Mana Mutation Menace (Journey to Chaos Book 3) (28 page)

“I represent the Supreme Council,” Ponix said between
ducks and weaves. “They won’t consider doing business with non-elves as long
certain countries hold our people in slavery.”

Abruptly, they both stopped and stared at the rest of the
table. The orc folded her arms and looked disapprovingly. The elf left his at
his sides and looked up at the picture of Earth’s Avatar breaking up POW camps
across the ages. Both of them were a silent accusation.

“There’s no need to be passive-aggressive, Ambassador
Enaz,” Lunas said. “Latrot will not apologize for its way of life.”

“I’m not singling you out, Your Highness. I said,
‘countries,’
plural
; among them, I hold Latrot in the highest regard
because you alone are honest about your sapient rights abuses.”

“Thank you, Ambassador Enaz. If there’s one thing Latrot
is proud of, it’s our honesty.”

“Then tell me this, Your Highness!”

All the rulers turned to the secondary table, where Kallen
was standing and glaring. Of everyone present, only Lunas and Eric knew how
close she was to turning back into the monster on the screen.

“Is my sister, Ariel, your prisoner?”

“No, she is my pet.”

Kallen’s pupils became triangles and a horn emerged from
her forehead. Kasile sent an urgent message to Eric, and he grabbed her hand. At
once, the transformation reversed.

“It’s not an odd situation,” Lunas continued. “Are there
not laws here in Ataidar that state one sapient may take another as a pet so
long as the arrangement is consensual?”

“What kind of pet are we talking about?” asked the mermaid
senator from East Azure Republic.

Kasile struck her gavel. “It is clear that we have drifted
off topic, but I thank Miss Selios and Prince Latrot for illustrating Hr. Tota’s
presentation, and Strongwoman JJ for her input. Miss Selios, I believe you have
your presentation prepared for today’s meeting?”

Kallen hesitated and Eric squeezed her hand; a surge of
warmth and peace banished the lingering killing intent. “Yes, Your Majesty, I
do.”

Kallen replaced Tota on center stage. She summarized the
events in Mambi and the course of the Elemental Mana Mutation Factor research
in recent decades. Then she explained how it related to broader Mana Mutation research
and its applications in personalized treatment. At the end of her techno babble
and data pile, she recapped the following, “If mutation is connected to a
single mana gate, then the mutation could be reversed with Elemental Synthesis.
This would be less invasive than chaos-based technology and require less
therapy afterward. Thus the success rate will increase.”

“When I hear ‘personalized treatment,’ I think ‘the
cost
will increase,
’
” Lunas said. “You did not require such a thing and
neither did Mr. Watley.”

“As you said, Your Highness, our success rate is low. We
are investigating methods of improving this. Once the technology and
methodology exist, then we can focus on the cost.” 

“The ICDMM already receives substantial funding from the
global community and has been for years,” the dragon lord of Najica said. “Now
you want
more
? There is little return on the investments we have been
making.”

Kasile struck her gavel. “We’re not talking about funding
yet.”

The dragon snorted fire from his nostrils. “I say we
should! Whose idea was it to let a
child
host a meeting for adults?”

“
Such objections are best
discussed before the meetings begin
,”
Kasile said, eyes glowing red.

“Don’t think you can scare us with your divine heritage,” the
Latlis administrator said. “After two thousand years, you’re as human as the
rest of us.”

“
Human
?” the beastfolk chief of Kyraa asked. “Is
that what you teach your children?”

“Don’t get your tail in a bind; you know what I meant.”

“That sort of speciesism is why you have regular riots in
your capital,” the mermaid senator of East Azure Republic remarked.

“Our scientists have proven the reason to be latent
monster instincts.”

“That’s why no one trusts your scientists; they’re federal
mouthpieces.”

Kasile struck her gavel. “Will the next presenter please
take the stage?”

Lunas didn’t listen to any of them. He was busy with his
own presentation.

 A sliver of his spirit inched around the table before this
meeting began. It crept into the ear of everyone seated at it. It encouraged
them, “You are right and they are wrong,” “Don’t compromise; go for the throat,”
“Remember your country and disdain theirs.”

The words became a strong and confident presence pushing
them forward. The only ruling mind he couldn’t breach was Kasile’s, for she was
full of confidence, but as each ICDMM researcher announced less than ideal
results and the rulers muttered louder and harsher, her confidence flagged. It
gratified him to find the inside still tender from his earlier takeover.

“I think we’ve heard enough, don’t you, Your Majesty?”

Kasile wrung her gloved hands and quickly hid them under
the table where no one could see. She averted her eyes from the group and
muttered, “Y-yes, we have.”

Under his breath, Ponix recited a chaotic prayer of
freedom.
His hair glimmered and a faint chaos pulse radiated throughout
the room. It washed away Lunas’ work and allowed the rulers to think clearly,
but Kasile remained under Lunas’ influence.

The Latrot Prince knew the elven ambassador would attempt
to undermine his work. He was expecting it because of the elf’s experience,
investment in Chaos, and most of all, devotion to that witch wife of his. Thus,
he focused his power into a partial dimensional partition between him and the
queen. The glare Ponix sent his way confirmed that he realized his own
helplessness.

The daughter was no threat. He was half-expecting her to
appear just as he was Quando and Hasina. His sources told him that she was
static and a disbeliever, borderline apostate. The only chaotic power she
possessed was the healing factor. She could not stop him either.

Lunas smirked. Now the Summit would proceed to
his
advantage.

“Is it time to talk about funding, Your Majesty?”

She nodded meekly.

“You forgot the gavel.”

She squeaked, blushed, and softly tapped it.

“Now then, let’s begin with the current expenses. Is that
all right with you, Your Majesty?”

She nodded.

“Excellent. Current expenses are 595,830,002 International
Standard Units. Despite how this is shared by all member nations, it is still a
significant sum for the paltry results we have been presented with today. These
are funds that could be directed to other pursuits: education, transportation
infrastructure, elimination of poverty, law enforcement, etc. Does everyone
agree?”

Everyone indicated “yes.” At the moment, the only one
under his influence was Kasile. The others simply thought of themselves and
their country as a whole. Certainly they all had problems other than mana
mutation and the possibility of greater funding for those problems was more
likely to improve the lives of their people in a greater and more reliable
fashion than research into Medical Mana Mutation. This would further their
country and their careers. This was on all of their minds, even if it was not
the priority.

“In that case, should we cut funding for the ICDMM and try
something else?”

Again, the delegates as a whole decided to at least to
hear him out.

“Since reversing mutation is rare, I recommend an
alternative: prevention.”

“P-prevention?” Kasile asked.

“Yes.” He sent a wave of dominating confidence towards her
and she cowered. “Prevention. One ounce of it is worth a pound of cure. Isn’t that
the saying?”

Everyone nodded.

“As we all know, ordercraft runes are used to prevent mana
storms from ravaging towns and cities, but did you know that it can work on
ambient mana as well?”

Some nodded again, but most shook his or her head(s).

“With an Order Obelisk, one can create a monster-free
zone. This technology closely regulates the mana in the area and thereby
prevents the kind of build-up that creates monsters. The success rate of the
Order Obelisk is substantially higher than that of Medical Mana Mutation. For
proof, I offer you my homeland; save for the Necrohol of Siduban, Latrot has
been monster-free for years.”

There was a mutter of agreement at the table and it
horrified Kasile. She looked from one side to another and saw only enemies.
Even her few allies returned hopelessness.

“To pay for these Order Obelisks, we shall defund the ICDMM’s
Research and Development department entirely and cut funding for the rest by
fifty percent.”

Kasile’s heart began to race, she began to sweat, and take
quick and shallow breaths. This was the opposite of what she wanted! Lunas
usurped control of this meeting just like Duke Selen Esrah tried to do to her
government! She was about to reprimand him and provide a counter argument she
prepared for just such an occasion, but Lunas tugged the Leash of Influence and
she tapped her gavel.

Eric’s eyes slitted and his teeth became fangs. His right
hand became hard and clawed, but then Annala’s soft and gloved hand covered
his. It reversed the transformation instantly. Standing up, she approached the
table.

"Your Majesty, if I may?"

Lunas tugged the Leash of Influence.

“G-guests are n-not allowed to speak,” Kasile said.

“On the contrary, she is!” Ponix declared. “According to
the International Conversation Charter, Article IV, Section II, Chapter VI,
Lines 49-50: ‘Guests may speak if they have a familial or professional connection
to a delegate, ambassador, or head-of-state, and if they speak directly to the
task at hand without tangent. Until such circumstances are proven, the guest
may only speak to prove them.”

Silently, Annala thanked her father, but she also sought
his forgiveness. She noticed the partition Lunas used to stop him from breaking
his influence over Kasile immediately. If she still had her powers, she could
tip the scale. If she weren’t apostate, she could stop him.

After her failure to defeat Nulso the first time, she took
to heart Tasio’s words about her lack of faith. She revisited chaotic hymns and
tried to look at them from a theological perspective instead of an academic
one. She reflected on them and recorded her observations. She was feeling
confident, but then she failed to defeat Nulso a second time. The only reason
she wasn’t Nulso’s slave was due to her mother’s technology. She herself was
useless.

Brushing away such self-defeating thoughts, she stood
straight and calm and clasped her hands at her waist.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, for speaking out of turn. I’m
only a schoolgirl and have no experience in politics, but I wish to make a
contribution, however small, to your discussion.”

 “What is your name?”

“Annala Enaz, Your Majesty.” She curtsied. “My father is
Dnnac Ledo’s ambassador.”

Ponix pulled out his wallet. “I have the baby pictures to
prove it.”

Annala gripped her skirts tighter to avoid face palming
again. A number of people in the room snickered and her polite smile became
strained for a moment.

“My mother is the lead Medical Mana Mutation researcher of
our village and—”

“We know who she is,” said the fairy elder of Symphonia. “Our
titles for Nunnal Enaz include ‘Sinful Homunculus’ and ‘Chaotic Witch’.”

“We can help these people,” Annala said. She pointed at
them with their hopeful sapient relatives. “The technology is ready and
reliable. We just need an incentive to share it.”

“We’ve heard this before,” the dragon lord of Najica said.
“You want us to release elven slaves to prove our ‘friendship’ with you so you
will allow us to ‘borrow’ your technology.”

“You have?”

“The Witch made her pitch at a Summit a while back,” the dwarf
duke of Acemo said. “No one accepted her contract, except Harry Butchin.”

“She cost him his business, ruined his reputation, and
drove him into despair,” the human administrator of Latlis said. “Now he’s a
soulless, barely human, hitman for a deity.”

“How will you be any different?” the mermaid senator of
East Azure Republic asked.

“Um…I…uh…”

She tugged her ear and saw Lunas gesturing toward Kasile.
Resolutely, she put her hand down, stood tall once more, and said, “My mother
may or may not be a witch, but there is certainly a warlock at this table.”

A wave of anxiety washed over the gathering. No one turned
to Lunas, but everyone knew that was to whom she was referring. Ordercraft was
not like other magical crafts; it did not use mana and it involved a contract
between the user and Order himself. It could shut down all other schools of
magic except for chaoscraft. One person could crash a city’s infrastructure and
send it back to pre-medieval times. It was a terrifying power. Lunas himself
sat as casually as ever, even as he worked harder to regain influence over his
fellows.

“Prince Lunas, if you don’t mind this commoner asking, how
do these ‘Order Obelisks’ of yours execute their function?”

“Order uses his power to control the local mana.”

“Yes, you said that before, but what does that mean in a
nuts and bolts fashion? What is required in terms of materials and what is the
overall effect?”

Lunas sat back and closed his mouth.

“If Your Highness will allow it, then I will explain on
his behalf.”

According to the rule that Ponix quoted, it would not be
lawful to refuse. Nonetheless, Annala waited for him to grant his permission.
He did, if grudgingly.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Chanting a basic illusion spell, Annala created a
landscape over the table and populated it with plants and animals. It was
bright and colorful and all the creatures frolicked happily. Then she placed an
Order Obelisk in its center.