For the most part, the meeting was Cordaos and Stas speaking to one another, the others chimed in to fill in information, but for the most part, no one felt comfortable speaking around Stas.

Despite his calm and reassuring demeanor, something about the way he moved and spoke set everyone on edge. Stas tapped his fingers on the map. "Well. Nothing can be done until Amara returns. I am going to clear the nests that have erupted in the city. Any argument against me collapsing the tunnels?"

Cordaos shook his head. "No. Feel free to clear them all. I can send someone to lead you to each nest."

Stas chuckled as he shook his head. The tic-tacing of his spider legs moving him over the table and towards a window once more sent a shiver down Trillia's spine. "No need. I can sense where the next entrances are."

With that, three of the spider legs went out the window and dragged the rest of his body after it. The tic-tacing of his legs moving down the side of the building got quieter and quieter.

"I respect that he's an ally. I respect he has done great things for our realm. He unnerves me." Ralrouk spoke softly as he watched the window where the goblin had dragged his body through the window.

Cordaos chuckled, looking at the orc. "Be grateful that he's a calmer person now. Stas has advanced telepathy. He can read the surface thoughts of those around him. So he's keenly aware of how all of you feel about him."

A feather hitting the ground could have been heard when Cordaos finished that sentence. Everyone had gone silent and froze. Trillia slowly turned her head from Cordaos to the window. Half expecting an angry goblin face to be there waiting. "I should apologize. " She whispered the words, feeling bad about how off-putting he made her feel.

Cordaos shook his head. "Don't bother. Stas is well aware of how he appears. He's used to it. For now, all of you rest. I know you've had a busy month. Once Amara has returned, we'll do more planning. Until then, you're free to do as you please."

Cordaos motioned for everyone to leave. Tormash gave Ba'Shoon a look. Everyone else filtered out except Tormash, Ba'Shoon, and Trillia. Cordaos looked up from the map at them. "What is it, Scout Master?"

Tormash closed his eyes. Trillia saw him squeeze Ba'Shoon's hand before he let it go and stepped forward. "I appreciate the United Tribes. I have no intention of doing so at this moment. But sometime very soon, I wish to start my own tribe. I would ask for your support as one of the founding members of the United Tribes of the Shattered Plains."

Cordaos stared at Tormash. Neither said anything for what felt like - at least, to Trillia - hours.

In reality, after six or seven minutes, Cordaos walked over to stand in front of Tormash. "I suggest you speak at length to your Grand Chieftain and General. It's not my place to say. I'd also suggest you wait until after this [Primordial] issue is resolved."

Tormash wore a puzzled expression. Looking up at Cordaos. "What do you know, King Cordaos? I feel as though I should be entitled to important events concerning my tribe."

Cordaos sighed heavily, walking over to the door and making sure it was closed. Reaching into a pouch that hung at his side, he withdrew a heavy rune and placed it on the door. As he filled it with mana, a thin box of mana covered the room.

Cordaos turned to look at the three of them. "[Primordials] can only be sealed by divinity. It takes a deity channeling an incredible amount of divine energy through a pact-bonded mortal to seal one of them. The mortal is usually killed in the process. That's why Lord Darktone made five of us and had us work together. As long as four of us were together, it wouldn't kill any of us when he channeled divinity through us into the seal."

No one said a word. Each stared at him and listened. He hadn't said it, but Trillia knew this information wasn't supposed to leave the room. If she understood it, she was sure that Tormash and Ba'Shoon did.

"He cannot create an avatar on Alirast currently due to [Scorned Divinity]. That means the options going forward are limited. Either a mortal is sacrificed to another deity that is present on Alirast to seal the [Primordial]. Or..." Cordaos seemed unsure of his words. Trillia held her breath, that little voice in the back of her mind filling her mind with every worst possible scenario.

"Or what?" Ba'Shoon is the one who spoke up, taking a step toward Cordaos.

"Each chosen of Lord Darktone has a divine skill. It is called [Soul Crucible]. It tears apart our soul so that it can release the divine power that was stored within us. Last time we sealed the [Primordials], Lord Darktone informed us of the use of this skill. Saying he doubted we'd ever need to use it. Since [Primordials] are usually sealed for a thousand years. By that time, all of us would have ascended. Or gone mad with the grief of eternity and taken our own lives."

Cordaos walked to the window to stare out it as he spoke. "Mortal minds aren't meant to watch their entire family and friends die repeatedly of old age. We break. That's why Stas is the way he is. Goblins only live thirty or forty years at best. He got to watch the love of his life all the way to his great, great, great, great-grandchildren die of old age. Unable to do anything to help them. Unable to get them to a high enough level in such a short life span for them to live on with him."

Cordaos closed his eyes, tears forming at their edge. "Amara and I waited until we found spouses that were above level two-fifty for that reason. We didn't want to watch the people we love die in front of us. We didn't want to watch them grow old and wrinkled while we were still full of life."

The minotaur king took a deep breath before turning to look at them. "[Soul Crucible] can be used by each of us. If three or four of us get together and use the skill at the same time, we can seal the [Primordial], even without the help of a deity. Such is the strength of the [2nd Axle]'s divine blessing. We won't survive the event, though."

Trillia blinked away tears. Had her mother known that's what it would come to? Is that why she had asked Trillia to make such a promise? Because Amara knew that she would have to choose her duty as a pact-bound over the tribe? "What about the new deity? The son of Lord Darktone."

Trillia spoke softly, staring up at Cordaos. She got a shrug in response. "He's still a child, even by our standards. He's the same age as you are but already powerful enough, with enough worshippers to warrant being a lesser deity. It's difficult to commune with deities on the best of days, let alone one who is so young."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Trillia went silent as she became lost in thought. "We'll talk about this more. Once Mother has returned. Thank you for your time, King Cordaos."

Cordaos nodded. Tormash and Ba'Shoon left. Trillia sat there at the table. Cordaos closed the door and reactivated the rune. Trillia assumed it was a rune meant to keep sound from leaving the room. Cordaos set a cup next to her and filled it with water. "What are your thoughts, little one?"

Trillia took a sip of the water, staring into it. After a few moments to ponder, she looked up at Cordaos. "Can you ask Uncle Stas to come back? I... I want to talk to the two of you. It's very important, and I would like to do it now."

Cordaos gave her an odd look but nodded. Leaning his head out the window, he spoke in an odd language - it was harsh, even by orc standards. Pulling his head back in, he moved over and sat across from her. Trillia offered a little smile as she set her mind in place to negotiate.

"What language was that?"

Cordaos returned her smile. "It's one of the languages of the Infernus bands. The humans call it hell, I think. Some call it the abyss. It is a place of terrifying chaos. Where pride and progress came before all else, even life. Immortals are born there. The other band is called Celestia, a place of law and study. That is the other source of immortals. Stas and I spent some time in an Infernus band. It was a...unique experience."

Trillia nodded as she listened. She wondered how many fantastic adventures they all shared. Four hundred years or so. That's how long they had been alive and had known one another. Trillia already had a bunch of adventures of her own, and she was only eight.

A few minutes later, Stas stuck his head into the window. The legs came in after and pulled his body through. The tips of the spider legs were all covered in blood and gore. "Why would you use an Infernal tongue? That's supposed to be for emergencies only."

Cordaos motioned next to him. "Trillia has a plan. I think it's important enough to warrant you being here."

Stas looked down at Trillia. Her determination wavered for just a second before she gritted her teeth. Stas climbed over the table and lowered himself into a seat. The spider legs wavered behind him as if waiting to strike.

Trillia looked at each of them, taking a deep breath.

"I first want to apologize. I judged you based on my own fear and terror. I hate when people see me as a [Runt] and nothing else. I shouldn't have judged you as I did. Secondly... I have a favor to ask of you."

Stas' face changed to a grin. "What a positively idiotic idea...feel free to give it weight and words so that Cordaos isn't kept in the dark."

Trillia remembered only now what she had just been told. He could read her surface thoughts. Trillia looked to Cordaos. "I am not pact-bound. Whatever Alirast did, I don't have the trait. I want Uncle Stas to take me to this new deity. You said he's my age. I want to offer to become his pact-bound. So that he can channel through me, to seal the [Primordials]."

Cordaos' jaw dropped as he stared at her.

Stas threw his head back and laughed.

Trillia gritted her teeth more as she stared between the two of them.

Stas put a claw on Cordaos' shoulder before he could speak. "You don't know what you're asking for child. Or what you're offering."

Trillia looked directly at Stas, her traits working in unison to wash away her fear as her determination grew. "I am offering an eternity at a deity's side. So that they never have to experience suffering or loss. In exchange, my friends and family are saved from having to sacrifice themselves again."

Stas' visage grew dark at that. She knew she had struck a chord with her words. Trillia pressed on. "You're all fine with sacrificing yourselves. Mother is fine with sacrificing herself. I'm a child, a [Runt], and a cripple. If being tied to a deity can let me save my people, my tribe, and my Mother. I'd consider that a very fair trade for an eternity of servitude."

Cordaos closed his eyes, shaking his head. Stas never averted his gaze. As if he could stare directly into her soul.

For all Trillia knew, he could.

Stas nodded. "So be it. Pack food and nothing else. I can't realm walk with you, but I can carry you there by way of flight. It will be a two-month trip. Tell no one."

Cordaos' eyes shot open, and he stood so fast that his chair flew out behind him and clattered against the stone. He nearly roared against Stas. "That's not your choice to make! We should speak with Ama-" his voice was cut off and went silent.

Stas now hovered face to face with the minotaur. The spider-like limbs grabbed Cordaos and yanked him down to his level. "I love you, Cordaos. You are one of my oldest and dearest friends. Never speak to me like one of your underlings again. Your size and intimidation mean nothing to me. It's a good plan. It will save many, many lives."

Cordaos pulled away, shaking his head the whole time. "Amara will never forgive either of you."

Trillia spoke up before Stas could. "At least we will have an eternity to sort our problems out. Besides, if anything, I think you and Mother are being selfish. Or cowardly."

Cordaos snapped his head to her, anger evident. Trillia continued. "Amelia would be an orphan. A Princess with no kingdom and no parents to help teach her how to re-take her home. How to lead her people. Father, my brothers, and I would be without the strongest rock we've ever known. In one of the most chaotic times of our tribe. For what? A child that, by all accounts, should have been cast to the wolves at birth?"

Cordaos seemed most hurt by that last statement. "Amara would never let a child die because it's a [Runt]. We aren't monsters."

Trillia offered him a smile, standing up and walking around the table. She hugged his leg. "It's ok, Uncle Cordaos. I know you just want to protect everyone. Think of Amelia. I don't want my best friend to grow up without parents. Let me do this. Besides, you and Mother were able to start your own lives. What's to say that I won't be able to do the same? Once the sealing is done?"

Cordaos kneeled next to her, still towering over her, but not nearly as bad. "It shouldn't be a child's duty to sacrifice themselves."

Trillia forced a smile. "I'm not sacrificing myself. Just...just some of the time I have. I'll be honest, I haven't felt like I belong. Ever. Maybe this is the fate that Lord Darktone had in store for me. I'll get my adventure and save the people I care about all at once. I'm sorry, Uncle Cordaos. I want to go. You'll have to imprison me to stop me."

Cordaos' shoulders slumped. Stas placed an actual hand on his shoulder now. "You can't protect all of us, old friend. Despite how often you try to shoulder the entire burden. I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt."

Cordaos looked up with surprise at Stas, who snapped several of the limbs across and nearly caved in Cordaos' skull. Trillia recoiled and pulled her rapier, staring up at the abomination. Stas gently laid the minotaur on his side. Taking out a cloth and rubbing the blood from his eyes with love and care.

Stas turned to look at her. "Amara would have blamed him for all of this. Now? Now it looks like the unhinged psycho abomination attacked his friend and kidnapped you."

Trillia's heart sank. She knew Cordaos wasn't dead. She could see his chest moving. She looked up at Stas, tears forming again. She was getting sick of tears and goodbyes. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

Stas offered her a smile, rummaging through Cordaos' storage item and pulling out various food and rations, storing them in whatever dimension he kept the ballista in. "Because. Everyone already hates me or doesn't trust me. I think your plan is an idiotic one. You're banking on a child immortal accepting your proposal and being strong enough to help."

Trillia sheathed her rapier before moving close to Stas. "So why help?"

"I think it's an idiotic plan. But I also think it's the only way forward that doesn't result in the only friends I have left dying or sacrificing themselves. No offense. But if I can sacrifice you, so that they don't have to die." he shrugged. Trillia grinned.

"It seems we're on the same page. Thank you for this, Uncle Stas. I'm sorry to make you bear so much of the burden."

Stas touched her on the shoulder with one of his spider limbs, and she found herself attached to it and weightless.

A creature has overwhelmed your mental defenses!

A creature is using [Greater Telekinesis] on you!

Trillia got ready as Stas dragged them out of the window. As he went, he pulled out the various ballista and left them on the ground. The city began to fly by under her.

The mighty wings on his back spread and began to glow with mana. Lifting himself off and into the air, they took off in flight. The spider limb pulled her close enough that they could speak.

"Thank you, Trillia Demonsbane. For being brave enough to share the burden with immortals like ourselves. If ever you need help. Let me know. It's the least I can do to return the favor, should this work."

Trillia nodded, closing her eyes and waiting for the flight to be over.