Chapter 52- Countess and a King

  Citadel First floor- Entry Hall- 7th day of the month of Niffle of the 6983 GR (Morning)

  Nath’aniel-

  “[Subject: Freya] as agreed to and sworn the same oath as her brother.”

  Hearing that allowed Nath’aniel to breathe a little easier. Yet Magneto still needed to level him, by saying. “That doesn’t mean that she will keep it.”

  "Asgardians, admittedly she is Vanir, but still they tend to react too poorly to people who earn the title ‘oath breaker’.” The mage told the tribesman.

  “And yet Frey brought her here.” The mutant leader argued.

  "I take it, Dad, you were an only child." Gypsy assumed.

  Magento turned so that he could see his daughter despite wearing the helmet, before correcting her. “I had a kid sister named Ruth, why?”

  "I have to assume, Dad that there was a wide gap in age between the two of you, and my reason is Pietro gets me to do things I think are foolish or unwise a lot when you were away." His disciple told her father. Nath'aniel wasn't overly thrilled, at first, that she wore her Brotherhood costume instead of her robes. But then Namor showed up, just like Cable had warned him, so he chose not to raise the matter to her, as her costume offered better protection than regur robes.

  The two of them watched as she left to warn the attendees that recess would be ending soon, and that there was a sentence to settle, before requests could be handled. Not that the mage figured that they would be surprised with that news.

  Once it was just the two of them Magneto, admitted. "Ten years," when he looked at the mage's face he added. "My parents couldn't really afford another child during most of my childhood."

  Nath’aniel shrugged before saying. “First, I didn’t say anything. And second, mages being what we are, siblings while not uncommon, have that or longer separations between them. More because of failed attempts at mating, rather than for some economic reason… And you think yours is bad, you should ask the difference in age between Frey and his sister.” Then the two of them also left to conduct the next step of the event.

  The two of them walked out to the center of the three tables, and before he could address the crowd he heard Freya shout. "The Envoy's son! Are you kidding me, brother?!"

  That made the mage gesture towards Magneto to see to that, before he cleared his throat. He waited for the man to fly over towards the two gods, before he refreshed the Tongues Above spell. Then he actually started to address everyone again, saying. “As you should have been warned, we do have some legal matters to settle. Newmen step forward!”

  Three of his cloaked Assassin model constructs revealed themselves near the three rge animal people, and drew their short swords, before gesturing towards them to start moving. For their credit, they complied.

  While they were marched to him, the mage revealed their crimes and actions already taken against them. "The Newmen were unaware of the toxin which affected all of the Savage Land, and as such saw their neighboring tribes as little more than other animals. Their crime is the consuming of sentiences, also known simply as cannibalism. Has already been partially punished by Magi and the Brotherhood, as we have purged, or killed, a rge percentage of their military members of their tribe.'

  “As well as the removal of a space or void capable craft in their custody. However, as we cannot just take parts of the craft to give away to their victims, they were tasked with coming up with additional punishment for their tribe to reconcile with their victims."

  They had been in their designated spots long before he was done speaking, but still, he waited a moment to gauge the other attendees' reactions. Surprisingly many of the natives to the nds outside of the Citadel, seemed the least reactive, save the members of the Swamp people.

  Nath'aniel was surprised to see that all of the factions from outside of the Preserve seemed the most offended by the crimes committed, including the Atntean king, Namor. The mage squinted at the fake outrage on the face of the SHIELD's youngest member, who he didn't recognize. He knew it was fake because it didn't diminish the hunger in her eyes, like she saw something she just couldn't wait to have, but knew now was not the time to act on it.

  ‘Something about her is so familiar, yet also not at the same time.’ he thought, before turning around to look the criminals in the eye and ask them. "And the proposed punishment you came up with?"

  The mage was a touch surprised that it was the familiar Red Lion who stepped forward to voice their suggestion. She seemed to blush when she looked at him, but still, she cleared her throat and spoke clearly. "(We are new, not only to the Savage Lands, but in life in general. Our knowledge is limited to what our creator taught us. Even so, we understand now the failings of our behavior.)'

  “(Given our shortcomings, the punishment we came up with is this. We will offer to split our remaining military into two smaller units, one that will continue to protect our compound. And if you are willing to aim us, we will send the other after hostile or dangerous beasts of the Savage Lands.’

  “(Additionally will offer, after treating or smoking them, portions of beast’s meat from said hunts, to the Magi and the tribes who we have… offended.)”

  'A task force that would be able to semi-regute the wildlife in the Preserve. That was an issue that I knew I would have to tackle at some point down the road.' Nath’aniel thought briefly.

  But further thoughts were stalled when the sorcerer from the Swamp People shouted. “(Portion?! You should all work yourselves to death for what you have done to us.)”

  The mage was angered by the outburst, but Magneto talked the lizard man down for him. “(Genocide or the extinction of a race is an aberration. And to suggest it, is an insult not only to us, but to your own people.)”

  “(But they ate my)…” The sorcerer started to justify himself.

  However, Nath’aniel interrupted him. “That isn’t to say that you cannot be angry at them, or dislike them. That is why they are here, to be punished. But with all things, there is a proper measurement, a proper amount. Or do you also agree with your shaman, Chief Var?”

  The lizard man with a headdress and robes shook his head, before he gave his thoughts words and crity. “(We have lost people, they have lost people. Killing more of them will not bring back our loved ones. But a tribute of meat will ease the burden of my people… However, to be further clear any of their people who enter our swamps or rivers does so at their own risk.)”

  The mage nodded, as did the snout-less female Newman.

  Then Nath'aniel turned his attention to the human tribe most affected by their crimes. "And how do the Tree Walkers see this punishment, does it fit considering the losses they have already suffered?"

  The chieftain of the Tree Walkers took a step forward after he shared a gnce with his two advisors. “(The Tree Walkers will not turn away an offering of food. However, we would have liked to have been informed before you decided to attack them.)”

  “(To settle your own grievances?)” The Newman Countess asked.

  "(On the contrary, we would have sent our shamans who would have tried to save some of your fallen.)" The pnt-covered chieftain expined.

  Nath’aniel frowned at that, as he also knew that the offer to heal was not made out of kindness, but as a way to bring their neighbors into their debt. The Tree Walkers charged bor or resources for their aid, and he saw that as slightly deceptive in how they offered it. Since the payment due wasn’t addressed till after the act was done.

  Still, that was two out of the three accepting the offered punishment. So the mage turned to the st tribe most affected, the Cat People. Nath'aniel was surprised that the Newmen would attack them given their simir appearances, but Wolfsbane had expined to him that it was the scent that the artificial race used to judge a person.

  The leading female of them stepped forward without consulting with her advisors and immediately rejected the offer of meat. "(We do not need your charity, but we would like your aid in protecting our new settlements.)'

  “(Give us some of your warriors to guard our five new settlements near the Citadel, and aid us in protecting them till defensives can be built, and we will forgive you of your crimes.)”

  Again Countess Ursu answered swiftly. “(We cannot give you our knights they are too few already, but we can assign some of our squires to you vilges.)”

  With that agreement the mage cpped, a simple cantrip amplifying the sound, before saying in conclusion. "Then we will also use that as a timetable for the tribute. At the end of this and of each month while your warriors protect the Cat People, I will aim you towards troublesome packs or dangerous beasts in the nds around us and you will prepare a tribute of meat for the tribes you vioted."

  There were a few murmurs among the other tribes, probably wondering if they could also get some of the tribute, but then advisors or their fellow representatives reminded them not to be too greedy, as the Pins Runners had earlier in the year. Since a mistaken assumption got them banned for two Entreatmeant Days, the guards baring them access even, and some of their best fighters are still maimed and in need of healing from their overconfidence.

  The mage was pleased when he felt his disciple will and cast the Echoing Words spell, a slightly more complex cantrip to his own cp before she announced. "(This concludes the Legal proceedings of today, and we shall move on to requests, starting with… King Namor.)"

  The Atntean king only blinked once if he was surprised to getting fast-tracked to the front of the line. Afterward, he gestured towards Magneto and then to the rusty container that he lugged all the way here. As the mutant leader wove magnetic fields around the metal boxes levers and rods that would allow them access the king thanked him.

  "(Acting Master of the Magi, I thank you for allowing me to attend today, regardless of our peoples'… history. To start I offer you these gifts, they had been stored by previous kings' of my nation in a secret archive in the Royal Pace of Atntis.)" The king of the seas stated.

  Then everyone saw the gleaming but tarnished silver metal of Magi constructs inside of the metal box. Most were in various states of disrepair or disassembly, but a few were intact and only required cleaning and recharging.

  Namor then reached into a pouch tied to his shorts and opened his mouth to, but Nath'aniel held up his hand. Something about hearing Magi being spoken from an Antean's mouth dug at the mage, but he held it back and announced. "Before you continue to commit to that, be aware, that your envoy and daughter, Namorita was attacked during her travels in the Preserve.'

  "While the Brotherhood was able to drive back the attackers, several of her guards y dead, and she and her convoy are currently guests inside of the Citadel behind me. I have stabilized others, but her handmaiden and second-in-commander may not survive their injuries.'

  "I wanted you aware, so that should you wish their release, then we could easily handle that, as your request for today."

  As he spoke, Namor clenched his visible hand into a fist and snarled in frustration. The king opened his mouth and just before could speak. He looked down at his other hand still in the pouch. He stared at it for a moment, before taking a deep breath and continuing. “(I thank you for that information, but as much as I love my daughter, my duty to my people is heavier… and so I will prepare a proper ransom for her release once I return to my throne.)”

  “I need not coin, or trinkets.” The mage stated.

  “(I will find something that you will find of value.)” Namor then pulled out his hand from the pouch and held up a Magi dream-stone with an attachment socket connected to it. He showed it to the gathered people as he spoke. “(This too was in that archive of my grandfather’s, so to fulfill my duty I must ask. Can the visions on this stone be fabricated?)”

  Nath'aniel squinted to get a better view of the gem, like the constructs he could see that the stone once was covered in a thick yer of dust or tarnish, and had only partially been cleaned and maintained.

  Yet it appeared complete and undamaged, and so he spoke only of the device itself and not of possibilities. "Can there be falsehoods recorded on one of those, absolutely, but you must understand that it is the honest thoughts of the dreamer. So any falsehoods on that stone would have been believed by the person in question, and he was taught a lie rather than he is presenting one.'

  "Just like someone can fake their death, but presenting a doctored body or a simir one in their pce. Yet the person in question is in fact alive and in hiding… Why what is on it?"

  Namor held it in such a way that the mage would have been able to see his blue eyes through the gemstone if not for the socket attracted to it, before admitting. “(The Great Truth.)”

  The mage heard another wave of muttering and murmurs, but it was missed by him. As he pondered how the Atntean will continue to act. There were many tribesmen of the nd among them after all, and he didn’t want to cause a scene.

  "I take it you watched it," Nath'aniel said more as a question, than a statement.

  The king nodded before saying. “(In its entirety. I know that it is more than a single question, but considering the nature of this, recording, I wonder what is the likelihood, that the people behind this,)" The king shook the stone in his hand before adding. "(Will return?)"

  Nath'aniel shook his head, indicating that it was unlikely, and even admitted. "It was because of them that the ancestors of the Magi and tribesmen before you allied with Asgard, Olympia, or Helipoa. And such alliances eventually expanded to make our world a part of the Yggdrasil Alliance. So while yes, the Sky Trive is very likely to return, this time we will not be alone, when they do."