15 Meeting with the Five Realm Alliance

Tyler can hear Marci and Dani arguing from down the hall. Technically, Marci's voice isn't audible yet, but Dani's echoes through the hallway.

"Yes, he has only dated one girl his entire life," Dani shouts.

There's a pause where Tyler assumes Marci is speaking.

"Tyler told me himself!"

Another pause, this time Tyler hears a muffled reply.

"Is it so hard to believe that he confides in me?"

"Sort of, you are telling me is—so called—big secret," Marci sighs, finally audible.

Tyler scowls. He had just told Dani that the previous day over dinner. Making a mental note that his conversations with her were never private, he opens the door.

"Tyler, I'm so glad you're finally here!" Dani booms with a grin spreading across her face. She rushes to hug him.

"Good morning, Tyler, we were just talking about you. How did you sleep?" Marci adds, walking across the small conference room with a large, circular marble table.

"Great, thank you, Marci," Tyler replies. Dani squeezes tighter. "I'm glad to see you too, Dani."

The red headed princess releases him and exclaims, "Tell that one that you tell me secrets; she doesn't believe me!"

"You mean like the secret I told you yesterday?"

"See!" Dani turns to Marci while pointing at Tyler. "He told me-wait, how did you know what we were talking about?"

"Dani, your voice isn't exactly quiet..." Tyler rolls his eyes. He looks around the small plain-white room. Other than the usual blue trimming, there isn't anything else in there. "Are we in the right room?"

"Yes! Actually, I don't know..." Dani turns to stare at Marci.

"She is right: this is the intergalactic conference room," Marci confirms.

"Leaders from every nation in every realm are attending this meeting, right?" Tyler asks, scanning the room again.

"That is correct; however, they are not going to physically be here."

"I'm confused..."

"We are hosting a magical conference via our zealous omnipresent optical meeting-"

"Z.O.O.M. Is the short version," Dani blurts out.

"Yes, she is correct. Basically, this table will project us on the other Z.O.O.M. devices. Likewise, they will appear before us as a virtual image."

"I get it," Tyler says while nodding. "We call them web-conferences in my realm. Is there a screen they show up on?"

"Not exactly-"

"My lady!" Moko interrupts Marci, barging though the door. "They haven't hurt you have they?"

"I'm fine, Moko, my protection is guaranteed by the intergalactic treaty now. You seem to be doing better now," Dani responds.

"Indeed, though I still think my injuries were too minor to require medical treatment."

"Well, I think that it's reckless for a princess to order her retainer into battle while he is still bleeding," Marci mutters.

"He was never ordered into battle," Dani scoffs. "If your men are incapable of driving a ship with a mere scratch, then I hope we don't have to rely on your soldiers when we fight the serpents!"

"That 'mere scratch' didn't stop bleeding for hours, even after we admitted your bodyguard into the hospital wing."

"I've have enough of you-"

"So, when does this meeting start?" Tyler asks, stepping between the feuding princesses.

"Now," a shrill voice answers from a shimmering, life-size hologram appearing above the table in front of Tyler.

Suddenly, twelve women with crowns, all sitting in a throne, materialize above the round table; their crowns each are shaped differently and contain a different symbol. Tyler jumps backwards as a tall, skinny blonde queen with a blue falcon turns to peer at him.

"Marci," the blonde queen says. "Is this our guest?"

"That is correct, mother," Marci answers with a curtsy.

"This is the famous Tyler I've heard so much about?" the queen with a shrill voice asks. Her hair glows red like a setting sun, and a fox is pictured on her crown.

"Yes, mother," Dani shrieks in response

"He is handsome; I see why you choose him, Dani."

"Their union is not official, so I would hold off on referring to it as such, Tiana," the blonde queen states.

"Alice, I didn't ask for bad ideas."

"Settle down you two, or we will consider you in violation of the armistice," a third queen answers.

Every other member of the meeting grows silent, as if talking to this lady was dangerous. She is dressed in all purple, black hair falling to the floor, golden scepter in hand, eagle embossed on her crown, her magenta eyes boring into Tyler. His hands begin to tremble as she continues to glare at him.

"My name is Amelia Razork. I am the queen of the 1st realm of Edenburg," she states. "What may I call you?"

Tyler opens his mouth but can't form words for a moment. "I-I'm... Tyler, call me Tyler," he stammers.

"Tyler, do you indeed hail from the forbidden realm?"

"I-I do."

"Splendid! Then I am sure your guardians informed you of the purpose of this meeting?"

"Yeah.. you want... umm... information about... my world." Tyler glances at each set of eyes on him as a bead of sweat forms on his forehead.

"Information to aid in launching a large-scale invasion. Are you prepared for that?"

"N-no... n-not at all."

"I admire your honesty, but the serpents have to be stopped now: the longer we wait the more power they amass." She narrows her eyes. "Will you be able to be able to help us, or are you a liability?"

"My goal is to help you... but I don't want to cause unnecessary panic and bloodshed in my home." Tyler focuses on his own shoes to avoid the glares of the audience.

"The serpents are ruthless. We can not afford to show them mercy!"

"Not everyone from my home is a serpent though. In fact, most people don't know they exist. Magic and other realms traveling to ours would be enough to cause global panic."

"Are you suggesting that we try to destroy their base without going to the forbidden realm?"

"No... I-I... can we find a way to take out the serpents base without attacking the rest of my world?"

"Interesting proposal. It would be better to avoid a fight with any innocent bystanders. How do you propose we do this?"

"Umm..." Tyler searches his brain for anything helpful but comes up blank.

"May I make a suggestion?" Dani interrupts.

"Princess of Qaplurg, you are only here as an aid to our ambassador of the forbidden realm. However, you are the only other person to travel to the realm. Be brief. If you start a monologue like your mother does, I'll banish Qaplurg from the alliance."

Dani's face contorts, but she remains calm. Talking in an unusually quiet, controlled voice, Dani answers, "Yes, your grace, The man we questioned revealed two locations critical to the serpents operation. Attacking just these locations would allow us to concentrate our forces, strike a decisive blow, and comply with Tyler's request."

"What are these locations?" Queen Amelia asks, leaning forward in her chair.

Dani grins. "One is the gate they use to travel between worlds; the other is the long-range magic canceling device and psychic energy storage facility. Tyler knows where both are on his world."

"In theory, this idea is sound. How would be transport our forces to such precise locations though?"

"The first is the ancient gateway of the forbidden realm; all we would have to do is unseal our ends of the gateway. If we build a Coordinate Splicer, then a two-way multi dimensional wormhole cannon could take our troops anywhere we want."

"Dani, quit talking nonsense. No one has even created a working Coordinate Splicer."

"That's because no one has ever had creation and support magic."

"Who are you referring to? I've never heard of anyone containing power like that."

Dani gestures towards Tyler. "Our representative from the forbidden realm also has this capability."

"Fascinating..." the purple-clad Queen muses. "If you can prove the machine works ahead of our invasion, we will try it. Now, there is still the matter of how to fight without our magic."

"May I have permission to speak?" Marci asks with a bow. "I believe that I have a solution."

"Hmm... very well, you may also share. If this is some baseless attempt to compete with your... friend, then I'll pass the same judgement on Flayria."

Marci stands up straight. In voice louder then normal, she responds, "Flayria makes the finest magical weapons in all five realms. Usually, our production is limited; however, we found a new supply of raw materials that will allow us to fully equip all twelve armies."

"Where is this supply?"

"Our graphite mines, your majesty."

"You intend to make magical weapons out of such a brittle material?"

"No." Marci gestures towards Tyler as well. "The same abilities that allow Tyler to make a Coordinate Splicer will allow him to process graphite into graphene and diamond: this gives us a nearly limited supply of both materials best suited for magical weapons."

"I suppose that is true... what about you, Tyler? Are you willing to help with both of these tasks so that we can quietly usurp the serpents?"

Tyler looks at her sheepishly and manages to say, "Y-yes, your majesty."

"Then it's settled. We will give you one week to prove that you can make a Coordinate Splicer and ample supply of magic weapons. Should you be unable to, we will launch a full-scale invasion using military spacecraft."

"Thank you, your highness," Dani and Marci say in unison with a synchronized bow. Tyler looks over at them and bends at the hip to join them a second later.

"Very well, you will report back at the same time next week. If you have made proper progress, planning for the two pronged attack will begin. You three are not needed for the rest of the deliberation and are dismissed."

Instantly, the twelve queens vanish. Tyler looks around the plain blue and white room in disbelief. Meanwhile, Dani and Marci glare at each other.

"I need to work with him first!" they both yell.

Tyler rolls his eyes and sighs. He can't help but think that this could be a long week for him.