Editing The Beach at Adledross West

'''<big>A Series of Conversations On or Near the Beach in Western Adledross</big>'''

The kzin steps forward, “Field Marshal Relmpator, our main forces are 8 days ahead of yours at the speed your army travels.  We engaged a force of ancient kzin.  Afterward we entered a beach area.  On the sands there we were greeted with a contingent of the Adledross leadership.  We have been awarded First Position for reaching the finish first.  Your army is 8 days from coming in second.  The Reen main force are 30 days back at wing speed after their disastrous battle at the Air Forge.  The Raskens are scattered across the continent and the Master of Ceremonies of the Adeldross tells us the Raskens may not complete the course. My congratulations.  I recognize yourself, Marshals Fortunadus and Alexandir, Sub Commanders Carston, Tesa, and  your beholder Bob as Friends of the Ashanons Pack."

'''''Wherefore weave with toil and care The rich robes your tyrants wear?'''''

'''''Wherefore feed and clothe and save From the cradle to the grave'''''

'''''Those ungrateful drones who would Drain your sweat—nay, drink your blood? “'''''</blockquote>

Fort walks over, '''''“Beware a poet who reads his own verse in public.  He may have other bad habits."''''' speaking it like a quote, he goes on, " With the dawn we return to Rasak.  We will lose those who have traveled with us.    I've enough information to find the Reen in Shadow, the kzin as well.  I have a good idea where our Dakotans will go and if the time ratio is ok I may find them as well.  

" Its been a hell of an expedition.  Now that the officer ranks of Adledross are donewith and I am my own self again, I should tell you that Alex is returning to his old self.  Charming and ambitious. Tell Random that Rasak has not made Alex loyal to Amber.  It has made him interested in the power of Amber.  Never a good thing.  As for myself, its been a pleasure.  You have my respect and if you need my blade, you have it as well.  But our paths diverge here.  When Rasak is done, I have other obligations.”

 

“Fortunadus and Alexandir are already immortal but they too are effected. Proximity to power for the power hungry. Fort is a facilitator, and a clever one. One does not become what he is without diverse talents and a degree of greed for power. They come from a shadow of Amber that once had a Shade pattern of its own. They could only reach powers so far.  They had both reached the pinnacle of their ability to become more powerful unless they did as Tolknor did in forging not just one, but two primal realms. But Random brought them to Amber and now they can gain power there. Alexandir didn't learn anything here or at Rasak he didn't already know except to gauge you and I himself. But I got to see him in action too. Impressive. He's a shadow of Osric. I can smell my older brother's rank stench of arrogance. But arrogance earned. Alex is going to be trouble. For many reasons.”

"He has entered into a relationship it seems with Tesa. Interesting. You brought a strong talented street thief to Rasak. A Snikura Assassin. I can't allow that relationship to continue but I can not split it up. You must. Tesa has her own lineage problem. She is the daughter of a creature named Conf of Shadows, a Tosian but not of the crowd that became gods by the World Stone. He was the mightiest thief in shadows, a venerated one, long before Tolknor, Fortunadus, and Alexandir began adventuring. He has always been able to come to Amber. And once, long before Patternfall he met Mirelle, Random's full sister. They shared madness together. Tesa was the result.  

Early on Mirelle bound Tesa to Gangdis. For protection, its why they are so fond of each other. Conf took Tesa from Mirelle and put her in a city called '''Sanctuary'''. Miserable place, but it teaches resourcefulness. I had no idea till she was at Rasak. But somehow Alex senses it. He is not above toying with woman's affection if it means marrying into the House Bariman. Fathering a child of the blood. Of course Tesa doesn't know she is kin but I know her father does. And her father reveled in Mirelle's madness.  He is crzy as well in a more orderly manner."

“I don't mean do it tomorrow. But keep an eye on her. Beware the Wargod of Tosa."

“I like Tesa, even though I know she is only using her association with me to gain power and status. I think I will always be keeping an eye on her. And I shall be wary of Alexandir, but I know his type; I have dealt with Demigods and Minor Gods during my Adventuring Years... though this is a bit different than that, but all Gods have their weaknesses, this I have learned. And I have gauged him as well this past year. And Fortunadas too, and... well, basically everyone. After arriving on Adledross I was informed early on about some of the motivations and ambitions of some the notables under my command, so I watched and studied them as a good Commander should; learning all I could. Then I studied them as a cautious Adventurer would and as an Amberite should by reflex; wary of double deals, ulterior motives and possible ambush. I learned much from them all and from this place... mostly, to keep things hidden, never show all your cards and to expect the unexpected... or was that Random's poker games... either way. And though I may have been gauged by them as well, they did not see my full potential; this place limited that somewhat... and the fact that Reggie and his entourage never returned; I had something wicked planned for them... perhaps one day in Shadow...”

He points a finger and a hum fill the cups a inch up with some heavily cinnamon rum smell. Potent enough to make the eyes feel it a few feet away. He pours coffee on top of it.  The army colored thermos looks indistinguishable from many in shadow and used in Rasak but Realmer thinks it must be ever filling with the rich strong coffee Benedict prefers.

===Rum and Coffee===

He notes Realmer's attention and smiles, “The Rum is Ruda's Far isle Double Dark.  Its made by a woman named Ruda Alabega.  A pirate, well, privateer really, who served Amber's navy in her youth and who...serviced me often back in the days centuries ago.  Bitch can chew glass and spit shards.  One of the loves of my life.  She was unofficially a privateer leading her pirate fleet against troublesome neighbors of Amber and allowing Gerard and Caine to have the ability to deny their involvement.    But she became...unreliable.  Took up with [[Bunny Free]].  Anyway, she makes a rum that can peal paint off a ships hull, kill barnacles, and knock out a sailor whose had a leg shorn off.  It tastes like mango, coconut, banana, and fire but the taste grows on ya. Sort of like a boil. Mixes great with Far Isle coffee.  There is an island with a coffee plantation on it that makes a hearty dark coffee I serve at the poker game.  But not to everyone.  The thermos of course is a gift of Percy's.”

Handing the coffee he sighs at his first sip. 

“Its been a long time since I had a kinsman I felt I could confide in.  You are not in the line of succession and neither are my siblings anymore.  As for Tesa, her fate is her own.  Maybe she can mange Alex.  She is a skilled assassin after all.  I find it interesting that Gangdis thought to bring her with you on your adventures.  It certainly profited her.  She is the first Rasak trained Snikura assassin.  The Snikura are something of Conf's.  Problem solvers of his.  No need to worry about her and Alex anytime soon.  He rarely keeps a playmate long.  He has fathered only one son in tens of thousands of couplings.  There is probably a reason why but amberites aren't all that fecund either so maybe its how the pattern wants things.”

He looks sideways to Realmer, "Remember that; The pattern wants things.  I suspect no Amberite is born unless the pattern wishes it.  It was young and Wild when Drowkin fathered Oberon and Oberon fathered his First brood.  It may know better now though it makes me wonder how much control it had of the creation of my line with Lintra.   Hmmm"

“As For Random, the progress he had planned has been scrapped.  Plans change.  You may or may not remember a son of Julian's, Donovan. Very young.  He has been to the castle a couple times but mostly he was raised with the Rangers. His mother is a Fey Duchess named Cyrene.  The Fey in Amber have sort of led lives in hiding for the most part. Not officially recognized but not oppressed either. Oberon had a problem with them in the beginning.  They inhabited Amber before Oberon brought his new wife, my sister and mother Cymnea and bore Osric, Finndo, Borlak and I there.  He also fathered Orsola with a Rebman queen Moins, and Elfwine with the Fea queen Titania.  Cymnea was jealous in a way that has cast shadows of jealous women across shadow ever since. So the rebmans got their own kingdom rather then just being part of the Kingdom of Amber when it started, and the Fey were forced into hiding.  Hell Cymnea and Titania actually fought and it took Elfwine and Osric to pull them apart.  Cyrene and I fought, she beside her sister Titania and I along side my mother.  Borlak had to separate us.  I was a delivering her deathstrike when Borlak tackled me.  I allowed Donovan into Rasak as a partial apology when Julian requested it.”

===Donovan and Desri and Fey Ancient History===

“I mention it because Donovan walked the pattern and heeding the visions he had during the experience went to help my daughter Desri on heist in Nu Yark.  She is criminally inclined.  What they found, unexpectedly, was the Arden Stone.  Thats a power artifact of great antiquity, being a Fey power construct before the creation of Amber.”

Pulling a cigar from a separate case, lighting it, offering one to Realmer.  The sweet colorful Urala smoke is exhaled in a series of smoke rings.  Seeing Benedict using the drug is another surprise.

 

 

 

 

"Donovan, Desri, Hamilton, and Kibar met and negotiated with a force of Fey Dragons from Ang Ri.  They met Fey and Adask fey that fled Chaos and the Abyss to follow the call of the Arden Stone and had to fight some of them.  Then they met a force from Mandalay led by Elfwine and a force from Adagalask led by Julian that arrived at the same time of course.  They tried to convince him to take the stone to Mandalay or Adagalsk. He refused Julian, his father, who nearly drew blade on him to seize it.  Ninartes had in fact ordered him to murder Donovan and Desri if they denied him the Stone but he didn't in the end.  After that they took the stone to Mandalay. In Mandalay, much to our surprise, Adrian just wanted the stone to visit Ygg.  And he told Donovan how to convince the stone to travel trump.  So rather then meeting Random and all of us at Rue Katal he trumped to Amber and installed the stone in Arden.  Random was pissed purple and blue.  He wanted the stone installed in the Castle Amber gardens.

 

 

 

 

When offered the cigar, Realmer accepts it and lights it with a tiny jet of flame from his fingertip, inhales deeply then exhales smoke rings and smoke squares that rotate and collide to form a type of smoke mandala that soon dissipates into the morning air. When Benedict grows silent, then the silence lengthens, Realmer speaks.

 

“A fair amount to digest before breakfast. Let me first say I am honored that you would confide in me, cousin, and a bit surprised; I didn't think you had much regard for me due to your distaste for... some of my methods. In regards to Gangdis introducing me to Tesa, it was because I told him I wanted someone with particular skill sets to accompany us, and hers matched. And the Pattern... yes, I have been aware of the Will of the Pattern since I first walked a Shade of it in Ambir well over a century ago. Grandfather schooled me well in numerous things, including the Pattern and its ways, as well as other Powers, Ancient and Recent History and most recently, the Fey... perhaps he thought it prudent considering I am Adask Fey. Grandfather also informed me that my Fey Powers have been blocked by my grandmother, Verna; it is she whom I intend to seek out once I reach the center of the Pattern. Having those powers returned to me could prove useful in my future dealings with the various Fey races in my role as an Ambassador of Amber... or a Soldier of Amber.”

Realmer pauses to take a sip of rum coffee and a puff from his cigar, then he continues.

 

“It sounds like young Donovan is a man of action, perhaps even a man with a purpose... or maybe just a man trying to make a name for himself. King Random told me about him, his parentage and some of Amber's rocky history with the Fey before I attended Rasak. Quite an adventure he had indeed, by the sounds of it; makes me miss my adventuring years and crave the adventuring life once again. And since we are confiding in each other, I don't think Donovan did wrong by installing the Arden Stone in Arden; after all, that is where it originated from... but that is just my personal opinion. Then there's Julian... and Ninaatres... Julian's behavior only surprises me a bit, but not Nina's... some things grandfather told me recently about Adask Fey. Perhaps I should hold off on visiting them for the time being...” He trails off a moment.

“I thank you for the history lesson, cousin; the information will prove useful I am sure. And thank you for the report of recent events; it's good to know what's going on and who's doing it. In fact, it sounds like much has happened since I departed Amber... perhaps I should check in with King Random before doing anything else. Well, I guess there is this Graduation Ceremony that I'm supposed to attend today... maybe I should do that first. Unless you know something I don't.”

He gives Benedict a sideways glance and a quick smile, before raising his cup of rum coffee and taking a drink. Then he stands and stretches in the early morning light, the broad sword he took in the chest still hanging from his left hip. He takes a long draw off the cigar, holds it a few moments, then exhales a cloud of smoke into the fresh morning air.

Benedict nods, "The volume of what I know that you don't would take centuries to tell as they took millennia to gain.”

Leaning back,, he continues, “ As for your methods, do you think I have never had undead at my command? Or that I don't know how to create them? The skills are known. Brand could teach you much about their use. There are still few undead cats running around the castle someplace he created. And there is an Army of high functioning undead lead by a lich that are in my employ. Sevral million skeletons with full autonomous intellects and social skills, led by their own officers.  A whole army resurrected at once.  Vampire scouts. A variety of other forms.  Several hundred ghosts as intelligence gthers.  And the general staff is a collection of mind flayers and liches, lead by a War Leader Lich. One must fight wars with the material avaiable in the shadows the wars are fought in.”

“I don't like the methods because they creep near the method used by my two other brothers; Hinarik and Eater. both are First brood and live close to Chaos where undead are common. Oberon, Osric and I have long been concerned that necromancy close to the pattern might attract their interest. As it is Finndo spends a great deal of his time out that way keeping an eye on them as well as Borlak. You spent time undead. Maybe someday you will meet them. When you do, know that a deathwarent for them exists signed by Oberon, then Finndo, Eric, and Random. But Dworkin has said to beware of their death curses; they are attuned to death and might make potent ones"

Standing, he extends a hand to shake and raise you to your feet. "Assemble your troops one last time. they should be rested while we seem to have wasted the night away in contemplation."