Yamotenanten startled. “It is time! Here are your Councillors!”

  A seven-sided green table appeared. Ry’nao startled as a huge crack in it sealed, leaving a green surface that had wave-like patterns, as if an ocean lay beneath it. He smiled.

  At the side nearest to him, a gray cube appeared and a man, fire-engine red like he should be, appeared. But, his face constantly changed. “Ry’nao!”

  Ry’nao bowed very low. “Shao Tingan Nui! I never expected to see you!”

  “Rise, my son. I represent far more than the Xchou, today. Why are you pink?” He held Ry’nao’s four-fingered hand and it grew almost the same shade of red as his. This man glared at Yamotenanten.

  He bowed. “They have needs! No one told me they could not bear a few days of travel!”

  “Did you ask them? Did no one tell you species of their level would have needs, unlike us? My son, you must study harder in the ancient records. I will speak with Intonnen who sent you, later.

  “I fear this healing will not stay. You are very weary. We thought this journey would rest you. I see all through your Cube and find no fault with you, any of you. Let your other Councillors see you, then I will give my opinion to the others.” He folded his arms.

  Ry’nao trembled, but the being frowned and made him sit in his leiwege, in front of that side of the table.

  A purple cube appeared, and a Zheien with changing faces appeared. He had bright pinkish-purple skin. “Ryonne~, come to me.” He held out a twin-fingered hand.

  Ryonne~ paled more, but bowed low. Then took his hand. His skin should be orange, but he was almost pale as me. “Ferassmoranen Of S’ai, I—”

  “Do not think to speak the Seven Languages. Rest. It is unthinkable that you faced injury from two Councillors!” He stared next to them where a white cube appeared, and a lady made Adia gasp.

  She looked down. “I am very unhappy at the interference in my Collective! Rentappenen, Satauuver and Erigan worked together to replace members with clones made to drive me insane! And they changed my appearance to terrify Adia. My other Host went insane and misused our power. Now I am also subject to the Judgment. May I expunge them?”

  Adia sobbed.

  Ferassmoranen nodded.

  A woman appeared on the floor. Curled up in a fetal position, shaking!

  “I am Oeket, and cursed with your appearance! Your insane thoughts are now part of me and I cannot change it. Your accomplice also!” She scowled as a man appeared beside her, They wore blue coveralls. He also curled up and shoved his body against hers.

  “I don’t want anything to do with you!”

  “Hush! You’re making it all worse! Eriganh would be alive if not for you!”

  Oeket waved and they vanished. “I think people of Elshar know what to do with them. I do not! See, Adia, they are gone. I am sorry I still have her appearance, but I am not her. Do not fear me. Take my hand, if you want healing.”

  She looked up and put her twin-fingered hand in hers. White light hid her, then she looked like me! Five fingers like Oeket, but the same striking cobalt blue eyes. Adia startled. The look of dismay on her face startled me! She doesn’t want to be human?

  Ryonne~’s look of concern brought tears to my eyes.

  Ferassmoranen stepped down and put his arms around her. “Please, you must sit. I cannot heal this damage. Both of you suffered more than any here.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “I agree. I cannot agree to any further punishment of any of these people. Yes, they broke our rules, but they wished to save others. Not one of them had a selfish motive. We all agree, Rentappenen, Eriganh and Satauuver needed defeat, and we could not do this. Let them rest while we discuss with the others.”

  Ferassmoranen nodded, and reached to Ishmarel and Alice, who bowed to him. A red-violet cube appeared, and another Zheien, but he had orange skin. His face changed, too. “Wslarc, see to their needs while we discuss.”

  “I am happy to do this.” He stood by them, and so did the Xchou fella.

  A blue cube appeared, and a man with five fingers but changing faces stood over it. “Ah, my Elders! Come to me.” The three Elshars and their wives walked over. One had brown skin and needed his wife to steady him. “Opseh, take my hand. You hid Elshar for us. I am grateful. Do you know of the Chor? I am Berantanmai.”

  “I am Tirashanian, Elder Of Chor, but I do not know you.” That other fella with Cattie went over.

  “You should, my son. I am your ferfahie. We took all of Gosa with us, but now we have Cattie, Elder Of Gosa. Your people suffered much in this war. I wish to speak with Flora, who woke our worlds, and Andy, King of Eda. I wish to thank you for restoring Elshar as we left him!”

  All the goblins went over there, Bponas, Kerponie and Kawspas, too.

  Yamotenanten motioned to Deb, Greg and Briahh. They all trembled. But a glowier fella stood over a light blue cube. “Oh, you look like we used to look! I rather miss my old appearance. I am Terios Wenh Cet.” He hopped down and now wore jeans and a golf shirt with a sweater over it, like Greg wore.

  Greg shook all over. “Wenh Cet? Opseh Wenh Cet said he was our father, but he lied!”

  “Take my hand, and I will show you your true father, for I am. He left our family to do Rentappenen’s evil, but you never knew our happiness. Our family welcomes you.” White light hid them for a moment. Greg and Briahh still looked the same, but Greg smiled and hugged his father.

  Another being appeared over an emerald green cube. “I am Setharran. Tanirpahadachan, bring your son to meet me. Cunigundae, Host Of Blue Lens Of Secrets, come.” Several people went to him.

  There were a lot of us that didn’t have anyone on that table. Then Yamotenanten stood in front of me. “You must go with this group.” Dromie took my hand.

  Ry’nao looked scared and stood up. “Please, Yamotenanten—”

  He frowned at him. “We know what to do with you. But her power can create or destroy all we know! They must go to higher Levels.”

  Ry’nao hugged me. “I am sorry, Azure.”

  “It’s okay. Will you be okay?”

  He nodded. “They will send us back today. But, others—” His voice broke as he looked at Irdaktin and Kia, his father, Tanirpahadachan, Cunigundae, who looked Elshar with his blue eyes dark, Tirashanian and his lady, Llsam and Morgan, Kawspas, Kerponie and Bponas stood near Yamotenanten. So did all of Andy and Dromie’s people.

  Suza ran to Bponas. “Can’t she stay? Oh, please!” She put her arms around that horse-like neck and buried her face in the blue fur.

  Bponas looked at the ceiling. “It’s just my fate! This isn’t fair! She wanted me to have a field to run in with flowers and grass! Not that I don’t want to be with you, Azure.”

  I laughed and hugged her. “Maybe where we’re going has a field. But Suza, you’re going back to your new home. You’ll be with your husband. When you go back, your nowself will merge with your thenself. It’ll be all right.”

  She cried and held onto both of us. “Why do you have to go? I wanted to be friends!”

  White light hid everyone and we stood on that ship again, just our group. I put my arms down, then wiped my face.

  “I wanted to be friends, too, Suza.” Bponas sighed and quit staring at the space where she was.

  I hugged her and she bent her long neck around me.