Misadventures Part 4 Post 10 Continued
TAZOON ON THE SURFACE.
Major Sschlisk looked at her in utter consternation, as again she laughed, turning the last corner to the entry hallway to the not so great meeting hall.
The Lunus and Helian ambassadors were waiting either side of the great doorway to the Great Hall, as Az said he would have them.
Inside the Great Meeting Hall, the political finger-pointing had already started. Several brawls were in progress. Luckily she had the foresight to get additional security personnel, placed in key points before the meeting inside the great hall. She had never seen such vicious threats and promises of violence in public, in her entire two thousand year long life. Standing at the podium she was unnerved at the swirling mass of the supposed leaders of the United Races. Chaos ruled in the great leadership, while the threat to the Imperium had never been greater. Only the Gnomes, Elves, Dragons and Humans stood apart quiet and watchful.
Supreme Commander Leaf thought, “What is going on? What is going on?” Setting her great mind to the task, for time was short, she reviewed her reports whose ink had not even dried. What seemed to be random civil unrest, was apparently much more. A pattern was taking place with each event.
The Supreme Commander reviewed the facts as she knew them:
- Multiple portals had detonated caused by, what hardly seemed to be, a planned assault on a hatchling in Bristugo.
- Said event had taken place in the presence of a notorious criminal gnome, one that Tazoon had been watching for thirty years, but were unable to prosecute, due to a lack of legal evidence.
- Multiple detonations of portals in the capital cities except in Dralk, Chiconas, Kirascant, and Tazoon, resulting in massive fires, in wide flung areas, from burning magical debris.
- Vaults were robbed and pillaged in all cities except the same.
- Payroll and supply trains to all outposts, had been robbed. Not even in the small villages, those not listed in the military maps, had escaped destruction and theft.
- The settlements were completely untouched by robberies and explosions.
- Finally,numerous food, tool, and resource warehouses had been plundered. There was even a report from a high end shop being robbed of fancy lingerie.
Supreme Commander Leaf looked up seeing the Tazoon Magistrate and the commander of the Tazoon militia trying to make their way though the chaotic mass of bureaucratic civilian personnel.
She'd had enough. For the first time in two thousand years, Supreme Commander Leaf cast the spell for the Great Shout, “ SILENCE” with a single movement that snapped the ancient gavel in half. The gavel sounded like a huge gong reverberating through the room as the echoes of the shout had everyone holding their ears. Suddenly blessed silence rolled across the great hall for the first time in thirty minutes. The silence did not last very long
Softly with just a whisper the podium amplification was loud enough to make it through the developing murmur she said, “Let the the important officials through they must give their reports to this assembly.”
An expression of fear began to fill the countenance of the Supreme Commander, as a certain realization set in. Not seeing fearful expression, the head of Tazoon's militia force reported. Unbeknownst to him until too late, his voice was carried by the podium. Supreme Commander Leaf, a dragon scout has reported that the Western Deadlands were emptying out its horde of Withered Aegis troops. They appear to be headed here. The remaining generalmilitary command seem to think that the Withered Aegis will try to take advantage of our sudden calamities and will have the strategic advantage. They are unsure, however, of the ultimate motivation. Their transportation on foot is not usual.
Pushing the officer aside the magistrate reported, knowing but not caring, about the import of his words,” Supreme Commander the Vaults of Tazoon has been robbed, Pillaged, Plundered !!”
“My jewels!”, screamed a woman.
“My gold, my stocks my bonds!” screamed a Fiendish CEO.
“MY IRON DORF SHORTS!!” bellowed a Satyr.
Everyone stopped and looked at the Satyr.
He muttered,”Hey now...”, looking at everyone staring he continued,” it was given to me by..,”, then remembering his wife, as he looked at her sputtering ...” Ummm Err Hmmf!! without another word she began to whack him on his head with her staff. Dodging, he leapt over the heads of others and ran for the door with his wife following cursing.
“Supreme Commander...”,noticing that everyone in the room had turned and was staring at him,he voice trailed off. The Commander of Tazoon's militia tried to finish.
She cut him off saying, “Sir, Are the ethereal ramparts appearing inside the walls?” She nearly shouted.
“Yes Supreme Commander....,” the officer replied.
“Well then officer, call out the imperial guard, sir!,” she commanded.
The officer dropping his head said,
” Supreme commander there are none here. Tazoon is undefended, you sent all of them to support the civil governments per political requests. All that remains here is the upper command echelon and a small Tazoon law enforcement militia.”
Looking at the great crowd of numerous elected officials, bureaucrats, lawyers, business leaders, and government employees, appointed in most parts by their party affiliations. with hostility, he said,“Our forces are spread all over Istaria, and now the portals are about to detonate in less than an hour here in Tazoon blocking any return. There are only fifty of us, but I am SURE that all here are willing to give up their life's blood for the defense of our city!” he said, as he knelt and placed a hand over his heart in fealty.
Almost half of the crowd were running to the exit doors. The brightly painted signs warned of unfinished construction, and a certain lack of exit stairs. More screams and cursing followed, as the great leaders jumped down on the ones who had tried to get out first. Many went back to their apartments knowingly risking their lives to get their things. Upon arrival only finding out they had already been robbed. Others sped to the plundered vaults, planning for the portals next. They saw the black smoke coming through the stones of both main portals. They saw the crowds fighting in front of each. They saw the empty city gates with only a few taking them and lastly, the lone side portal. The portal to the floating island was intact and few were using it, as the protocols of emergency regulations required.
The partially remodeled and now connected upper rooms of several buildings, had been combined to make the Grand Hall. Sadly it had never been finished, due to the numerous committees and conflicting, factional politics. The four meter high, large, dual doors to the meeting hall were suddenly slammed open by the dragon ambassadors in Khutit form, from the hallway. The weight of old thornwood doors, with their adamantine hinges, and reinforced frames banging against the walls, overwhelmed the noise. Plaster fell off walls and ceilings. Scaffolding and planks collapsed. Sections of warped boards in the floors popped. A number of the finely clothed employees fell through the floor, screaming . A different part of the ceiling fell on the large boxes to the side of the grand room. Yells of the bureaucrats, curses of the various individuals of noteworthiness in the political factions, and numerous clerks hollered for their lawyers. The Kirascant fiendish lawyers could not get to their clients, due to the crush between them.
The reckless and public endangerment of themselves, by the Head of the Department of Transportation, two dragon ambassadors along with the military was apparent to all. Department Head Fiblit Wimbor came in with a Major in tow, behind the two ancient dragon ambassadors of Dralk and Chiconis, who led the way.
Walking between the dragons, The older wizard shoved the Magistrate out of the way.
Addressing the soldier she snapped,” Get off your knees, soldier. This is NOT the time to pray!!” Tiblit Wimbor strode purposefully up the stairs of the podium and stood next to the lectern. “Supreme Commander we need to have a private word,” She demanded.
“No! Speak freely, all await to hear what you have to say, so we may decide in a civilized manner the proper course to take.”
The wizard thought, “CIVILIZED?”
The high wizard of the Transportation Department took a deep breath and replied, “What I have to say, Supreme Leader, is classified. There is much to be decided, and this assembly is NOT read into this material These people are not qualified to make these decisions, and will be unable to function appropriately, with the truths I am about to give you . You need to lead. Now, instruct your people to evacuate, and come aside. Give your judgment and decision to this assembly, thereafter, if needed.”
The dragons moved closer, nearly to the podium.
Shaking with rage at having her authority tested once again, she forgot the emergency protocols for the secrecy act. The situation was too overwhelming. “You will NOT dictate to me wizard. You WILL give your report or I WILL have you dismissed.”
The remaining crowd, of about five hundred, drew closer leaving their sets, watching the drama at the podium unfold. Information was valuable to many buyers, but gossip trumped all. The humans, gnomes, and elves remained quietly, still to the side by the podium.
The two dragon emissaries, in Khutit form, looked at each other silently. The dragons did not have time for bipeds who complicated any and all things. Speaking into their tell stones, and without a word, transformed into their full forms, ancients of Chiconis and Dralk.
The high Wizard finally lost her temper shouting,” I have NO time for this!! Pointing to the large unfinished wall behind the podium, she addressed the Lunus and Helian ancients. “TEAR DOWN the WALL! Let us be off my brothers, the hourglass is EMPTY!!” Whirling around, she shouted the great shout to now opened room to the city beyond,“Run you fools! RUN!!.”
Pandora's box had finally been fully opened. Pandemonium broke out, as remnants of the grand elite of Istaria's Imperial government tried to leave all at once. Much of Tazoon had already left, evacuating or deserting their posts The Great Riot of Tazoon had begun, spreading fear through the rest of the great city, as the history books would remember in the centuries to come.
To be continued next post