Chapter 4.06 KM
Published
January 27, 2018
Word Count
12,568
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Chapter 4.06 KM is the 7th chapter of Volume 4 and Book 5, The Last Light.
tl;dr[edit | edit source]
The Serpent Hunters and Parasol Stroll join Flos. He sells the prisoners from the previous battle to Roshal, which makes Trey angry. Gazi offers to teach Trey some magic. Magnolia visits a party of the nobles of Northern Izril. She and Tyrion support the Isles of Minos to fight Flos, but remain split on the Goblin Lord. Patricia Melissar is assassinated.
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
- Over a month after Flos defeats the besieging coalition army Trey is sitting on a balcony in Reim's palace overlooking a procession of String People (The Serpent Hunters) entering the city. They are followed by a group of humans carrying parasols (Parasol Stroll). Both groups of Flos' former vassals have returned to join him. Trey has spent the last few weeks not talking to anyone because Flos has chosen to enslave and sell the prisoners from the coalition army. He had not only argued with Flos over it, but with Teres as well.
- A flashback begins showing Trey and Teres' argument - Trey arguing at the wrongness and injustice of Flos enslaving them and Teres arguing the practicality of Flos' decision. The argument gets heated and after Trey starts insulting Teres she draws her sword before he runs away from her. Later Trey confronts Flos about it and the King of Destruction argues that imprisonment on Earth is more cruel and pointless than how slavery is conducted on Chandrar - with the Traders of Roshal being an independent third party. In exchange for the slaves Reim will gain coin and food which they need for the winter. The flashback ends with Trey refusing to speak to Flos or his vassals since.
- In the present Gazi approaches Trey to bring him to Flos so he can be present for the welcoming of Flos' vassals - The Serpent Hunters and Parasol Stroll. Trey refuses and Gazi, having been out of the city for a while, talks to him about his view on slavery. Trey explains how ownership of a person is wrong and Gazi informs him that slavery is not as prevalent in other locations such as Izril, but on Terandria, Rhir and Baleros slaves are also legal. She continues to explain that in Reim slaves cannot be mistreated and Flos will generally free any slaves he takes interest to.
- After Trey refuses to rejoin Flos Gazi tells him that she was permitted to use force to bring him there, but just this once she decides to disobey his order. Trey asks whether Gazi believes in slavery - and she does. But she doesn't like it and tells him how she herself was born into slavery before Flos freed her. Gazi has since tried to explain to Flos about it but he has yet to change his mind.
- Gazi begins to talk about levels and how she's always been the weakest of the Seven and tells Trey that one of the secrets Flos knows is how a [King] or other [Ruler] can remove a needless class. She manages to somehow convince Trey to rejoin Flos by being one of the two people that might be able to eventually change his opinion.
- Gazi then talks to Trey about the staff in his room that he gained from the Geomancer during the battle. As a Gazer, who are highly magical beings, Gazi considers seeing if she can help teach Trey magic. Gazi then explains that Flos will likely go to war against Hellios and Germina now that Parasol Stroll and the Serpent Hunters have arrived. The next day Trey finds himself marching alongside the King of Destruction after he once again declares war.
- Six weeks later Magnolia Reinhart arrives via her pink carriage at the Melissar house at a gathering of other [Lords] and [Ladies]. She and Ressa enter the ballroom and begin to greet some of the other guests while trying to look for the host, Lady Patricia Melissar. They encounter Tyrion Veltras, the first time in four years, and they reluctantly greet him when he approaches them.
- After the two leaders of one of the Five Families have exhcanged unpleasantries, Lady Bethal and her husband Thomast approaches Magnolia. Bethal is upset and asks Magnolia whether she had a hand in the [Assassin] that had intruded into her home. Magnolia reassures her that she had nothing to do with it and Bethal immediately brightens up.
- The debate amongst the nobles is carried out via speaking stones. The first topic if the return of the King of Destruction brought up by one of the more impatient Lords. News of Flos' conquest of Germina and beheading of the Quarass has reached them. One of the Lords defends Flos stating that it was a war of retaliation, but Lady Wuvren berates him for approving of his one day massacre against the enemy army. Lord Relt calls for Flos to be stopped before he can threaten the shores of Izril once again, but another Lord, Halast doesn't fear Flos as he is surrounded by nations that wish him dead.
- The argument escalates before someone asks what a Quarass is. Bethal explains how the Quarass is not just a tribal leader but is the leader of one of the Shield Kingdoms - who were each powerul Empires that could challenge Dragons.
- The debate continues with calls for action via sending gold or sending an army across the sea, but is suddenly interrupted by a Minotaur with a proposal. The Minotaur, representing the King of Minos, says they are prepared to do battle with the King of Destruction and is looking for a treaty to sail without hindrance and some contributions to their army.
- Magnolia is unsure what to do about their offer but it is called to a public vote by one of the other Lords. Magnolia considers that without a concrete argument she would need to rope in Tyrion in order to have enough influence to decide the vote outright. Both she and Tyrion vote to support the Minotaurs.
- Before everyone leaves Magnolia brings up the topic of the Goblin Lord that has appeared. Some of the other Lords consider if a Drake problem and aren't worried about the outcome. Magnolia tries to emphasise the possible danger, reminding them of the Goblin King but Tyrion interrupts and says that the Drakes should deal with it. Magnolia brings up the fall of Esthelm but Tyrion refutes it with news of it's recent recovery. The two continue argue over Tyrion's feud with the Drakes when an [Assassin] attempts to kill Magnolia with a thrown dagger. Tyrion intervenes and saves her while the assassin throws down a head of his first victim before retreating.
- Magnolia sends Ressa to hunt down the other assassins whilst Thomast, the [Chevalier], duels and kills the first before he can escape. Magnolia approaches the head and discovers that the deceased is Lady Patricia Melissar, the host of the gathering. Magnolia realises that this must be another one of the Circle of Thorns' assassins.
- Magnolia turns to the only heir of Patricia, her 9-year old daughter Eliasor. Magnolia has the Lords and Ladies gathered witness Eliasor's ascension to head of her family despite the girls' tears. Magnolia tells the girl that Patricia being one of her confidants might have been the cause of her death.
- Magnolia gathers the other ladies to reform her entourage: Bethal, Pryde, Wuvren and Zanthia and warns them of the danger. She has Bethal gather her Knights of the Petal and encourages the others to gather their protectors. Magnolia finally decides that it's time to return to her family estate in First Landing.
Characters[edit | edit source]
- Trey Atwood
- Teresa Atwood (Flashback)
- Flos Reimarch (Flashback)
- Orthenon (Flashback)
- Gazi Pathseeker
- Quarass (Mentioned)
- Ressa
- Magnolia Reinhart
- Tyrion Veltras (First Appearance)
- Bethal (First Appearance)
- Thomast (First Appearance)
- Eliasor Melissar (First Appearance)
- Relt (First Appearance)
- Wuvren (First Appearance)
- Halast (First Appearance)
- Luden (First Appearance)
- ? - Minotaur, dressed in suit (First Appearance)
- ? - [Assassin] (First Appearance) (Deceased)
- Patricia Melissar (First Appearance) (Deceased - Head)
- Pryde (First Appearance)
- Zanthia (First Appearance)