The Grand Sultan

[Corwin]

"Well, I am the patron saint of longshots," Seira tells him with a wry grin. "That's not to say I claim to always win. I just do my best to learn from any failures and pursue my goals until I've accomplished them."

[Anastasia]

"In essence," The Grand Sultan concludes, "You are a worthy opponent." He turns now, walking to the side of the room. A set of chairs are here, all facing one another. Each is made of gold and with rubies in places of cushions, rubies surely large enough to buy entire empires.

[Corwin]

"Thank you," Seira responds at length. "It means a lot to me to hear you say that."

[Anastasia]

As everyone sits, the seats impossibly comfortable despite being solid gold and ruby, "You still remember what it's like to be a mere mortal and appreciate how far you've come, how gratifying it is to be more than another minion." The Grand Sultan says, "So do I. Barachiel here is ancient. How ancient I know not, but the ages roll off of him like sparks."

"Age brings wisdom," Barachiel says with an almost smile.

"My wisdom earned through the ages tells me one thing: That we can understand each other and work together, Seira." The Grand Sultan of the Efreet says. "We understand so much - as well as business."

I agreed not to interfere in this conversation, unless you choose to draw me into it. He wishes to understand you better.

[Corwin]

"So we can," Seira agrees. "As we understand one another better, we might even find further points of mutual interest. There may well be other possible ventures to cooperate on. I'm hopeful about a lot of things!"

[Anastasia]

"You have much," The Grand Sultan says, "You understand what it is to impose your will on the world and others. You are willing to stand on your own and be triumphant." A sip now, a long gaze at you. "Yet you constrain yourself by following the path of Good. Why? How much grander would you be without those limitations? You have shed so many, why do you remain tethered to those?"

[Corwin]

"'Correlation does not imply causation'," Seira quotes, after a few moments of silence. "Do you know that saying? I've wondered about your perception of me ever since I saw the draft of your proposal group the Cauldron and Celestia together, and this suggests my assumption was right. You have been thinking that Celestia and myself are walking in lockstep, correct? That there is a central authority providing us both with instructions?"

[Anastasia]

"No, I do not," The Grand Sultan says, meeting your gaze as you speak. His is a burning gaze, a dreadful thing in a moment as you feel all the flames of the efreet, like an overwhelming and choking agony. "Yet the Heavens cooperate. Or do archons march on the Court of Stars to raze it to the ground?"

[Corwin]

"Allow me to explain this, then," Seira says. Her own gaze is earnest without slipping into gullibility, and yet inspiring! Her flames are the flames of hope, of never giving up and trying again, and she had earned a place at this table fair and square, so she doesn't look away. "I do not follow the directives of some nebulous Good. Perhaps some of my friends from Celestia do fall in line with Chronias's will over their own. Perhaps some of my other friends from the Court of the Stars are devoted followers of Queen Morwel's ideals that forsake their own in the process. But overall, we seek to act as we believe we should, and that happens to align with Good. When it doesn't, you have the Fallen. You have jaded warriors. You have retired priests." She glances over to Barachiel, and then to Lady Honeydip, before returning her own burning gaze upon the Grand Sultan. "I am following my path, which for the purpose of this conflict happens to be the same path that my friends here are following. It it not a tether, but rather a set of beliefs that bring us closer despite our many differences, in thought and in deed. Our bonds form the core of our strength, which is greater combined than the sum of the individual parts. How could following my heart and pursuing my goals to the best of my ability possibly be called a limitation? How could our great strength in unity possibly be seen as a constraint?"

[Anastasia]

Barachiel merely remains quiet as he promised he would.

Lady Honeydip adds in after, "The Fallen, those who lose hope, those who stop caring. Those are evil. There is no freedom in evil save to do evil and to surrender what is better."

The Grand Sultan listens, "Where will your path lead you then, Seira?" He finally asks, "Where do you travel to?"

[Corwin]

"I have spoken to Antenora. I have spoken to Zariel. A little-known fact about me is that for a brief period during my mortal years, due to a balor's trap I experienced the influence of evil in person. You might find me in a unique position of understanding first-hand just what it means to have a... freedom of moral constraint, shall we say? And its fruits are regret. None of the many who have followed that path have a single happy memory of that time. None have any satisfaction. What comes up the most is a sense of emptiness, of regret, and it is one that I can corroborate myself from my first hand experiences."

Looking at the Grand Sultan, Seira repeats, "Where will my path lead me? There are the selfish reasons, of course, the vanity and many other things that are a part of my nature. But more than anything, I want to help. I want to work together with those who were until now, going by conventional wisdom, my would-be enemies. I want to raise mortals ever-higher, and help them build better societies. I want those efforts to lead towards creating a better Creation, and it is one goal which I think all but a very select few would welcome."

[Anastasia]

"In the end, it returns to mortals," The Grand Sultan says, "Another way you are like Eblis, even if you benefit them rather than burn them." He smiles slightly, "Does she remind you of him, Barachiel?"

To this Barachiel merely says, "At times," he admits, "Eblis has a firmness to him that Seira does not, but they share so many of the same traits. They both have the same determination, though Eblis's is stronger and stubborner because of his pride."

[Corwin]

"Oh, you might be surprised by my determination in the pursuit of my ideals," Seira says sweetly. "The way Eblis went all in to protect his sons? It's something I would do in an instant."

[Anastasia]

"A good player protects his pieces," The Grand Sultan remarks, "A great player sacrifices pieces to accomplish greater goals."

After that the Sultan smiles now - sharper than before, so many sharp teeth - and adds, "But enough idle chatter, for I have no doubt you have a counter proposal for me to read?"

[Corwin]

"That we do," Seira agrees, glancing over at Barachiel as he is the one holding onto the document itself. "This is what we consider to be ideal."