Part CV: Humiliation
Date: Kapton 12th, 114 A.U.
It was all over the newspapers. How Jaine had predicted the stunning results of the last battle where the Elder Dragon had broken loose and their forces had been utterly decimated. About how new video footage had shown up showing the Mothertree moving and strangling Myrik—footage that apparently had been kept under lock and key before then. A whole new speech by Jaine proclaiming himself as the High Priest of the Mothertree and espousing his belief about how the Mothertree would lead them into a new golden age over the elves. And although he hadn’t cried for the dethroning of him yet, Freglak knew it was coming. Jaine was subtle—spending time in his speech to speak out against all of his military practices. The next speech would be the results of all this—the culmination of Jaine’s surprise surge from being completely destroyed to being a surging force—the next speech would call for a new Lord-Protector of the forest and for the dethroning of himself.
Freglak closed his eyes, tapping his fingers on the table. How he wished that Flek and Reynyagn would still be here—he could use Flek’s amazing skillmanship in battle, as well as Reynyagn’s supreme intelligence. But no. They had left to beat the elves, and so he was left by himself to figure out how to dispose of this rising threat. And Freglak knew what a distraction and a possible upcoming civil war would mean in the greater picture. A civil war at this time would be to give the victory over to the elves.
“You could authorize an assassination attempt against Jaine, sir.” Freglak looked up to his aide, remembering that he was supposed to be in a conversation here.
“I could…” Freglak said, lost in thought, before pursing his lips. “I fear that it would only enflame things beyond repair, though.”
“How so?”
“I suspect that Jaine is expecting that,” Freglak replied. “After all, he is fully aware of the fact that I know that he plans on moving against me. And that I’m going to do whatever I can to stop his attack—which I will. Which means that he probably has a set of bodyguards, as well as a plan for how to make this all backfire. Just picture it. Hours after a failed assassination attempt, Jaine comes out with a prepared speech blasting me for trying to kill him, getting all the new followers of the Mothertree behind him, and leading a full assault against me. Given the sky-rocketing support of the Mothertree in the past few days, combined with news that I tried to kill their major leader, I suspect that it would be to give up the whole battle to Jaine. He would win in a heart beat.”
“What do you plan on doing then, sir? I mean, not to disagree, but won’t nearly the same thing happen if you don’t attack him, once he decides that it’s time to take full control?”
“He’ll try, but at least he won’t have the argument that I tried to assassinate him,” Freglak growled. “And in case you didn’t get the hint from the speech that I gave yesterday, I’m publicly espousing my renewed belief in the Mothertree in the hopes that I might be able to make some compromise with Jaine in order to retain power in some way.”
“And you think Jaine will take it?”
“No, but the people might,” Freglak muttered. “No, Jaine has known enough of me over the years to know that I’m not going to be his little puppet. But what matters right now is who will have the support of the populace. As long as when the battle lines are drawn, the vast majority aren’t behind him, thanks to all the arms and weapons we have, we will be able to defeat him in an all-out combat, although I fear that such a combat will give a huge lead to the elves. My only hope right now is that I’ll have enough support of the populace that the two of us can compromise, that in doing so I’ll force Jaine to work with me or else dash all of his hopes down the drain.”
“Not to be presuming, sir… But what about the Mothertree?”
“What about it?”
“I saw the footage, sir… What… What do you think it is?”
“There were too many witnesses for it to merely be good video editing,” Freglak said. “I… I honestly don’t know what it is. It’s impossible that the tree actually be some divine being, but I don’t know how to explain it otherwise.” He pursed his lips. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure that all of our troops and aides are kept away from the near-vicinity of the Mothertree just to make sure that nothing happens. And if war comes to war…” He thought about that. “Well then, we can put Jaine’s claim to the test that the Mothertree will not be destroyed with explosives.”
“Lord Freglak gave another speech today.”
“I saw,” Jaine said, not looking up. “A last-minute defense to try to reconcile with me. He knows that the deal’s up. He knows that he’s doomed.”
“So what will our response be?”
“We will meet with him like he requested,” Jaine said, a smile playing across his lips. “I will talk to Lord Freglak face-to-face, and I will make myself clear with him. He will respond to all our requests and submit his will completely to ours. Or else he will lose his throne. There is no other alternative.”
Date: Kapton 12th, 114 A.U.
It was all over the newspapers. How Jaine had predicted the stunning results of the last battle where the Elder Dragon had broken loose and their forces had been utterly decimated. About how new video footage had shown up showing the Mothertree moving and strangling Myrik—footage that apparently had been kept under lock and key before then. A whole new speech by Jaine proclaiming himself as the High Priest of the Mothertree and espousing his belief about how the Mothertree would lead them into a new golden age over the elves. And although he hadn’t cried for the dethroning of him yet, Freglak knew it was coming. Jaine was subtle—spending time in his speech to speak out against all of his military practices. The next speech would be the results of all this—the culmination of Jaine’s surprise surge from being completely destroyed to being a surging force—the next speech would call for a new Lord-Protector of the forest and for the dethroning of himself.
Freglak closed his eyes, tapping his fingers on the table. How he wished that Flek and Reynyagn would still be here—he could use Flek’s amazing skillmanship in battle, as well as Reynyagn’s supreme intelligence. But no. They had left to beat the elves, and so he was left by himself to figure out how to dispose of this rising threat. And Freglak knew what a distraction and a possible upcoming civil war would mean in the greater picture. A civil war at this time would be to give the victory over to the elves.
“You could authorize an assassination attempt against Jaine, sir.” Freglak looked up to his aide, remembering that he was supposed to be in a conversation here.
“I could…” Freglak said, lost in thought, before pursing his lips. “I fear that it would only enflame things beyond repair, though.”
“How so?”
“I suspect that Jaine is expecting that,” Freglak replied. “After all, he is fully aware of the fact that I know that he plans on moving against me. And that I’m going to do whatever I can to stop his attack—which I will. Which means that he probably has a set of bodyguards, as well as a plan for how to make this all backfire. Just picture it. Hours after a failed assassination attempt, Jaine comes out with a prepared speech blasting me for trying to kill him, getting all the new followers of the Mothertree behind him, and leading a full assault against me. Given the sky-rocketing support of the Mothertree in the past few days, combined with news that I tried to kill their major leader, I suspect that it would be to give up the whole battle to Jaine. He would win in a heart beat.”
“What do you plan on doing then, sir? I mean, not to disagree, but won’t nearly the same thing happen if you don’t attack him, once he decides that it’s time to take full control?”
“He’ll try, but at least he won’t have the argument that I tried to assassinate him,” Freglak growled. “And in case you didn’t get the hint from the speech that I gave yesterday, I’m publicly espousing my renewed belief in the Mothertree in the hopes that I might be able to make some compromise with Jaine in order to retain power in some way.”
“And you think Jaine will take it?”
“No, but the people might,” Freglak muttered. “No, Jaine has known enough of me over the years to know that I’m not going to be his little puppet. But what matters right now is who will have the support of the populace. As long as when the battle lines are drawn, the vast majority aren’t behind him, thanks to all the arms and weapons we have, we will be able to defeat him in an all-out combat, although I fear that such a combat will give a huge lead to the elves. My only hope right now is that I’ll have enough support of the populace that the two of us can compromise, that in doing so I’ll force Jaine to work with me or else dash all of his hopes down the drain.”
“Not to be presuming, sir… But what about the Mothertree?”
“What about it?”
“I saw the footage, sir… What… What do you think it is?”
“There were too many witnesses for it to merely be good video editing,” Freglak said. “I… I honestly don’t know what it is. It’s impossible that the tree actually be some divine being, but I don’t know how to explain it otherwise.” He pursed his lips. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure that all of our troops and aides are kept away from the near-vicinity of the Mothertree just to make sure that nothing happens. And if war comes to war…” He thought about that. “Well then, we can put Jaine’s claim to the test that the Mothertree will not be destroyed with explosives.”
“Lord Freglak gave another speech today.”
“I saw,” Jaine said, not looking up. “A last-minute defense to try to reconcile with me. He knows that the deal’s up. He knows that he’s doomed.”
“So what will our response be?”
“We will meet with him like he requested,” Jaine said, a smile playing across his lips. “I will talk to Lord Freglak face-to-face, and I will make myself clear with him. He will respond to all our requests and submit his will completely to ours. Or else he will lose his throne. There is no other alternative.”
RSS Feed