The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 99

Part 16

“If this goes ahead, he’ll compose a simulated scenario of warfare with the demons, to take place all over the world and out in the void as well. Each competitor or team of competitors will fight exactly the same scenario, with exactly the same conditions, in command of The Just Alliance. Whoever has the best result at the end of the scenario gets to rule the alliance, at least until the demons are dealt with. There should be another tournament with a peacetime scenario to see who’ll rule after that.

“There are a lot of people who realize that you very well could have ended up ruling Kellaran if you’d played things differently. Regardless of your past crimes, there’s nothing in your sentence that says you can’t still rule The Just Alliance if everyone agrees with it. If you really are the best, and you really can lead us against the demons better than anyone else, then I want you in command. If you’re not the best, but you don’t compete in the tournament, the winner will lack complete credibility. There’d always be someone saying that you’d have won it if you’d competed.

“And there’s another thing. If we’re still alive after the war with the demons here, we plan to go with the Triax to hunt the demons throughout the great void, hopefully to eventually destroy their homeworld and exterminate them completely. I’d like to have you with us in that venture, and if you place higher in the tournament than anyone else who’s coming with us, then I want you in command.”

“Well.” Zarkog said as he sat up on his haunches like a dog. “Now you have surprised me. Twice.

“On the matter of hunting demons in the void after they are eliminated from our sun system, you’ll have to ask me then. My decision will depend on what occurs between now and then.

“As to the tournament to rule Kellaran; if you can truly cause such a thing to occur as you have described it, be assured that I will indeed participate. And I would be in your debt.”

He paused for a long moment as he considered the four young beings before him. “It is difficult to believe that any of you are as young as you seem. And you truly believe that you would win the tournament, and prove yourselves most capable of ruling Kellaran?”

“We do.” Six nodded.

Just then Amirgath and Quewanak appeared hovering above them, then landed on the mountaintop, and both dragon gods were grinning.

“You’ll get your chance, impetuous youth!” Amirgath laughed, shaking the mountain with his thunderous mirth. “Of course we’ve been listening since we were mentioned, and we both think your tournament is a fine idea! We’ll both co-operate on conducting and judging the tournament, and we’ll likely recruit a few more gods from every faction to assist with it, so that the scenario can be justifiably complex while allowing the tournament to be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

“We can’t say if The Assembly of The Just Alliance or the populous of Kellaran will agree to naming the winner the ruler of all, but we will most certainly hold the tournament!