Aidan

The Realms

Fifthday, 2nd week of the 11th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Late Afternoon

Caellach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

The wargames and demonstrations continued for several hours after Aidan's and Eldrid's duel. Aidan was happy he had the foresight to delegate the later events to trusted subordinates. The memory of Eldrid's final attack would join the others haunting his nightmares for a while to come. He needed a drink as much as she did, though he couldn't indulge as much as Eldrid. He needed to be sober when the Summit reconvened.

By the time they were bathed in the red-orange glow of the setting sun, his quasi-lover/tentative ally/potential enemy was beyond sloshed. To no one's surprise, she was a horny drunk. As the hours passed, Aidan spent more and more time fending off clumsy kisses and wandering hands. He wasn't the only one, either. Brighid and Sunnild, who joined the pair as they walked off the practice field, were both on the receiving end of occasional amorous attention as well. All while Eldrid proclaimed that she was straight as could be.

With every drink Eldrid downed, Aidan grew more frustrated. He wanted her, wanted to indulge in her lush body and hear her begging for his touch. However, as she was, he wasn't even sure Eldrid knew whose crotch she was trying to grope. There could be no satisfaction for him like this.

When Eldrid started trying to strip off her armor in the middle of the alehouse, Aidan decided enough was enough. No one would touch her while Aidan, Brighid, Sunnild, and their bodyguards were around. Once they left to return to the Summit, however, Aidan had no doubt that things would be quite different. Already, anonymous men shouted from the packed alehouse crowd, encouraging Eldrid to get naked and jeering at Aidan's attempts to stop her.

"We can't leave her here like this. Sunnild, can you take her under the hill? Not to our chambers, just to one of the larger unoccupied rooms. Maybe try to find one of her crew to let them know where she is." Sunnild would miss part of the meeting, but she could be spared as she had no formal role. Eldrid did, but Aidan didn't think her absence would cause any problems.

Sunnild bobbed her head and flashed Aidan a smile. "Of course. It's so sweet of ya to protect her like this."

Aidan suppressed a grimace. In truth, he was seething at the mere thought of Eldrid acting like she was with anyone else. A pale hand cupping a catfolk's bulge, dark blue lips kissing a centaur's throat, dozens of unknown hands roaming across Eldrid's body. The mental images brought a trembling rage to Aidan's heart and a sour twist to his stomach. He'd never been so possessive or so angry. I need to get to the bottom of this soon. Something isn't right.

Shaking off the thought, Aidan said, "Eldrid's not herself right now."

"'M fffine. Nev... neffer bedder."

Ignoring the woman in question's slurred protests, Aidan continued, "I don't know how it looked from the outside, but that fight was brutal. If I didn't need to go back to the Forum, I'd likely be as bad off as she is. And despite losing, I got off lighter than she did as far as traumatic wounds are concerned."

"Mm. I'll take care of her." Her eyes flicked to Brighid, who gave her a slight nod.

"I know you will." Aidan smiled and kissed his fiancee, prompting a mumbled complaint from Eldrid. "With how much booze is in her, she'll probably nod off soon." Sooner if you decide to indulge her, he thought but managed not to say.

For whatever reason, the thought of Sunnild's hands roaming Eldrid's body brought only arousal. Aidan had to stamp down on that, too. The blue-haired Captain was beyond any question of consent. And, even as drunk as she was, she kept saying that she had no interest in women. Of course, those protests rang false considering that one of Eldrid's hands was rubbing Sunnild's thigh, but a no was still a no.

It wouldn't matter anyway. He'd bet a considerable sum that Eldrid would be out like a light as soon as she got comfortable. "Alright, let's get a move on, then. We can go together as far as the Forum. Come on, Eldrid, we're taking you to bed."

"'Kay. They gonna watch?" Eldrid giggled and leaned her full weight against Aidan as he guided her out of the bar. He had to wrap his arm around her waist to keep her upright and moving.

"This is going to take forever if we walk." Aidan glanced at Brighid, then decided against it. Instead, he cast Summon Mount. "Alright, Captain, up you go." With Brighid's help, he got Eldrid astride the conjured mount. Sunnild hopped up behind her to help keep her on the horse's back.

The walk back was still slow, thanks to Eldrid swaying dramatically back and forth with every step her mount took, but the quartet made it to their destinations with time to spare. Aidan gave Sunnild another kiss in thanks, ducked a wobbly grab from Eldrid, and turned onto the path to the Forum proper.

Spectators packed the Grand Council chamber full to bursting. Aidan could hear the buzz of hundreds of conversations even outside the building. He needed to look into methods to keep the noise levels down for well-attended sessions. Given time, he could probably make a modified version of his Sound Barrier spell that amplified noise traveling one way and nullified it the other. Bailiffs would have to do in the meantime unless someone else had a trick up their sleeve.

As it had earlier in the day, the crowd grew louder when Aidan entered the building. He paused for a moment, struck by incongruity. He couldn't remember anyone ever cheering at Daniel just for showing up. Eve, maybe, when she was younger? The thought of his sister twisted his stomach. She was trapped here like him, but he didn't even know when she was, let alone where. For all he knew, she was already dead.

Brighid touched Aidan's shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. He patted her hand and gave her a wan smile. It wouldn't satisfy her concerns, but this wasn't the time or place for anything more substantial. He proceeded to the Council's table and took his seat beside Eilwen and Ailis. The other envoys trickled in over the next half hour. When everyone except Eldrid was present, Aidan rose and gestured to the onlookers for quiet.

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"Now that we are all gathered once again," he began.

"All? Where is Captain Eldrid?" Searlas cut in.

Aidan did his best to keep from grinding his teeth. What was the point of this interruption? "She is recovering from the stress caused by our duel. Captain Valmai's Talent reverted the physical damage, but we both still remember taking the wounds."

"By which you mean she got blind drunk and disappeared into your home with one of your wives."

What was Searlas getting at? And why was he so antagonistic all of a sudden? Aidan thought they got along well before. "Sunnild is watching over her, yes. Do you have a goal with this line of questions, Chieftan, or may I continue?" Aidan fought to keep his irritation out of his voice but wasn't sure if he succeeded.

"I question the competence and commitment of someone who would drink to excess in the middle of such important negotiations." The gleam in Searlas's eyes told Aidan that barb was aimed at him, not Eldrid. This was a political maneuver, then, silent blackmail. Searlas wanted something badly enough to damage his relationship with Aidan and Ceallach Macht over it.

"I am sure that Eldrid would be happy to answer your challenge when she wakes up, Lord Searlas. Will you need my services, or are you confident in your victory?" Aidan could have kissed Valmai. The crowd seemed to appreciate her response as well, given the muffled laughter coming from all around the chamber.

"I made an observation, nothing more. If Captain Eldrid did not wish to bring such attention onto herself, she should have chosen a more private venue."

Aidan didn't want to see this tangent devolve any further. "Very well, Chieftan Searlas. Your concerns and objections are noted by everyone, I am certain. As I was saying, now that all who will be attending this session are gathered, we can begin."

Aidan paused a moment to make eye contact with each representative, even the Captains. "Each of you had a chance to examine the dragon's tail and received one of its scales, correct?" A series of nods greeted his question. "Are you each satisfied that they represent the genuine article? That our region is indeed dealing with an active, adult dragon?" Again, they all nodded.

"Then we come to the crux of the matter. I propose that we, the tribes gathered here in this chamber," Aidan gestured at the representatives, then extended his motion to include the crowd around them, "forge a pact of cooperation for the duration of the crisis. This winged calamity is more than any of us could bear alone, but one we can defeat together." He brought his hand around and slapped it into his palm for emphasis. "What say the rest of you?"

"My men stand with you," Captain Price said into the ensuing quiet. The other three Captains present confirmed their participation in quick succession.

Cynehild, the leader of Ceallach Macht's harpies, leaned back in her chair. "I regret to inform you that the Ash Shroud Sisterhood will not be participating in this operation, Lord Aidan." Aidan's stomach sank while the crowd burst into a susurrus of whispers. "In fact, I received orders earlier this afternoon withdrawing all but a token presence in the city." She hesitated, then added, "For what it is worth, I do not believe this is in response to anything you have or have not done, Lord Aidan, but I cannot say more."

Well, that was a minor disaster. Still, if the others agreed to come—

"We, too, have our concerns," said Kaou, the ghostly wolfkin representative. "You have considerable personal prowess, Lord Aidan, and we acknowledge the threat the dragon poses. However, we remain unconvinced that your plan has a worthwhile chance to succeed."

"The Mist Stalkers are willing to join with you—for the right price. As we all know, the dragon Karsarrym has in its lair two, presumably fertilized, eggs." Relief at Searlas's initial statement transmuted to dread in Aidan's heart. "If you want our aid, we require one of those eggs in addition to our share of the dragon's hoard." So that was Searlas's angle. He wanted a dragon of his own.

The room exploded into a cacophonous outcry. The crowd gasped, shouted, cursed, cheered, and carried on in general. Those at the table were more restrained, but not by much.

"Unacceptable," Cynehild snapped, her voice raised to be heard over the tumult. "The Ash Shroud Sisterhood opposes any such disposition. Are we to remove the threat now only to face it again in a half-century?"

"How curious that you include yourselves in that statement." Searlas somehow managed to emanate smug superiority even through the crowd's continued chaos. "It seems to me that you forfeited any say in such matters when you declined to participate."

"We, too, would oppose such terms," Fanchenn, the other ancestor spirit, said. "Should the wyrmling join with your tribe, none could oppose you. Should it not, we will face another crisis when it makes its preference known. We cannot permit either to come to pass."

Searlas turned his head to look at Aidan. "What say you, Lord Aidan? You have heard my price. I will remind you that the dragon's lair is within my territory, but only I and my trusted lieutenants know exactly where. Without my assistance, you will never find it before Karsarrym acts." His lips turned up in a smile that radiated smug victory. "Further, any unauthorized violation of Mist Stalker borders with a military force could and would be construed as an invasion."

If the Forum was loud before, it was deafening now. Strident jeers and raucous arguments echoed through the chamber. Acid rose in Aidan's chest, and he fought to avoid throwing it up. He was trapped, and Searlas knew it. Why hadn't he seen this coming?

It was obvious in retrospect. All of his advisors warned Aidan that the Mist Stalkers in general and Searlas, in particular, were cunning and manipulative. Looking back, Aidan saw Searlas's myriad traps and how he'd fallen for each and every one of them. That sense of camaraderie he'd felt, however distantly, was nurtured by Searlas from the start for this moment. Even Aoife's plight acted as a red herring.

The overwhelming noise echoing through the Forum beat against Aidan's skull like a horde of Gothic warriors storming Rome's walls. He raised his hand to cast Sound Barrier but stopped halfway through. The clamor's pitch and timbre changed from surprised outrage to curious confusion. A quick glance around showed Aidan why.

Standing at the western entrance, silhouetted by the setting sun, stood an eleven-foot tall winged man. His nude stone body bulged and rippled with carved muscles, and his hands and feet ended in gleaming claws. The figure was a gargoyle, but not Sarpedon. This was someone new.

Speaking in a rumbling, grinding voice that sliced through the din, the newcomer said, "Please forgive my intrusion. This is the site of the Summit meeting regarding the dragon Karsarrym, correct?" The gargoyle's eyes never left Aidan's. He knew the answer, but Aidan nodded anyway. "Excellent. My name is Alektryon, and I am here as the Sapphire Sky's representative to this Council. My apologies for being tardy. We took longer than planned to discuss the matter."

Aidan notified Sarpedon of the impending Summit and invited the gargoyles to attend, but only as a formality. No one expected the enigmatic constructs to send anyone, Sarpedon included. Alektryon strode up to the Council table and stood in a hastily-made gap between the harpies and otterfolk.

"Lord Aidan, we wish to alter our contract with you. We must discuss the reasons in private, for I will not share them in so public a setting." One platter-sized hand waved at the hundreds of spectators. "Suffice to say that events elsewhere in the world have brought new urgency to my people. In exchange for hastening your timetable, the Sapphire Sky is willing to sign a formal alliance with Ceallach Macht and provide direct assistance in your expedition against the dragon Karsarrym."

Once more, Aidan felt himself tumbling along in a tide of fate outside his ability to control. With the gargoyles on his side, the others would fall in line. Even Searlas would balk at calling the expedition an invasion with them along.

But the timing was all too convenient, too tight. Of course, it could be a coincidence that they acted to save Aidan as everything crumbled around him, but could he count on that? He'd never been comfortable with their contract in the first place. Lord Vader's words echoed through his mind. "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."