“By that point, the monster tides and the lost cities born on Jiera would become a problem of our fellow Awakened in Zima and they would fare against such threats no better than us.
“This way, instead, they can unleash their spells on a doomed land and even if the cursed artifacts’ destruction causes long-lasting damage, no one would notice the difference.
“Quite the contrary, it would help Zima’s Council to decimate the monsters and the resulting barren lands would bring no nourishment to those who escaped the conflagration. Where spells fail, hunger will deal the finishing blow.”
“This is a well-thought plan.” Fenagar the Leviathan nodded. “One I would approve of, were I in my fellow Guardians’ shoes.”
“Is this why you are here today, Breganoth? To save your own skin?” Aren threw a spiteful look at his forefather but focused on the Lich King.
“Correct.” The undead representative nodded. “The monsters have found my lab and those of several other Liches. Slaughtering them is not hard. I have prepared traps for centuries and their limited magical abilities and intellect make them easy prey.
“Yet their numbers would allow them to reach my home if they put their mind to it. I can’t leave for Zima and neither can the Liches I represent. We have already asked for asylum and we’ve been all turned down.
“Some nonsense about not wanting to share their resources with us and more Liches being only a source of problems.” Breganoth flared his nostrils in annoyance as the other representatives agreed to those words with smug grins on their faces.
Truth be told, Liches only took resources from the Council. They only contributed to solving problems when there was something in it for them. Their seat on the Council was the proof of their strength that alone could keep the rest of the undead in check.
The other races considered it a small price to pay but maddening nonetheless.
“For this reason, I took a break from my experiments and I’ve focused on convincing my fellow Liches to do the same. Until the crisis is solved, you can count on us. Just tell us what to do.” He cleared his voice before adding:
“And please, be very specific when giving a Lich instructions. Some of us have trouble even remembering how to breathe. All that drink, eat, and sleep stuff is kind of obscure to us.”
“We’ll keep it in mind.” Gyrwin nodded. “With the help of the Liches, we should be able to ease the pressure on our settlements for a while. If the Guardians help us as well, however, the situation will be easily solved.”
“We are already doing our thing.” Zagran the Garuda said. “We are culling the bigger monster tides and keeping the freed lost cities away from populated areas, but this is as far as we can go.”
The Guardian of Might crossed her muscular arms in front of her chest, challenging the Council Members to question her.
In her human form, Zagran looked like a bulky woman in her mid-twenties, over 1.8 meters (6′) tall, with shoulder-length blue hair, brown skin, and purple eyes. Her sleeveless monk’s clothes left her many scars visible.
She could have easily healed them, but the Garuda considered them badges of her warrior honor and hid them only while looking for a romantic partner.
Much to her surprise, the challenge was accepted.
“That’s it?” Aren blurted out in surprise. “You should wipe out the monster tides and destroy the lost cities. Are you abandoning us or what?”
His words were followed by the nodding of his fellow representatives who glared at the Guardians in demand of an explanation.
“We should?” Roghar the Fenrir echoed while clicking his tongue. “This is none of our fault. We didn’t build any cursed item nor did we help the monsters in any way.”
In his human form, the Guardian of Mana was supposed to look like a handsome man in his early thirties, with long black hair and clear blue eyes. Alas, he was still recovering from the beating he had taken from the Garlen Guardians.
His skin was black and blue, the fingers of his right hand were splintered and he wore a cast on his left leg. Tyris had messed up his life force so that only time could heal his wounds and his Guardian essence at the same time.
Even Guardian Tier healing spells didn’t work on him.
“That’s rich coming from you!” Breganoth said. “If not for your crazy experiments, most of the fallen races wouldn’t exist in the first place. You are the root of this problem.”
Roghar didn’t know what was worse, a Lich calling someone else’s experiments crazy or the fact that he was partly right.
“I didn’t force them to do anything just like I didn’t help anyone to build the lost cities. The Guardian of Mana replied. “The fallen races chose their own path just like the humans chose to unleash the plague on Jiera.
“I can treat you all like pets if that’s what you want, but then I expect you to live as such. You’ll obey every one of my orders and do only what I allow you to do, living your lives as *I* see best. Do we have a deal?”
“No.” The Council members shook their heads and refused his extended hand.
“Then you’ll have to make do with this much.” Fenagar sighed. “You are right, we could intervene and solve everything for you, but then what? It would teach you nothing and these very same problems would arise again later.
“Just like there were dozens of plagues being developed by the various countries and only one being actually unleashed allowed them to understand the foolishness of their ways.
“Also, you have dealt with this crisis with a short-sighted approach. You have split instead of uniting and haven’t seized the opportunity that having so much free land has offered you. Even now you pretend not to see it.”
“What opportunity?” Luslar the Redcap widened her crystal-blue eyes in confusion, making her luscious red hair cover her face as she tilted her head.
“Only the five dominant races have a seat in the Council, but they are not the only races on Mogar.” Zagran said with an exasperated sigh. “The merfolk have long since longed to get a place of their own on the surface and elves resent their imposed exile for even longer.
“If you can’t repopulate Jiera fast enough, you might as well ask for their help. Their numbers would make up for your fallen and with their contribution, your burden would be greatly eased.”
“That’s easier said than done.” The Redcap replied. “Elves hate humans and resent us and the beasts. As for the merfolk, they are terrified of the surface world. Their magical abilities are lacking and to them, our world is blinding and noisy.”
“Indeed.” Fenagar nodded. “It would take years of diplomacy and mutual support to bring elves and merfolk on Jiera. Years that you had and squandered! Don’t play innocent with me.
“I know that you all considered the idea yet discarded it because afraid that when your respective races had regained their strength, you wouldn’t be able to take the lands you’ve given them back.
