The Warlord Domination, Sovereign Race

Chapter 6: Original Thinking.

Something like what Otonoliss might look like from ground level. Please note that Otonoliss is no bigger than a small moon.

Planet: Otonoliss

12 hours later.

Now we travel, dear reader, down to the planet's surface; and after having traversed across land-plates numbering in the thousands, and o'ertop great sky-rise buildings amid thousands of cities and their grand urban architecture, we finally arrive on one of the planet's northern-most plates, surrounded by dozens of thickly forested sister plates- all individually encased in giant greenhouse windows.

This one though looks little like the others around it. It lacks the fields of glass panels above, and is quite obviously much better kept by a veritable army of groundskeepers! It's their job to keep its many hedge rows looking flawless on all four of this plate's corners, plant and tend to the many flowerbeds lining the plenteous cobblestone walkways, and maintain the monuments and stoneworks found in every single open area, keeping them in perfect, polished condition. On top of this, they also weave long strands of vine and ivy in and out of the rich sage-stone walls around the boarder, and over the three priceless silver-stone mansions which those walls surround.

And last but not least, they must adamantly keep the grand castle at the center of all this, with walls of polished white and grey, roof of a refracting sky blue marble, and statues of red and silver. And not to mention keep the surrounding streams and pools of water crystal clear and shimmering, year round! (A good job- if you don't like your weekends!)

(Luckily none of our heroines or heroes have this dirty job!) Riss Len-Qued and his wife Arma Shin-Graza (which, by the way, will be changed to Arma Len-Qued once their first child is born, as is the tradition here on Otonoliss) are here, as are hundreds of other celebrating and dancing representatives of the nature, in order to discuss a course of immediate action with the Prime Advocate in answer to today's apparent Censure Rite attack. (Uh, as soon as the party's over, that is... I think...)

There is a feeling of joy and relief in the air, and the court is alive with many forms of entertainment, such as large pipe-musician bands, along with dozens of background dancers in costumes of gold and silver fabric. Arma however scoffs openly at them. If you were to ask her, she would recite a book to you on how extravagant and wasteful it all is. She doesn't agree one bit with the governing body's spending addiction, nor does she mind in the least expressing her opinion about it. And not just, mind you, to the body's members, but also, in no small amount of words, to her husband, every morning and every evening! Day in and day out! Hardly allowing a minute to pass without repeating that song and dance again! 'Enough to drive a fella nuts', Riss thinks, remembering a similar conversation he had with her just last night.

He has to check that thought. 'Ah, keep your voice box shut, Riss!' he excuses his wife. 'You don't have to put up with all the political garbage she does every day! And unlike you, she was never given a choice what she wanted to spend her life doing.' He thinks back to when they first met. He had served under her father ever since graduating as a military advisor- junior class of course. Her father was a good man, and just as good an emperor. That's how Riss met his daughter; and four years later, here he is...

Standing with her in one of the greatest halls of the powerful men of humanity's kingdoms! 'These are good times!' he says to himself, still pumped up with adrenaline. 'And it's a good time to be in a position where one can take advantage of them- like me.'

He makes a face to himself. 'Ok, maybe my ambitions are a little bit misplaced. But the way I see it, somebody has to fill the bill; and if nobody else wants to take the big step, I'm willing to...' He pauses. 'Well...even if she doesn't think it's a good idea.' His wife is no rebel, this he knows well enough; and she would never seek an overthrow of Argin Aszen or any other leading member. 'But she can be so stubborn! Thing's aren't going to get any better if people continue defying the Prime Advocate! Maybe, for once...unquestioning loyalty is all that will see Otonoliss through these trying times.'