Despite the murder, and the lack of concrete suspects, the summit had to continue. Mainly, the faster we could finish it, the faster everyone could go home, and the lest likely it was that another person would be found dead.

  Lagdon wanted me to be sent home, immediately. It was 'too much of a risk', and 'What if you are the next one targeted?', again and again, until i was ready to smack the hobgoblin upside the head. Luckily, Kishi was on my side in this matter. Or, rather, she seemed to had accepted the fact that they would not be able to convince me to go home and leave them here, so what would be the point of continuing the argument. The fox guardian was pragmatic like that.

  So, I sat though another long day of talks. It wasn't boring this time, however. I could almost taste the tension amongst the monster's gathered in the colosseum, and could see how tightly everyone was wound. while they all seemed angry and worried, they also seemed to want to put up a front of indifference, as if the death of the day before meant very little to any of them.

  The biggest change I had seen was in Margund. The hobgoblin king no longer sported his usual easy smile and, instead, sat back in his chair, arms folder over his massive chest with a cold frown on his face, fairly glaring at Astrid, the ogre's representative.

  I supposed that I could understand Margund's animosity. Of the races gathered here, all were capable of killing, but only two could physically pull a man's arm off: the goblins and the ogres. Margund- and myself for that matter- was sure that it had not been one of the hobgoblins. Though, I had to admit that I was biased in that thought, given my closeness with them, and my own (probably) overly trusting nature. And, of course, Margund was not willing to blame the attack on his men either.

  That left the Ogres as the main suspects. They had not hidden their over all disdain for any sort of cooperation between the races, and had openly threatened many of us. Still, I could have been wrong... but I did not think that Astrid herself was the culprit. During the limited time I had spent observing the ogres and speaking with her daughter, I had grown a level of respect for the red ogress. I had seen how she cared for her people and, in her own way, guided them in a way that she saw as honorable and just.

  Did my views and the ogres completely align? Well, no... but that was just how cultural differences worked. I found their ways fascinating, much the same as I did the other monsters gathered here. And I also didn't think that our core values were so different or incompatible that cooperation was completely off the table either.

  In my opinion, the real issue here was Varda, and her Drallda tribe.

  As we all dispersed after the last meeting, I saw the yellow skinned ogre outside once again. As we passed she sneered at us, her eyes gleaming wickedly, and almost tauntingly. Lagdon glared right back, and directed me away from them. Instantly, there were many people around me, as a matter of fact, and I didn't just mean my selected guards either. It seemed as if Speaker and his gang suddenly had the urge to walk the same way that we were, he and his two unicorn muscle flanking me on one side, while Kishi trotted along my other side.

  I even noticed that Yevette, who had left before Lagdon and I, was walking a little ahead of us and kept looking back, as if to be sure I was still there.

  I almost groaned in frustration when I also heard Brixie and Margund having a suspiciously pleasant and upbeat conversation near by, despite not being able to see them. After all, my view was blocked by about five or six tons of accumulative muscle at this point.

  "Really?" i sighed, a hand on my forehead for dramatic effect. They were not even good at acting like any of this was unintentional. "You all do realize that I am really the least vulnerable one here... Right?"

  "Let them be." nickered Speaker's voice in my mind, accompanied by the sensation of a smooth, summer breeze. "It makes them feel better to protect you."

  "Don't you mean it makes 'us' feel better?" I shot back, trying not to let my major annoyance and minor amusement come across our mental link. "I am pretty sure you and the unicorns are at least 75% of the meat wall blocking my vision at the moment. Lagdon being another 15%..."

  This time I heard the green stallion make is horsey amusement known with my ears, as well as with out mental connection. "True." He said.

  I made it back to my room without incident... Shocking.

  I stood outside the room while Lagdon entered first. After all, it was entirely possible that some one may have made it past the two foxie (Brillum included) positioned out side the door, and the hobgoblin stationed outside the one window as well, and there could very well be an assassin waiting inside. You know, to kill the basically immortal god. for what practical reason? Who knows... spite. Killing me would only serve to get me out of the way for an indeterminate amount of time, and I didn't see why anyone would need me gone in that span. Not unless there was a mysterious army out there, just waiting to invade the estate or here, at Sky Keeper, and they wanted me to be gone for that.

  As far as I knew, goblins aside, there was no single force capable of amassing anything close to what would be called an army. Each monster race just didn't have the numbers for that. Though, even a couple hundred ogres might very well equate to an army... I maybe there was some merit to this insane over cautiousness?

  I was more worried for my more vulnerable members, truth be told. It wasn't like there were only strong warriors here. And who ever had been killing monsters already made it clear that they were not above taking out non-combatants, as evidenced with the death of the young harpy page the night before. As such, I was more worried for people like Luxana, who was a healer, and not a fighter. Even Brixie, who was indeed capable, but was still more of a civilian than any sort of warrior.

  "Alright, its clear." Grumbled Lagdon, prompting Kishi to rush past me and enter the dimly lit room fist. Just in case, I assumed.

  I would hate to see just how neurotic these monsters would become if I, myself, were the one to actually be attacked. I might never be aloud out of the estate again. Heck, they might just as well try and chain me to the bed at this rate.

  I was sympathetic to their worry, especially in this high stress situation, but there was a limit to how tolerant I could be. I was quickly approaching that limit. As glad as I was to have gotten eh opportunity to meat the ogres, harpies, and equestrians- some more than others- I was so very ready to just go home. But I would not be leaving until we all left, and we would not be all leaving until this summit had reached its conclusion.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "How much longer will this be going on for?" I sighed, actually feeling exhausted despite having done nothing but sit in a ridiculously gaudy throne fore several hours today. "Surely there can not be that much more to discuss?"

  They had already delt with the food concerns, water purity issues, population growth, territory disputes, a general run down on each groups political stances... and several other topics that had completely gone over my head. Or in one ear and out the other, as it so happened. My attention span had started to wane once I regained control of actual functioning legs again, and I found it all the more difficult to be forced to sit in one spot for any length of time.

  "I haven't been a participant in the talks..." Said Lagdon, leaning against the doorframe and looking thoughtful. It was actually a rather comical look upon that face of his, that was usually scowling or glaring, depending on his mood. "But I would think that tomorrow, or maybe the next day, that things should be wrapped up. From what I am told, there would, traditionally, be a celebration afterwards..." His words trailed off.

  "Yeah, I doubt that will happen this time." I agreed. Monsters were not the type to stop a party just because someone died tragically, but I still thought that the festivities would be postponed indefinitely. I rather doubted that anyone wanted to get drunk and lively when the monster next to you might just tear your arms off.

  "I will be more than happy to get back to where we belong.' Huffed Kishi, settling on the floor in front of the window. No doubt she was acting as a secondary window guard. After all, a massive hobgoblin on the ground was not nearly enough.

  I narrowed my eyes at my friend, crossing my arms over my chest like a petulant child. "I belong everywhere here." I reminded her.

  She lifted her head, surprised. "You are correct..." She said, seeming to be reevaluating her view on things. "How dare some one commit a crime upon your lands!" She said, as if just suddenly realizing that the canyon was, indeed, my lands as much as the forest was.

  "I agree. The problem is that, even though I am nearly certain that the killing was done by, or ordered to be done by, Varda, I don't have any solid proof." I sighed, falling back onto the bed.

  "Why do you need proof. If we just kill the woman- maybe even her whole tribe- then the problem will be gone." Huffed Lagdon, glaring at the floor as if it had done him wrong. At least it was a face I was used to seeing on him this time.

  Kishi and I shared an incredulous look. Lagdon was smart... but he was also a muscle-headed goblin with a one track, over protective, mind-set. When my life- or the lives of anyone under his protection- were in danger, he had a point of view that heavily leaned toward 'kill now, question later'. Never mind that questioning a corpse was just about impossible.

  "Lets not forget the fact that I am against mindless, biased, slaughter, just for a second... Killing an entire tribe of ogres will just have all the tribes seeing us as enemies." I said, speaking slowly just incase the anger had blocked the hobgoblin's ears, as well as his rational thinking. "I will not go to war with an entire race of monsters just because there is a single bad seed."

  "Why not, monsters do it all the time." Sighed Kishi.

  Great, now the calm, cool, and collected one was getting a murder hungry too... Then again, was she not on a mindless, rage filled, killing spree when I met her back in the dark? She had been on a quest of vengeance that she never really got to resolve. Though, she made no bones about her dislike of Mitten, and took every opportunity to torment the 'almost-god-turned-house-pet'; but her current attitude had been far less aggressive than when we had first met.

  I suppose that could be said for all the monsters I had met till now, really. Heck, the goblins and foxes had been in a war over resources! Sure, the foxes seemed gentle enough at first, but they did not hide the fact that the only reason they were not more aggressive was simply because they had been too weak to wreak havoc on the goblins. And the goblins had so qualms what so ever in trying to either wipe out or enslave the foxes.

  Heck, even Margund- who seemed friendly and easy going at first- only really agreed to a pact between the goblins and foxes because it benefited him. If I had not been there, he would have taken them all out without too much of a care. He kept them alive because I asked, and because he was smart and know there needed to be change.

  Really, in this forest- no, all of my lands- the only thing keeping all the monsters from tearing each other apart was the the status quo, and me. It was all a rather delicate balancing act at the moment.

  "Things need to change." I said, almost to my self. I was staring at my clasped hands as I spoke, but I could sense the eyes of my friends upon me. They waited in silence as I worked through my thoughts.

  I had been doing my darndest to get the monsters to see the world in a more human light, while also attempting not to step on their independence too much. But, that in and of it self was a human way of thinking. The problem, as always, wasn't with the people I watched over, but with myself. They were not human, and nor was I at this point.

  I still thought that my vision for the future was the right one. I wasn't willing to bend on that, nor did I think I should. But I did have to change my approach. I could not deal with monster in the same way that I might have delt with the adventurers from Pern, nor even the kobolds, who still held a mostly human way of being.

  If I was dealing with monsters, then I needed to treat them like monsters.

  "No more being nice." I grumbled. No, it would be my way or the highway, as it were. That was how monsters worked, right? It wasn't about diplomacy, when you got right to the core of the matter. In the end, the strong lead, and the weak did as they were told and were happy to be under the protection of the strong. "I need to speak with Varda." I stated, fists clenched angry in my robes.

  "I don't-" Started Lagdon, but I cut him off.

  "No." I said, lifting my gaze to glare at him dead in the eyes. He looked surprised, but then I saw something like relief wash over him, and a tension leave his shoulders that I had not even realized had been there till now.

  "What is it you need, Lady Enna?" He asked, bowing slightly.

  I realized then what a stress I must have been putting on my dear bodyguard/ closest friend's consciousness. He probably would never have told me, and would have continued to do his job just as competently... But I was a constant worry to him. I was weak, both in body and in spirit, if not in heart and determination.

  The body thing was working itself out. If I really wanted to hurt someone, I could do it quite easily, and aside from the fact that I might vanish for an indeterminate amount of time before reviving, I was immortal to all but (Probably) an attack from another deity. But, mentally, despite my resolve to do what it took to be the land god, I had still been holding back. I had lacked any real confidence, and had been relying on others to make decisions for me, or for them.

  But that isn't how monsters worked. They were happiest with a strong and dependable leader. That was proven with Brax, and now the indomitable Brixie; with Margund too. Heck even his nasty father had strength, and many of the goblins had followed him without a question. Because the strong lead the weak, and the weak obeyed the strong.

  Lagdon straightened up and squared his shoulders, a look of marked determination on his face. "Should I detain her now, or would you like to wait till morning?" He asked.

  'Detain' her, huh? Not 'ask if she could come' or 'see if she was available'. Yes, that was right. I was their god, and a god need not wait on another's convenience. I had no doubt, at that moment, had I asked it of him, Lagdon would have dragged the yellow ogress to my quarters by the nape of her neck, kicking and cursing the whole way. Because I was the leader, and he followed my orders.

  "No, wait till morning. If we drag her about now then she will just have the whole of Sky Keeper awake and gawking at the spectacle." I didn't really care about making a scene. Heck, having an audience might have even been somewhat amusing given the crimes I suspected of her. But, an uncontrolled fight in the dead of night might get innocent bystanders hurt. Then It would be my fault that more people died. "However, whether she is inconvenienced or not, I will be talking with her tomorrow. Even if that means we are late for the summit. I need this delt with before more of my people are killed."

  "Indeed." Growled Kishi, setting her big head down across her paws and smiling at me with her eyes. "None are permitted to take what belongs to you, Lady Enna."