The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2
Chapter 2

Part 1

Chapter 2

"You will not be able to raise normal children, even if you stay mortal." Neela pointed out to Mark. "They will be half elven and half human, and with your unique properties, they might just be the first of a new race. Furthermore, they will be the sons and daughters of the Prince and Princess of Hilia, Keys to The Just Alliance, keys to the nexus, two of the most powerful spell casters on the planet, and two of the wealthiest and most famous people alive. Those circumstances will prevent your children from having anything like what you would consider to be a normal childhood, and you may as well face that right now. But that does not mean that their childhood will be any less wonderful and healthy, simply because their parents and their lives are exceptional. The same will be true if you become divine.

"The mortals here right now are the only ones that know that Quewanak is now a god. The same can be true of yourselves."

"You're right." Mark nodded. "There's no way we can give our kids a normal childhood while living the way we are now. So after the nexus is completely over and dealt with, we'll retire from all this royalty and government for at least twenty years while we move somewhere simple and raise some kids. Then after the last of 'em get married, then I might consider becoming a god, and not before.

"As for all those dependencies, after you revealed them I did stuff that you said 'left your visions of the future in tatters'. And you said that all our Candidacies would wax and wane with time and events. So there's a good chance that none of that is valid anymore anyway."

He turned to Amirgath. "It seemed you were the quickest at evaluating someone's Candidacy last time, and I don't see that having it done by our own patron god matters. Why don't you give us all another quick scan right now, and see what you think."

Amirgath did so with a quick glance at all the mortals present, then sat back on his haunches in surprise, before grinning in satisfaction. "All of your Candidacies are absolutely assured, including yours, Grakonexikaldoron! All of you will Ascend within the next two years! It is so absolutely certain that the dependencies can no longer be discerned. I am certain that this indicates that we will win this argument, and convince you to do your duty as you should!"

"Well you're wrong then, because I'm still just as convinced that I won't do it! Besides, it could just as easily show that someone else will figure out how to do it and to teach it. And besides all that, I'm still improving so quickly as a mage and a wizard and a warlock, I might be able to replace another way to assure our victory over the demons."

"No." Falgaroth chuckled. "Your candidacy is assured; you will Ascend within two years. I think that what the new replaceings show is that the solution Visinniria, Glup, and myself have thought of will work, and that it will please all of you. A solution we thought of by working together while the rest of you were arguing, I might point out.

"Amirgath, would you and your faction be satisfied if Mark took two months completely off, including being out of contact with everyone, and then made his attempt to become divine, and to teach it to these other Candidates?"

"We would be well pleased with that." Amirgath nodded.

"Excellent." Falgaroth said as he turned to Mark, and swished his long blue tail with a graceful motion.

"Mark, if you can retire from government and politics for twenty-four years, will you promise to then resume your duties and do your best to become divine, and to teach it or otherwise effect it in these others, and as many others as you can?"

Mark quickly checked with Talia via their Link, and received her enthusiastic agreement before he responded. "Sure, I'd be willing to commit us to that."

"Excellent." Falgaroth nodded, and tossed his mane a bit. "Then gather those people who you wish to be part of the community your children will grow up with. Choose an isolated place for that community, and go there with those you have chosen, who will agree to live there with you in isolation for the full twenty-four years.

"We will then cast a time-bubble upon that place. While twenty-four years will pass within the bubble, only two months will pass outside it. That should give you ample time to raise your children.

"Remember that your community will be completely isolated, so the area in the bubble must be large and bountiful enough to provide all of your community's needs. Though I suppose you are already capable of providing anything you could need with spellcraft."

"That's good thinking." Quewanak offered, scratching his chin with a claw-tip. "I can think of a few ways to deal with simulating the normal timing of sunrise and the change of seasons."

"You should do it for all our researchers too." Mark suddenly suggested. "Everyone who's working desperately on important research, hoping to get it done before the demons get here, can all have extra decades to figure it out. For that matter, do it for as many as you can, everyone who's building defenses, or having and raising children, increasing the food supply, teaching spells, building weapons. The more time we have to prepare for the demons, the better off we'll be, right? There can be more of us, and be better trained and equipped and prepared in every way!"

"Damn, child, that is good thinking." Falgaroth neighed and nodded as he considered it "But there are limits to how much we can do that way. It's not a simple thing, and will require a constant portion of the attention and power of at least three gods for the full two months in order to do it. But I will see how many of us are willing to commit to the task, and we will do what we can. We will take a week to prepare, then we'll cast all the isolations simultaneously. It will be simpler that way. In two months time, we will see how much we have achieved in the way of results, and consider repeating and expanding the program We may do it at least ten times over the next year.

"Most of us agree that we should try to eliminate the demons then; about thirteen months from now, actually. The distance between us and them at that time will be an optimum compromise. The closer they are, the easier it is to attack them, but allowing them closer also increases the possibility that Kellaran will be within their attack range. We have consulted with the gods of The Triax, and we doubt that even DemonLords could Translocate to Kellaran from that distance."

"All right, that's a plan then." Mark nodded. "We'll be ready in a week. I'm sure we'll have no trouble replaceing friends to join us. Who wouldn't want an extra twenty-four years before we fight the demons?" "A week is not long, to prepare for such a withdrawal." Talia mused as she wrapped an arm around Mark's thigh and hugged it. "So I suppose we should begin as soon as we can, which is right now. I'll inform Firs Minister Sheramiv and have her prepare the world and our schedule for our absence. And then, my love, we need to have a serious and private discussion about how we will raise our children."

"Agreed." Mark said as he picked her up and cuddled her. "I have a few more questions to ask here, while you're talking to Sheramiv."

As Talia cast Speaking to their First Minister, Mark inquired of Falgaroth; "Time will be passing a hundred and forty-four times faster outside the time-bubble, so does that mean that the land inside it will get less heat and light and magic power from the sun by that ratio?"

"We'll compensate for that, either with our power, or by storing power to be gradually released within the time-bubble." Visinniria explained. "You might not have your full power, but you should not be so diminished as to inconvenience you."☐☐☐☐☐