The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 180

Part 25

“You did the right thing, considering what you experienced and not knowing about the Education Spell.” Talia assured her. “If there truly had been a problem, you might have saved all these people by bringing word.”

“Thanks. Bye now.” Tanala blushed, and was gone.

There was a silence for a moment, broken only by the mutterings of hundreds of people all around them, then Mark spoke. “Well, I’ve done a quick check on everything in the city and they’re all doing fine, everyone’s well-fed and taking good care of themselves, beyond the reduction in their exercise and activity. The basics of commerce are still flowing as they should. The parents study for twelve hours per day and care for their young for five, and the Work Spell seems to do a good job of babysitting, so even the children are all right.

“But I sure understand why Tanala thought something was wrong here. This is very strange and spooky, the way everyone in the nation is like this.”

“Less than one in a thousand of this nation’s people were wizards before Hilsith’s spell.” Alilia mused. “And the wizards they did have were generally poorly trained, which is why all of them at this moment are at the court of Prince Jaromer of Thon for further training.”

“Which explains why none of them were available to notice Tanala.” Mark nodded. “Anyway, as weird as this is, it appears there’s nothing that needs to be done here.”

“As you said, Sister, we may have overdone it a bit on the motivational aspects of the Education.” Fire laughed. “But they’ll be glad of it when they’re finished as soon as they will be. Good work.”

“Thanks.” Val grinned, and took a last look around. “Well, I was only half done swimming, then there’s breakfast, and then I’d like to go over the deployments again.”

“Right.” Mark grinned, and brought them home.

Three days later the first universal-participation military exercise was held.

Every civilian participated in attack drills that day, evacuating the surface and going to the deepest and safest bunkers and barracks, or reporting to their militias. Defenders stocked supplies, checked their fortifications, and manned them to repel invaders. All the new and as-yet untrained wizards supplied power to the Strike Wizards, and every fighter from every nation fought, as did the gods, all of The Triax, and most of their gods. All of the aquatic races were included, and for the first time, waves of tens of thousands of Kellarani voidcraft rose from the shipyards of Serminak to join the fray. Beyond those in the time-bubbles, the only thinking beings who didn’t participate in the exercise in some way were the Triax gods who were running it and two Kellarani gods who helped them monitor it, and who made the announcement to Kellaran that it was about to begin.

There had been a public declaration made two days prior, to the effect that such an exercise would be held soon, and that all had best prepare for it. But no specific time had been given, there were no command meetings held before it began, no outline of the goals of the exercise or the strength of the enemy had been given by the organizers, no muster had been called. Almost none of the militias’ personnel were at their duty posts.