The Grand Sultan

[Anastasia]

That's fine.

You are escorted along - up a stairway and into deeper wealth. Ahead of you is the gaping maw of a red dragon, stuffed and wide enough for several Hannas to walk through. Through it is a room decorated all in gold and rubies - everything is made of those two things, down to furniture of them. The reddish sparkle is overwhelming, a window letting in fire-light from off the sea of flame you can see through it. At that window the Grand Sultan stands, back to to you and hands behind his back.

"Barachiel, Seira," he greets, watching the dancing flames in the sea, of lava beneath it, of burning and liquid rock splashing. "I find that when my mind is disordered, the sight of Fire's natural majesty focuses it through its sheer beauty."

[Corwin]

"Fire is beautiful and versatile," Seira agrees cordially. "I find myself doing the same back home, from time to time."

[Anastasia]

Lady Honeydip respectfully stays quiet while Barachiel says, "It is much for me, except with the light Chronias."

As Barachiel approaches the Grand Sultan calls, "Come and join me," he invites, "The view is one of the best in Fire."

[Corwin]

Seira is not about to turn down such an invitation!

[Anastasia]

The view is fast - a lava sea with flame bursting from it. It is far below yet the flames leap up to window level and higher. Flames of a bright red with tinges of orange, as well as the occasional streak of yellow. They dance endlessly, crackling in a sea that will never grow cold and still. From here you can see that the sea goes on farther than even your divinely enhanced eyes can perceive.

"Crimson. A beautiful word, one you know well has power." The Grand Sultan declares, "Your exploits during that time are legendary, Seira." His gaze stays out over the ocean, taking it all in. "I call this the Crimson Sea, though it is known by another name on the maps. Pah. Let them call it what they will. They cannot understand those like us, those who are more and see so clearly."

[Corwin]

She can't help but briefly wonder whether the others present can indeed see all the way to the edge of the lava sea.

"Thank you," she responds politely, before giving him a mischievous smile. "You know, one of those exploits was naming a mountain range after my girlfriend. I had them change the maps, too."

[Anastasia]

Barachiel seems content to let the two of you talk, two more sets of eyes on the two of you.

To this the Grand Sultan laughs, "It is good and it is right. Had you not had your eyes on a bigger prize, I would wonder why you do not rule Pallanth, the Baronies or any of those realms. You are an empress, few can compare to you. Your will is imposed onto the world and the world obeys."

The Sultan has a goblet in hand from nowhere, as if it was always there. He has a sip before declaring, "Before my rise, ants scurried about and tried to compete against me. After my rise, I see truly how small they are. You understand that?"

[Corwin]

"I think I do, although I prefer to overestimate my would-be enemies rather than belittle them," Seira muses. "Taking things seriously is a lesson I've paid a hefty fee in blood, tears and sweat to learn. Although now that I think about it, I did have a goblin archnemesis, the bandit king Yezrut. He and his entire family carried a powerful enmity towards me, but try as I might to act otherwise, I just found it hilarious!"

[Anastasia]

The Grand Sultan chuckles at this, "Goblins! I hear your legends of facing down an empire, defeating a horror of Beyond or freeing the children of Androlynne. And yet your archnemesis is a goblin!"

"Do not underestimate small creatures," Lady Honeydip's tone is cool, just polite enough. "We can hold the line as well as any other, no matter what the average is."

"You, Moore and Afina of Aurora have all made a strong reminder of the power of Titania's children," The Grand Sultan agrees. "More, of the three of you, only Afina is a broken soul."

[Corwin]

"Life can go in strange directions, sometimes," Seira muses. "I had a chance to seize power early on, after taking down that empire and eliminating its leadership. And even afterwards, I had considerable influence in four of the five major mortal realms on that Prime. But in the end, I wanted something uniquely my own. Something I could form from the ground up and have those like-minded join me, rather than reshaping an existing empire."

[Anastasia]

"I have thought the same," The Grand Sultan admits openly, "Every Sultan considers it, I believe, for when dealing with the tiresome messes of the past become too much." Turning his burning gaze to Seira, "You are something like Eblis as well, just as I thought. You will not bow, you will make your own world and own kingdom."

[Corwin]

Seira inclines her head. Perhaps it's not the best endorsement of her nature, but she can't deny a certain resemblance in the Grand Sultan's view.

[Anastasia]

Turning back now, "You vexed him decades ago. Eblis hates losing." A sip of his goblet, turning back out to watch the flames. "What was that mortal Lathanderite that the two of you fought over?"

[Corwin]

"It was a close thing, but I was the tiny bit luckier that day," Seira responds, gazing out at the flames alongside him. "Eblis's pastime is to torture mortals, often to get them to break the way he likes. Many of his sons learned that from him. I found that anathema, as one who wants to uplift the mortals as much as possible. Looking back, it was the first time I participated in the Competition."

She grins, then. "As for Valar, he had recently finished a successful deployment where I had him in charge of a subjugated empire previously lead by a Sharran cult as powerful as it was debased. Within a generation, he had managed to undo much of the harm to the people, and I've recalled him home so that he is available as one of my generals once more."

Ready to take his place alongside Lady Honeydip on the front lines, should this war proceed and expand, and just as ready to uproot Sharran cells that threaten Fire and the Grand Sultan himself, depending on how negotiations turn. Seira doesn't need to even imply it, as the Sultan's knowledge of Valar should make those implications beyond obvious.

[Anastasia]

"Yes, that sounds right," The Grand Sultan agrees, "He also rarely loses. Yet he lost to you."