The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 132

Part 19

Then he turned to Amirgath with a glare of tightly controlled rage. “Fire was rude and insulting to you, but you were rude and insulting to us first, and I don’t expect my children to have to take that in front of all of Kellaran and all of the Triax during a diplomatically important event without giving some back. I don’t care if you’re the most powerful being on this world, we don’t have to take that from you. I want your apology, right now, or you will no longer be welcome in any of the territories we rule. Being legally barred from entry for just cause, your vow of justice on The Truthstone of Falgaroth will enforce my decision.”

For a moment, it seemed that the air between them was charged with the power of Amirgath’s furious anger. He crouched and gathered himself in an attack stance and took a deep breath, and they all knew he was instinctively readying his fire. Then he slowly let it out, and met Mark’s glare of rage with his own, and spoke with a dangerous, exaggerated patience, in a harsh, throbbing growl. “I am as yet unaccustomed to having to consider the tender sensibilities of mortals. And, having considered the repercussions of every possible response I might make, I can think of no way of destroying you utterly without it leading to some very inconvenient consequences. So. I. Apologize.”

With that said, he was gone.

Everyone left on the beach consciously relaxed a bit as the tension of the moment dissipated.

Fire turned to the observers. “Quewanak, Somonik, would you be so kind as to pass on a communication for me? I want all dragons, mortal and immortal, to know that I realize that what I said to Amirgath was insensitive to all dragons, and I apologize to all of them. As father said, I felt a need to give a little back to Amirgath after what he’d just said, and I wish I could have thought of something at the moment that was more specific to him. I’m sorry.”

“Well said.” Somonik told her. “I will indeed see to it that all mortal Draconians are aware of your apology.”

“The gods already know.” Quewanak stated with a bit of a chuckle. “It doesn’t take long to spread news among them.”

“By the Source, that was all rather magnificent!” Emperor Osbald grinned as he helped himself to another helping of the excellent feast. “I might have had the courage to stand up to him as you and your father did, but I wouldn’t swear to it. I’m not intimidated by many, but he’s definitely one of them!”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Visinniria chuckled. “Amirgath is quick to anger, but just as quick to dismiss it afterward. It’s not so much that he considers mortals or humans to be beneath him, as much as he considers everyone else to be beneath him. The second-eldest dragon god gets no more respect from Amirgath than you or I do. He’s just like that. A lot of us are quite amused that he was forced to apologize. Before he swore on the Truthstone, he would never have done so.

“Thanks again, Falgaroth.” She added with a giggle as she gave the huge blue unicorn god a rub on his knee.

“The Truthstone continues to produce unexpected benefits.” Falgaroth noted with a humorous whinny. “Amirgath likes to be at the center of everything, so it would be intolerable to him to be excluded from here. Hilia is the only racially neutral ground, and home of the Key, and this is where leaders and rulers meet when they want to achieve something practical in a relaxed and comfortable setting. These informal meetings on this beach are the crux and capitol of international and interracial diplomacy. Amirgath would rather chew rocks than be barred from here.”

“You all make me want to slap you.” Quewanak stated. “I believe that is the correct turn of speech in this language to describe my emotions; I do not literally want to slap you.

“Amirgath acts like he is better than everyone else, because he is, in many important ways.

“Until The Triax came, all our gods were considered to have equivalent power. They could each destroy the world, so any excess ability beyond that was considered superfluous from a strategic standpoint.