Note: Bolded dialogue is Kreshvi, unbolded dialogue is Elydinish, or the Common Tongue

Lords, men-at-arms, servants, and knights. They had all gathered in the main hall of the Phoenix Palace, answering the call to the summit that would eventually be held in another chamber of this giant palace. Some gawked, others seemed bored or uninterested, but all of the were clearly liars, and they were best at it. And who was he? This man stood in close proximity to Shamgar Paragon himself, and the armor that covered every inch of his body suggested that he was the captain of the guard, and for all extensive purposes, he was. His loyal guardsmen held their stoic positions with none of the human delegation any the wiser, and could he really blame them? Most of them governed their respective realms, and rarely left the confines of their capitals to even recognize a member of the royal guard, save for the emblem that was emblazoned upon all their armor. He had doubts that even denizens of Skyhaven would be able to detect this deception. Peace had reigned throughout the realm for many years, and few would cast their eyes on the royal guard, who were tasked with protection and stability in the palace, of treachery. In fact, due to recent events, it was more likely that priests were being eyed with much more suspicion. It was almost refreshing to see men who believed they were in complete and total safety, even though he had already cast his net over them all, and there was little they could do to escape from being ensnared within it.

At this particular point in time, it wasn't yet time to reveal him and his warriors, so he took this time to observe them in their natural habitat. Many of the people that were assembling before Shamgar and the captain were people he had only read about in old texts. The horse-lords, the men of the isles, and mountain men alike, even the captain, who particularly prided himself in his travels when he was only a boy, couldn't help but to gawk from behind his all-concealing helm, much like a child visiting his first fair or tournament. The multitude of different cultures was certainly a sight to behold. It was interesting to wonder which of these lords would pursue the lofty title of Lord Regent. All men desired more than they were born with, and for those who were born so close to the top of this so-called feudal society, becoming the second most powerful man in all of Elydin was rather appealing. It was certainly an out of reach goal for most, for there can only be one Lord Regent, and it would guarantee disaster if a some of these lords were to be given such power over all the realm. 

Agrippa Paragon was to be crowned in the following days, but since he was a boy of only six cycles, it is difficult to predict what the future might hold. The truth of the matter is fairly simple- if a boy cannot hold a sword, and if his voice cannot be heard over the clash of steel and scream of men on a battlefield, he simply cannot rule- at least not alone. If the summit had its desired effect, the best man to help rule of Elydin for the next few cycles would be chosen. If not... well, neither one of those possibilities was of much concern to the guard captain. He had other goals that he wished to achieve.

As for Shamgar himself, the aging man was competent and well-spoken. A true shame that he had decided to give up his claim by entering the priesthood. Kammeth only knew how much chaos and uncertainty could have been avoided if he had done the dutiful thing and remained within the line of succession. Still, that was neither here or there, and wondering about what-ifs only stalled men from reality itself. The Crown of Oaths was stolen, the future king was a boy barely off his mother's teat, and the captain had no doubt that all these “high” lords would endlessly bicker among themselves. It sounded like a lot of fun.

When Shamgar gave the order for the guard to collect all weapons from the lords and their knights, his own men swiftly got to work, stripping them all of pointy and sharp objects. All seemed to be going according to plan until the Khitani Khan refused to do so. The captain gave an irritated sigh that created condensed moisture on the inside of his helmet. Of course things couldn't go as smoothly as the captain had wished! It wasn't much of a problem, though. Such an ordeal such as this could easily be rectified with a few choice words.

“Is it not curious that you are the only ones who are not willing to surrender their weapons? Perhaps this is the making of some plot by the Khitani?” He let his words float into the hall for a moment, so that the many lords around him could fully comprehend his meaning. “It's of no significance, of course. I'm sure you have no ill intention. In either case, before you stands Dawnbringer Shamgar Paragon himself, who currently speaks with the same authority of the High King himself! Show some respect, [i]human[/i]."

That's all it took. A simple slip of the tongue. A habit of his that managed to escape from his lips. No human would ever refer to another as [i]human[/i]. His hand quickly fell to the hilt of his sword that hung at his hip. “I meant to say Khitani. . .” the false captain began, but it was already too late for that. 

Almost in unison, the guardsmen professionally lifted and pointed their spears at the gathered delegation, not allowing the humans to move an inch. With an even greater sigh of irritation, he spoke in some foreign language. “[b]For Kammeth's sake, we nearly had them[/b]!” With his free hand, he removed the helmet that had once concealed his face to reveal a startling image. Pale gray skin that was nearly white, eyes that were blacker than the night's sky, short, cropped silver hair that shone when the light hit it, and finally, a smooth hairless face that only possessed a single scar that stretched across his jaw and over his mouth. Undoubtedly and most certainly he was a Kreshvi, there was no denying that. None had expected the arrival of any Kreshvi delegation, and though a letter had been sent requesting their presence, it was more a formality since the Kreshvi usually ignored the affairs of humans, other than the few Kreshvi mercenaries, bodyguards, and military advisors. The Kreshvi cast aside his helmet and all the royal guards in the main hall did the same. Revealing that their true race was certainly not human.

Looking upon all the Kreshvi, it was clear that a few of them were very tall, but it seemed that a wide variety of heights had been chosen, as to not raise suspicion about their disguises. The Kreshvi who had been masquerading as the captain was the shortest of them all, with Shamgar being slightly taller than him. The Kreshvi leader have a simple shrug, a grin, and gave them all a short bow. “I do hope you enjoyed our little performance.” His Elydinish was nearly perfect, though if you listened closely, you could hear the slightest hint of an exotic accent. He removed his hand from his sword hilt, and raised his hand. “[b]Now now, warriors. It's best to not give the humans the wrong idea[/b],” he began by speaking in Kreshvi before expertly switching over to the common tongue, “it wouldn't do well if they thought we were taking them as hostages. It would be much too difficult to get the ransoms, and it seems that they are out of fancy crowns to steal.” With that final comment, he gave Shamgar a half-smile.

Once the command was given, the Kreshvi instantly obeyed by placing their spears upon the floor and gave the Kreshvi salute of pounding their fist into their left breast and held that position. The reasoning was clear why they had snapped to attention and obeyed the Kreshvi leader so quickly, he much have been the Ak-Sheh, and a Kreshvi could not refuse any orders issued by the Ak-Sheh. The Ak-Sheh turned back to the delegation. “My utmost apologies,” he gave them all a refined bow, “I am Ak-Sheh Rollo va Herik Kreshimera, perhaps you have heard of me?” Faced with continued silence, he spoke again. “No matter. We wished to have a... more explosive entrance, and it seemed to have the desired effect.” He turned but grabbed the shoulder of Shamgar, and whispered in his ear, “I'm having much more fun than I thought I would be. Let's see what happens next?” With another smile, he patted the dawnbringer's cheek a few times.

“[b]It seems like we're royal guardsmen for the day! Continue to gather those weapons-[/b]” he paused by looking at the Khitani “[b][i]-including the horse-lords.[/i][/b]”