Page 66 of Asmodel

Jaltaar exchanged a glance with Talira, then sighed. “Yes, if we had a way to protect ourselves, that is very acceptable. But know this—if there is any sign of betrayal, we won’t hesitate to act.”

“Prisma-Solara, do these terms work for you?” Asmodel asked the Krystalii, his voice calm.

The yellow citrine of Prisma-Solara’s cheeks darkened to a vibrant orange tourmaline. Her eyes darted from Jaltaar to Talira and then to the soldiers. “Only if you can assure me they won’t abuse it.”

“Faith and trust are the foundation for any civilization.” JR13, perched on Asmodel's shoulder, chimed in. “The organic species here possess the intelligence and moral fortitude to work together. Your combined resources have a greater chance to lead efficient and successful rebuilding efforts. Without it, you’d probably spiral into a pre-evolution existence.”

Talira raised a whiskered eyebrow as her snout wrinkled at the small spider-like droid. She said nothing, but tilted her head in Prisma-Solaria’s direction.

Jaltaar lifted his snout. “I am a scikvak of his word.” His tone was firm. “You will have the same rights and privileges as any other citizen on this planet. No harm shall come to you from us unless you provoke us first.” He kept his bright eyes on her as he crossed a paw over his heart with a slight bow. “You have my vow as the Supreme Alpha Regent of CeluriaVO.”

A deafening crash erupted as a large part of a nearby building collapsed, billowing dust into the air.

Izzy coughed. Her ears rang with the sound of shattering glass and twisted metal, the roar of the chaos momentarily overloud. Her heart leaped into her throat as she waved dirt floating around her away. The ground beneath her feet trembled, making her steady herself against Asmodel.

“Aaaand, the sooner we wrap this up, peeps, the better,” Raxx quipped once the silence resumed.

Prisma-Solara nodded, her eyes shimmering with determination. She faced Jaltaar, back straight. “I agree with your terms. We will build this planet together and make it greater than before.” She turned to Asmodel. “But first, I’d like to give you some details about Lord Baelon’s invasion plans that might help you defeat him.”

Chapter Thirteen

Afterexcusingthemselvesfromthe scikvak, Asmodel led Raxx, Prisma-Solara, and Izzy aside for privacy.

“Now, what can you tell us about Lord Baelon?” Asmodel asked the Krystalii. He eyed the yellow crystals of Prisma-Solara that appeared to be softening. If he wasn’t mistaken, the sharp edges of her protruding stalks were smooth instead of sharp and hard. Without taking his eyes off her, he spoke to his droid companion. “JR13, please record.”

“Affirmative, organic one.”

Prisma-Solara’s explanation was brief and to the point.

When she wound the narrative down, Raxx whistled and Izzy gasped.

Asmodel rubbed his chin between his forefinger and thumb. He had to admit her proposal wasn’t something any of them would have imagined was possible, but it was at least it was something in their favor.

With a final wish for their success, Prisma-Solara headed back to Jaltaar and Talira, who had watched their brief conversation.

As Asmodel observed her walking away, it took some time before the acrid scent of smoke mixing with the metallic tang of the burning city caught his notice. In the distance, the rumble of collapsing structures and the occasional crack of shattering glass filled the uneasy silence. He glanced at Izzy, her eyes narrowed on the departing Krystalii. “I guess we’d better figure out what to do next,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of urgency.

Izzy nodded.

Raxx shrugged. “Echo, babe, start up theShadow Drifter,pretty please.” He glanced at Asmodel. “So, are we headed to the chancellor’s palace or what?”

“Yeah, I guess we’d should head back to the Federation Consortium headquarters,” Asmodel stopped stroking his chin, his tone serious. “Time to share with them what Prisma-Solara stated would help defeat Lord Baelon and the rest of the Krystalii.”

Izzy’s eyes widened. “But what about the scikvak? Shouldn’t we stay here and help them?”

“We can't help them if we're all dead,” Asmodel replied in a tight voice. “Prisma-Solara said she believes Lord Baelon has not only upped his timeline for coming to this dimension, but the havoc his interdimensional armada would create the minute they get here may be unsurmountable.” He looked off in the distant, lost in the memories of being held a slave under a violent dictatorship.

A deafening crash in the distance jerked him out of his musings. Another large section of a nearby building collapsed, sending more dust into the air.

Izzy flinched, coughing as she waved the dirt away. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the sound of twisted metal and shattering glass filled the air.

Asmodel wrapped his arms around her, feeling her heart pound in her chest against his.

“We can’t just abandon them.” Her voice cracked. “They’ve suffered so much already.”

Asmodel wanted more than ever to send comfort to her through his psychic sense. While he agreed with her, he wouldn’t let his emotions cloud his judgment by asking her to remove the PsyShields. “Izzy, I wish we could stay, but we don’t have a choice. While I can communicate with the governing body, it’s best to be there in person to coordinate with my family what we need to do.” He hugged her. “Besides, with Prisma-Solara staying, she’ll give them the extra protection they’ll need to survive the Krystalii invasion if we fail.”

“Shit,” Raxx crossed his arms. “When you put it that way, I’m tempted to stay here. Besides”—his dark eyes flicked around them—“I doubt the chancellor’s palatial palace is ready to roll out the red carpet for me anytime soon.”

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