Section Ten: Tempest's Requiem

            "Any way you slice this, it's going to be risky." Peppy huffed, looking at the floating map.

            "No kidding. I can't find any way to cut down the possible losses either." Pepper snarled and shoved a table over, fur bristling.

            "Enough, enough. Anger isn't going to help." Heironeous hurriedly said, holding his hands up in submission.

            "Maybe not, but I'm not going to stand for the sixty percent losses that have been predicted." Pepper replied. "Luring them down is the best move, but we're discussing air attacks and high explosives, things that cause so much damage we'll wipe out our own people. We'll do as much damage as hitting the mountain directly."

            "I wouldn't suggest waiting." Fox said after a moment, staring at the map. "They'll finish what they're doing, and then they'll come after us just to prove a point."

            "Astute of you." Remarked a new voice.

            "Evening, Wolf." Alan said cheerfully as everyone else blinked. "About time you got here."

            "Commuting is a pain." Wolf managed a partial smile. He was still dressed in the livery of Heironeous' archangel army, and the wings on his back were battered and burned. "Learn a bit from facing me, Fox?"

            "It was an enlightening experience." Fox smiled, shaking hands with his old enemy absently. "I'm very glad that I no longer have to do so, though."

            "As am I. Your father says hello. As does yours." He added, glancing at Tempest, who looked soundly disturbed by this. "To continue the discussion, I agree with what Fox said. They're going to hit you hard as soon as Mormo returns, with intent to wipe everyone out, the better to prove that they can not be stopped." He walked over to the map, gesturing. Symbols glowed above his hands, and the map moved willingly. "The dragons will probably lead, then ground troops, sweeping what's left over from the dragons' hits…" Indicators traced across the map, showing example attack patterns. "Or that's how Hextor used to work. You're not as entrenched here as they are, and they'll use it to their advantage."

            Tempest sighed, watching the discussions continue, and slipped out of the tent, walking down the newly-worn path and heading toward the entrance. "I'm going for a walk."

            "Go ahead." Replied one of the gnomes. A group of them was sitting by the entrance, playing cards and generally watching the door. Because of the rotation, any race could be doing guard duty at any time.

            Whistling, Tempest watched as his horse leapt the paddock fence and galloped up, snorting. Sighing to himself, he swung up bareback and left the area of the camp, going up the side of the valley. The trees were thicker here, and he saw power glyphs for Obad-hai, Ehlonna, and Corellon floating on the outskirts. He stopped when he saw the last one, staring at it, then rode on, going deeper into the small forest then dismounting, sitting beneath a tree absently.

            "Nice try."

            He shot a foot in the air, then snapped to his feet. "Even if you are a god, I wanted to be alone, Larethian." He finally snarled, scowling at the elf.

            "So, you did." Corellon shrugged. "I can definitely understand why you didn't want to be there. Being trapped in a room full of avatars has to be an uncomfortable experience."

            "Yes, especially avatars of gods you don't believe in." He crossed his arms, scowling.

            "Ouch." Corellon winced. "You have fallen out of believing then."

            "I stopped believing when I saw my father die." Tempest spat. "When I saw one of my fellows betray the town I grew up in, when I saw it burn. A town you protected, Larethian! What reasons did you give me to keep following you?!" When Corellon just looked at him, he moaned, shoulders shaking, rubbing one of his eyes. "I remember it every time I see reflection. This damnable scar never goes away, and to top it off, the man who destroyed my family is still alive and seems set on finishing the job." He set his jaw, staring at the avatar. "I have no reasons to believe in you."

            "Perhaps." The elf folded his hands behind his back, started to walk by, then paused. "Walk with me. It's time we talked."

            "Why should I?"

            "Why shouldn't you? You know your family survives yet in my realm, and I am the gatekeeper to that realm." He lifted an eyebrow. "So why shouldn't you?"

            Tempest stared, then bowed his head. "How can you be so cruel as to taunt me with that?"

            "Because it's making you walk. Besides, who said I was taunting you?"

            Unable to stand it any more, Tempest swung, knocking the god to the ground in one hit. "How dare you?! How dare you play games with me?! Is my life just entertainment to you?!"

            "I don't care what Heironeous says, you are quite a bit more brave then his disciple." Corellon grumbled to himself, holding his bleeding nose. "At least in that McCloud wouldn't dare strike his own deity."

            "You aren't my deity anymore. Get used to it." Tempest started to stalk away.

            "Don't you want to know WHY I didn't help?"

            He froze in midstep, looking over his shoulder.

            "I watched what happened, Himo Galanodel. I watched the city fall and I mourned the entire time." He staggered to his feet, shaking off, still working on stopping the nosebleed.

            "Then why didn't you help? So many had to be praying that night for some sort of assistance. Why didn't you answer those prayers?!"

            "Are you assuming that just because I happen to be a god, I can help and make everything better?" Corellon's voice dripped sarcasm. "Not so. Even I operate under restrictions, Himo. All I can do is help. I provide magic, I can heal followers on some occasions, I can lead. Sometimes, if the time is right, I can arrange miracles. But even I cannot interfere with the workings of fate! When sentience was granted to so many of the races, it was granted with the knowledge that we would never step in and assume control. That was why the titans were taken out. They wanted to be in control, and we knew that would be the worst possible thing." He lowered his hands from his nose and sniffled. "Your will is your own, my child, and therefore, your fate is your own. That is why no matter how badly I wanted to, no matter how much pain it caused me, I could not save your village. Or your family."

            Tempest clenched his jaw, hands curling back into fists, voice shaking as he fought tears. "Heironeous sends messages to his followers! Why wouldn't you contact one of our priests and warn them in advance?!" Unable to resist any longer, he broke down, tears starting to run.

            "All Gods send messengers to their followers." Was the heavy reply. "But we can only tell what we know, Himo. No god is all-knowing and let no one tell you different. We're simply able to read minds, make damned good predictions. We get lucky a lot, but we can be wrong." Corellon sighed, bowing his head. "Maybe if I was merely in charge of your village, or even the country you were in, I could have caught it in time. But I'm in charge of all Elves on the planet, and I can only be in one place at a time. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. I had to call in a favor to even save you. I still owe that gold dragon, even if he did show up barely in time."

            Tempest reached a hand up to his scarred eye, other hand still curled into a fist. "How can you say you didn't have enough time? It was a three day march from the nearest entrance to the Underdark to my home. Surely even you could tell something was happening when an army of heavily armed Drow is heading towards a city that regarded you above everything else!"

            "Again, you overstate my powers. I have nothing to do with the dealings of the Drow and their Underdark. It is Lolth that controls them and spurns them to destroy my people. I try to keep an eye on the Underdark, but it is not my domain and never will be. When I heard the pleas for salvation against the attack, I did what I could. I saved you."

            "That is the other thing I have never understood! You couldn't save my family and my people, so why did you bother with saving me? An arrow pierced my heart as well as Heian's blade but you let me live! My father was as loyal a follower as any of your Hallowed but you didn't make the effort to be there in time to save him!"

            "Because as long as the blood lives, hope is not lost." Was the heavy reply. "I tried! There was no way to incarnate close enough to save your family, no time to send my more otherworldly fighters, so I did what I was able to, and it wasn't enough. The dragon told me that you were all that was left. Mortally wounded, the only life left in a ruined city. I was able to channel power to that dragon so you could be healed. Your family was once one of my finest, and I will proudly say that. I will not let something I am proud of die if I can prevent it. The Galanodel lineage lives on in you. That is why I healed you."

            Tempest's body quivered with silent sobs. "Why the scar? Why leave it? Why? Why didn't you contact me? I woke up in a dragon's cave with nothing but my sword and this damn scar to remember my life. My mother, father, wife I saw them all butchered, and not once in twenty years did you event attempt to try and speak to me. I tried to tell myself that you'd come to me and try to help me. I stopped that after two years of waiting. I spent 20 years of my life hunting thieves and bandits. No one who knew my past would take me in!" Tempest hugged himself, his nails drawing blood as his fists grew tighter. "And when I went to that dragon and pleaded for answers, and he refused to give me any, I would have done anything to feel a comforting touch if even for a moment…" He slowly fell to his knees, shoulders shaking. Corellon crouched in front of him, one hand loosely clasping one of his shoulders. "All...I wanted was one instant of comfort...but…" Tempest's voice broke, and it was several minutes before he was able to speak again. "Why me?" He finally asked, voice shaking and distant. "Why my family?"

            Corellon sighed, looking away, staring into the distance. "There was a reason why I didn't answer your prayers, Himo. It would have endangered you if I had. Those that attacked your city found out that someone had survived, and they spent several years trying to find you, because Lolth knew how highly I regarded the Galanodels. I turned my eyes from you because I knew that doing so would help protect you. By the time I judged it safe to contact you and explain, the heavens were starting to rock with conflict again, and I could not stay out of it." He sighed again. "As for your scar, that was not my doing. It's from Heian's blade. There are curses that can cause forever-bleeding wounds… think of that scar as a stigmata of sorts." He fell silent for a moment, then met Tempest's eyes again. "I will take care of that now. You've hurt enough." And with that he covered the scar with his own hand, letting the restoring magic only gods possess close the wound gradually. "I'm not going to ask you to come back to my following. I've caused you too much harm, even if it was indirectly, to do that. But know that I exist, and that I am here." He lowered his hand, leaving a permanently sealed scar. "In case you ever do need me." And with a flicker of light, Corellon disappeared, returning to the command tent and leaving Tempest alone.

            "Find who you were looking for?" The gnomes glanced up when Corellon wandered back by, having teleported to just outside the camp.

            "Yes indeed." He smiled slightly, though it was bitter, and strode down the path toward the command tent, those recognizing him hastily getting out of his way. The fact that he was still trying to stop his nosebleed helped, if anything it added shock factor. He huffed out a sigh. That was the problem with stepping down to Avatar form. Gods normally weren't able to bleed.

            Those in the command tent paused their discussions when he came back in. They hadn't asked when he had left, but they were just as surprised by his bloody nose as his followers.

Moradin burst into laughter. "What happened to you, Larethian?"

"Heironeous owes me fifty platinum, that's what happened." Corellon walked over and sat at the newly-righted table, reaching over and snitching Ehlonna's handkerchief. She glared at him, but he ignored it.

"What?" Heironeous blinked.

"Remember a while ago when we had the 'my-disciple-is-better-then-yours' argument?" Corellon looked at him. "I rest my case on mine's bravery. The little Elven bastard just decked me."

Garl choked on his drink.

Fox looked from one to the other, and had the helpless feeling he was taking care of toddlers, not associating with gods. "Excuse me. I can assume that you're discussing Tempest and myself. I don't believe that courage is measurable, but I do know that I would never have the gall to deck my god."

"Well, Heironeous hasn't given you nearly as many reasons to hate him as I've given Tempest to hate me." Corellon muttered. "Can we return to the business at hand?" He made a gesture of dismissal, and the others shrugged and got back to the matter of discussion.

"We were proposing the idea of a fast attack with a small force…" Kord started.

            "But a fast attack seems too perilous to me." Madriel sighed, staring up at the map. While Corellon had been gone, Wolf had explained every tactic he knew that the dark gods used, and it was becoming more and more apparent that the light forces were solidly wedged between a rock and a hard place.

            "We've got to draw them out somehow." Bendel said patiently. "We send in aerial units to pick on them, then pull out and lure them to us."

            "I doubt they'll follow. They aren't stupid." Said Corean, leaning on a table and fighting the urge to yawn. "Or at least, not if we just send a small party."

            "Blitz them, then. Charge in with a full force and hit them fast, so they don't have time to react." Said Pepper.

            "You forget we're being watched. We'll have to teleport in to have any chance of having the element of surprise." Said Ehlonna. "And mass teleports have power signatures that are easily readable."

            "Oh, will you all just shut up?" Said the Jack in an irritated voice. "Stop hedging. We're getting absolutely nowhere." He rubbed his eyes, lips curled just barely into a snarl, tail lashing. "We've got no time to argue. Forget the losses. If we don't win, every generation, every person on this damnable planet will suffer for it." He scowled at all of the avatars and mortals. "And at that cost, no death toll is too high to stop it."

            "Says you!" Garl shouted. "I'm not going to lead my people into a fight with the knowledge that none will walk away!"

            "Hear, hear!" Said Bahamut, sprawled across part of the tent. He had sized himself down, but was still a good fifteen feet long.

            "All due respect to you, my dark friend, it's only natural you don't care about people dying. You're numb to it, and most of your followers are dead anyway." Bendel remarked, handing the Jack a glass of raspberry reaper.

            The Jack swallowed the entire glass in a gulp. "Burn eternally, Bendel."

            "And may an angel kiss you, Momus."

            "And WE are supposed to shut up?" Pelor asked, both amused and annoyed. "I agree that we do not have time to argue, but so far no one has come up with a foolproof idea. Unless someone has something new to add…"

            "I do."

            Everyone glanced up as Tempest wandered back in, eyes red from his tears and rubbing blood off his hands where his nails had cut in. Alan tossed him a bottle of wine, which Tempest caught and promptly drank half of.

            "Well, fire away then." Moradin finally said.

            "They're weak at the back." Tempest wandered over, already being hit by the Elven wine, looking at the map. "They've got to be. Otherwise they wouldn't have the predicted numbers up front here." He poked the wine bottle at the displayed positions and their accompanying numbers. "I mean, we know how many are there right, more or less?"

            "Of course. About as many as are here." Said Heironeous, then paused. "I see where you're going with this. They don't have enough to staff the entire mountain like that."

            "Exactly." Tempest took another drink.

            "How high is that mountain?" Bahamut asked, poking the map with a massive claw. "My silver dragons were saying it's comfortable for them, if it wasn't for the dark forces massing they'd be living there."

            "Which means most humans wouldn't be able to breathe very well." Corellon said, starting to grin. He was rather worried at how horrid Tempest looked, but there wasn't much he could do about it at that moment. At least his nose had stopped bleeding. "Right?"

            "Same goes for dwarves. We're more suited for mines." Said Moradin.

            "Same here." Said Garl. "I imagine the only forces at the peak would be highly supernatural races, such as their compliment of dragons."

            There was a long silence, and smiles started to spread.

            "So hit them at the peak and at the back of the mountain, hard and fast, force them apart." Said Wolf, manipulating the map.

"If we can bring the shroud down, we can hit everywhere at once." Said Denev. "I can rock the mountain, given some time, and we can do artillery strikes once the air is clear."

"Not to mention if they run down, they'll hit anyone left at the camp." Said Kord.

There was another long silence.

"Do you have any idea how hard is going to be to time all that?" Yondalla asked, sitting on Pelor's shoulder.

"It's better then nothing. Well folks, let's churn some numbers." Said Corellon. "We've got to get this thing figured out to the second."