter a Rage-like state and rapidly begin to gain levels, and tear through a countryside full of low level people.

The Wasteland Kingdoms had a different way to control their population. They shackled mages with regulations and used routine checks where people displayed their Statuses and accumulated fines or soul debts with demons if they were caught having a restricted spell without having the corresponding paperwork and clearances from the Magisterium or a kingdom.

Illustrious said, “All dragons directly subject to the Curse, or those subject to Fairy Moon’s whims, are required to move to Ar’Cosmos. Which is almost all of them. The only ones being allowed to remain on Veird are those who are Paradox’ed. Everyone else is coming to Ar’Cosmos— Them and all their families who want to join those dragons. We were rather stocked with dragons during your visit, but even that was not the height of our possible population. Considering all the families following... We’re getting stuffed, Erick.”

“Even with [Renew] making that land bigger?”

“Even with! You would think that with more space, there would be less of a fight for all of it, right? You would be wrong.” Illustrious Moon added, “Just like I was wrong.”

Erick frowned. “How come I haven’t heard of this before now?”

“It’s apparently been in the planning stages for months, but a lot of things suddenly happened in the last few days and now the plan is unfolding. I was not fully made aware of this until three days ago, when Fairy Moon dumped this plan onto the desks of every power of Ar’Cosmos. A few people have responded quickly to capture land and kick people out—” Illustrious Moon frowned, as she got into the meat of the story, “About half of the 100,000 people we marked for this new city aren’t aware that they are being kicked out, but heads of smaller houses and families are informing their people right now, as we speak, while Fairy Moon is moving across the entire world and informing those who will be evicted from Veird. Burhendurur and Volaro did not tell you the truth because no one out here knew the full truth. Honestly, we haven’t told them the whole truth, either, so that is no fault of their own. But I am telling you the full truth right now.” Illustrious said, “In a week all the world will know, but by that time Fairy Moon will have gotten to every holdout and given them her ultimatum. Before the end of the year, every dragon on Veird will either be in Ar’Cosmos... Or not.”

It was all monumental news.

Terrifying and new, and yet not wholly unexpected. Fairy Moon was expected to keep dragon fights from happening here on this side of reality, and what was the best way to do that? Move all the dragons to Ar’Cosmos, of course.

But something wasn’t adding up.

“I still don’t understand,” Erick asked, “Ar’Cosmos is expanding? You’re taking in a lot of new people, yes. But the land itself is larger. It should be large enough to hold everyone?”

Like she was speaking a truth that everyone already knew, Illustrious said, “Dragons are selfish, Erick. More selfish than I thought I knew. More selfish than you will likely ever know— at least in this world. We’ve already had several fights over new lands, and a lot of dragons throwing their power around in dangerous ways.” Illustrious digressed, “This evacuation of non-dragons from Ar’Cosmos is necessary, and not just to get them out of the way of those fights, but to prevent them from starting fights of their own. There are a lot of half-dragon families that are almost dragons in their own power, but not quite, and that is not good for all the incomers.

“After a stabilizing period, I pray that many of the people we relinquish into your care will be able to come back to Ar’Cosmos, but I also hope that they are finally able to live their lives free, and under the real sun.” She looked to him, saying, “I hope that you keep the secret of dragons leaving Veird to yourself, Erick, for at least a few days. More, if you can. We don’t want to start— Well. There are about a million problems that could happen. For instance, we had a smuggler from Quintlan; mostly food and material goods, as most of our smugglers are. He’s a free dragon, and everyone in his organization knows he is a free dragon. He is the base of power for that smuggling ring. With this news, his entire organization has erupted in a civil war. Hundred people dead, at least.”

Ah...

This was going to get bad, eh?

But since Erick had to know the information that Illustrious didn’t want to speak of, he directly asked, “What happens when a dragon doesn’t go to Ar’Cosmos by the end of the year?”

Erick guessed what would happen already. An ‘ultimatum’ from Fairy Moon usually only ended one of two ways; either the person decided to do what Fairy Moon wanted, or...

“She kills them,” Illustrious Moon said, flatly. “If Melemizargo chooses to have a calm Shadow’s Feast this year, know that Fairy Moon already has all the chaos covered.” And then she set off another bomb, “If you haven’t already, you should expect some dragons to come your way soon. Within the day. Perhaps you already have a meeting with a dragon, and you just don’t know it yet? Those dragons will ask that you Paradox them into Benevolence, so that they might stay on Veird. Since you came upon your Wizardry naturally, you should be able to do this twisting of Dragon Essence without any damage to your self. This was how every House of Ar’Cosmos got its start.”

“... Right. Let’s... Let’s talk about that later.”

Illustrious tried to bring the conversation to a nicer place as she asked, “Can we discuss the nature of our refugees’ city on the lake? I was thinking we’d call it ‘Axiom’, as a way to establish it as a city and wish for it to always exist, but Inferno Maw wants to call it ‘Faefall’, for he is quite angry with Fairy Moon’s direction. Bright Smile has the middle-path suggestion of ‘Springkind’, as a place where our kind will always spring from.”

It was kind of surreal listening to Illustrious Moon talk of city names when Fairy Moon was changing how the entire world worked. The fallout of this decision will be immeasurable, but... Perhaps this was exactly what Rozeta had in mind when she gave her offer to Fairy Moon? In the end, the removal of dragons from Veird would be good for the average citizen.

... Maybe? Dragons might get into fights all the time with each other if they knew each other as a dragon, but when they were allowed to live, and not become tyrants, dragons were a force that readily took their hidden claws and spells to the monsters of Veird.

... The Dragon Stalkers were probably happy about this. Surely, they knew already?

Well whatever. Erick wasn’t going to tell them—

What about Al? Back at Spur?

Ah...

Al was going away, then?

That thought came upon Erick like a crashing wave out of nowhere, followed fast by several more waves. Worry and sorrow. Loss and failure to launch. Al was going to leave Spur and go to Ar’Cosmos. While Erick never got full confirmation that the Sewermaster of Spur was a dragon, he was 99% sure that Al was a dragon; the same black dragon who had crashed into that Flare Couatl and who took away Jane’s Dragon Essence so she could start healing from that poison. Would Savral be going with Al?

Erick found himself suddenly missing Al. That giant man was the first person who had taught Erick about magic, and who housed and protected him and Jane when they were new to this world. Sure, Al was rather bad at magic, but Erick certainly wasn’t a normal student.

Erick hadn’t checked up on Al or Savral at all since the end of the Worldly Path. He had seen Al, Savral... And Mog, the Guildmaster of Spur’s Adventurer’s Guild, and Sirocco Zago, the Guildmaster of Spur’s Mage Guild, and most everyone else who Erick had once called neighbor, and friend. But those sightings had been through Ophiel, and from far away. He hadn’t actually talked to any of them.

Suddenly, Erick knew he needed to talk to the people of Spur. He needed to talk to Al.

But he was here with Illustrious Moon, and they were talking about Ar’Cosmos’ city by the lake. He was here, for now. Later, he would see what was happening at Spur.

Erick looked to Illustrious, saying, “They are all fine names, but I would like to talk more about having some of your people move into Candlepoint, and not into your city. I would also like to talk more about the nature of the government you wish to build in this land... And what it means to Paradox Dragon Essence into something similar yet different. I might actually be doing some of that soon.”

Illustrious showed obvious relief when Erick spoke of Paradoxing Dragon Essence, but she chose to talk of city planning, first.

They spoke for two hours about the nature of Ar’Cosmos’ refugee city, how much Illustrious expected the city to remain a ‘refugee city’ when the population could freely return to Ar’Cosmos after the dragons settled in, and how well the refugee city was going to adhere to Erick’s and House Benevolence’s decrees which would be, of course, the actual law of the land. Erick had expected Illustrious to balk at that, and for the Houses of Ar’Cosmos to desire to be treated as equals to House Benevolence, but that wasn’t even a concern.

Illustrious put it best when she said, “The Houses remain in Ar’Cosmos, but we will open branch offices in this new city, and since this is your land, they are under your jurisdiction. I’ll even make sure they’re under the refugee city’s jurisdiction first, if that would make it easier on you.”

“It would. I have enough on my plate already so I won’t be looking over your branch offices at all. I want your new city to adhere to the structure we’re setting up already in Candlepoint, too. One mayor, like Mephistopheles, a law deciding branch, like Volaro, a law enforcing branch, like Slip, a sewermaster, like Ava, and however many organizers of the market you wish. Candlepoint has Zaraanka and Valok, for instance.”

“Then consider it done.” Illustrious said, “Now as for the laws of the lands, I approve of the systems you have smashed together under Volaro, but...”

They spoke of laws, and defenses, and all manner of minutiae that went into a city. They spoke of Gates linking the new city to the Gate District, like Erick had done with Candlepoint. Eventually, that conversation wound down, and they moved on to talk of Paradoxing dragons.

That explanation only took ten minutes, for that whole process was rather easy, according to Illustrious Moon. Erick simply needed to gain Dragon Essence until he was a full dragon, then Paradox himself into a Benevolence Dragon, and then match his own new nature to everyone he chose to change. There were complications, of course, for he could not do such a thing here on Veird; he would have to do this in Ar’Cosmos or else the Dragon Curse would grab him by the soul and not let go until he killed all the dragons he knew. That would likely go very, very poorly for all the world, but mostly for Erick, because Erick would go looking for Kirginatharp and the Second to Rozeta would slap him down hard.

“Other than all the possible problems, making a Benevolence Dragon is all rather straight-forward,” Illustrious said. “And Fairy Moon can finish off the process for you, perfectly.”

Erick was not comfortable with any of her words, and for multiple reasons.

Illustrious noticed Erick’s discomfort. “You can try alone if you wish, but I would not recommend it for a number of reasons. Dragons have tried this Paradoxing before, outside of Fairy Moon’s assistance, coming at the same problem from the other side; from being a dragon first and then collecting enough of their own mana to work that particular Wizardry. Usually this ends very poorly. I know of a few cases where they actually succeeded and become an existence that is not bound by the Curse, nor by the power of the Houses of Ar’Cosmos... But it’s not a real Paradoxing, and it fails without a great deal of upkeep. Upkeep which most cannot maintain, because those dragons who have succeeded were not Wizards. They were just very good at their specific types of magic and they had help of a different sort.”

“... Well that’s still rather unexpected. I was under the impression that the only ways out of the Curse were through your Houses?”

“You could have spent a decade with us in Ar’Cosmos if you had to, and you still would not have uncovered all of the secrets of our homeland. This failure would not have been because we were keeping those secrets from you, but just the simple fact that we have a lot of secrets.” Illustrious waved a hand. “And those minor successes a few dragons have managed to create, to escape the Curse, have never transferred well. And, as I said, they require upkeep, because they’re all unstable. If that upkeep fails then those few successes still out there in the world will have to come crawling back to Ar’Cosmos before the Curse reasserts itself and they destroy everyone they know. That’s not speculation, by the way; that has happened before, too.

“For as many years as the Curse has existed, people have been trying to escape it. Sometimes they half-succeed. And then they fail, and they come to Ar’Cosmos and get in line with everyone else for a chance at truly escaping the Curse through a House; through a Paradox of Death, Carnage, or Fae.

“I admit, though, that the only stable form of this Paradoxing magic is when you start with a Wizard and then add Dragon Essence, and then the Wizard Paradoxes themselves into being both at the same time. Every one of our Houses started this way. You might be able to do it on your own, but you do have to do it inside Ar’Cosmos. Submitting to Fairy Moon is simple easy, though.”

Erick managed to control his visceral, hateful, and destructive impulses into something smaller; a quiet breath, a stare, and, unexpectedly, a twitch of his left eye. And also an arm-thick zap of Benevolent lightning that arced off of his right hand and struck the floor, spreading black char where it lingered.

“Simple, eh?” Erick asked, his voice straining.

“Yes. It is simple.” Illustrious ignored the char on the ground, saying, “I know the facts of it are terrible for you, but—”

“I don’t want to talk about Paradoxing Benevolence dragons anymore.”

If someone came to Erick requesting to become a Benevolence Dragon, then he would [Reincarnation] them into not-a-dragon. He was never putting himself under Fairy Moon’s power ever again.

Illustrious moved on, saying, “Then let us speak of something I just remembered you wish to do: the integration of a portion of our fleeing citizens with the current structure of Candlepoint. How about 5,000 people from Ar’Cosmos going to Candlepoint? And they get a seat on Candlepoint’s council structure.”

“25%, and no seat; 25,000 people. They’ll have more than enough power by virtue of their population. No one will be allowed to move into your new city until Candlepoint is larger than yours, either, so any secondary evacuations will move into Candlepoint completely.”

“What a strange set of requirements.” Illustrious Moon asked, “Whatever for?”

“I want Candlepoint to be the largest city on the lake. It’s as simple as that.”

“Very well. Then...”

Erick felt himself relaxing as they moved back to talk of politics for a brief while. The conversation could have ended already, but Illustrious did not want to leave Erick on a sour note. Erick was glad for that.

When they eventually finished, Erick knew almost everything about who would be coming to Ar’Cosmos’ expansion by the lake, and he had even suggested a name of his own, since the other Houses did not seem to be in agreement yet; Weald.

“It’s an Earth name for ‘Forest’,” Erick said.

Illustrious said, “I’ll add it to the pile of suggestions.”