"You wanted them only as tenants, not neighbors. You didn't even try to reach out to them because you knew that they'd demand to own what they build. That they will fight to the death rather than give away the fruits of their labor the moment you are back on your feet." Everyone but Breganoth lowered their eyes in shame. Once again, the crux of the matter wasn't the lack of a solution, but the unwillingness to share the magical resources of Jiera. The Council had hoped that between the ocean separating them from Garlen and Thrud Griffon's invasion, they would have the time to slowly grow their strength and prevent the colonization of their continent. Now, however, they found themselves in the position of being nearly forced to beg for help and pay anything their newfound allies might demand as compensation. Colonization had a nasty ring to it but sounded like music compared to the annihilation they would face if Zima attacked. "Can't you at least destroy the escaped cursed artifacts, Grandfather?" Arlen hoped that by reminding the Guardian of Discovery of the blood they shared Fenagar would soften his position. "I thought about that, but I can't." The Father of all Leviathan shrugged, making the Council representative's shoulders slouch. "I don't have the blueprints of their power cores nor any idea of how safely destroy them. "I tried hurling them into space but they have been bound to Mogar. The moment I let them go, they Warp onto the mana geyser upon which they were built." "And I tried almost destroying them." Zagran hated admitting her helplessness and clenched her teeth. "They recover in a matter of days and any damage to their power core causes a chain reaction." "What hope do we have, then?" Gyrwin fell onto her chair, holding her head in despair. "We can wait until a lost city is away from a mana geyser." Zagran replied, making the Council representatives look at her with hope. "Then I deal with it and you seal it again while in a weakened state. "Beware though. The lack of a mana geyser will make it easier to subjugate the cursed artifact but the barrier to hold it will also require many resources and constant care. The final decision is yours and so is the responsibility. Choose wisely." "Thank you, Master Zagran." The representatives gave her a deep bow. With her help, they had at least gained a bit more time to fix their mess. The recent events in Garlen had deeply affected the usually uncaring Guardian of Might. Shargein's birth, meeting Valeron the Second, but most importantly, witnessing the fate of Eycos had made her second guess some of her past choices. Zagran felt guilty for abandoning the black sheep of her nest and the heights Eycos had been able to reach under the guidance of the Master were proof of her failure as a teacher. What she had thrown away, the Master had picked up. Zagran had turned her back to her son, considering him as good as dead yet the Master had found a way to bring Eycos back and make him better than she ever could. "I'll try to understand how the lost cities work, but sadly I'm the Guardian of Discovery, not of Knowledge. Their technology is ancient and lost but maybe Leegaain knows something." Fenagar hated feeling inferior to his old rival, but if he could keep his turf with Leegaain's help, it would be worth it. There was no humiliation that wouldn't fade over centuries and millennia wouldn't erase from history. "I'd love to help, but in my current condition any direct involvement on my side might bring Jiera's Guardians down to two." Roghar sighed. "Feel free to ask me for advice whenever you need it." Breganoth stared at the Fenrir like he was insane. Roghar was a respected and powerful Guardian but those who had asked his counsel in the past had ended up joining the ranks of the fallen races. Even Liches used the Fenrir as a cautionary tale about not pushing their experiments too far. "What about you?" Luslar asked Scarlett. "I'm the Guardian of Children, I have no idea how to destroy a lost city and I wouldn't know where to start to negotiate with merfolk and elves. I can help you keep the monster swarms at bay, though. "I can use a bit of practice in real fights after being holed up for so long." The Sekhmet was eager to put the limits of her new body to the test and identify her weak points that she would compensate for with proper equipment. She instinctively brought her hand to her nose, in search of the familiar weight of the Eyes of Menadion. Only when she found nothing did Scarlett remember to have gifted them to Kalla. 'I don't need the Eyes anymore since my Guardian senses are much better, but I still miss both them and my friend. I wonder how Kalla is faring. I hope that she gave up on becoming a Lich-' With the memory of their last meeting, the circumstances of her final tribulation also came to her mind. "Now that I think about it, there is no Guardian of Destruction, but I know a guy who's the next best thing." She said. "You mean the Tiamat?" Aren pursed his lips in annoyance. "Thanks, but no thanks. He was of great help in dealing with Kolga, but only because we paid him. I've heard that he's helping the Griffon Kingdom with their plans to colonize Jiera. "I know him well enough to know that he is not going to help us unless we fill the purse he has instead of a heart. If we call him, he'll demand a foothold for the Kingdom if not even for the Garlen Council. I'm not so desperate to open my door to a potential enemy." "Yet." Scarlett said, drawing on herself the glares of everyone present but Zagran. "I agree with the beast representative." Fenagar still remembered Tyris' beating and blamed Lith for that. "I don't want him anywhere near my turf." "Seconded." Roghar's wounds ached just at the mention of the Tiamat's name. He was terrified at the idea of what might happen if Lith brought his wife along and with her the Guardians of Garlen. Salaark wasn't pregnant any longer and she never forgot her grudges. Roghar had invaded her turf and defied her authority. Even with the home advantage, the Fenrir was aware that with his wounds he was no match for her. "All in favor of not calling Verhen." Gyrwin raised her hand and so did Breganoth and Luslar. "The majority wins." Zagran raised neither her hand nor objections but she deemed them foolish nonetheless. 'Still clinging to their pride when the world around them burns. Great Mother almighty, how can they be so stupid? How could I be so stupid in the past?' She thought, hoping to be wrong, and that her bad feeling would never come to pass. *** Garlen Continent, City of Lutia, Lith's house. The following morning, Tista woke up in one of the armchairs of the living room and discovered to be in good company.