I, Dacien

A Story by Onyx Tao © 2014 Onyx Tao

I, Dacien by Onyx Tao is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at onyx-tao.sofurry.com.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Emergency

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"Do not imagine that you can use this crisis to use your quorum to control Scylla," General Casimir said angrily as he stormed into the council chamber. "Wolachya is merely stranded in Leviathan; he remains on the council. If I had not received this ... this ... rude summons, I never would have believed that you - either of ..." and Casimir stopped, as he took in the third Pristine bull standing in the council chamber. "What ... what is this? What have you done!"

"This is an emergency session, General Casimir," said General Andrei. "Sandor and I request that you approve Colonel Bronislaw as the acting replacement on the Council for Ladislaw - who, just as Wolachya, is trapped in Leviathan. And we - and by we, I mean only Sandor and I, since the Colonel is not yet in our ranks - request that you nominate an acting replacement for General Januisz. Following that, we would hope you and that worthy would nominate an acting replacement for General Wolachya, until such time as he and Lad can rejoin us."

"We are not attempting to take over," said Sandor. "We, Lad and I, will accept whoever you nominate to replace Januisz."

"Almost anyone," Andrei broke in. "Do not ask us to approve Lubor."

Sandor motioned him quiet, and continued speaking. "We do reserve our veto over your third, but ... we hardly think we will need it."

"Why?" asked Casimir bluntly. "That is an ... a surprising concession." He paused. "Although, I promise you, I will not nominate Lubor."

"This council needs to make decisions," Sandor said. "Serious ones, and there are no good answers. Lad and I agree that we need a full council; the three of us are simply too few to discuss these things properly. We request that you approve Bronislaw to replace Lad until ... until we have reestablished contact."

"Bronislaw," said Casimir after a moment, and he took what had been Januisz's seat at the council. "Very well. Are you two - pardon me, you three, familiar with Captain Bogdan?"

"No," said Andrei. "I ... one of the reasons we're recommending Bronislaw is that he is a master magician. With the loss of Timas ... we thought we needed that. And a second magician would be our preference."

Casimir frowned, and then sighed. "No, you're right. I had ..." and then he stopped. "And I have behaved rudely. I beg your forgiveness."

"Granted," said Sandor. "Januisz's death is more than enough to unsettle anyone."

"Of course," said Andrei. "But I think it's just one more reason we need to fill the empty council seats, even if temporarily. Sandor and I do have some thoughts about whom you might wish to join us, and we will offer them - or refrain. The filling of Ebon seats is Ebon business, and it is rightly yours."

"I had not thought of appointing acting Generals," Casimir admitted. "Nor of the consequences of losing Timas."

"You've been busy with Januisz's pyre," said Sandor. "And the private ceremonies."

"That is not an excuse," said Casimir.

"No, but it is preoccupation," Sandor said calmly.

"I would very much like to hear any recommendations my brothers have," Casimir said.

"Thank you," said Andrei. "As we said, we would like to see a second magician, so ... Bron?"

"I have great respect for both Caslon and Viovald," Bronislaw said. "Both in terms of their skill, and personally."

Casimir shook his head. "Caslon ... I wish I could appoint him, but his bloodline is tainted. Viovald is skilled, but has insufficient experience. Georg?"

"I do not know him well," Bronislaw said. "With all due respect, General, I can speak only for his magical expertise, but that does not stand out as exceptional."

"Please," said Casimir. "General Bronislaw, for such you are, and ..." he paused. "Do you know, Andrei, Sandor, we do not know that Ladislas and Wolachya are lost."

"We expect they are well," said Sandor. "But what of that? They are not here and cannot advise us."

"Perhaps if we simply appointed Bron and Caslon as special advisers?"

Andrei and Sandor looked at each other, and then Bronislaw. "We thought we just appointed Bronislaw as Acting General. To reduce his rank arbitrarily would not ..."

"It is the right thing to do," Bronislaw interrupted. "There is no practical effect, and if it will allow us to make use of Caslon's talents, then I am happy to accede."

Andrei exhaled, and nodded. "Very well. Bronislaw and Caslon, Special Advisers to the Council, holding the proxy of Ladislas and Wolachya. You and Caslon to agree on Januisz's successor."

"Caslon counting as my choice, then?"

"No," said Andrei. "But since we are changing the rules of what we wish to achieve - it seems a good change to me. The point is to have a functional council. Does that proposal sound good to you?"

"It does," said Casimir, after a moment. "And ... in the remit of fairness, what do you think of Rajmund?"

"I do not know him," said Bronislaw.

"I have worked with him," Sandor said. "He ... would not be my choice, but then, of course, he is not my choice. I cannot object to him, but I think you could do better."

"Oh?" asked Casimir. "And better would be ..."

"Feliks, Cyrul, or Kondrat," said Sandor promptly. "All good colonels, more experienced and, ah, less abrasive."

"I'd considered the first two, but Kondrat ... Kondrat lacks ... something," Casimir said. "I'm not sure what, but ... no. Never Kondrat."

"It is hardly our decision," Andrei said, giving Sandor a glance. "You and Caslon decide on the right bull. You may take - or leave - our thoughts as you choose. And of course you know them better than we. I am not even certain we should be ... suggesting anyone. It is not our place."

"No," said Casimir. "It is not. And yet I welcome your thoughts, and will give them consideration. It may be that our council has been too divided, we need closer trust among us. I do not wish to have someone who is not acceptable to you. In fact," Casimir said after a moment, "I will give the three of you a private veto. If all three of you feel our choice is not a bull with whom you can work closely and comfortably, then I ask you to tell me."

"Closely and comfortably," echoed Andrei. "A high standard. Does Rajmund meet that standard, Sandor?"

"Barely," said Sandor. "I do not know that I am comfortable with having that kind of veto."

"Not Rajmund, then," said Casimir.

"No, not so fast," said Andrei. "Sandor's reply was not a 'no', but simply his feeling that there are more worthy bulls. But we do not take reports from these bulls, we do not oversee their work, we are not familiar with their great successes or limits. I am comfortable with giving you our thoughts - but I do not think our thoughts are so valuable as yours or Caslon's in this matter. I thank you for your offer, but for me, Cas, I shall work with whomever you bring to us."

Sandor nodded. "I, too."

"That seems right to me," agreed Bronislaw. "Your expertise is far greater than ours, and right course is to defer to that."

"Very well," said Casimir. "I shall send for Caslon, and we will have a full council meeting in ... an hour?"

"Sooner would be better," Bronislaw said, "if all is as I have been told."

"I am sure Andrei and Sandor have briefed you fully," Casimir said. "And I agree. We must settle our course at the first possible moment. But an hour is what I will need, nonetheless."

"Of course," said Sandor. "And yet, the three of us will await you in the council chamber, and perhaps start discussing among ourselves what we may do. Bronislaw is not yet apprised of some few details or policies that we must disclose."

"An hour, then," said Casimir.

"An hour," echoed Andrei and Sandor.

"But ..." said Casimir hesitantly. "Is there any doubt that we must abandon Lockfast?"

A look passed between Sandor and Andrei as some of the tension in the room vanished. Even Bronislaw looked relieved as he spoke. "No. It only remains to decide how best to leave it. It must be a clean break. I do have a thought, but perhaps it should wait ..."

"No," said Casimir. "Please."

"The seals holding back the bane of Xarbydis," Bronislaw said quietly. "The work we just finished, renewing them after the violation of the abandoned quarters - it would be a few hours of work, no more, to invert them. To draw the death into these halls, rather than repel it."

"But could not that work itself be undone?"

"It could," Bron acknowledged. "But that assumes magicians who are willing to expose themselves to the bane, and who understand the ritual work involved in the seals. Everything I have seen in Ungoliant and Venrir suggest that we have much better magics to deal with it than they - their approach was to seal the borders, and they continue to use a simplistic cleansing spell to wash the bane from them. We have several much superior spells. In fact, in a century or so, we might even be able to reclaim Lockfast."

"If it's contaminated ..."

Bronislaw shook his head. "The bane is not centered here; it is carried in by the wind and water from Xarbydis. Renew the seals, and the remaining areas of Lockfast could be cleansed. If we have an earth-mage by that point, it would be simple."

"If!" Casimir snorted.

"We are abandoning Lockfast," Andrei said. "If we are unable to reclaim it, then we lose nothing more than we have already lost. I agree that having a qualified earth-mage available is unlikely. But, could ritual cleanse it?"

Bronislaw nodded. "Yes, but do not imagine it would be quick or simple. We would need a full circle of magicians, and it could take several years."

"If an earth-mage could cleanse it so quickly, what would prevent an outclan mage from doing exactly that?" Casimir asked.

"Nothing," admitted Bronislaw. "Nothing at all. If they knew to do it. But no outclan mage has ever attempted such a thing. And attempting it in Xarbydis itself would be doomed - no mage can overpower Creator magic. And again, what do we risk? We will strip everything that might be used against us regardless of whether we fill this place with bane or no."

"True," said Casimir. "An interesting proposition. I will sound Caslon on it, and ... we can discuss it more fully in an hour."

"Of course," Sandor murmured. "We will await you."