| Sorry there, reader. I got cut off from the Net for awhile there
halfway through submitting the last episode. Here's the rest of the story:
........ actually the fabled nation that Prestor John had ruled, and
had resisted bowing down to surrounding Sultans and Muslims, staying loyal
to what the Pope to this day....if only the Pope of that lived in that
land and not the one up in Rome.
"Well, admittedly he was a bit...overzealous in keeping the land Christian....to
put it mildly," mutters Alicia. "And we made quiet a few enemies in his
endeavors in doing that, but....that's not my problem any more. Thank God!"
The others look at her in askance, and she then explains.
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"What do you mean that the people STILL want me as their leader?!" gags
the dragonness. "I was just lending a hand where I could! I wasn't trying
to...."
"My lady," the speaker of the ad hoc council. "You were able to do more
for this land than anyone of the old order who had survived the Wrath!
You were able to rally the people and get them back on their feet. You
lead them, and they want you to continue to lead. Yes, they know your draconic
nature, and they still LOVE you! They want you, and things will fall apart
without you. It's that tenuous, my lady."
"But....what about Princess Alicia?" Malachi sputters. "She's the obvious
choice! She's in the royal bloodline."
"She doesn't want the job," the man says to the shocked dragonness.
"Now, here is what she said when I approached her about this problem. She
pointed out that she was still a lycanthrope, of a new strain that she
calls a manimal, but the people will still fear her for it. Were-jackal
are still a problem and the people still hate them. It was only by your
decrees that made the people of this city understand that she and her friends
weren't monsters that kept them from trying to lynch them. Also, you should
remember that Fred is considered a heretic! Yes, he may NOT be a Muslim,
but he isn't Our type of Christian....a true Christian. The people will
demand that her marriage to him be annulled and...."
"Okay!" breaths the dragoness, her human face turning a color strangely
like her hide in dragon form due to the feeling of frustration, anger,
and....fear coursing through her. "I remember that they f***ing stone heretics
for marrying royalty around here. But.....that makes no sense! I'm....."
"You may not be," the man says in a level tone. "But though you aren't,
they still see you as a gift from God! There's even talks of canonizing
you. And despite your professed beliefs in this Tiamat, a god of dragons,
they still think by your actions.....that you'll come to your senses."
"Come to my....senses?!" Malachi says, voice rising in anger. "What
in the...."
Synizn takes the boiling dragonness in his arms and excuses themselves
for a few seconds. He puts up a magical wall of silence for some privacy.
"Can you believe the NERVE of these HUMANS?" Malachi screams in anger.
"I can't believe that they....."
The dragonness goes on in this vein for several minutes, and then winds
down.
"But why do they want ME to lead them?" she nearly whines. "I....didn't
expect this."
"Malachi," the were-bear says sadly. "You can do one of three things:
run and watch this place fall apart, not take the job and risk watching
this place fall apart, and finally you could bite the bullet and....take
the job. You know this area since you've been here for so long, helping.
I know that it isn't what you wanted.....but think about it. You want to
help the humans.....and got blocked at every turn by the Dragon Council.
You feared how they would come down upon you if you defied them. That's
why you had to play a long....frustrating game before you finally were
able to go out and rescue Carradene and his Pack. Well, the Councils dead....That
was one of the GOOD things that the Golems did, and now....you can really
be in a position to HELP the humans. Are you going to take up the challenge?"
Several dozen emotions race across Malachi's face, finally settling
on resignation.
"I'll...do it," she whispers. "And....I can pretend about that other
thing. I've done harder acting jobs. But....I just wonder how long they'll
want me?"
The were-bear shrugs, and looks down at the shaken dragonness sadly.
His powers were great, but even he couldn't give an answer for that one.
What was obvious though was that Malachi wouldn't be joining him in this
quest any time soon.
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