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| Author | The Survilurg Effect (continued) |
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It was no longer possible to define who was the first to have shaped that astounding idea, and for that matter, it wasn't even important. The Court officials' actions, by a most incredible coincidence, as they first thought, or, as they would soon deduce, by some impressive in its scale, maleficent master plan, led to the appearance of Survilurgs in the history of the Empire.
Whilst the heroes and lords of the Empire went to enjoy the celebrations of a finished campaign, trying the earned trophies on and curiously exploring the new structure on the arena preparing to battle on it, the atmosphere in the Palace's Court hall was far from festive or amusing. A secret extraordinary council session was summoned, and all the officials were already present excluding Grammith to whom it accrued to report to Her Majesty and receive Her imminent wrath upon his person.
Expecting Grammith's return, the councilors sustained an informal abstract conversation sharing their surmises on the recent events. The conversation soon grew into an animated debate.
"It is most comforting to see that we all agree on this theory", Abu-Bakir spoke to sum up.
"Indeed, this answers many questions we could not find a proper explanation for, like how did the Survilurgs end up ranking all the same factions that populate this Empire", Arabat nodded.
"Or where they keep coming from. Remember that dark portal the soldier spoke about?"
"That is a question we still have to find an answer to", Bilir objected. "From that description I did not recognise a possible magical pathway known to the wizards, am I right, dear friend?"
"Quite so", Abu-Bakir admitted in a sad tone.
"There is another question that's gnawing me", Bilir continued in his high voice. "If what happened hours ago led to the appearance of the Survilurgs, then how were they attacking the Empire for all this time?"
"Obvious ain't it? They were lost in the past, lurked for all this time, and attacked now!" Tolgar exclaimed.
"I am afraid that is no valid explanation", Bilir shined with a wide sincere smile. "Look, the history of Empire is generally a straight line. It used to be a thick rope of miniscule thin threads of straight lines of our destinies in it, but it stopped being that on the day when Abu inve... Abu-Bakir", he looked at his vis-a-vis guiltily before continuing, "invented the time portal. I mean, it is still a straight line for everyone of us, but if we map it on the Empire lifeline, it will result in several torn pieces".
The puzzled faces of other councilors let him realise he wasn't much followed. Bilir fidgeted nervously on his arm-chair and elaborated: "Look. We live in this time, the line of our life goes through it, making up our history. But as we step through the portal, it shifts to a whole different time, doesn't it? We live out of our time, make actions that leave a mark in that time, then return to ours. There is a blank section of our history here, but for us it doesn't interrupt! I am one hour older than I was when we got here, and Abu is ten hours older than he was... hundreds of years ago? Not for him!"
"We see your point now, but what does it have to do with the Survilurgs?" Abu-Bakir asked eagerly, interested to learn the foreign academic's course of thoughts.
"We have all just agreed that the appearance of Survilurgs was originated from a decision we had made here, in our time. But what if we hadn't opened that portal? What if it had closed unexpectedly? What if those troops returned safely to our portal? And there are many more of those "what ifs", I am afraid..."
The councilors started exchanging looks, nodding in their musings. Was it a destiny to face the Survilurgs, or could it have been evaded? | "So, say we had not opened the portal", Kalirosh took word, "What would have happened to our reality? Would the Survilurgs still be there?"
"No-bo-dy kno-ows", Abu-Bakir sang in a melodical manner. "In theory, anything could happen. Even this Palace might not have been there. This entire world could have been destroyed as an irresolvable paradox!.."
Feurlis scoffed. No Universe could ever get rid of him so easily, that much he knew for sure.
"...or, we might end up in a different world, with different fates with much brighter and happier future!"
Tolgar, remaining previously sitted, resting on the back of the arm-chair, bored by the excessively sophisticated conversation, seemed to get significantly excited by Abu-Bakir's words.
"You mean, our lives could have been different?! I knew it! I had a sweetheart when I was young...er", he added quickly, "What a woman! Could forge an armour with just her left hand, and drink a barrel of ale in one sip! And it was going well, I was even thinking of asking her to wed, you know, young and foolish, until one day she hopped on a bear and ran off to marry my brother! My own brother, out of the blue! I knew something was wrong! Something went entirely wrong, and now I know what! I know whose work it is that I have such a great nephew, and I didn't have to babysit him!" Tolgar's tirade ended, and, as it was usual with him, no one really understood if he was happy or unhappy about that particular episode of his own life. Feurlis raised his eyes in surprise and inspected Tolgar closely.
"You are wrong, dear dwarf, and I can prove it", Bilir smiled amicably, trying to pacify Tolgar. "That tower that appeared on the arena. It has not been there, has it? But it appeared after the portal has shut. We saw it, there are Empire marks everywhere, your nation obviously built it.. But do we, or does anyone else remember it? There are no memories of anyone having constructed it. What I am implying at is, even if the lifeless nature may change, the living one... the animate one", he winked cunningly at Feurlis, "Remains unaltered".
"Good point", Abu-Bakir had to admit.
"I hope you don't mind if I ask, dear Tolgar", Feurlis spoke in an insinuating voice. "Where is your nephew now?"
"Ha! He is a famed warrior, general already! He is sailing the waters around our dwarven lands multiplying the glory of the dwarven people! He is brave, intelligent and skillful, a true son of his race!" Tolgar boasted with unconcealed pride.
"Of course he is", Feurlis nodded cautiously, looking away. He quickly exchanged looks with other councilors who met his eyes in awkward silence. Even after lowering his, Feurlis could feel Kh'Everst's eyes fixed on him, as if two ambers were burning holes on his undead skin. Feurlis cursed to himself, but didn't lose self-possession and endured this little attack of reprimand by the dark elf. | "Still... this hardly fits. Such a miserably low likelihood of all these events happening in one chain! Is that really the Universe's way to do things", Arabat attempted to return the conversation to the right topic. "Think about it, even the onslaught of the Survilurgs had weakened a little!"
A sudden thought stroke Abu-Bakir. "You are right! I never thought of it this way, but I remember how I discovered that tome on the Survilurgs... It was in a place that I see almost every day! So, if it had been planted there..."
"And I've heard reports on the dark-cloaked figure spotted somewhere at Sunny city a few days ago", Tolgar shrugged. Then he felt uneasy as five looks clinged at him like sharp harpoons. The foreign councilors, their eyes goggled, looked as if they had seen a Twin God.
"Excuse me, did I hear right, there is a dark-cloaked figure, and you suspect him to be able to plan something like this?" Kh'Everst spoke in nearly a whisper. It was Abu-Bakir's turn to be surprised. "Do you know him?"
The councilors, still shocked, exchanged looks once more.
"We do not know him in person. But we have faced him many times. We call him the Mastermind, and we had managed to track his presence in many difficult situations our old Empire had faced, like wars or sudden maladies, or revolts in the Empire", Arabat spoke. "Kh'Everst over here suspected he had sensed him here recently, but we hoped he remained in the old lands, buried under petrified lava... What about you?"
Abu-Bakir took time to think about his next words before mouthing them, "He has many names. For some reason, the grass-roots prefer to call him Surtaz by the name of a late dark warlock. He was powerful for sure, but from what we know that this individual died in fire, so it's obviously just superstitions... Anyway, we, just as you, have reports of his appearance in most if not all notorious episodes of the Empire history for many years now. If what you say is true and it is the same person, and he can travel across oceans at will and plan three-layer operations over ages like what happened lately..."
Abu-Bakir failed to find any words to finish his thought, but it wasn't needed.
"Well then... there you have it", Bilir broke the silence loudly, making most of the present officials give a start. "This explains it then. If it was the Mastermind's plan, then it was the power of his mind who created the Survilurgs! They probably appeared the moment when he finished thinking up his plan in every detail. And they were real because he knew he would bring our own soldiers through time to make them play that role!"
"Oh, pardon me, my friend, but that was just nonsense!", Abu-Bakir exclaimed looking at Bilir with pronounced disapprobation. "Created with his mind? Mind as in immaterial energy in his head? An entire nation of skillful warriors with their own goals and philosophy?! Sometimes there is a threshold between sane theories and groundless fantasies!" Abu-Bakir waved his hand at Bilir decisively, as if trying to shoo his surmise away. "You know whose vocation it is to create peoples and worlds with the power of mind? Gods! And from what we know for sure, he is no god"
Bilir sat without objecting, somewhat resentful. He wasn't expecting his colleague to object him so categorically, but more importantly, he didn't feel convinced by the Court wizard's words for even a bit.
The officials remained silent as they heard familiar steps coming the stairway. The gate-keeper knocked and entered the council hall, announcing the arrival of Grammith. Finally the Council was in full complement, and they could return to discussing the Empire's more vital problems. | | The Survilurg Effect news block is to be finalized in the next news thread concerning actual game updates. |
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