The General's Homecoming

News of The General's return reached the Council before the man himself. Delaying the public meeting, the other men awaited Riley's coming with a tense patience befitting the importance of his mission. 

Roland's jaw clenched. It would be wonderful to welcome his old friend publicly, but to do so would be foolhardy after the last two days in Klain. 

The Cetoan man, Ophran, who had come in front of his house proclaiming the virtues of Beast, was a problem. It took Roland some time to figure out that the Beast he was raving about was the same monster who had come from the sea. 

After talking to him a while about why following strange new creatures from other worlds might not be the wisest idea, the man had lost his mind and nearly attacked the king. 

Tom, who had unexpectedly come into the room, threw something into the man's face as he strained with inhuman strength against the bodyguards restraining him. Ophran was almost instantly asleep. 

"Why are you arguing with an enchanted man?" Tom had asked with his monotone curiosity. "Is this a strange human ritual?" 

Roland's concern over the strange man had intensified as he learned that not only was the man enchanted, but there were others like him in the city that had come in as delayed refugees. 

Not only that, but their insane devotion to this creature was cultivating followers. The potential converts to this new fanaticism included many of the poor and ill of the city, desperate for help that Roland was struggling to provide. The resources at his disposal were stretched nearly to the breaking point already. 

The messengers from the Beast were gathered and imprisoned for treason, since pledging loyalty to this foreign creature necessitated turning one's back on the King Commodore and his commands. 

Roland couldn't, however, stop people from leaving Klain. He also imagined there were other messengers spread across townships in the area, and perhaps further abroad gathering more to Beast's cause. 

The fact that Riley had returned, without news of some great battle having reached them, made Roland anxious. 

Had the General, the commander to his armies, and one of his oldest friends, succumbed to this strange enchantment that the halflings could not break? Had he come to inform Roland that he and all the armies of the humans were now at the disposal of Beast, and tell the king to step down and abdicate peacefully in favor of this monster? 

It was for these reasons that he anxiously awaited Riley in the privacy of the Council chamber instead of in the public meeting. If Riley was enchanted, the guards would be directed to take him into custody. If the entire army was infected… then the situation would be dire indeed.

So, holding his breath, he glanced at the Treasurer and Peacekeeper, who both seemed collected. Former king Duncan sat in the corner, having joined them upon request.

Roland suspected that if the Beast wasn't associated with the Void, there would at least be some similarities between them that his father could help prepare them for. 

Caspian was also included as a secondary representative of Ceto. Having been to several worlds, he was knowledgeable on many things. The Beast came from the sea, and the son of the former Commodore was the most well versed in sea-worlds. 

The tension deepened as noise in the hall indicated the arrival of the governmental official. The door opened and Riley, with his signature lopsided smile, bounded in. 

"Welcome home," Roland spoke first, and Riley gave a slightly elaborate bow. 

"I'm glad to be here, and I'm sorry it can't be with better news." The General's smile faded. 

The king looked at his friend, calculating whether Riley would be sad that he had to tell everyone to betray him and follow the Beast, or whether he would be feverishly delighted like the messengers the monster had previously sent. 

"Don't keep us in suspense, man! Are you enchanted or aren't you?" The Peacekeeper finally demanded. The eyes in the room turned to the man, who heaved a sigh of consternation. 

"No, but some of my men were. Several of my most trusted scouts, without so much as a goodbye, left to serve the Beast. I thought it best not to engage in direct combat with a being that can so easily manipulate the loyalty of my own men. I made the decision to turn back instead of lead the rest of the army to be fed to the Beast's whims." Riley moved to his chair and sank into it. 

"Thank you for making that decision," Roland pursed his lips. "I believe it was probably the right one."

"I gather the Beast's little converts are spreading word here? He sent me back to deliver a message, but said that he had also sent others." Riley ran a hand through his hair after removing his helmet. 

"What was the message?" Roland asked, curious if it matched the enchanted people. 

"Beast demands you surrender your loyalty, and that of humanity, to serve him. The usual." Riley shrugged, "Only this thing clearly has the power to make people serve him, and it doesn't seem to need to be willing." 

"Any ideas on how to combat it?" The king frowned. 

"Not one." Riley's shoulders sagged, and Roland guessed that the loss of some of his most loyal men must be weighing on the man more than he tried to let on. Roland could relate. 

"The halflings don't have anything to break the enchantment either," Roland frowned. "I'll have to ask Gwen for help next time a convenient portal opens. I have no other ideas." 

A knock at the Council Chamber door startled the group. There was no one missing now, and such an interruption could only be bad news at this juncture. 

"More visitors, Council," The guard at the door announced. "They said it's important. One says he's the General's brother and you will want to see who he has brought." 

"Is it Kyler??" Roland almost bolted out of his chair. Finn's stepbrother had gone missing shortly after coming back to Klain. Phillip and Amelia were distraught, and the search for him had turned up nothing other than the fact that he had left the city. 

It was a heartbreaking turn of events just after he'd arrived safely home. 

"He says his name is Shayn. There is also a librarian and two others with him, and… Sir, it's why I interrupted. They have your… cat?" The soldier shifted his weight uneasily. 

The Council all stood, excited by this turn of events. 

"The giants! They must have brought the giants!" The Peacekeeper exclaimed. 

"Can we feed them at all?" The Treasurer watched the door, doubtless anxious for his favorite young librarian's return. He had complained several times about Simone being in undue danger and clearly held a fatherly affection for the young woman. 

"Bring them in!" Roland declared, gesturing to the guard. 

The soldiers backed away from the door uneasily as a horse-sized creature bounded through it. 

"JUDAH!" Roland cried excitedly, and the large, brown-and-grey-spotted (at least for right now) cat danced over to him like an excited kitten to nuzzle his face. 

The Council looked on as the king hugged the predator's neck like a child clinging to a beloved pet. He didn't care. Although the great creature had been in his life only a matter of days almost a decade prior, he had saved Roland's life in several ways during that brief, but crucial period of time together. 

Of all the terrible things that had come from the portals between worlds, there was finally something good. Finally some comfort, some benefit, and the reunion was a balm to his soul. If he weren't in front of the Council, he would be tempted to weep. 

Judah bore the affection patiently, but then chirped back over his own shoulder. 

"Yes, yes, you're right as usual. I shouldn't ignore our other visitors in my happiness to greet you, old friend." Roland grinned. Talking to the personality-filled animal felt like a comfortable old habit, though he'd never fully understood Judah's meaning. 

Turning to the door, he welcomed Shayn with a clap on the shoulder and Simone by taking her hand lightly in greeting. Riley stood to join him, hugging Shayn and slipping a subtle–for Riley–wink at Simone. 

"I hope you've brought some good news with you," Roland said honestly. "We could definitely use some about now." 

"Well," Shayn's expression was complex, and the king struggled to decipher it, "it's a strongly mixed bag of good and bad, but I would guess it's the best news you're likely to have anytime soon. At the very least, we have a lot of information to impart." 

"What do you mean, mixed?" Roland's eyes slid behind the two he'd greeted where two women and a young man stood. One, he recognized immediately. The other two looked vaguely familiar, and it took several long seconds of rude staring for his brain to begin putting together what he was seeing.