Fiction:Tenet/History/17

=~VICTORY-=

-We have good news and bad news.

~First. Setrapa falls, undone by the spellcraft of your magi. Its king submits to you. Taboo himself has fled the city.

-The bad news is that Taboo himself has fled the city. He has crossed the Setrapan Mountains for the Yaruin Continent on the other side.

~We believe he seeks to court the Queen Empress of the Xanidactae, the preeminent civilization of that distinguished continent. We see you have some knowledge of them. You know half-truths and rumors, intended to impress, distorted by distance and word of mouth.

-We've seen them ourselves. We don't mean to imply anything but they're rather more advanced than you are.

~Steel, King Makann. The Xanidactae have it in abundance. They consider it no more extraordinary than paper. Every man of their soldiery arms himself with steel blades and goes clad in sheets of steel plates.

-And blasting-powder besides steel. Jars filled with rushing fire. Bolt-throwers that breathe smoke and spit thunder. We can't tell you the names of these things because they don't exist in your language.

~With sorcery you would have defeated them. But now Taboo walks among them, whispering lies and secrets into their ears. Preparing them to make war against your people.

-You wanted peace, king Makann. Here's your peace. Use it to prepare. Consolidate your power and strengthen your defenses. You have a few years, give or take, before the Xanidactae cross the mountains.

~And gather your magi to us. What you have learned is simply the foundations of the higher arts. There is still much we have to teach. You, O king, will contend against Xanidactae metallurgy with holy thaumaturgy.