Vel is on his own for his conversation with Lanzui’s more aggressive partner, Qandryd.

An illustration by  OddEyresProductions can be found in the PDF versions of the story.

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Chapter 18

Vel hoped he knew what he was doing. Leaving Iah behind felt like a worse and worse idea with every step the dragon took away from her. It was not like he was doing anything especially bad. If anything, the dragon everyone called Qandryd was being more careful with him than Masumi had been. He kept his hand steady, and it felt like he was trying to make the ride as smooth for Vel as possible.

However, unlike Iah, his hand was tough and leathery. Iah, and the rest of the gnolls, for that matter, had surprisingly soft pads. And while the gnolls had nice fur that made them look softer, the dragon had nothing but hard-looking scales that made his skin seem as tough as the armor he wore, which it most likely was if he was anything like Lanzui. This dragon was even different from Lanzui. Despite Lanzui’s size, he had a more graceful and noble appearance, making him feel safer to be around as long as Vel behaved himself. Qandryd had a more aggressive look, and his form radiated power. Vel thought it would be wise to express even more caution around this winged dragon.

Everyone looked at Vel and Qandryd as the dragon headed towards a structure built against the city walls. Vel was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around the scale of everything in this giant world. So, he could not tell if the structure was a simple guard station or an actual barracks. After walking inside, Qandryd cleared the entrance room after having a couple of wyverns that were only waist height compared to him set up a table and chair.

Vel was surprised at that. The dragon had said he wanted to speak in private, but the table and chair were set up so those outside could still see them. Iah and her clan were all keeping a keen eye on him. The way they stood reminded him more of predators about to pounce, which was fitting since that was what they really were. It was somewhat comforting that they were ready to come to his aid at any moment, but Qandryd could literally crush Vel beneath his thumb whenever he wished. That would happen far before the gnolls could reach him.

Lanzui was also there, looking displeased by the events that had unfolded. Oshiko looked like she was not paying attention to anything in particular, but somehow, it felt like she was aware of everything. Then there was Masumi, looking annoyed that everyone was wasting precious time. Vel heard Qandryd say a magic spell, and there was a slight distortion of the coloration in the doorway. The distortion was so subtle that Vel might not have noticed it if he had not been staring right at it. Qandryd’s hand descended on the table, letting Vel climb off as the dragon sat in the seat.

“A spell of silence,” Qandryd explained, “Let’s all those worriers keep an eye on you, but we can’t be heard. Now, I have a few questions for you, little one. Vel was it?”

“Yes.”

The dragon nodded and asked, “Are all your people really so small, or has someone finally figured out a functional shrinking spell?”

“We are all like this. I’m under no spell, well, besides the one that lets me understand all of you giants.”

Qandryd leaned back and snorted a puff of smoke, small to him but large enough to envelop a house to Vel, “So, you really are defenseless then.”

“Well, we do have defenses,” Vel sighed, “Just not ones I think would do much good against something like you.”

Qandryd chuckled at that statement, and it was a relief for Vel to see him crack a small smile, “Thank you for your honesty.”

Vel decided to try and exploit the dragon’s shift in mood, even if it was only slight, and asked, “Why does everyone need your cooperation to help?”

Qandryd gave him a thoughtful look before responding, “Cado could hold out against an army like the cultists have assembled until reinforcements arrive, but we don’t have the forces available to go after and defeat such an army. If we are to assemble an army capable of doing so, we will need to teleport large numbers of soldiers around. Large enough that it will take the cooperation of three elder races to get it done. Masumi and Oshiko probably have the influence to get the assistance of the kirin and the nine-tails, but Lanzui would not be able to convince the rest of the dragons to do so without me backing him. We are an enlightened republic, after all. It would take the influence of both of us to convince the rest of the ruling council to do something like this.”

“And what could I say to convince you to help? This world of magic and giants is all new to me. I only know what Masumi and the rest have told me. I probably know less than you do,” Vel said.

“That is quite the predicament,” Qandryd said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully with one hand, “The kirins are liars, the nine-tails are as devious as they come, and Lanzui is too trusting.”

Then Qandryd stared down at Vel, looking terribly serious, “So, do you believe them then?”

Vel thought about that for a moment. He had not really had the time to think about that himself yet. There had been a lot of things said to him, and he had no way of verifying any of it. And Oshiko had tried to deceive him, though, from her point of view, she might not have been lying. She just had not told the entire truth. After a few more moments, Vel answered, “I don’t know.”

“Really now?”

Vel said, “I’ve never been anyone of great importance, and now I’ve been told that creation itself is slightly dependent on my existence. Then there is the fact that there is a world of giants that my world is eventually going to be a part of, and I’ve apparently been conversing with ones who are titan royalty this whole time. Even managed to get kissed by a princess that claims she’s not a princess.”

“So that’s why you smell like gnoll breath,” Qandryd said.

“You can smell that?”

Qandryd tapped one of his nostrils, “Don’t underestimate the sense of smell of a nose like this. I can smell your breath, too. Getting traces of things I’ve never smelled before. That aside, what do you think of what you have been told.”

“It’s hard to say,” Vel said, “But if Masumi was lying, I don’t know why he would do so to try and help out my people. He seemed like he could barely tolerate my presence from the very beginning. If I were just any other creature, I think he would have crushed me like some sort of pest or turned me into that mana powder already.”

“So, he’s handled you? What was that like,” Qandryd asked curiously.

“I’ll just say I felt safer in your hand while you looked pretty unhappy with everyone.”

Qandryd chuckled at that, “Herbivores, I’m glad they taste better than they behave.”

Vel decided to steer the conversation back away from that, “The way Masumi acted, I don’t think he would have ever interacted with me if there was not at least some truth behind his words.”

The dragon’s expression turned serious once more, and his slit eyes narrowed as he stared at Vel. To Vel, it was like the dragon was trying to peer into his soul in search of lies. There was something in his look that told Vel he would be in genuine danger if he found any. Then Qandryd sighed, “That also sounds exactly like a kirin.”

Then he started scratching the back of his thick neck in a way that made him look frustrated, “So there is a chance the gifted may very well be these, what did they call them…the foundations of creations.”

“Qandryd, is it true that this world only converges with another after you have exploited the gifted already here for all they are worth,” asked Vel.

The dragon tensed at that question and replied, “So, they actually did tell you that. Yes, it’s true. And don’t go repeating that to just anyone. I’ve had numerous people dealt with for getting too close to that truth.”

“And you thought this would be able to go on forever?”

“You have no idea how many convergences have occurred over time.”

Vel composed his thoughts and replied, “I don’t, but what if that is the problem?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I doubt things are this way by some coincidence,” Vel said, “All of this sounds like it was set up by whatever gods or spirits you may believe in. Maybe what you’ve been doing has angered them, and we are the end of the line, a last chance for us all.”

Anger suddenly flared in Qandryd’s eyes, and a hand slammed on the table hard enough to knock Vel off his feet. Being confronted with an angry titan like that had Vel struggling to control his bladder as the dragon practically roared, “You would dare criticize us. You, a little barbarian that wouldn’t even qualify as a snack for a kobold.”

As angry as the dragon was, Vel did not think he could back down on this one. There was too much at stake. And if the dragon should decide to crush him for his impudence, at least there was a chance Iah would avenge him. So, he went on to say, “Yes, I do dare to criticize you. You’ve known all this time that draining the gifted for mana powder has done to this world. And now the gods are throwing it all right back in your face. They’ve made a race, my people, that you have to protect, or it’s all over. You can’t just end your misdeeds. You have to earn redemption in the eyes of the gods.”

Qandryd growled, and his claws dragged against the tabletop, digging furrows deeper than Vel was tall. But, the dragon let out a long sigh, “You…may be correct. Dammit, this could really eat into my profits.”

“Excuse me,” Vel said in bewilderment.

“My profits,” Qandryd said as if it were obvious, “This will affect our ability to produce mana powder. We’ll have to rely on slower methods now. Do you know how many gifted humans there are? How many humans are there in general?”

“I have no idea about either question,” Vel said dumbly, struggling to keep up with where the conversation was going, “But Iah seemed stunned by whatever numbers I did mention to her about our numbers.”

Qandryd looked pleased by that statement, saying, “Excellent, there might be hundreds of you. We haven’t seen numbers like that since we, in the older races, were still gifted. It’s possible we could make up for the slower method with sheer numbers.”

A sly smile crossed the dragon’s angular face as he looked down at Vel. He suddenly placed his hand behind Vel, forming a formidable wall blocking his view of all the other titans outside the building. Then the dragon leaned in close, his massive head filling Vel’s view and causing Vel to back up nervously. Unfortunately, the only place he had to back up to was the dragon’s hand. Soon, a blue-slitted eye larger than he was loomed almost within touching distance. If the dragon wanted to intimidate Vel, he was doing the job well.

However, the dragon’s next question caught him completely off guard, “So, you have been gifted with the favor of the Splithallow matriarch?”

“Are you referring to the kisses,” Vel asked suspiciously.

“Can I assume you like…large females then?”

“What,” Vel stammered.

“You see, I do have younger sisters that I could talk into taking care of you if you agreed to work for me,” Qandryd said conspiratorially.

Vel’s mind was reeling after what the dragon had just said to him, and it took a while to stammer, “Are you trying to recruit me?”

“Of course. That should be obvious enough.”

“Didn’t you already hire Iah to obtain me for you,” Vel asked.

Qnadryd sighed, “I doubt that deal still holds after everything that has been revealed. And the Splithallow matriarch seems to have taken a liking to you. I doubt she would give up any claims on you, and I think Lanzui would support her. The last thing I want is a lengthy legal battle with my partner when I’m not even sure I could win.”

“Legal battle,” Vel said, perplexed, “But aren’t you a dragon? Don’t you just take things you want?”

“I’m no thief, little human. While I may employ deception in my dealings, I do still play by the rules,” Qandryd explained before his brow crinkled in a way that was hard for Vel to tell what that meant, especially while the great reptilian head was still leaning in so close to him.

Then Qandryd asked, “Masumi said you barely recognized Lanzui as a dragon at first, but you easily recognized me as one.”

Vel was thoughtful for a moment and said, “I don’t remember telling him that, but it’s true.”

Qandryd chortled, “That kirin could have had many conversations with you that no longer happened. I find it amusing that you recognize my breed over his. They’re a bit smug, you know. Think they’re so wise.”

“That means Masumi was telling the truth about something,” Vel stated.

Qandryd finally leaned back and replied, “I suppose he did. While I’m still not entirely convinced of everything I’ve been told, I’m willing to lend the others my support. Though entirely too small, if you are anything to go by, your race seems likable enough, and I have no wish to see you exterminated.”

Vel almost wept when he heard that. When the dragon placed his hand down on the table for him to climb onto once more, Vel scrambled into it. As Qandryd walked them back outside, he saw that Iah and her clan looked especially tense. It looked like they had not liked Qandryd’s angry outburst earlier, nor were they greatly pleased with the dragon blocking Vel from their view.

Iah was the first to walk up to Qandryd and held out a demanding hand, expecting Vel to be returned to her. Surprisingly, the dragon did not return her aggression with aggression this time. He merely chuckled, “No need for that, Iah. Your little human is unharmed. I just wanted to try and make a deal with him. Despite him so rudely rejecting my offer, I’ve decided to lend you my support.”

Iah looked at him suspiciously and waited for Vel to be returned to her, which Qandryd soon did. Vel watched as he walked off to talk with Lanzui while Iah held Vel up to eye level and asked, “Are you alright? What sort of deal did he offer?”

“I’m fine, Iah,” Vel said as he sat down in her palm and gave it a reassuring pat, “I think he tried throwing his sisters at me in exchange for making mana powder for him. He seems to think I have a thing for big women.”

Iah looked surprised at first before an amused smile crossed her face, and she asked, “Don’t you?”

Vel chose not to answer that question, but Iah continued, “You’re turning an alarming shade of red, Vel.”

Vel tried to change the subject, “So, what do we do from here?”

It was a great relief when Iah relented and allowed the conversation to be guided elsewhere, “We meet with my people’s leadership. Fortunately, Qandryd had already called on them to be here. He was under the impression that he would need an army soon and was in the early stages of talks to get that army from them.”

“He’s powerful enough to do something like that.”

Iah sighed, “All the other races and our nations owe their allegiance to one elder race or another. They control the supply of magic, and we are made to pay for it through means that are not just monetary in nature. But that seems to be working out for us now.”

“That sounds like good news,” Vel said, noticing a slight frown cross her face, which was very noticeable at her gigantic size. “What was that for?”

Iah sounded slightly frustrated as she said, “Vel, my people aren’t that unified when the world is in this condition. It’s a bit of an every clan for themselves. Our leaders’ opinions are still given some respect, but they can’t actually command anyone. And we are going to need a lot of help based on the word I have heard of the cultist’s army.”

“Do you think your people won’t help?”

“It will take some convincing, but they should come around, given enough time, which I’m not sure we have.”

“Why is that?”

“It is going to take so many to fight that army that we are going to leave our lands vulnerable. We should be able to convince our own hunters to not exploit the situation, but with so many of our warriors gone, other nations might try to seize our hunting grounds. That is what my tribe is normally hired to do, by the way, defend our territory from incursions by rival nations. No one will want to leave their territory vulnerable,” Iah explained.

Vel asked, “Will the threat of impending annihilation help to motivate them.”

“If they believe our story.”

That was a discouraging statement. That was the reality they were going to have to deal with. While they had been talking, Iah had been taking them somewhere else. Vel had not noticed it, but she must have signaled her clan to stay behind. The only one still with them was the lion, Alekos, who seemed to have taken the lead. He took them to a building not far from the wall. The interior of the building was austere, but the walls looked thick and defensible. It felt like a military building of some sort, and it was currently being used as a meeting place for monsters.

Vel hoped no one present could read his thoughts, but that was all he could think of them as when he looked at the assemblage of creatures. When Vel looked at Iah, he knew that she could easily destroy him even if they were similar in size. He had seen gladiatorial matches before. She was built like one that would have quickly won her way through any local matches and moved on to make a legend of herself in the capital. Among the group of creatures Vel saw, Iah looked normal.

They came in the three size ranges that all the giants appeared to come in, and there were all sorts of different creatures, with one other gnoll Vel had never seen present among the group. Among some of the creatures he recognized were a martial eagle, cerberus, cheetah, wild dog, brown bear, roc, crocodile, and meerkat. There were a couple of aquatic-looking creatures, too, but Vel was from too far inland to easily recognize them. He thought he had seen one once before as an oddity in a market, something that may have been called a moray eel. There was also some sort of skink, though he was unsure which specific kind. Though it was one of the smallest kinds of reptiles where he was from, it was a mid-sized titan here. Most humbling of all for Vel was one of the smaller races in the room. It was some kind of ant, but it was still a giant of fantastic proportions to Vel. He did not know what to think of a world where even ants were large enough to crush a person underfoot.

Iah did not seem to find the presence of any of the creatures in the room the least bit strange, and she strode in confidently. From there, Vel had little to do except to listen and observe. After some greetings and questions about Vel’s presence, Iah and Alekos started getting them caught up on what was happening. Some looked like they were taking the story very seriously. Others looked incredulous. Some were hard for Vel to read at all, the ant for instance.

Iah did have the backing of her fellow gnoll, who seemed to be another matriarch. By how the two acted, the other gnoll was the senior of them. In fact, Iah appeared to be the lowest-ranking person in the room as the conversation continued. No one was disrespectful towards her, but she was the one who had to wait her turn to talk, and she was careful not to interrupt anyone. That was when it truly hit Vel that he was sitting in on a conversation between the royalty and high-ranking nobility of a country of giants. And though Iah may have been junior to them all, they still treated her like she belonged there. Her protests about not being a princess were not holding up all that well.

Something else did astonish Vel, and that was that the smaller giants seemed to be given just as much deference as the largest giants in the room. During a moment when most of the others were arguing about whether or not all creation was dependent on humanity’s existence, Vel tried to quietly speak to Iah, “I thought the little giants were servants of the big ones.”

Iah chuckled in amusement, “Don’t let them hear you say that.”

“Are they really that important?”

“Yes, they are some of the most prominent members of our society. If the Federation’s bonds were to tighten once more, one of them would end up as our leader, no matter their size,” Iah said.

Vel was a little perplexed as he said, “I thought strength would be all-important among a country of giant predators.”

“For one thing, we think of ourselves as normal-sized predators,” Iah explained, still sounding amused, “And while strength is important, it is not all important. If you aren’t strong enough on your own, then convince someone who is to help you. Diplomacy, intelligence, cunning, charisma, all are important qualities to look for in a leader.”

“Do all carnivores think like that,” a stunned Vel asked.

“Of course not,” Iah said, “But that is how the people of my country tend to think. And it is why we prosper. Our people have seized the land from neighbors who thought some idiot was a suitable ruler just because they were able to win some personal duels. But, those neighbors might try to strike back at us if we commit enough forces to help your people, and thus the argument the others are having.”

Vel thought about that and asked, “Does that mean a human could become your ruler someday?”

“Do you want me to help you become the Grand Chief, Vel?”

“No, no, I was just curious,” Vel said hurriedly.

Iah laughed lightly once more, “I know. I’m just having fun with you. But to answer your question, if a group of humans were to join our nation and we were convinced of their loyalty, then yes, a human would be able to become our ruler.”

That piece of information seemed overly optimistic to Vel. With his world merging with Patch, the world of titans, he had thought humanity would be ruled over by these creatures for the rest of time, if these giants even thought they were worth the effort of conquering. It was not like anyone would be able to stop them. Vel sighed, “I can’t see any creatures of your size welcoming a people as tiny as mine into your ranks, though.”

Iah cocked her huge head at Vel, looking at him strangely as she said, “Have my clan and I really left you with such a poor impression of us.”

“Well, the whole abducting me to turn me into mana powder did not leave the best impression to start off,” Vel said, noticing Iah’s ears wilt some before he hurried on to say, “But, you’ve proven to be far friendlier than I had thought possible. And you have a sense of honor and loyalty that I can’t question.”

That seemed to perk Iah up a bit as she went on to say, “There is also the importance of your people to take into consideration now, Vel.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that your people are too important to be left alone,” Iah said, sounding much more serious than she had before, “I’m not going to lie to you, Vel. My people, the dragons, and anyone else who realizes what your people are and values the continued existence of creation will most likely conquer your people. You’re simply too small and vulnerable. With crazy cultists trying to wipe you out and even normal everyday vermin being a threat to you, your people are too easy to exterminate. The best means we can protect you and prevent this is under our rule.”

“That…doesn’t sound that enjoyable for us,” Vel said quietly.

Iah nodded in agreement, “I know, losing isn’t fun, and I’m sure finding yourselves under the rule of those much larger than yourselves will be frightening at first, but I know my people will try to treat you well. In fact, I’m certain that many will be endeavoring to be as friendly as possible to draw in human settlers to their clan’s areas.”

“You mean your people will want us around?”

“Vel, have you not thought of the implications of what you are,” Iah asked as Vel looked at her questioningly, “Vel, the more humans there are, the more gifted humans there will be. And the more gifted humans there are, the more secure creation is. It’s not a guarantee, but I assume my people will endeavor to become more like guardians to yours. You’ll probably even be given special exemptions from predation until you die of other causes.”

“What about the dragons? How would humans fair with them,” Vel asked.

Iah looked thoughtful as she explained, “I couldn’t see them allowing themselves to be ruled over by anyone else. Lanzui’s type already tends to treat people like children in need of guidance, so I don’t think that would be different for you. Worst case, they might also treat your people a bit like pets. Qandryd’s type will probably think of you more like precious baubles to be acquired for their hoard, especially the gifted. I imagine the humans under their care would have very limited freedoms, but gifted people like you would be treated lavishly. Dragons do love their treasures.”

Vel took that all in. While it was not great, it was considerably better than he had expected for the rest of humanity in a while. He had imagined a nightmare world with incredible titans that could make a meal out of anyone they wished whenever they wanted. But, now it looked like they would have these giants as their protectors, for a price that would be heavier for some than others. But, those under the rule of Iah’s people might find their everyday lives affected very little. Based on his relationship with Iah and her clan, Hes and Ryrrg especially, it was even possible to befriend these titans.

Iah and the gnolls were not exceptions for the other races that made up her nation. Vel was listening to the conversation that they were having. Those who argued against coming to the aid of humanity were not doing so because they looked down on their size or thought of them as lesser creatures. As Iah had explained, they were only concerned about the well-being of their own people. If they had to fall under the rule of anyone, they probably could not hope to do any better than this group.

While Vel contemplated the future of humanity, hoping they even had a future to begin with, he eventually heard murmurs of agreement. The titans had made their decision. Alekos was the one who spoke up, sounding both pleased and somber at the same time, “Very well, to war it is.”