Chapter Fifty-One: The Politician


    T’tam was a politician.


    He had always wanted to help the world. Too late, he had realized politicians many times did the opposite.


    Ever since the battle with the beasts the Cult had sent, political tensions in Magefell had gotten so much larger, so much tenser. The Cult had finally gone public in Magefell, at least as much as they were willing to, and the response had been worse than he had expected.


    While most citizens hated the Cult for what they’d done—that was the most rational decision, T’tam himself had lost an aunt in the battle—there was a surprising, concerning amount of citizens who had taken the Cult’s side, causing it to grow rapidly. While the market was still being rebuilt—almost completely done now, the mages having been worked almost to death—the riots in Magefell had grown like never before. Cultist citizens were growing bold and impatient, calling for a revolution, and an end to the social statuses that existed.


    The Cultist High Mages and Parliament members, of course, told the citizens to calm down, but T’tam knew that on the inside they loved this, the fear and nervousness this caused in their enemies.


    Which was why the Parliament had called for a meeting. The riots were growing, tensions were high, and some countries were still sour over their Royals being at Magefell during the attack.


    — — —


    “I call into meeting the first issue, the return of the royals,” the parliament organizer told them.


    The Parliament was made of fifteen members, five of which were High Mages. The organizer was the man who had all the issues of meeting organized, and who kept the meetings civilized. The PArliament was supposed to be calm and without conflict, but one one introduced a death cult that had no regard for any non-mages, ignoring conflict was a little hard. T’tam always tried to keep a level-head, but it was difficult sometimes.


    Queen Rhin was pissed at Magefell, but she recognized that it wasn’t completely their fault. Still, tensions were high with her. Thankfully, both Aleudaum Seom and Mremba seemed to be on good terms with them. The only country they hadn’t heard back from was Arcadia.


    “I have gotten word back from King Aegon of Arcadia,” Member Thurri said. He had been in charge of any messages back and forth with Arcadia, alleviating any sort of problem due to the battle. “King Aegon bears no ill will towards us, and he hopes—”


    “Read us the message,” A drawling voice interrupted. Member Killia, one of the oldest members of Parliament, and a recently converted but very vocal Cultist. She didn’t trust anything a Member said, unless what he was saying was confirmed by message.


    One of Member Thurri’s pages stepped forwards.


    “I am Aegon, king of Arcadia, blah blah, you know the rest,” the page started, then blushed. “It’s what it says.” Member Killia coughed, and the page started. “Of course, sorry. I bear no ill will towards you. The battle was fun, and Yue Zhang protected me. I have loved my conversations with her. Thank you for the lovely time you have given me with the tournament. I just regret what has happened. I hope your city recovers. But we do not blame you for what happened, and hold no accountability over you.


    “Now, I must turn to an important matter. There are one hundred soldiers and twenty Arcadian guards on their way to you.” Murmurs began in the parliament, and the page cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Do not be alarmed. They are there to help you, but it is not a show of good will. You may need them. I will let them explain when they arrive—either the day you read this or the day after—but suffice it to say Magefell is in danger and you should prepare for it. Here ends the message from King Aegon of Arcadia.”


    The parliament exploded, metaphorically of course. T’tam looked at the woman across from him, Member Lysandra. She was usually on his side with every major issue, and this letter seemed to have scared her.


    “What do you think it means?” T’tam asked.


    “I don’t know,” Lysandra admitted. “But it does not bode well. If we truly are in danger, I do not know if we shall be able to recuperate in time. Of course, we do not know what the danger we face is. I hope we shall not have to fight inside Magefell again.”


    “I already told you need not keep such formal language in here,” T’tam chided. “But you’re right. Magefell is in a precarious position as it is.”


    “Everyone, quiet!” The organizer screamed. “Attention. If one of you wants to speak, you may. But one at a time, please.”


    “We need not worry about this,” Member Killia stated. “King Aegon must not know everything. Magefell is not in danger. At any road—”


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    “How do you know?” Lysandra retorted. “Is this another Cult plot you have concocted to throw us away?”


    “How dare you insinuate something like that?” Member Wesron, a Cultist High Mage, stated. “We only participate for the good of Magefell. Sending another army to attack would be unwise.”


    “Not to mention foolish!” Someone—T’tam didn’t see who—interrupted.


    “It’s the same thing,” Member Weston groaned.


    “So you know nothing of this?” T’tam asked. “Any information at this stage would be imperative.”


    “We should wait for the hundred and twenty,” Member Guyros, the oldest and wisest—at least from T''tam''s perspective—of the Members, said. “It is reckless to argue and decide before we even know what we’re facing.”


    “He is right,”” T’tam agreed. “We can reconvene when we see the small army.”


    “I third that,” Lysandra said.


    “Are we in agreement then?” The organizer asked. “Those who wish to accept this proposal, say I.” A chorus of I’s  followed. “Any opposed, say nay.” Surprisingly, no one answered that. The vote was unanimous.


    “Then we shall pass on to the second issue,” The organizer said. “With the increase in riots, all in the name of Dautha, the Parliament must consider what it shall do about it.”


    “We must control them,” Member Wesron stated, to T’tam’s surprise. “But, they do have the truth in mind. We do not support their riots, but we support what they stand for. We must introduce Cultist views into our own Magefell laws.”


    T’tam gaped at what he said. Just a few weeks ago, no one in the parliament would have dared to say anything so controversial, something so close to treasonous.


    “Accepting what they believe in will only tell them they did the right thing,” Member Guyros said.


    “And who knows? Maybe they are?” Member Killia asked. “Are you oh-so-holy to think that maybe they are right and you are wrong?”


    Standing up, hot-headed Member Firrden shouted. “So you admit to conspiring with them? You and your Cult are here as anarchists! Your hierarchy means nothing. You must be exiled, or killed!”


    Member Wesron smiled as Firrden rose to the bait. “And this is why we must be here! You do not accept those with a different worldview!”


    “Oh, we do,” T’tam jumped in. “We just do not accept those who use violence to promote their own methods. You sent monsters after us to attack Magefell. It is treason.”


    “We did not send them against Magefell,” Member Killia said. “We put them on the outskirts of Magefell, outside of their jurisdiction, but still on the island. It was the citizen’s choice that made them leave towards Magefell.”


    “That wasn''t a choice,” Lysandra retorted. “You let them choose between death and possible life. Anyone would choose the former.”


    “Not if their God said otherwise,” Killia breathed.


    “You’re sick,” Member Firrden told them. “All of you. Thank Gods you’re still a minority.”


    That was too far, T’tam thought. As much as he appreciated Firrden for being on the same side as him, he did have many problems with the man. He would often say things he shouldn’t, and they would only end up putting them in a bad light, giving way for the Cultists to convert others to their cause.


    “Calm yourself,” Member Wesron said with unbridled hatred. “You have no right to say anything that egregious.”


    “But—” Member Firrden began, but Guyros interrupted him.


    “Shut up,” He said calmly. Thankfully, Firrden did just that.


    Member Tyrian, one of the few neutral members, saved the parliament from escalating.


    “Whatever you believe, these riots are going too far. People are dying, and others are critically injured. Even some mages have been joining. This must stop.”


    “I agree,” Master Guyros said. “Member Tyrian, any advice for what we should do?”


    “Send the Vanguard on more patrols,” She answered. “The more, the better. With their fame, I feel most will listen to them.”


    “That is a terrible idea,” Killia said. “If we do this, the Vanguard will lose all its weight within the Cultists. Are you sure you want to do this?”


    “I don’t think that will happen. Rioters will not want to fight the Sterkona,” T’tam continued. “Plus, she is well-loved after the incident with the Pillar of the Departed.” T’tam remembered it well, after all, he was there. He hadn’t been crying with the others, but he appreciated Yue for what she had done to a broken Magefell.


    “The Sterkona isn’t in charge of the Vanguard,” Killia pointed out.


    “She might be.”


    “She won’t,” Killia replied. “I’ll make sure of it.”


    The Parliament would be deciding who the captain of the Vanguard would be today. In the afternoon, they would break the news to the three Vanguard candidates.


    “We must send in the Vanguard,” Thurri said. “It is the best way to deal with all of this.”


    Wesron clearly didn’t like this, but maybe it wasn’t up to him.


    “Shall we put it up to vote?” The organizer asked. “All in favor of sending the Vanguard on more patrols, raise your hand.” As this issue was much more polarizing than the last one, he did not ask the members to say I.


    T’tam raised his hand, as did Lysander, Thurri, Guyros, and five others.


    “All opposed, raise your hand.”


    Six hands went up.


    Ance again, T’tam’s side had won, although that had been rarer and rarer those days. More and more, the Cultists had been more persuasive. That day, though, they hadn’t cared too much about the issues brought up. They weren’t as important.


    The next issue, though, would be much more important.


    “The third issue we must deal with is deciding the new Captain in the Vanguard. We have three candidates: Yue Zhang, Kol Guyhian, and Yiro Gongsun. You may speak.”


    Immediately, the members of Parliament began to argue. This would be a very important and polarizing issue, and T’tam hoped it would be resolved soon.


    He smiled, thinking about his own decision. If it was up to him, then the Vanguard would have a great captain.


    But maybe it wasn’t up to him.