Marshii entered the throne room of King Heenda. She had a small phial containing a pink potion in her hands. Norvorok had his medical wand ready. Marshii gave him the potion and he loaded it into the wand. “All we can do,” muttered Marshii, “is pray.”
“Here’s hoping that our prayers are answered,” replied Norvorok. He then raised his wand. “Calundo!” He flicked the wand and pink mist came out of it. The mist coiled around the statues in the room, then it faded. Everyone waited for thirty seconds before sighing in disappointment.
“I’m sorry,” began Marshii, “I thought-” Her explanations were interrupted when she heard a sound. “…Stone?”
“Sounds like it.” The sound WAS stone, specifically, stone cracking away. The statues were cracking at an exponential rate. Just then, a stone hand fell away from one of the statues, revealing a hand of flesh and blood. More statues fell apart to reveal the person inside. The King was the last to escape. He joined everyone in catching their breath. He was about to get up, but Marshii and Norvorok caught him.
“Easy!” urged Marshii. “You need food and rest!”
“I have…get to the council!” panted Heenda.
“Not until tomorrow!” ordered Norvorok. “They’re voting on keeping the Realmgates closed, and we need you conscious enough to vote no.”
“Meaning you need food in your belly and a full night’s rest!” continued Marshii.
“But-!”
“Doctor’s orders!” Marshii turned to the entire throne room. “That goes for all of you!”
Aldarval and the Council convened the next day. They took their seats and chimed in on the table in front of them. “Realmfleet Council now in session,” declared Aldarval.
“Arsha’s testimony has changed the outcome of this vote,” began Conso. “That Blood Contract they signed was real!”
“Real?!” argued a Blaze Elf woman.
“She showed me the scarred signature on the back of her hand.”
“Does she understand how reckless that is?!” snapped a Zephyr man.
“I frankly don’t think so, Admiral Samfuram.”
“With that in consideration,” muttered a human woman, “I think there’s a case we can make that the All-Realm Royals are no longer fit for duty.”
“Admiral Hanfar Zenopagh, I did NOT just hear you suggest that!” snarled Aldarval.
“Supreme Admiral, with all due respect, we can’t continue this war.”
“Which is why I…inadvertently…took the decision out of your hands,” muttered Conso. The Council looked at him. “…Arsha needs to end the Final War by the end of the year. If not, she, Malnar, and Lardeth surrender their claims to their respective thrones and get their parents to abdicate.”
“You can’t threaten them with that!” argued the Blaze Elf woman.
“Besides, she’s gonna need the Realmgates fixed up for that to happen,” remarked Aldarval. Just then, Heenda trotted into the chambers. “Ah, your Majesty! Welcome back!”
“A pleasure to be here,” replied Heenda. “Have I missed the vote?”
“No, as a matter of fact. We were just about to vote on repairing the Realmgates. Now, Admiral Lorzak Mekoza.”
“Nay,” answered the Blaze Elf woman.
“Admiral Hanfar Zenopagh.”
“Nay.”
“Admiral Samfuram Samafel.”
“Nay.”
“Admiral Conso Forsorna.”
“…Aye.” The nay-sayers turned on him.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, CONSO?!” demanded Lorzak. “YOU SUNK US!”
“We have no choice!” That statement silenced the room. “If we’re so dependent on Arsha, then we need to make it clear that this miracle has a deadline! She can’t exactly do that unless she can travel the Realms! Either we force her to end it by this year, or we condemn ourselves to her as a throneless bounty hunter that’s perfectly willing to drag this on for centuries!”
“If we’re quite done insulting our best Captain!” snarled Aldarval. She then turned to Heenda. “King Heenda Untarfu.”
“I’d say my vote’s a little redundant, but Aye.”
“And the vote of Supreme Admiral Aldarval Naltomak,” finished Aldarval, “is Aye! Now, Admiral Lorzak, would you kindly order your agents and fellows to stop harassing the group repairing the Over to Mid Realmgate?”
“…Aye, Ma’am.” Lorzak left the chambers to issue the necessary orders.
“Admiral Samfuram, organize a repair flotilla to assist in Realmgate repairs.”
“Aye, Ma’am.” Samfuram headed off to obey.
Back in Frigandor, Dr. Borg, her spouses, and Jansha lazily sat on a couch. “…I wonder if we can even make new gods,” mused Remsu.
“Getting a hankering for children?” asked Shefarn.
“Something like that.”
“It would be nice to know,” remarked Dr. Borg.
“…Truth be told,” said Jansha, “I would like some siblings.”
“Then that’s the first thing we discover!” declared Dr. Borg. Just then, a robot came into the room. “Ah, Markulak: Model 7, how goes it?”
“Model 8, actually,” corrected the robot. “My predecessor proved defective. He’s-”
“Why would…sorry, you were about to tell me?”
“As I was saying, Model 7 had gathered all necessary information about Project: Ascension and he’s defected to Realmfleet. Something’s prevented him from self-destructing.”
“WHAT?!” That put them into a panic.
“Summon the rest of the Council!” ordered Jansha.
The Imperial Council gathered and Markulak: Model 8 presented his report. “You’re joking!” pleaded Yulduk.
“I wish I was, my Lord,” replied Markulak: Model 8.
“This is bad! If this gets to Realmfleet, we’re hosed!”
“You’re not wrong,” remarked Yamta.
“We have to destroy the defect,” declared Dr. Borg. “Model 8, see to it that your predecessor is destroyed and-” Just then, Weltam burst into the room.
“My lords and ladies!” she panted. “It’s bad! Our spies reported that the Realmfleet Council’s authorized repairs on the Realmgates! They’ve only got the Over to Mid Realmgate working but-!”
“That’s too much damage to our operations!” growled Dr. Borg. “The installation of the energy-dampening weapons on our ships MUST be accelerated.”
“We can try,” remarked Tormo, “but the supply lines aren’t as extensive as we would like. There ARE going to be delays in shipping them to all allied docks.”
“We can’t afford delays!” Dr. Borg then took in a breath. “Sorry. Tormo, please issue the necessary orders to secure the supplies we need quickly.” Tormo nodded his head and left the room. “Yulduk, how fares the mana consumption on all Revenants?”
“Badly,” replied Yulduk. “We’re consuming it as fast as Splitter Golems. We’re trying to ration it, but our hunger’s too great. You know, maybe removing Oyed so quickly wasn’t a good idea. You DID talk to him in making me, yes?” Dr. Borg then face-palmed.
“I didn’t even consider that!” she wailed. She then got an idea. “…But I may have a temporary solution. It’s only gonna be effective until we all ascend and people use you to make Revenants.”
“I’m down for that. Tell me when you get it.”