[Veltzeh]: 39.The Heritage of Humankind.Tales from Kyerrion.1

Someone might have thought it ridiculous that a time of peace is more worrying than a time of war. However, at a time of peace one worries and awaits the next war while during a time of war one keeps up the hope that it will be over one day. Of course, for the galanfetzcans, the idea was a hypocritical one, since they do not make war.

At least, that is what they say and how it might seem for the average Gomanian.



Despite being a galanfetzcan, Availon Gandeheilei was the type of person who was constantly worried about the next war. It was fairly obvious to everyone that the reasons for it included a tragedy in eir childhood: jinhaliares had come and annihilated eir home, waging war. Availon had made it and survived, but it had been traumatic. Another reason was the time when a war between two large communities of garandals and nacrans broke out—Availon just happened to have been living in the area at the time. The fact that Availon, after having lived a while in warmer areas, still managed to witness very seriously taken skirmishes between nations of femehans and homehans had probably just been bad luck, but was one more reason nonetheless.

Ever since, Availon had been adamant at trying to prevent all kinds of war-like activities. Ey had no profession and merely manipulated people to have eir way one way or another. Ey gathered intelligence in some fairly questionable ways and traveled much to get eir hands on any piece of information that would prove useful. Many thought ey went overboard with it, but many also thought that the goal justified the means—Availon was a large driving force for peace. However, ey was young and could not yet take part in the large decisions. Ey made eir part and more by being an assistant to an older person.

Eventually, Availon learned that ey could not fix everything. Many Gomanians still waged war and did not seem like they would be stopping doing it any time soon. Realizing that fact made Availon more relaxed about eir slight obsession—besides, as long as ey could be with other galanfetzcans, ey would be safe enough.

However, it seemed like that feeling of security was about to change.

While it was not exactly a secret that jinhaliares and most nations of femehans were allied and planned on conquering the world, it was usually hard to take them seriously. Many had in fact thought that it was the ultimate act of despair and that it meant that there certainly was nothing to worry about. However, increasing reports of violence and sights of large masses of armed forces gradually started changing that view. Availon was particularly worried. Ey was convinced that they should try to properly find out just what exactly was going on and make any plans of grand violence empty.

Availon had advanced in eir career and started convincing and manipulating people to make sure that everyone would be safe. Many others thought that the alliance of jinhaliares and femehans was not their problem—jinhaliares and femehans could not live in the areas where galanfetzcans lived, so galanfetzcans would be safe. Even if the enemies would close in on them, the galanfetzcans were sure enough that they could keep them away. They would not need violence. However, if they got visibly involved in the issues, the other races would expect the galanfetzcans to really do something about it.

Many thought that while making the jinhaliares' plans empty would be convenient and would save the lives of many people, they also thought that it would be too much of a bother and too big a responsibility. To accomplish their goal, they would have to go to a war of some kind. Many lives would be lost, the economy would plummet and the galanfetzcans had no weapons for war nor the will to make them. Therein was a contradiction too big for Availon—either they would have to go to war or let the other races do it. Ey did not know what to do, but ey refused to accept it.



Availon spent a fairly long time trying to come up with strategies and trying to gather more information, but was mostly brushed off. The others did not want to get involved and did not think it would be probable enough that their attempts would really succeed.

However, one night ey came up with an idea ey had not thought of before. Since galanfetzcans and jinhaliares were pretty much sworn mortal enemies, Availon had only concentrated on the monstrous race and forgotten that the femehans would probably be an easier target. Ey pretty much gleed with enthusiasm and declared eir thoughts to eir partners.

"I just now realized I might've approached this issue from the wrong direction!" ey exclaimed. "The femehans are a big force supporting jinhaliares. Maybe it's easier to get them to change their minds somehow!"

One of them looked at Availon with a bit of interest while the two others just glanced at em—they were not that interested, especially anymore since Availon had been going on and on about it for a long time. "You'd go talk to the femehans? They live so far... And would they listen to you? A little team of a race they've never seen before telling them what to do." The galanfetzcan smiled.

"Well, obviously jinhaliares won't listen..."

"Mm-hm."

"You'd think it would be easier to convince people to not go to war..."

"They are after something that they need. Maybe it's just their leaders wanting power, who knows the true reasons. Please tell me again why you think it's better to mentally manipulate and modify their needs, wants and hopes than to fight it out physically?"

"If you make them think it's what they wanted, they won't be disgruntled."

"You sure you aren't just making war with the only way you've got?"

"It is not war! I do not want war!" Availon's partner was quiet and Availon doubted emself. Truth was subjective. "I just... think it's the best way. Few regular people out there in Gomania want to fight mostly meaningless battles..."

"It's wrong to pursue a goal in which you believe so much. It's... devotion." The galanfetzcan shuddered.^[#1]

"I am not devoted! I wish I'd be left out of that war stuff."

"So you take every chance to get involved in it, trying to prevent it?" Availon was quiet. "We'd like you to stay here."

Availon left and went to present eir ideas to the high council of galanfetzcans. They admitted the idea was fresh and there would be nothing lost in trying to talk to the femehans. Also, in case the whole alliance was hanging of the lives of a few select femehans, it would be easy to either modify their opinions or assassinate them. Therefore, the council decided to send an envoy team to the femehan areas to seek out their leaders and use whatever means available to try and convince them to not pursue the alliance with jinhaliares.

Naturally, Availon was one of those assigned to the task, along with seven others who supported eir plans and volunteered to go. The mission itself was simple, but the galanfetzcan council did not have too much information about where exactly the femehan leaders would be found—and since femehans also had far-walkers among them, it was likely that their leaders would not be in the same place. While the council tried to somewhat actively find out about the practical things, the small team set on the journey.

Availon's partners were disappointed, but would not stop em—ey was not that fanatical and if ey did indeed succeed in eir goal, it meant that there would be no war. Availon, then again, doubted emself that much more, but it reassured em since it meant that ey was still sensible.



The trip to the femehan areas was dangerous since they had to move through the areas where jinhaliares lived, for the most part. They did not try to circle the area, because that would take five years longer. Instead, they chose the route which seemed best with respect to both distance and safety. They mostly met garandals and nacrans on their route and traded their far-walker skills for upkeep—it was easier than doing everything by themselves.

Femehans are a populous race. They are divided into different nations, most of which are some kind of dictatorships, but there are also democracies and other forms of governmental bodies.

It took about a year before the envoy team reached the areas where the nations of femehans resided. They had been exchanging information with the galanfetzcan council all the time to determine what place would be the best with respect to influence. When they came across femehan leaders, they either inquired directly about where they might find the best place to contact the rulers of all femehans or then used their far-walker skills to get the information they wanted, or both. They eventually headed for the largest femehan nation, whose ruler and armies seemed to have the leading position. However, they did not make it that far before they figured that it would work just as well to get their ideas across through a far-walking conference while residing in some smaller nation. They momentarily settled in Moorunla, the place where they had been told that piece of information.

According to the information the team had been receiving from the galanfetzcan council as well as from the femehans themselves, it did not seem like there was much war-like activity; things were still in the preparation phase. There were a lot of armies around and they were being trained, but it did not seem like they were ready. People were not forced into the army. However, nothing was certain and it would be wise to keep secret things such as the strength of one's army. The alliance between femehans and jinhaliares had been kept secret for a decade before it became too obvious—also, telling about it had significantly reduced the skirmishes between femehans and jinhaliares since most of them had not known about the alliance.

The far-walking conference was set up for the galanfetzcans to state their business. It consisted of fourteen rulers of the most powerful femehan nations, nine generals, six personal negotiators, twenty-four ambassadors and twenty-four femehan far-walkers. The whole thing was very nicely set up: the far-walkers created a mental space, modified it into a practical space that would seem natural enough to the other-walkers and mostly made sure that the other femehans did not lie to each other. This time, they were also supposed to make sure that the galanfetzcans would not try anything rash. The galanfetzcans could have held together the conference without any help from the femehan far-walkers, but since it was the only way the femehans agreed to talk to them, they had to accept it. However, they were fairly sure that the femehan far-walkers could not stop them from modifying the thoughts of the leaders slightly, if they went about it very discreetly. Assassinating them in the conference would most likely be out of their capabilities, however—it was likely they would succeed in it, but the femehan far-walkers would instantly overwhelm them due to sheer numbers.

When the actual conference was held, there were first formal introductions and then a recap of most of the things that the femehans felt safe they could tell the galanfetzcans. The envoy team knew a lot was left out, but they could not dig around without the femehan far-walkers noticing. They were slightly disgruntled, but when it was time for them to present their issue, Availon made a very impressive speech about peace and what the regular people wanted. Ey told some fairly touching but generic stories and presented eir idea well. The others saw their chance and very discreetly suggested to the femehans that they should consider and even accept Availon's ideas. They even suggested it to the far-walkers, but that much more carefully.

After Availon had presented eir issue and all of the questions had been asked, the galanfetzcans were told to disconnect and wait until the femehan council would come to a consensus.

The femehans spent two days discussing. Every now and then, a femehan far-walker asked them some questions about the idea they had presented. On the second day, they started getting slightly suggestive in the way that it seemed like the femehans knew about the attempted suggestions of the envoy team.

In the evening of the second day, a team of twenty-four femehan far-walkers confronted the galanfetzcan envoy team, accusing them of cheating, immoral behavior and treachery. The galanfetzcans were subject to imprisonment and interrogation. That was naturally inconsiderable, so the galanfetzcans struck down most of the far-walkers and when it was obvious that the remaining ones would not fare any better, the galanfetzcans declared that they would not be imprisoned; they would leave free and unharmed. They furthermore threatened the femehans, telling that if they continued gathering armies and keeping up the alliance with jinhaliares, their leaders would be killed or alternatively their armies would eventually be crushed, and the jinhaliares would betray them whatever happened.

After the galanfetzcans were done with their threats, they let the femehan far-walkers go, gathered their own stuff and left.

The envoy team figured that it would be too much hassle to try and assassinate the femehan leaders, so they started heading back home and were upset because the mission had failed that bad. However, the one who was most upset was Availon. Ey had been so sure of the plan's success and was now demanding that they should just travel and kill the femehan leaders one by one. The others disagreed. The disagreement turned more serious day after day, and after they had been traveling two weeks, Availon and the rest of the envoy team parted ways. One other person from the team stayed with Availon, not because ey agreed, but because ey did not want Availon to be alone. Eir name was Tyilan Laineadei.

The envoy team of six galanfetzcans continued heading back home, while Availon and Tyilan turned more or less around and headed once again for the largest femehan nation—or to at least find out which one of them it was, for a start.