He let the crowd talk for half a minute or so, then raised his hands to get their attention again. “Before we get set to depart, I’m sure you have questions?”
About a hundred hands went up, and Allistor looked to Remy for assistance. Remy pointed to someone near the front. “Gerald?”
The man spoke loud enough for all to hear. “You have this title of ‘Prince’… if we join you, does that make us all your subjects? Do we give up our rights?” About half the hands went down when he asked this question.
Allistor nodded, then shook his head, causing a few in the crowd to chuckle. “Yes, I have earned the title of Prince, and in fact I’m also Emperor of the planet we now call Orion. And I suppose technically if you join us and take the oath, the system will consider you my subjects. However, I consider all my people to be citizens. With essentially the same basic rights we all shared more than a year ago. A few things will be different. You can’t vote to elect a replacement prince…” He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful before adding, “If you don’t like how we’re living, I suppose you just kill me and take my place.” He smiled as he said it, giving a little shrug. “Way faster than all the campaigning and vote counting hassles.”
Directly behind him, Harmon loudly cleared his throat, then quietly mumbled the word, “Oaths.” It took Allistor a moment to realize what his friend was saying, and when he did, he rolled his eyes.
“Uh, actually, Harmon just reminded me of something.” He paused again, realizing he hadn’t introduced the orcanin yet. “Everybody, this is Harmon. Merchant extraordinaire, and leader of the orcanin who joined the fight today.” There was applause, some head-bobs, and a few waves. “Anyway, Harmon just reminded me that if you decide to kill me and take over, you probably need to formally challenge me according to the rules of the System. Otherwise, if you were to try and poison me or something, the System would punish you for oath-breaking.” He lowered his head and shuffled his feet a bit, his cheeks turning slightly pink with embarrassment.
“Sorry guys, I’m new to this whole Prince thing, and I’m just learning as I go, the same as all of you. I didn’t ask to be a leader. It just sort of happened. But I accepted the job, and I’m doing the best I can. For all of my people, and hopefully for all of you.”
He took a deep breath, looking toward Gerald. “And I just got sidetracked before I really answered your question. The rules will be basically the same. Don’t kill people. Don’t steal. Everyone contributes to the community in whatever way they can. Everyone works to get stronger, develop a skill or two, or three. I’m not a tyrant. I won’t be looking to steal your daughters for a harem.” He motioned for Amanda to step close, and he put his arm around her. “This is Amanda, my future queen. You’re all invited to the wedding celebration in a few months, by the way.” This time there were some smiles, and the cheering was a little more enthusiastic.
Hating to break the mood, but needing to be clear, he added more solemn thoughts. “I have been forced to kill other humans in the last year. Some attacked me or my people. Others were murderers, slavers, rapists, and the like. People who thought the end of the world meant the end of the rules, the end of common decency. I don’t want to have to do that ever again. But I will, if I have to. Without hesitation.” He looked at Gerald again. “Does that answer your question?”
The man nodded, again speaking loudly enough for all to hear. “It does. And thank you for your honesty.”
Remy chose a woman next. “Leandra?”
A tall woman with dreadlocks stepped forward. “Will we get paid for our work?”
Allistor smiled as the people behind her made noises of agreement. “Well, some of you will. Those who work on behalf of the community will be paid to do so. The ones who take support jobs like teaching, building, cleaning, cooking, etc. will receive salaries. Those who take up crafting, for example, will initially be provided materials for free. You’ll have the opportunity to sell your finished product to me for a fair price, sell to fellow citizens at a fair price, or sell them on the open market using the kiosks. In which case you can gouge your customers for as much as you can get away with!” Leandra smiled at this, and a few behind her nodded their heads. “Also, any loot you get from raids is yours to keep, or sell, as you like. We only ask that any spell or skill scrolls be turned over to our Sage, so that he can copy them to be shared with others. A copy will be returned to you so that you don’t miss out. And we have the entire southern half of Manhattan to clear of monsters over the coming months. So you’ll have plenty of opportunity to fight and grow stronger.”
He turned and indicated Harmon. “Harmon’s troops looted all the goblins on the field today. They’ll be depositing all of that loot here, or somewhere back at my place, for you all to divide up amongst yourselves. In addition, if you decide to become citizens and swear the oath, you’ll each be provided with a few spell scrolls. A light spell so you’re never lost in the dark. A healing spell, for obvious reasons, and at least one combat spell to help you defend yourselves. Those who choose to fight, and have the ability to learn more complex spells, will be given some of those, as well.”
The question and answer session went on for nearly another hour. Allistor paused to ask Prime to relay a message to the kitchen at the tower, warning them of another thousand mouths to feed. He also confirmed that Prime had a hundred troops on the march toward their location to act as guards. They would arrive in twenty minutes. Then Allistor stood there and answered the questions from the crowd honestly and frankly, until no more hands were raised. Finally he looked to Remy. “How about you, sir?”
Remy, who had been staring off into space thinking about his son, blinked a few times and focused on Allistor, who could see tears forming in his eyes. “Son, I decided to join you five minutes after I first shook your hand. You jumped into a shitstorm to save total strangers. That says something. The patience and understanding you’ve shown my people just now only reinforced that decision.” He patted Allistor on the back, then turned to the crowd. “I’m going to join Allistor at his place for a free meal! Anyone who wants to come along, you’ve got fifteen minutes to change your clothes, grab your toothbrushes, whatever you need for an overnight stay. Then meet at the gates, and we’ll get loaded up and go.”
In the end, about nine hundred of Remy’s people decided to make the trip. Some stayed because they were afraid to leave their home unguarded. Others didn’t trust Allistor or his offer. Whatever their reasons, neither Allistor nor Remy pressed them on the issue. Allistor simply made it clear they could change their minds after getting reports from their friends in the morning.
It only took a few minutes to load everyone into the ships and fly them back to the parking garage. Allistor and his people chatted with the newcomers as they walked the four blocks to the tower. He stopped in the street just outside the lobby and held up his hands again. When the crowd didn’t immediately quiet, Remy gave a loud whistle that silenced them.
“Welcome to Invictus! Please feel free to look around and talk to anyone you like. All I ask is that you remain on the ground level for now. We’ll be serving dinner soon, and making arrangements for all of you to have a comfortable place to sleep tonight. Between dinner and bedtime, you’re welcome to travel through the teleport system to wherever you like. Or we’ll give you some more time for that in the morning, after breakfast. By lunch tomorrow, I’ll expect you all to decide whether you want to join us, or not.”
He stepped back and pulled open one of the lobby doors, and a few of his people did the same with the others as the newcomers streamed into the lobby and began to spread out. When they were all inside, Allistor went to sit in his usual spot in the lobby. Amanda moved to sit in his lap, planting a kiss on his cheek as she leaned her head on his shoulder. “I already notified Nigel to assign sleeping quarters for everyone. There’s enough room here in the tower, still. Some of our people from other Strongholds will arrive shortly with more pillows and blankets. And a couple of compani
es of droids are scouring nearby buildings for more beds and chairs. We should have enough for everyone by the time they retire to their rooms.”
“Thank you, my queen.” He squeezed her briefly, kissing her forehead.
“Yeah, about that. I don’t think queen is correct. Depending on what you decide to call yourself, I should be either a princess, or an empress. I vote for empress.” She smiled up at him, not moving her head from his shoulder.
He poked her gently in the belly, causing her to tense slightly, fearful of a tickle attack. “I think it all depends on where we are in any given moment, proper title-wise. The advisors tried to explain it to me, but my brain sort of fuzzed out. How bout I just introduce you to everyone as ‘my main squeeze’?”
She frowned at him. “Is it too late to trade you in for a new model?”
“Yep! Much too late. I’m crazy about you, now. You wouldn’t want to break your prince’s heart by rejecting him, would you?”
Amanda sighed, feigning resignation. “No, I suppose not. And you are sort of handy to have around. Like when I need heavy things lifted.” Her eyes widened as she remembered about Allistor’s issue after trying to Levitate the k-rail. She immediately sat upright, activated her Internal Analysis and stared at him with glowing eyes. “Try casting a heal. Tell me if it still hurts.”
He did as he was told, casting Restore on a random person walking across the lobby, causing them to spin around, looking for the source of the spell. He suppressed a grin as he ignored the pain and acted casual, turning back to Amanda. “It still burns a bit. Not as bad as before.”
Amanda stared a bit longer. “I… can’t see any difference. Or, if I’m seeing one it isn’t registering. Try to levitate something, and hold the spell so I have more time to scan you.”
With a sigh, Allistor embraced the coming pain and cast Levitate on a nearby empty chair. His blood burned slightly as he held the chair a foot off the ground and moved it back and forth. “The pain is less than when I was on the wall, but definitely still there.”
Just then Allistor spotted Rhonda moving in his direction. He dropped the chair as his concentration was shattered by the realization that Chuck, who had died in the Juggernaut, was one of her people. And he hadn’t sought her out to let her know.
Amanda, having felt him tense up and seen him lose the spell as the chair crashed to the floor, turned to follow his gaze. “Ah, shit.” She mumbled before getting up.
Allistor got to his feet as well, unsure whether to move forward or just wait for Rhonda to join them. He raised an awkward hand in greeting, deciding to wait for the woman. “Hey, Rhonda. I’m so sorry. We lost Chuck in the battle. He was in one of the Juggernauts, and…” His voice trailed off as Rhonda pulled him into a brief hug, then stepped back slightly.
“I know. Kira called in and let us know right after the battle. Chuck was a good man.”
“He was. If it’s okay with you, we’ll hold a service for both Chuck and Frank after dinner? I’m afraid we don’t have bodies to bury.”
Rhonda lowered her eyes. “Bjurstrom just told me. It sounds like they went quickly, at least. That’s something. After dinner is fine. We could maybe just do it in the dining hall where there’s room for everyone.”
Allistor just nodded as Amanda took the opportunity to give Rhonda a hug and whisper something into her ear. The woman nodded, then departed. Turning back to Allistor, Amanda updated him. “So, there’s something… wonky about the way the little nano-thingies are moving through you when you cast.”
Allistor sat back down. “Right. So I’m suffering from a mild case of wonky. Thanks, doc.” He gave her a small smile. “I’m guessing that since it hurts less now, I’m getting better? Like, maybe tomorrow I’ll be fine? I’ve played lots of games where if you drain all of your mana or stamina, you suffer a nasty, but temporary, penalty.”
She didn’t look convinced. “I have no idea, babe. This is all new to me. Looks like you get to be my guinea pig again. Let’s just say don’t cast any spells the rest of the night, and we’ll test again in the morning.”
*****
The dining area was considerably more crowded during dinner. In addition to nine hundred of Remy’s people, and the Invictus citizens, there were roughly four hundred of Leila’s and Big Frankie’s people who’d all returned for the evening meal as agreed.
All the groups mixed together, asking questions, sharing information and war stories, and getting to know each other. Sam, Meg, and the kitchen staff went above and beyond. They brought out a thick stew made from fresh vegetables from Nancy’s gardens, and real beef from the herds around Cheyenne. There were loaves of freshly baked bread, still warm inside, and bowls of fruit on each table. Meg had recruited the sisters to assist during the final stages of prep, and their singing increased the buffs from the meal. By the time they were done eating, everyone in the room was feeling the rush of +6 to Stamina and Strength, and +5 to health and mana regeneration for six hours.
Allistor smiled to see that William had claimed a table in one corner, and was surrounded by wide-eyed children who clapped and cheered as he waved his arms wildly, telling the tale of some adventure.
As folks finished their meals and began to focus more on conversation, or get up in preparation of doing some exploring, Allistor stood on his chair to get everyone’s attention.
“For all of Remy’s people, you are welcome to resume your explorations for the next few hours. We ask that you report back here by 9:00pm so that we can get you all settled for the night. If you wish to use the teleporters, just tell Nigel where you want to go. He’ll remind you when it’s time to head back.” He took a deep breath, then continued.
“Our visitors from Big Frankie’s and Leila’s groups, I’d like you to remain here so we can discuss your decisions. Also, it is my sad duty to announce that we lost two of our own in today’s battle. We’ll be holding a memorial for Chuck and Frank here in just a few minutes for any of you who want to pay your respects.”
With that, he stepped down to wait for everyone to arrange themselves according to their own plans. To his surprise, nobody left the room. After a couple of minutes, he took the hint and moved to the front of the room. There was a lump in his throat that he had to try twice to clear before he could speak.
“Thank you all for being here. It warms my heart to see all of you remain to say goodbye to men that many of you never even met.”
Remy stood up and spoke quietly but clearly. “They gave their lives defending us, even though as you say, they’d never met us. Of course we want to pay our respects to them and their loved ones. We only wish we could have thanked them in person.” Across the room his people murmured their agreement. Following his lead, they all stood and bowed their heads. The rest of the crowd quickly followed suit.
“Thank you, all of you. I’m proud to be among you this evening as we pay tribute to Frank and Chuck, who volunteered without hesitation to charge into battle this afternoon. They sold their lives dearly, taking out dozens of the enemy before being overwhelmed. They will be remembered as heroes.”
The crowd applauded as Allistor motioned for Rhonda to come forward and say a few words. She was followed by Bjurstrom, who spoke about Frank, offering up a funny story about the man. A few others spoke about each of them, and the ceremony came to an end, everyone taking their seats.
Allistor was about to step forward again when Big Frankie and Leila beat him to it. They exchanged a look, and Leila cleared her throat.
“First, I’d like to say thank you, Allistor. For being open and honest with us, even when we were a bit hostile toward you. For allowing us to explore, to ask questions, and to choose for ourselves.” She looked up at Big Frankie, who took over.
“We’re pleased to say that all of our people, Leila’s and my own, have chosen to become citizens of Invictus. What you’ve accomplished in the last year is nothing short of amazing. We want to be a part of what you’re building here. So we’re ready to swear the oat
h.”
The citizens in the room cheered and applauded the news, shaking hands and patting the backs of the newcomers near them. Allistor joined the two leaders, giving each of them a quick hug. Turning to the crowd, he shouted, “Welcome! If you’ll please stand and approach, Helen will get the oath out of the way.”
Five minutes later there were roughly four hundred new citizens of Invictus. Nearly all of Remy’s people had remained to witness the oath, and several seemed surprised by the simplicity of it. They had been expecting a more detailed, uncomfortably binding oath to be required.
Sam and Logan emerged from a side door, each carrying two steel kegs on their shoulders. They plopped them down and tapped them, filling cups and passing them out as quickly as possible. Less physically developed kitchen staff rolled several more kegs out behind them, or carried tall stacks of red plastic party cups.
Allistor watched as some of Remy’s people joined the wake, while others filtered out of the dining area to go exploring. A few hesitantly asked if they could just retire, and were quickly directed to the elevators where Nigel took over and guided them to rooms.
Harmon caught Allistor’s eye from the back of the room, then exited to the lobby. Allistor and Amanda followed the orcanin to their usual spot, where they all took seats. Allistor quickly said, “I’m sorry about the warriors you lost today.”
“Don’t be sorry, Allistor. They died well, doing what orcanin love more than almost anything, slaughtering goblins!” Harmon grinned at him, showing more of his sharp lower tusks than usual. “Which is why I am here. We are holding our own celebration next door. While I know you don’t wish to partake in goblin meat, I thought you might want to make an appearance.”
“Of course!” Allistor was immediately on his feet. “Should I bring something?”
Harmon chuckled. “That is not necessary. I have supplied large quantities of spirits for my warriors, much as you have here. And there is no shortage of food after the battle. As leader of the battle, you need only speak a few words, and raise a glass.”
Shadow Sun Progression: Shadow Sun Book Four Page 8