Editing Othoclase

The ambassador waited patiently, guarded by four impassive jokun with less than enchanted demeanors.  A pair of kri carefully inspected the offering, gnawing at the tablets and inspecting for hairline fractures in the stone with cold obsidian eyes.

"Five talents white jade, your excellency," one of them hissed with a derisive sneer.

Othoclase looked without seeming to look, motionless and soundless amidst the cacophony.  To suit his mood, he had willed that galleries exist in his audience chamber, and it was so.  High above the dais, row upon row of balconies held hundreds of kri, jokun, mercury ants, gebber tongues, crystalline symphers, and Dagorods.  The shrieked and howled and gibbered at the ambassador on the platform with a noise like an earthquake and an avalanche and a hissing sandstorm.

Othoclase, the gemlord, deigned to exhale.  His face was a mountain side, his features squashed and craggy, looming over his audience with little evident concern for initiating or responding to negotiations.

"Your excellency," the ambassador began.  "Doubtless you wonder why I have traveled so far to offer this humble gift.  There is, within your territory, an anathema, a vile spider that has managed to defy the mandate of heaven by constructing foul temples for his own foul worshipers, manses of corrupted essence to suit his ends.  It has also come to our attention that this [[Rivers Between Us|foul thing]] is even now building a third such structure with cooperation from spirits in your domain."

Othoclase did not respond.

"My master knows that you would not wish to involve yourself with this fiend, or associate with one whose destruction is even now being engineered.  We only ask, in exchange for this gift, and as a token of your neutrality in this matter, than you suggest to your servants that this latest monstrosity that he is constructing be somewhat less than perfect in execution, if you understand my meaning."

Othoclase did not respond.

"I take it then, by your silence, that you understand where your best interests lie.  Thank you for your cooperation."

"Wrong."  The lips clashed for a moment, like stones smashing as they rolled down a hillside.  "I have jade.  I have more jade than you can understand.  This foul thing has given me things I do not have, things I have not seen since the Chosen of the Sun were hunted from the earth.  He will bring me many more beautiful things, for he respects me.  You bring me dirt."

One great hand formed the ground and snatched away the talents of jade in its palm.

"I keep this dirt.  It is mine.  For this dirt, I will not tell Rivers Between Us that you were here.  Which is good for you.  His manse is full of power now, and grows more so each season.  I don't have to fear you.  Your day is coming."

The ambassador stood speechless for a moment at the unexpected turn in the negotiations.

Mountains clasheed in a single syllable.  "Go!"

And the crowd began hurling stones.


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[[Heaven's Mandate]]