Jebidiah's Change Bk. 01 Ch. 11

After a short animated conversation Sift said, "her food has been touched by fire. When food that wasn't touched with fire it smelled bad like it was poisoned."

"Ask her where her food that she traveled with is, which of her bags."

Another short but even more animated discussion ensued. "It is in her food pouch. She demands her belongings."

"Tell her I will see what I can do."

His next stop was to see Mila, who was riding beside Joy. "Well met ladies. Seeing you too together, I feel like I might be in trouble."

Joy's face lit up and the bond filled with love. "Hello love, we can be as much trouble as you would like."

Jebidiah laughed, "I needed that right now, Joy, thank you."

"We could all feel the frustration building, Jeb."

"I may need help getting rid of that frustration tonight." Jebidiah's suggestion made Joy's face light up even more. "Mila, do you have any idea where the bags that Kelek had on her ended up?"

"Damnable lizard." Mila spit on the ground. "Corporal Horn-Waller secured them."

"Kelek wants to challenge you to individual combat." Jebidiah nonchalantly said.

Mila actually snorted. "What?"

"To the death. I declined on your behalf. Something tells me she did not like getting caught by you. Good job, by the way." She nodded with a grin. "You seem more at ease now, how are you doing?"

Her hand thumbed toward Joy, "This one instigates much. Having them" she waved her hand about over her head, "call me Lady. No Lady I be."

"You are part of the House now, Mila." Joy said with her matter of fact finality she always used to get her way. She may lack the magic necessary to alter the state of reality, but she made up for it in using her charms to make it happen.

"Joy, leave her be. Mila, you will find your place, do not let this little imp pressure you into things you do not want for yourself. Our road together will be long but I have no designs on making our destinations match. Be yourself."

"I tell her, no sex magic." Mila grumbled.

"Joy!" She at least had the good grace to look slightly remorseful. "You know what I am going to say, so I won't. I will leave you ladies to your discussion."

Mila put back on her smile, "I'll see you tonight, it's my turn in the tent so you better save up some stamina. Say... I'm short, right? I don't take up a lot of room. Mila is short as well, how uncomfortable would two short girls be in your tent?"

Both Jebidiah and Mila cried out at the same time "Joy!"

-- Somewhen, Somewhere --

After Comlain dismissed Jebidiah's soul he turned back to the others. This meeting may have been a calculated risk but that made it no less dangerous. "Did you get your sense of him Darido?"

"How did you get him this powerful this quickly? No player has done so well in the past. He will sow chaos throughout Tresolmar. His mere presence disrupts Order. It is the first summer of the game and he holds two other players. Will he eliminate them so soon? How will that play out, you know I abhor that which breaks precedence yet you bring him before me to what, gloat?" Darido's anger was on display in all of its glory.

"We call it the game, since the first time we played it, yet where did the term come from? I searched hard through my memories and cannot find where, we just all called it such without arguing. When was the last time we all agreed to something without argument?"

"You know we never do. When Comlain first asked me his question I too had no reply." another voice interjected.

"Peace Bora, I do not need your distractions. He has an automata of the Ancients. One we did not know of, which means there may be more even after this length of time. We lack preparation for the disruption this will bring. The Ancients destroyed this world. Your player only compounds the dangers he represents. None of this works in your favor, Comlain. What is it you want? The only reason I have suffered this gathering so long is curiosity. Why are Bora and Iztar helping you?"

"It doesn't matter if he is from your line?" Comlain asked.

"What proof of that?" Darido said in disgust. "You know as well as I do the Power set the rules of procreation in place before we ascended. There's no room for error, we set the demand that all human births be recorded, the Power made sure the number of births can be reconciled. The probability of him being either Tonstar or Valor are zero point zero out to the 99th decimal place. When I find who has been spreading all these cryptic, divisive, prophetic divinations around I will raze every temple they have to the ground. The gall and temerity to reference the Eight, my champions! The furthest any player progressed in the games!"

"I've been told the same from several others, but to my question, how certain are you that the 100th decimal place is a zero? You are correct, the Power sets the rules. Who among us has the ability to break those rules?" Comlain continued calmly, ignoring Darido's rant.

"No one better be able to, only the Power...." his voice trailed off as the real question Comlain asked sank in. "We do not know the Power is at work here."

The silence lasted only a short while and with a wave of his hand, Darido summoned the soul from the unconscious Kelek to take Jebidiah's place in the center of the gathering.

Comlain pressed on then, sensing victory of sorts. "We do not know it isn't either. Why has the first variant in a tally happened now? Why did circumstances, well before the game began, place Jebidiah in such an advantageous pod? The only reason I considered him for my player was the advantages that were already present. Why did you send your player," he pointed to Kelek, suspended in the air, "to the ruins? Was it your plan to lead Jebidiah to the Ancient's stash?"

"That was more Bualdir's work, not mine. He and I are... not currently on speaking terms. You can inquire of him directly. That thing he sent in his place," He motioned at the disfigured form arguing with Bora, "will not even acknowledge me. I grudgingly admit you give me pause with more to consider than I had seen myself. You still have not told me my answer, what is it you want?"

"Every cycle of the game we all pick a player and work against each other to see who comes out on top and then hope they are enough to finish the game. This cycle is different and has caused me to rethink things. We don't know why it is called a game, why we call them players, what the goal of the game is, why the game exists at all, how the game is supposed to help defeat the others, we know nothing yet we play. Maybe this time we play things differently and cooperate? Let our players combine forces, see if the game can be finished." Comlain waited with bated breath, the cards were all dealt. Would Darido call, fold, or up the ante?

He called. "Fine, for now we see where events lead us. I cannot fault your logic here, even Aesis would probably approve." Darido had given in and Comlain felt his own relief flood through him.

"Aesis does agree, his player is too far removed from ours but when the time comes there is already an... understanding between us."

"What say you Iztar?" Darido's sudden question caught the sixth member off guard.

"Our player, how shall we say, works well with this Jebidiah. Things have progressed in a satisfactory way."

Darido turned back to Comalin, "You play a dangerous game, Comlain. Let us hope this world does not suffer more because of it."

Expect Chapter 12 in one week's time! Let me know what you think in the comments and votes are very much appreciated.