Relma awoke that morning with a profound feeling of dread.

Her days in the domain of Durag had been long and informative. Though they focused on more humane experiments, the dread did not leave her. Even if Relma was looking at experiments conducted humanely, she knew they were there. Relma tried to see more of them but found it began to affect her mood and had to pace herself.

And so she dressed without the simple, but the pleasant room she'd been given. She combed her hair and washed as best she could as well, having to undress again to do it. The room had furniture made of metal instead of wood, but it was all well made and comfortable. Brushing her hair, Relma looked at herself in the mirror. "Another day.

"Another tour. You have to stay with it, Relma. You need to understand what is happening here if you want to win. And if you don't win, everything will get worse.

"Unless...

"Is there something else I could do?"

Relma had spent her time researching as well, Durag had very extensive records. She soon began to put together the beginnings of a plan. And as she met Durag for breakfast, she decided to put it into action.

"Ah, Relma," said Durag, coming in as she ate. "How are you enjoying breakfast?"

"Very much," said Relma, enthusiastic at the idea of not seeing any horrors. Physical pain was nothing to knowing it was happening to other people. "This food is excellent."

"I thought you might want to know," said Durag. "Your ally, Pantera, is under attack by the Sun Soul Empire. Their warriors have been massing to press into her jungles. It might be wise to take some action against it.

"If you wish to communicate with another, I would be happy to supply you with the means."

That was...

An odd coincidence. But it did fit perfectly with what she had planned, and Relma came up with the idea at once. Nodding, she finished her breakfast. "I will thank you."

Making her way to the communications room, Relma entered it.

Mentally preparing herself for what was to come, Relma put her hand into the box. The tickles began, followed by pain as she focused. But Relma had gotten better at controlling it now and was able to stave it off.

"Pantera..." called Relma.

Then she felt Pantera's presence as a ghostly figure appeared before her. The catwoman was lounging upon a tree branch and holding a bloodied human skull almost. "Relma, you are using Durag's means of communication? Brave of you, isn't it?"

"Yes, I know," said Relma, cutting to the chase. "Durag tells me that you are under attack. Is that true?"

"Not yet, but they've been gathering troops for a full invasion," said Pantera. "I think I may have some problems. I may even lose this body, and so many of my dear pets if things go on.

"Though I'll devour many of them..." She sounded... well, happy about the thought.

"What if I could help you?" asked Relma.

Pantera crushed the skull between her upheld paws and tossed the fragments away. Everyone in this land was a bloodthirsty lunatic, weren't they? Relma supposed she'd just have to manage.

"How do you intend to do that, Relma?" asked Pantera, purring as she leaned back.

"I have a plan that might be able to save your holdings in that region," said Relma. "And through it, bring peace as a whole. How would you feel about swearing fealty to Queen Vanessa?"

"Hmm?" asked Pantera. "Why would I want to give up my freedom?"

"Because it will give Queen Vanessa a pretense to threaten an invasion. It will also give you greater security," said Relma. "Once you swear loyalty to her, if the Conquista or Sun Soul Empire or anyone else attacks, she can come to your aid. She will see it as an opportunity to expand her power, I hope."

"Yes, that is part of the problem," said Pantera ruefully, licking bloodstained fur. "Queen Vanessa will want to put a Dragon Lord over my domains."

"Then ask that you be made a Lord instead, with all the rights and privileges of a Dragon Lord," said Relma.

"I am not a dragon, though," mused Pantera.

"What does it matter if both of you benefit from the arrangement?" asked Relma.

Pantera nodded. "Perhaps, but then how will that help you? I doubt very much you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart."

"Because the war will never happen," said Relma, deciding to be honest. "I just need Vanessa to have enough power to spark others to be willing to make an alliance against her. If Vanessa puts pressure on the Sun Soul Empire to halt, then it will create a temporary stalemate.

"I can use that to create real peace."

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"How?" asked Pantera.

"I have several different leads, but I'll just have to rely on my greater self for some of it. Have some faith," said Relma, who did not want to explain her plan. Pantera might reveal it.

"No," said Pantera. "Faith is not something I enjoy. It ruins the taste of my favorite meals.

"But, I suppose I don't have much more in the way of options. What of Ajax?"

"Where is he now?" asked Relma, wondering why she brought it up.

"Oh, we've been talking over sending the wolves to fight the Sun Soul Empire," said Pantera. "Though not this body."

"I'll talk to him," said Relma, before feeling the pain become nearly unbearable. She drew the hand out on reflex. "Ah!"

Her hand was red. After a moment, Relma put the hand back in. Ajax appeared before her soon, stooping over some tracks. "Relma, is that you?" he asked.

"Ajax," said Relma. "I don't have very long to talk.

"I need you to go to King Tyus. Tell him that the Dragon Empire is on the verge of starting an invasion of the region to the south. Tell him that if he plays his cards right, he will be able to mediate an end to the dispute.

"To his own benefit."

"What makes you think he won't just invade?" asked Ajax. "And how do you know this?"

"I think I'm setting it up," said Relma. "But Tyus is smart and cautious enough to not want to invade anywhere if he can get power another way. If this pans out, we'll be able to have lasting peace on the southern border of Escor.

"If that happens, he'll be able to focus on other concerns.

"I also need to carry messages between King Tyus and King Gormath and recommend and alliance. I want the Harlenorian Kingdoms to reestablish ties. And that has to happen no matter what happens in the coming days."

"Fine, fine," said Ajax. "Are you alright? Your voice is pained."

"I know," said Relma. "It'll stop when I cut the message. Any questions?"

"No," said Ajax. "Though whatever your plan is, it's very complicated."

Relma cut the channel. As she did, Relma reflected that the plan she had in motion was not really one plan. It was more like a series of independent gambits. If successful, each one played into an overall strategy. But none of them relied on the completion of the others to succeed.

And then, suddenly, the box began to gleam. Putting her hand back in, Relma saw Pantera appear before her. "Tell me something, Relma... Relma, how do you think King Tyus would react if I became his daughter?"

Relma got a shudder as she realized what Pantera was asking. Estela was a very real risk now. She knew at once that action had to be taken. "He'd murder you in cold blood. And we'd become very serious enemies.

"Don't test me, Pantera. I don't like bloodshed, but you should beware of the anger of the gentle. Once roused, it does not abate."

Pantera sighed. "Such a pity," said Pantera. "And she had such fair skin..."

"We have more important things to worry about," said Relma. "Good day, Queen Pantera."

"Of course," said the woman.

Relma cut the channel. She wondered how exactly it was that communication was established. She suspected that it opened connections between spirits. In that case, they might have been two-way.

She decided not to use this device again unless she had to.

Turning, she walked out the door and found Durag waiting. Relma had been expecting him to be eavesdropping, of course. He'd be a fool not to. But his status as a party who was wholly alienated from all involved meant he might not alert his allies at once. Even if he did, Relma could probably make this work.

"...Well, how do you plan to make this work, Relma? King Tyus alone will not be enough to threaten Vanessa into submission," said Durag. "The Dragons will fight to the bitter end rather than submit to a mortal."

"Which is why we need an immortal to head the operation," said Relma. "A means to replace Vanessa if she chooses to continue threatening other factions."

"On your suggestion," mused Durag.

"It is a good way to avoid war in the short-term and helps my plans in the long term," said Relma. "That will benefit everyone.

"If this works, war will be averted."

"For how long, I wonder?" asked Durag.

Relma calculated how long the peace would last based on past experience. From her reading of history and what she'd seen, Erian was a neverending war. Truces were lucky to last a decade. Even then, they only did so because of wars going on near other borders. "A few months, probably.

"We'll have a lot of problems soon after signing the treaty, and we'll have to work to fix those. But if we do a good enough job of working things out, the peace might last a few years. Then it'll get easier, since peace is the norm, and we'll just have to smooth out the rough patches."

"Until war breaks out again," mused Durag. "No peace can be maintained forever."

"Of course, it won't last forever," said Relma. "But if I can save lives now, make things a little better now in whatever way I can, it could inspire others.

"Heroism isn't about fixing all the problems in the world. It's about fixing the problems of today."

"By putting Vanessa into a position where you can threaten to have her replaced?" asked Durag.

Relma sighed. "Vanessa is a vicious tyrant, Durag.

"She's allowed her nation to grow complacent in its brutality. At this rate, it'll collapse in a hundred years anyway. Either the people she rules will overthrow her, or she won't have a people left to rule. I'm just forcing them out of complacency by giving her some competition.

"It's for their own good, really."

"You mean Bryag?" asked Durag.

Relma sighed. "Why not?

"He's the closest thing to a god people have in this place. I know they nominally worship Vrengar, but I've yet to see anyone pray to him. Bryag is popular; he hasn't committed very many atrocities. And he performs real service for the people. Moreover, the dragons are terrified of him, even if they would never admit it."

"What makes you so sure?" asked Durag.

"Evren spoke at length about how Bryag is of no threat," said Relma. "If he really believed Bryag was no threat, he'd have dismissed him as such out of hand. Instead, he's gone out of his way to set up countermeasures. He made an alliance of Red Dragons to kill Bryag if he turns against them.

"All I need to do is give Bryag genuine backing. Enough to tip things in his favor."

"And what if Bryag refuses to cooperate?" asked Durag.

"Well, then I'll have to improvise," said Relma. "I may be able to sway Vanessa with the people who have already signed, using Pantera's allegiance as a gift of sorts. The Conquista has a tenuous alliance at best, and could be brought to side with King Tyus."

Durag paused. "If that's the case, why would you threaten them at all?"

Relma shrugged. "Because the Red Dragons are terrible people. And I think having them be afraid of their victims might curb their excesses.

"Fear can motivate where conscience fails."

Durag roared with laughter, and it was the most terrifying thing Relma had ever heard.