THE HARDEST: BREATH OF PHAEDRA: FLORIAN BAND

Dedicated to Nicole Collette. Dear friend, neighbour. I was in the dark about you taken soon.

'Welcome one and all.'

The speech giver a man of advanced age, Jathaek, in fine clothes. His audience, Council of Peers. Made up of several races – excluding elf. Innocuous name. Addressing a seated audience in the architecturally lush Peerage Hall. The interior made no attempt to diminish the splendour of its surfaces, walls, shiny floor and windows inviting daylight to gently bathe attendants.

Standing at the podium to everyone's front, attention fixed on this dignified looking example, the speech can begin.

'You are me and I you. The gathering of the Council of Peers has the best in mind for the community and I summoned you to that end. As I speak a darkness has steadily spread wings across our fair land of Phaedra. You're gathered here to form consensus there is a darkness spreading wings and what must be done. Not merely that something must be. That shadow, the Uc Tae. For a long season have they waged unjust, unprovoked war upon our peoples. Your lives disturbed, family endangered, entire communities on the verge of extirpation. My motivation the wellbeing of all races, call for armed action be taken upon the barbarous Uc Tae in accord with this council. I assert dialog with the Uc Tae was not a peaceful measure. Laid bare a weakness that paved the way for more merciless attack. Dialog drew in considerable time and effort at this council's behest to no avail. Uc Tae regard peace to be stepped on. Uc Tae breathe conflict, not I or you. Those baleful beasts were unworthy of consideration of dialog. Rise as one and put to action our responsibilities. This rising dark snatched our choice. We will put collective will together to fashion a resolution. My vision is peacefully as able trample any means have they to threaten our people. Strike righteously at their leadership. The core. In this fashion our innocents are not caught in the middle of any battle. Our innocents no more in their barbarous gaze. Drachenloch – Keeper of The Deep, greatest of their number. The card Uc Tae can, will play should we shirk our responsibility to Phaedra. At Council's edict an assemblage of defenders scour the land and root out the foe, my proposal to you. Render no quarter. In your ranks those who are content with less stringent, more reserved combat responses. My proposal is no bare minimum – eliminates future threat and repays the mortal enemy. So you may ask why now? Why not wait? That my friends is turning your swords into ploughshares when the enemy is at the gates. Dialog rans its course and straight conclusion will not force the Uc Tae to halt attacks. If anything helped the Uc Tae and their Drachenloch, not your kin. The period used to strengthen and plan more depredation. Correct the course of Phaedra history, believe in tomorrow. Accepting measures of peace are exhausted is not disparaging peace. Reality directs our attention to the abyss. The Uc Tae would rend asunder our way of life. What peace is there when the other side plots your downfall? With your assent I hope Uc Tae will see their demise codified. Scouring the land to root out this dark low we can do to everything to minimize disruption to our way of living, prosecuting the war. Before us, an historic moment. In your hands a chance to forge for ourselves a new world order where rule of law, peace and prosperity takes its rightful place. The Uc Tae have no innocents caught up in conflict. Consign to the darkness from whence they came, never to enshroud the good peoples of Phaedra in it. There is no quelling the ravaging darkness without addressing the affront to all, the uniquely villainous Drachenloch – that impotent...'

A presence. Jathaek cannot see the audience in front him. His line of sight to them obstructed. The speech interrupted and in the blink of an eye appeared.

The Drachenloch.

A head and body high as four men, right in your face does that to vision. A few moments for collective consciousness' to process something manifested from thin air, huge and made their company. Then the shock and fear could take hold.