The Royal Families had arrived at the Falchineve Colony\u2019s main entrance cave. They met with the colony\u2019s leaders, King Hekcho and Queen Yumbii Tolandah. \u201cWe\u2019re so glad you could make it in these times of war,\u201d greeted Hekcho as he and his wife shook their hands. \u201cWe\u2019re in a really tight spot!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Gorgons are starting to encroach on our own territories,\u201d explained Yumbii, \u201cand the Gryphons have been spotted patrolling the mountaintops, against our agreement!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need your help, something fierce!\u201d pleaded Hekcho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, that\u2019s why we\u2019re here,\u201d assured Emfam. \u201cCan we arrange a meeting with the leaders of the Gryphons and Gorgons?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEasily,\u201d answered Yumbii. \u201cWe have one set up already at Meeting Mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen let\u2019s get to it,\u201d declared Orbak. The Tolandahs led everyone to a mountain that sat in the center of the colony. At the northern base of the mountain was a table. There were two parties already there. One consisted of beasts with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion while the head and front paws were replaced with the head and taloned feet of eagles. They also possessed eagle wings and carried an air of smugness about them. These were the Gryphons. The other party consisted of reptilian creatures with snakes for hair. The snakes were still as stone and silent, merely draping down like long hair. Some of the creatures had a snake tail like a Naga while others possessed two legs. These were the Gorgons. One female Gorgon with a snake tail examined her claws as she waited while a male Gryphon observed the party approaching them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEveryone, I present King Hanjar of the Gryphons and Queen Erudsa of the Gorgons,\u201d introduced Hekcho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA pleasure to meet you,\u201d greeted Emfam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, I\u2019m sure it is,\u201d scoffed Hanjar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll make this brief,\u201d hissed Erudsa. \u201cYou\u2019ve constructed a fort in Gryphon territory and placed an invisible object in an area that was supposed to be set aside for farmland for Gorgons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesty, I assure you,\u201d replied Orbak, \u201cwe did no such thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh? Then explain the design of the fortress!\u201d Hanjar snapped his talons and a servant stepped forward. The servant drew a scroll out of her pouch and laid it out on the table. It was a sketch of the fortress. It was surrounded by walls of terrifying architecture, each wall corner holding a tower with a gate in the center, four surrounding a larger tower, and smaller supply buildings in between the towers. \u201cUnder-realm design, is it not?\u201d asked Hanjar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026It is,\u201d answered Orbak, \u201cbut something doesn\u2019t add up. When did your scouts discover this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYesterday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFortresses that elaborate take almost a year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere were concealment spells placed around the build site. One of your people got careless and didn\u2019t cast one properly, allowing my scouts to see the gate and counteract the spells so they could see the entire fort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have reason to believe,\u201d continued Erudsa, \u201cthat such a thing is happening in our lands. We have only a rough outline after feeling its perimeter.\u201d She took out another scroll and showed off the outline. Arsha goggled at the picture. It was the outline of a Dauntless<\/em>-class skyship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s impossible!\u201d she breathed. \u201cWho would hide building a ship like that?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, who?\u201d asked Erudsa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour Majesties, we have no clue who\u2019s behind this!\u201d argued Arsha. \u201cFor all we know, this is something Oyed\u2019s planned!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou would naturally shift blame to Oyed?\u201d asked Hanjar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWho else could it be?\u201d retorted Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cImpossible,\u201d answered Erudsa. \u201cOyed has given us his word that he\u2019s not behind this. He outlined how Realmfleet would stoop to such tactics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAgainst him, yes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhich leads me to my personal question, why go against him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause he\u2019s gonna kill us all, regardless of whether or not certain people are loyal to him!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s right,\u201d urged Endram. \u201cIf we let Oyed have his way, we\u2019d only be burying the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026You really want us to believe that this isn\u2019t Realmfleet\u2019s doing?\u201d asked Hanjar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Then attempt to prove it. If you can solve what\u2019s going on and clear Realmfleet\u2019s name, we\u2019ll join you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf not, we join Oyed and burn Realmfleet to the ground,\u201d continued Erudsa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Fair enough,\u201d declared Orbak. \u201cShall we see each other again tomorrow morning? We\u2019ll have a plan to show you we\u2019re not at fault by then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well,\u201d replied Hanjar. \u201cYou have until Early Morning. Let\u2019s say\u20266:25. I will see how you handle the fort situation and Erudsa shall observe how the invisible \u2018ship\u2019 is dealt with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see you all then.\u201d At Orbak\u2019s declaration, everyone departed from the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c6:25, Daddy?!\u201d hissed Malnar. \u201cIt\u2019s 18:00 right now! That only gives us our remaining seven hours today before we have to hit the hay! We can\u2019t possibly have a plan by then!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cActually, I think I have a solution,\u201d interjected Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh?\u201d asked Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can divide into two teams. One team will be with Hanjar and the other will be with Erudsa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd who will be the team leaders?\u201d asked Endram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd who will be accompanying them?\u201d supplied Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have the team leaders already; I just need the rest of the teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh? And who ARE the team leaders?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause of his knowledge of Under-realm Fortresses, I was thinking Orbak can lead the fort team. That leaves Aldarval to the invisible ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe, Captain?\u201d asked Aldarval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, you ARE the superior officer around here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Fair enough. Very well. Assemble our teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAye, Ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Borg took a walk. A grin was plain on her face. Oyed ordered everyone to hold position and not get involved. After a scout had reported that the Gryphons and Gorgons threatened to join the Realm Trinity Empire, she was initially stunned that they would do so without any convincing from their side. After the reports were confirmed, she became more confident in the plan. It was only logical. The Gryphons and Gorgons were too prideful to work with Realmfleet. Their isolationist policies ensured that. As she walked, she bumped into Remsu. \u201cAh, my bride!\u201d she greeted. \u201cAnd how are we today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnjoying some much-needed downtime,\u201d answered Remsu. \u201cJust wanted to tell you that our veiled hubby\u2019s challenged Oyed to Liar\u2019s Dice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLiar\u2019s Dice? I\u2019m unfamiliar with that game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a betting game our pirate friends play. It\u2019s become quite popular among the soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow is it played?\u201d Remsu led Dr. Borg to the game as she explained the rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEach player has five six-sided dice in a cup. They shake the cup, then place it upside-down to hide the dice. One player then declares a certain number of a certain face, not just for their dice, but for all dice in play. For example, you would say that there are two threes. The other person would then either say \u2018Liar\u2019, after which you would reveal your dice to see whether or not you were right, or the person would up the bid, three threes. After that, it\u2019s your decision. At which point, a third option becomes available. You can either call \u2018Liar\u2019, up the bid, or say three of another die-face, like three fours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou said it was a betting game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYep. They\u2019re just betting money right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd Tensam and Oyed are playing right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. Ah, here we are!\u201d They arrived at a crowd surrounding a table with Oyed on one end and Tensam on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFour sixes,\u201d called Tensam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFive sixes,\u201d replied Oyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSix sixes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Seven sixes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLIAR!\u201d Oyed and Tensam then lifted their cups. Out of ten dice, seven were showing six! Tensam was stunned. \u201cMan, my Lord! You pick up the nuances of this game fast!\u201d He handed over 20 golds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI challenge Oyed!\u201d called Dr. Borg. Everyone turned to her in amazement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026I accept,\u201d purred Oyed. \u201cHow much are you willing to risk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wager everything I own.\u201d Oyed scoffed at that offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith someone as dangerous as you, I\u2019ll only bet on what\u2019s dearest to one\u2019s heart, else there\u2019s no way to tell if they\u2019re bluffing. What one is willing to risk or not is a measure of their soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Very well, my soul in eternal servitude to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNO!\u201d shouted Remsu and Tensam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd what would you get out of this?\u201d asked Oyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou take orders from me and my fellow Council Members.\u201d Oyed\u2019s face then became one of shock and anger at such a demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Cytanek Yavenag Borg, be prepared to lose your soul!\u201d hissed the Titan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen it\u2019s agreed?\u201d Dr. Borg placed her dice in the cup and held it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Agreed!\u201d Oyed did the same. They then shook their cups and slammed them upside-down onto the table. They peeked under their respective cup. \u201cSince you challenged me, Doctor, it\u2019s your bet.\u201d Dr. Borg considered what would be the safest bet to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTwo threes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomewhere along the way, you became desperate,\u201d chuckled Oyed as he checked his dice. \u201cWhat the cause may be, it can only be related to your spouses. Three threes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSpouses need not cause you to be desperate if you choose the right spouses. Four threes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI recall your goals now. You\u2019re the one that hopes to create peace among the Realms. But your fate is to create chaos in my name for my amusement!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI choose my own fate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen it wouldn\u2019t be fate, would it? Five threes!\u201d Dr. Borg checked her cup once more before deciding her next actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFive sixes!\u201d The crowd talked amongst itself, trying to determine her reasoning. Oyed chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLiar!\u201d They then revealed their dice. Out of all ten, five were sixes! Oyed was visibly upset, then he regained his composure. \u201cWhat is thy bidding, my master?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf and when Realmfleet manages to overcome this and recruit the Gorgons and Gryphons to their side,\u201d she commanded, \u201cyou are to kill Arsha Royana. Kill her and morale will dip for all the Realms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026It shall be done.\u201d Oyed departed from the table and room. The crowd dispersed, each person chatting with one another as they left the room. Only Tensam and Remsu remained with Dr. Borg. After a small silence, one of Tensam\u2019s tentacles brought Dr. Borg up to his and Remsu\u2019s faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf all the dumbass gambles you could have made, this took the cake!\u201d he hissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat were you thinking?!\u201d snarled Remsu. \u201cFor all you know, Oyed could disobey us, and he could still take your soul!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe master plan will be ready by the time he tries,\u201d replied Dr. Borg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor your sake, I hope so!\u201d growled Tensam as he released her. He and Remsu then stormed out. Dr. Borg sat back down and idly examined one of the dice, smirking as she did.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Royal Families had arrived at the Falchineve Colony\u2019s main entrance cave. They met with the colony\u2019s leaders, King Hekcho and Queen Yumbii Tolandah. \u201cWe\u2019re so glad you could make it in these times of war,\u201d greeted Hekcho as he and his wife shook their hands. \u201cWe\u2019re in a really tight spot!\u201d \u201cThe Gorgons are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,237],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-4098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-4-trials-of-light-and-dark","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4098"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4099,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4098\/revisions\/4099"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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