3.55 A Better Solution

Wafts of Frankincense helped mask the odors of death as the king blew smoke over the latest catastrophe. Calming, rage shifted to shock now at what he saw.

         "We can't just leave him like that!" Medena snapped, disgusted by the stunt, the telescope was indeed a signature, a childish one too.

         "Where's Mel?"

         "SILENCE!" Atalon erupted. "Of COURSE I can leave him like that! He's our BROTHER! Now, SIT DOWN!"

         It wasn't a good way to begin the Final Meeting. Atalon scanned their faces one by one as they took their seats, each one a potential suspect in his opinion. His eyes came to rest upon Vikkar's seat, empty as usual. Was he the mastermind behind these gags? Was he really pulling all these strings? It was a disturbing possibility…  Vikkar now had more manpower than he did and he was about to spread himself even thinner…

         Silence fell upon the Final Meeting as he continued his assessment of faces around the table, he knew well enough not to trust any of them, they all knew things weren't exactly going according to plan.

         "My Brothers…" He finally found the words to begin. "It is a tragic fate that our beloved Bakkon has fallen for. What gods would slay the one to whom we turned to for guidance?" The room remained silent. "Evil gods?"

         The gods exchanged nervous glances, unable to answer, they had never heard Atalon speak like this before.

         "Stupid gods!"

         No one exchanged glances, everyone looked down.

         "What if they were good gods, stepping in to eliminate the deceptive one leading us astray and we didn’t know it?"

         Glances were exchanged across the table once again.

         "Hmmm?"

         The room remained in painful silence for a Final Meeting, the siblings had all come to the conclusion that the king had lost his mind. He left them hanging and switched topics completely.

         "I'd like to take this moment to run through the revised itinerary. Due to the recent spate in criminal activity, I made some last minute changes to assignments. Please save your questions until after the presentation." He picked up a tablet from the table, studied it for a moment then called upon the first name on the list.

         "Torus!"

         "Yes, your Honor!" Torus stood sharply in salute.

         "You are still going to colonize Fomora, as planned, it's an excellent plan. Malodon, I've decided to send you too, you can take that filthy little thief and make some use of her. I want you two to work together. We want WARRIOR NEFILIM!"

         "Yes, Your Honor" Malodon and Torus exchanged nods.

         "Nolan!" Atalon continued down the list.

         Nolan snapped to attention "Yes, Your Honor!"

         "You are going to cleanse Ebar as ordered, I want NO NONSENSE!"

         "Yes, Your Honor! No nonsense!"

         Satisfied, Atalon continued. "Seton and Dion, I have agreed to send Medena with you to Ebar, as discussed." He narrowed his focus on the doctor. "I don't want any fuck ups this time!"

         For another agonizing moment the table lapsed in silence as the king’s focus fell upon the decapitated head once again, a sore reminder of last minute plans gone wrong, of an enemy still at large. 

         "Halios!"

         "Yes, Your Honor!" The General stood sharply, undying loyalty on display.

         "You, Halki and Hedena are going to stay with me in the Royal Residence, We're going to refurbish the New Headquarters and build the New Institutions immediately."

         "Yes, Your Honor!"

         "And what are you going to do about Vikkar?" Halki gestured towards his empty seat.

         "VIKKAR WHO?"

         "The Lemurian Solution is still a go" Seton reminded. "They'll all be gone in a week, if they even survive the war that is."

         Nolan glanced at Torus as the conflicting narratives criss-crossed, wondering now what he knew, but Torus avoided his attention, was it deliberate? Did he know about the keg of BloodWine? He was beginning to wonder now, was there some sort of coup taking place?

         "What if Vikkar knows about the Solution?" Halki dared ask the question.

         "How would he know?" Atalon narrowed his eyes on the god of Intelligence, realizing now how easily Halki could have been involved. Halki was the one who mapped all the underground tunnels, Halki stole the book after all...

         "He knows you're planning to blow up Mount Ekar."

         "And? Connect the dots, please!"

         "Mount Ekar is sacred to his tribe" Halki reminded. "He's turned traitor along with the Nefilim, do you think it's a coincidence they showed up like that when they did? Do you really think the Nefilim would just sit back and watch you blow up their golden monument?" All eyes turned towards Atalon, questioning, Halki was right. "Maybe they heard about the Lemurian Solution when they were here that day. Didn't you see Ku in the Courtyard? Did you not see Adon waiting for them by the gates? The Nefilim built those gates, you know!"

         The room returned to painful silence.

         "Adon knows about it?"

         "What if Vikkar warned Aquilla, or is planning some kind of revolt with the Nefilim?" He gestured towards the severed head. "Maybe that's why he was howling? Maybe this was just another hint?"

         "Enough!" Atalon slammed his fist on the table, rising from his chair. Silence gripped the voices once again as the king paced back and forth, breathing deep in an effort to remain calm. But it was the king's duty to know. "What are you suggesting we do about it?"

         "We have to be prepared for the worst I'm afraid" Halki assured. "The only way we can be sure he won’t take us down is if we take him out before he has a chance."

         "Take out Vikkar?"

         "That’s right" Halki assured.

         "And how are we to accomplish such a last minute operation?" Atalon was livid. "And what about his sword?"

         "We'll trick him. I could use Torus, call it a business deal" he offered. "We could stage an emergency landing in Kergal, use the storm as an excuse, take shelter in their cave, infiltrate their home just like old times."

         Atalon returned to his chair to sit down, it sounded like a sketchy idea, it reeked of ulterior motives, too. "And who gets the sword?"

         "I'll make sure the sword gets returned to Headquarters" Malodon offered. "It would mean we wouldn't need to cleanse the entire place."

         Atalon shifted his attention to the god of Transformation, obviously in support of this last minute scheme. "And how can I be sure I can trust you?"

         "What are your options?" He countered.

         Atalon pondered the dilemma at hand, it would be good to claim the sword once and for all, and the land, it would make up for the recent losses, it would be good to end Vikkar, without having to flush the entire community, too.