Chapter: 605 – Conference

Here Begins:
Eskau Reforged
Book 14 of Millennial Mage

Tala sat in a conference with more than two dozen Reforged along with a smattering of Paragons, assuming everyone was displaying their true advancement. In this case, Tala could imagine people hiding it in attempts to reduce the authority to be foisted upon them in this new, special situation.

Most likely, however, those hiding their advancement were simply in the habit of doing so.

In truth the majority of those in the conference weren’t actually there with her and the others. Instead, they were visual projections—facilitated by the archive—with such detail and nuance that Tala could see their magic and their very souls.

Lea was back in the sanctum with Talax, Terry, and manifestations of Alat and Enar, all giving her comfort and people to talk with as chaos reigned around them, outside of Kit.

Mistress Petra, Master Simon, Lyn, Captain Ron, Kedva, and Brandon were all running about, buttoning things down and spinning up Ironhold’s engines of war. They obviously weren’t certain when war would come, but they all felt confident that it would come sooner rather than later.

A Black Legionnaire had tried to accost her daughter, and that wouldn’t go unanswered.

Rane obviously felt the same way as he stood beside her, regarding the room full of advanced Archons.

This gathering of powerful, gated humans was joined by one distinctly inhuman participant.

Eskau Meallain stood to one side, Master Grediv once again in charge of suppressing her advancement, given they were within his city.

On the table in the center of the large room lay the broken shell of the automaton. The elf’s gaze rarely left the construct, despite the gathered power of humanity laid out before her scrutiny.

Mistress Holly was in one corner, brow furrowed with clear irritation at being required to be there. She had altered her aura to show true green, and not a whisker more than ‘new’ Paragon.

Mistress Jenna had already come up to check on Tala and Rane, asking after Lea before moving off to check in with others after they assured her that she was well.

It seemed that every city had sent at least one representative, seemingly their most powerful defender, if Tala had the right of it.

In fact, the only powerful Archon that Tala and Rane were aware of who was not present was Master Xeel. He was apparently doing circuits of the cities, going further out than the patrols usually did, to prevent any issue from cropping up for at least the duration of this short conference.

That allowed even the City Stone holders, or at least their Primary Defender, to be in attendance.

For some reason, Master Nadro wasn’t in attendance, but Tala chalked that up to him having other things of import to be about. He’d be notified at need.

Each of the powerful people had taken time to examine the body, and it seemed that the preliminary reconnection of old acquaintances was over, because Master Grediv cleared his throat and called the meeting to order. “Masters, Mistresses, Defenders of Humanity, family, and friends,” Small smiles rippled through the room at the overly long opener, but Master Grediv continued even so. His eyes flicked to Eskau Meallain, and he reluctantly had one more addition before he continued, “and Hallowed guest, we can all see why I have called you together.”

That got a round of muttered acknowledgements.

“We have found many automata through the long centuries, but never have we found one so clearly, and obviously of the Black Legion. There have been those that claimed to be such, and those that ranted about refounding or finding the Legion, but never have we found one that is of the original construction, made of their rarest of alloys, the construction of which is lost to history.”

Tala cleared her throat, drawing every eye to her. “While I can’t tell you how to make it, I can tell you what it is made of.”

Master Grediv’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? Is that how you unmade his weapon when it was thrown at you?”

She nodded. “Yes.” She placed an ingot of white steel on the table, pulling it from Kit as she did so. “This is the white steel that we’ve been producing for a few years and that we’ve been selling to Constructionists and others throughout the cities.”

There were nods through the room.

“That automaton is made from this material with one addition.” She pulled some of her iron—her Reality iron—and formed it into a sphere resting atop the ingot. “Reality-enforced iron. About this much iron to this quantity of steel.”

A ripple of murmurs moved through the gathered Archons.

“Again, I don’t know how, but after seeing it in action, I’m interested in figuring it out.” She gave a small smile. “I already have some experts in the manufacturing and use of white steel looking into the matter.”

Master Grediv grunted, before giving a slow nod. “Thank you, Mistress Tala. Assuming that this is correct, it certainly explains a lot of the Black Legion’s quirks.”

Tala glanced toward Eskau Meallain. “Wouldn’t her people have known what their constructs were made of?”

That drew every eye to the elf, but Eskau Meallain didn’t seem to mind in the least. “Those who created the first of the Black Legion are long dead at automaton hands, but even if they weren’t, the information wouldn’t have been available to give. We didn’t make them, past the first generation. Instead, we designed them to analyze their own failings, their own weaknesses, and to improve themselves and those they made thereafter. The incorporation of Reality Iron into their construction would, certainly, explain what finally tipped them over the edge into Reality’s embrace and out of our control.”

Eskau Meallain seemed to be contemplating something, and when she noticed that, Tala gave the elf a flat look. “No.”

Eskau Meallain frowned, looking to Tala. “What?”

“No. You are not going to suggest a restart of automata research, bent in a direction that forbids Reality iron.”

The elf rolled her eyes. “Come, Eskau Tala. You know me better than that. Moreover, you know arcanes better than that.” She grimaced at the word even as she spoke it. “Automata have been tried repeatedly for millennia with all manner of restrictions, including the forbidding of self-improvement at all. This would not be a meaningful bit of information in that area of study, at this time. Since the fall of the Legion, there has not been even a single successful creation that didn’t fall to Reality’s sway, save those that were created already bound to their maker’s soul. Even many of those dragged their creators into madness and self-destruction.” She gave Tala a meaningful look. “Not a single one has been successful until your daughter.”

Lea’s existence and circumstances were well-known to those present here, even if most hadn’t met her directly, so there was no ripple of shock at the pronouncement. Still, one of the men that Tala hadn’t met before seemed to be hung up on something that they’d already discussed.

He was a taller man, while still not quite as tall as Rane. He had sharp eyes and a kind face. He cleared his throat before bowing toward Tala. “Mistress Tala, forgive me, but I am still uncertain how you can be so sure of the material composition of the Black Legion’s armor.” After a brief pause, he appended. “I am Master Pierce, forgive my lack of an introduction.”

Tala gave a bow in return. “Master Pierce, it is good to make your acquaintance.”

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Likewise, I am sure.”

She nodded. “This is why.” She held out her hand toward the automaton, extending her aura and authority to a small piece of the black armor.

Her authority, her need, resonated with the iron throughout the entire automaton’s construction, but she leashed the urges, stifling the shadow of a little voice that echoed through her very being, screaming MINE!!!

Regardless, she used her power to pull away a thumb sized bit of black steel, forming it into a sphere as it floated up. “As you can see, when authority is established, it is quite easy to pull a piece off of the armor.”

That got another ripple of mutters that she didn’t bother to pick apart.

Alat cleared her metaphorical throat. -You might want to pay attention, Tala. They’re asking each other if anyone besides them attempted to do exactly what you are doing. The response is ‘yes,’ everyone tried to claim a bit of the metal. No one succeeded as their attempts to establish authority were rejected.-

Oh… Maybe she should listen to murmurs more often?

-Nah, that’s why you have me.-

Thank you.

-But of course.-

Eskau Meallain had narrowed her eyes, but with how locked-down Master Grediv was keeping her, she likely hadn’t sensed very much.