704

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry, but Opheira laughed.
“Oh, is that all?” She demanded. “Relocated? Is that what you think happened to the Starfall Meadow hive? And you think the hives at Mourning Knoll, Rider’s Heath, and Zelva’s Prairie are showing strength?”
“You would claim otherwise?” Magnus countered. “We can see that the rains have destroyed the hive at Starfall Meadow. And kanegs from the other hives are invading the territory of their neighboring hives. You claim no part of these occurrences.”
“Oh, we were involved in a manner. But your understanding of the events that transpired is deeply lacking.” Opheira retorted. “You claim the hive at Starfall Meadow has moved, how closely have you looked? Last time I checked, if ‘rains’ destroy a kaneg hive the rain does not turn the sand upon which the hive was created to glass.”
A murmur of confusion went through the assembly.
“What exactly are you implying?” Magnus pressed with narrowed eyes.
“The Starfall Meadow hive was not ‘relocated’. It was annihilated, bringing the balance of predator and prey closer to equilibrium on the plains.” Opheira stated.
“Annihilated!?” Manus gasped, and there was a buzz as everyone murmured about the statement. “No one has the power to accomplish that. And you… YOU… claim to have done it.”
“You aren’t listening.” Opheira lashed back. “We were involved. Minorly involved. Especially in the destruction of the Starfall Meadow hive. All we did was tell our guests, who you have so rudely ignored, how they could best assist us. All of us.”
Magnus’s eyes turned on us. “Dragon dung. You expect us to believe that this strange male and a handful of the High Elves and a Shadow Elf SLAVE were able to destroy an entire hive of the kanegs? HA!”
I took the opportunity to step in and try to do some damage control. “We aren’t trying to cause any problems, we come as emissaries of the-”
“High Elves. Yes, I could have guessed by the gaggle of them at your back. By your sigil, I see you have been bonded with most, if not all of them. And yes, I see the Master sigil to pair with your slave’s. How you acquired a slave is irrelevant. That you would keep one is a crime.” Magnus snapped.
“She was given to me as payment for the Respite,” I responded. “I won’t-”
“Respite? RESPITE?!” Magnus roared, slamming his cane down. “Not content to let the Shadow Elves roll over us, the High Elves once more wage war to dominate us? Who was it? Did the Sea Elves resort to kidnapping and enslaving a Shadow Elf to buy a moment of peace? Or was it the Cloud Elves who have fallen so far?”
His face was a mask of rage.
“… It was the Shadow Elves.” I retorted. “After I defeated their armies in battle repeatedly and started tearing their armies a new asshole on the fields outside El’Muth’Ran, Kathra threw her daughter away to buy six months to try and come up with a way to keep me from completely destroying them.”
You could have heard a pin drop.
“… What?” Magnus breathed.
“I told you to shelf your pride.” Opheira declared smugly.
“After Tavorwen here managed to summon me at the Temple of Ages, I came and turned the tide against the Shadow Elves.” I declared. “And now that the Shadow Elves have invoked the Rite of Respite to buy six months’ time, I’m trying to use that time to help all the elves, so that when Kathra returns, we can have a unified front against her armies and beat her once and for all.”
“How?” That was all Magnus could say.
“Not the time or place.” I declared.
I had realized when Opheira and Brahim had so quickly declared that magic could completely counter my rifles that telling just anyone who asked how they worked was dangerous and stupid.
“How did you destroy the kaneg hive at Starfall Meadow?” Another elder asked, seemingly genuinely curious.
“I’m still not entirely sure about that, to be honest,” I admitted.
“He became an Ethvanier and channeled the power of X’Thallion.” Opheira stepped in. “This seems to be a strange thing to him, and he did it instinctively.”
Magnus sank back to his seat, skeptical.
“But… he isn’t an elf…” Another murmured.
“That doesn’t mean it’s impossible,” Magnus admitted. “X’Thallion may choose whom he will.”
“But if he is chosen by X’Thallion, wouldn’t our God leave a mark upon him?” A new Elder asked.
“Will you permit us to reveal your mark, as proof of your claim?” An Elder in priestly garb asked.
“… I don’t know how that would work,” I admitted.
“It is a simple prayer to X’Thallion, and he will reveal to us IF you bear his mark.” The Elder priestess explained.
I glanced back at my matrons and when Tavorwen, Sevrina, and Mavrin nodded. I turned back.
“Let’s do it.”
The priestess rose and guided me to stand in the center of the circle. She held aloft a symbol I’d seen multiple times, an animal paw print on top of a multicolored flower. She began to speak in a tongue I couldn’t understand even with my translation magic, but it didn’t sound like the tongue Sevrina and Mavrin used to cast their spells.
“… ai teliai!” She finished.
A bright light made my eyes close instinctively.
When I opened them, a green haze seemed to ripple around me. Looking over my head, a symbol could be seen, a sword over a leaf, with a second symbol, a clenched fist.
“Marked… and gifted with a boon?” The priestess gasped.
A moment later, the light faded, and the priestess trudged backward to her seat. I looked around awkwardly, then sat back in my seat.
“So then, Summon, what would you ask of us?” Magnus asked, his eyes narrow.
I took a deep breath. “Well, I know you have a lot going on. I don’t want to take soldiers you can’t spare. I was able to destroy one of the hives of the kanegs. I understand they are the biggest problem for you right now since the Shadow Elves are bound by the Respite. I was also able to sneak into three of the other hives and kill the queen of each hive. That’s why the kanegs are acting so strangely. They don’t have a queen anymore.”
Glances were exchanged, but quickly, all eyes were locked on me. Fuck, I hated public speaking. I always felt like I fucked it up.
“What we need to do is get communication back between each of the elven peoples. We need to prepare. I don’t know what Kathra has up her sleeves, but if it isn’t a desperate and dangerous maneuver, I’ll be shocked.” I continued. “I know you need food. I believe the Wood… I mean, High Elves, can help you with that while your lands recover from being overwhelmed by the kanegs.”
“We were able to keep the hive at Matron’s Gully properly culled.” Magnus relented.
“That’s good. We need to get all the hives under control. We need to be working together, Wild Elf and High Elf alike.” I pressed. “I will continue to reach out to the other Elves, to try and build a full alliance for when the Respite ends.”
I watched the ripple happen. I knew there were five other Wild Elf cities, and I watched as the elders from each city looked to the leader of their cities, and those leaders looked to Magnus. Magnus was the key to all of this, and by the look in his eye, he knew it. I saw him judge and weigh his options. He was no fool, and I could see him glance over my companions.
“Hratha Orin and her allies will join with you, on one condition.” He declared.
I nodded. It wasn’t unexpected, now let’s see what it was I’d have to do to win over the Wild Elves.
“What is your condition?” I asked.
“You have matrons of the High Elves, and by the sigil on your finger, I can see they bear your children.” He declared. “If you would have us as your allies, take a daughter of the plains as your matron. Give her a child, and continue to give her children that will return to us, and we will join you.”
I suppose it wasn’t that weird. I had multiple matrons from the Wood Elves, what would one more be, even if she looked different? Besides, there were plenty of pretty Wild Elves, I was sure I could find one I’d like. Maybe X’Thallion would guide me to one like he had with most of my matrons.
“Then the Orin will join you.” Magnus declared. “I suppose it would be too much to demand that the daughter of the plains come from our Hratha, so I suppose we shall hold a tourney of maidens. Any Hratha joining with us may present a maiden, and the winner of the tournament shall be your matron.”
Wait… what? They were going to do a tournament to see who got to be my matron. Didn’t I get a choice in this?
Tavorwen caught my hand and when I turned she shook her head, telling me not to object.
I caught myself and looked at a concerned Magnus and nodded.
“Hratha Creenin will join!”
“Hratha Galar is with you!”
The clamor of elders declaring they would join our little alliance and the buzz of excitement as there was discussion of which maiden would be sent had to be repressed so Magnus could end the meeting.
We were led back to the side room.
“So, I don’t get to choose my matron?” I demanded.
“Is that a problem?” Tavorwen wondered.
“Kinda?” I muttered. “What if I don’t love her?”
“Love?” Tavorwen laughed and several of the others smiled. “Do you believe you loved each of us when we were bound to you?”
I blinked, “Well, yeah…”
“Ah, the naivety of youth.” Opheira laughed. “You were summoned how long ago?”
“Almost three weeks,” I answered after some quick thought.