The Wars of Zegandaria by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (find a book to read .txt) 📕

suspected it. He guarded it like the apple of his eye. The flower could prove to be his only secret ally against the Myeran scum threatening his throne.

Cyclo To had decided to be a loyal partner with Gordon - insofar as a host should show a semblance of courtesy, however insidious, to his guest who appeared to be a threat to him.

Cyclo To could simply give the Myeranians what they wanted. But in that case, in his own eyes, he would have morally lost the war. There was a good chance that Gordon would be leaking very important secrets about their cooperation. And that would have been the end of the game for the oracle. And for many others who were part of their clique.

Even on Sebur Nag they sent the criminals, or rather the traitors, to the Aphilim forest where they were irradiated with psychic radiation, and blinded, but only until they regained their level of morality. Then they gradually became lucid. The oracle made no secret of his worry that it might be a long time before he ever regained his own sight. It could prove to be quite difficult to find a way back to restore his own morale.

Cyclo To remembered a story from long ago about a young seburnag who had it all and was in a high government position in the Naras Tu colony city of Sitok Iro, a bit of a large settlement for space hunting of birdfish. That was the real livelihood in those parts. And the young man, like everyone else, had given his all to keep up his daily catch. But in time he became careless, careless and lazy. He fell very low. And his fellow citizens traveled much of the planet to correct his unpleasant temper and restore his morale. As he slowly began to go blind, he began to realize that his salvation depended on him and no one else. But it was not enough to merely take the appropriate action, but to really try to become a better seburnag. In the end, the story still ended with a happy ending (he was a legend after all!). The seburnag saw what was of value in his life, which was to be part of a socium, or at least to try, by helping others.

The mystery of these little holes in the psyche was great. They were the profound key to salvation - such as it was meant to be. However, Cyclo To wanted to soak the newly arrived monarch and thus deliver himself. The flower could destroy his behavioral and managerial qualities in their infancy. It was still some chance, but not for long. Mieru couldn't fall for the trap that easily, but Cyclo To knew that when the Nundrigo ships ran out of fuel, she had a decision to make. He wanted to put her in a stalemate and destroy her. He could even somehow adapt the Myeranians to life on Sebur Nag. So many slaves! They could have been a huge help!

IN THE FOREST

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: IN THE FOREST

 

The message brought to the palace of Cyclo To spoke of an unequivocal meeting between the oracle and the princess. Cyclous To returned the messenger with the reverse demand that the meeting be on his territory, and furthermore gave the express wish that it should be held in the famous Afillia woods, which were avoided by the vast majority of the population. These forests were entirely eaten by aphilium aphids, which were found on a very distant planet that had long since ceased to exist, and was called Earth. Naturally, the aphids were kept in special conditions to be preserved and transported to Sebur Nag. Cyclo To wanted to have a fully exposed forest, because he thought it would be beautiful against the huge purple blossoms that covered the entire surface of his domain. However, the real reason was that there were extremely dense forests near the bare woods, which were a convenient place to hide his huge armies. Some of the Seburnagi had even burrowed underground and only cast their eyes outwards, ready to act on a set signal and attack the enemies. He was always inviting representatives of alien races to this place to settle scores with them. He was quite immoral. And that was why he doubted his oracle skills a little, but he still kept guessing.

The princess wasn't late and showed up. She was accompanied by her loyal Myeranian warriors. So many little men in one place was very hard for anyone to gather. They moved in a synchronicity that was even hard to describe. Every step they took even created a sort of resonance on the surface of the ground.

The oracle gained a serious expression. The princess wanted Gordon Elmbaum and maybe something else. But Cyclo To was sure he had to play it safe, and he simply didn't want to trust his divination gift alone.

Several of the little nundrigo were allowed to land near the forest. Mieru hoped the killer cocoons in question had fallen in the vicinity, having been deftly dropped by their ships back when they were exploring the planet. They'd tipped the scales in her favor. They were so small that no anti-radar systems could detect them. And their power was amazing. The devices could melt anything within two hundred meters in diameter. Ah, if only there were a few of them around!

Every step had to be watched closely. It was known that it would all make an impact, but not least the Myeranians themselves were fascinated by the beautiful planet they wanted to settle on. Though a parasitic race, they could not admit that they had never inhabited such a place. The purple blossoms whispered a lullaby to them. Sebur Nag was welcoming his guests.

Myeranian warriors could be very dangerous, especially when attacking in groups. They were simply unstoppable. The little vicious men were capable of dealing with opponents even of giant size. No one and nothing was able to stop them. They were like a huge colony of rabid locusts. Somewhere inside, the oracle realized this.

The commanders of the Seburnagi also sensed that something was wrong. Why were only a few ships coming to audience?

The design of each Nundrigo ship was very interesting. They had borrowed some elements from the ziruarx's thermoflon armor and wrapped the skeleton of the ships with them. Each of them could withstand a micronuclear attack. One of the ships was over a hundred and twenty meters long.

Cyclo To was impressed by the advanced technology they were using. Apparently they were following their own path of development and didn't want to cooperate with the other races very-much.

Mieru spoke first and tried to be more welcoming. The oracle didn't mind that. He was first and foremost a gentleman.

Somewhere in the distance, the wind was blowing and reminding everyone of the beginning of something new, beautiful and unknown. A whiff of something so deeply ingrained within each of us, something long forgotten but utterly important.

- 'We have no intention of attacking your planet,' Mieru addressed his interlocutor meekly. 'We only want to stay here with our ships and rest.'

- 'I don't mind,' said Cyclo To, extremely mildly. 'But is that the only thing you're looking for, or is there something else?'

- 'We're looking for a man,' she showed him a hologram image of the Governor.

- 'I know how to help you, but I also want something in return,' he said flatteringly. 'We Seburnagi are known for our hospitality. Let me offer you a flower, madam.,' and he very carefully took the flower Rien out of the hem of his robe.

Mieru was deeply impressed by the beautiful flower. There was no doubt. Somewhere in there, the flower had an irresistible attraction for her.

- 'Whoever takes this flower gains immense power,' he continued his hypocritical tirade slowly.

Mieru was about to take the flower, but at the last moment pulled his hand away. There was something rotten here. He decided to activate the cocoons.

The diplomatic detonator did its job. Seburnag limbs flailed in the air. And the Myeranians jumped up and nearly chewed the remaining survivors to death.

The oracle was simply speechless. Apparently his clairvoyant abilities were not enough to win the battle.

Mieru ordered him to be chained and thrown into an isolated chamber where he would simply starve to death.

The Myeranians seemed like they were going to take over the planet. Again, sneaky with their survivalist approach.

Without touching the flower, using her supernatural abilities, she handed it to the Governor, who resisted taking it. As soon as the flower touched his cheek, an instant reaction followed. His eyes bugged out until he stopped breathing. When he pulled himself together, he saw the few surviving Seburnagi back away from him, pointing their fingers in disbelief.

He scowled.

- With your flowers on your head, oracle! Now take me to Gordon! And that is an order!

When Mieru came face to face with the governor, she spat at him. More accurately, she wanted to, but instead she smeared the visor of her own suit. She hated him so much for his arrogant attitude.

Gordon bowed his head, not in shame, but because he clearly understood that he had been outsmarted this time. And at his own game at that.

Cyclo To had rolled his eyes and lost the psychological power he wielded over his subjects. He was now a beaten card. The little queen didn't care about him so much anymore. What mattered was Gordon and his knowledge of certain matters directly concerning her and the rule of her subjects.

- 'Tell me Gordon, how exactly did he stay in power for five whole terms?,' asked Mieru bluntly. 'That interests me greatly!'

- 'No secret!,' stammered Gordon.

Without uttering a sound, Mieru poured Beran pollen into his suit's opening, forcing his victim to tell the truth. Gordon began to flush like a cancer and felt the flesh above his skull swell as if he had cerebral edema.

- 'I'm giving you one last chance,' she said sternly, 'or you're giving me the information I need. Or the pollen will finish you.'

- 'It was all done with the help of my special abilities given to me by the archaneans,' he growled softly.

- 'What race is that?,' the little princess inquired. 'I have never seen their representatives. They must be very advanced intellectually and technically!'

- 'Not exactly,' muttered Gordon. 'I put them under my control and they gave me such a long life.'

- 'And so? That's your secret!,' the little princess indignantly cried. 'You are not a moral man at all, Gordon. But what wonder, you are quite fit for the position you hold.'

- 'Now let me tell you my little secret, Governor! The fictional deity Thornus was a good excuse to manage to exist for so many years. And the cathedral was our graveyard. My race is not the most religious, but it was the only stable thing we could think of. That way we could hide for long enough and survive. Our model turned out to be more profitable than yours,' the little princess had changed the expression on her face, showing satisfaction that she had finally prevailed over her opponent. 'Where your money wasn't reaching the people, the god Thornus was. We secretly funded some