[IC] The Great Meeting

Dras Ishay patiently reclined behind his large elm desk, listening intently to the interpreter reading to him a letter they had just received from a foreign power. The translator, one of a precious few who could speak Latin, was an ancient man who sat in a wheel chair pushed around by a bored looking guard.

The king's face remained expressionless through the reading, the room silent except for the old man's stunted speech as he translated. Once complete Dras Ishay thanked the man and dismissed him and his handler. Once the room was vacant he slumped back in his seat with a sigh, letting his almond eyes stare at the stone ceiling above him. His mind raced at the implications of Sartoria accepting the invitation, and silently wishing that he knew anything about the country. To send them an invitation he'd been forced to send spies into Selene with a stack of the letters, and after they came back it was clear they had rushed the job and only found out things about Selene.

The demon king sat like this for over an hour, patiently deciding his next move. He had to ensure that the diplomat was escorted safely to Afgurla, but also didn't want to risk looking overly eager (or even worse paranoid). With a groan and a sigh he rose and stretched, his traditional red silk robes glittering slightly in the light streaming through the ancient window over looking the city. From his castle in the capitol he could see the whole of the city stretched out before him, the world's largest historic preservation site. The slate roofs of the city absorbed the light of the setting sun, it was spring in the winter kingdom and the snow had already melted from much of the city. Behind the historic island lay the glittering sheet of Maga Lake, the ancient glacial lake that had protected their city for thousands of years. Even further still he could see the white frosted peaks of the mountains that encapsulated the lake, rising high above the city as if standing guard against any would be invaders.

With another sigh the king opened the door of his study to address the guards outside "Find your best soldier and have him brought to my office by the end of the hour. And so help me if he is less than divine I will have you both stripped of your ranks and assigned to the most miserable post and can find for the rest of your enlistment."

Without even a moment's hesitation both guards bowed and declared loudly "Yes your majesty!" then ran off down the hall at a pace that even a professional runner would envy.
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True to their orders within 30 minutes there was a knock on his door as a guard announced "Staff Sergeant Vemel of the Royal Guard wishes an audience with his king!"

"Audience granted!" He shouted back, silently enjoying the ritual

Through the now open doors walked a tall well built man, dressed in his costume uniform he looked like an apparition from an age long gone ( https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736...3e99a2.jpg ).

The Staff Sergeant was, Dras Ishay thought, a perfect specimen of a Procellian man. His red tinted skin looked fierce in the light of the setting sun, and his almond shaped eyes curved perfectly to frame his brown eyes.

"Your holiness I am honored you would call for me!" Vemel said in a deep booming voice as he dropped to his knees in a bow that was so respectful the demon king fought back a blush

"Rise and listen carefully, and if you dare tell anyone of what I am about to tell you then I will personally make sure that you are locked up for life in prison for threatening national security. Am I clear?" The pale king said in a calm voice, but in a tone of power. The unfazed royal guardsman expressed his understanding with an affirmation.

"You are going to be escorting the leader of Sartoria to the meeting in Afgurla. I will be giving you three items, and you are to guard them with your life. If ever it becomes obvious you will fail then destroy them."

With a slow, deliberate, movement Dras Ishay opened a desk drawer and pulled out a small wooden box carved with Procellian characters saying "With honor".

"In this box is a gift for the head of this council of theirs. Make sure you deliver it to him"

Reaching into the same drawer he pulled out a second item, a small book bound tightly in fine leather and gold

"This book is a gift for their nation's library. It is a short history of Afgurla, I trust they will find it fascinating"

Reaching into the drawer one final time the demon king pulled out a small rectangular device about the size of a smart phone.

"This is the GPS that will show you the safe route that you will be taking to bring him to Procellia. This passage is top secret and if it becomes common knowledge could open us to invasion. You are to be the only person that knows of its existence, and of all the things you are protecting this is the most important."

Sliding the items across the desk towards the soldier he continued "You may bring ten men with you to guide the ship, however I request you use less if you can get away with it. You have three days to obtain all the supplies you need and depart Procellia. Money is no object, I am personally financing this expedition."