Fred sidestepped this Martin doom talk. "But what does it mean? The Fresco? Why does it still exist?"

　　"Old things are fascinating to many, haven`t you noticed, Fred?"

　　"So you can`t read it?"

　　"I can read& Some of it. It is quite old, you know. Older than me, even. It`s astronomy, as far as I can tell. Something to do with the stars."

　　"So the stars tell the future?"

　　"Where the hells did you get that idea?!?" Suddenly Martin was coughing and scoffing. Gold coins showered around him. "You say the most bizarre non-sequiturs, Oh Spirit. I said, it had something to do with stars. I made no further judgements. For all I know, they were timing their bowel movements."

　　"Okay, sorry, no offense meant," Fred said. "But why do you think the humans are so fascinated by it? Can they read it?"

　　"I can`t imagine how. But I`m sure Kumbakana could find out for you." Fred was slightly heartened when Martin didn`t put Kumbanaka down by calling him "kitty" or some such.

　　"Okay. Do you think the humans can get the teleporter working?"

　　"Oh, I`m sure they can, with enough time. I`ll say it again, humans are quite clever. That`s one of the many things I detest about them."

　　Fred appreciated these times when Martin actually talked to him, without trying to manipulate him or drive him crazy. So he thought hard about how to reward this situation.

　　"Anyway, Martin, it`s getting colder. And it can`t be very warm on the top of your tower. Can I fix that for you?"

　　"What does it& oh, very well, you may heat the top of the tower, if you insist." Fred smiled.

　　Then he said, "Lemme start the heating, but then you go up there and tell me if it`s too much or too little, okay?"

　　Martin didn`t answer, but Fred still looked to the top of the tower. He adjusted the heat value of the rock face, all across the top. Mindful of the times that he`d heated things too much, he tried to moderate it. While he was thinking of heating rocks, he took another look at the bathing pools he`d made.

　　They had filled up nicely, and looked lovely, but were cold and rather bare. So he set the heat property of the topmost pool. His idea was that the hot water would flow down to the lower pools, and cool off, so people could choose the level of heating they wanted. Next, he planted all the herbs he had that were supposed to be aromatic (He couldn`t tell, by himself; he just knew what they were supposed to be like). He also planted a bunch of the tall grass he`d previously made, thinking they`d add a bit of privacy.

　　"Okay, Martin, it`s done. I`ll adjust it as you like it, just lemme know."

　　Martin again didn`t deign to answer, so Fred left him to it, and contacted Kumbanaka. "Kumbanaka? Are you busy?"

　　"I`m just finished," Kumbanaka said. "What can I help with, Spirit?" Fred saw Kumbanaka in his outer lair, covered in blood. It appeared that a group of humans had attacked him, but had failed to overpower him. Kumbanaka was alive; all the humans were dead.

　　"Oh, I didn`t mean to interrupt," Fred said. "I can bother you later."

　　"Nonsense, Fred," Kumbanaka replied. "I`m available right now."

　　"Okay. Well, I could use more information. For one thing, some big priest guys showed up, and they`ve gone up to see the Forest Temple. Could you find out what they know?"

　　"Yes, I can do that, tonight."

　　"And I heated up the bathing pools I made. And planted some plants around. They`re supposed to smell good, but I can`t smell, so could you have a look at the place? Mebbe give me some good advice?"

　　"Of course. Heated bathing pools? You`ll spoil the humans, Fred."

　　Stolen novel; please report.

　　"I just thought, with the sensitive noses of you and Martin, and the water I had available, I should encourage the humans to bathe."

　　"Smart. Though now that Martin is sulking in his tower den, he doesn`t have to smell what I smell."

　　"Yeah, about Martin," Fred said. "He seems really depressed. He keeps getting hurt and dead and stuff, and I know if it kept happening to me, I`d be depressed too. Aren`t you?"

　　"I`ve made my feelings about my situation clear; I`m not hiding anything, if that`s what you`re wondering."

　　"Okay, that`s good. I just wonder if I should be doing something more for him," Fred mused.

　　"For Martin? Perhaps a swift kick in the hindquarters would solve the problem. Ha!"

　　"Seriously?" Fred asked.

　　"Fred, Martin is an adult Green Dragon. He`s been fighting like a& well, he isn`t fighting smart."

　　"He isn`t? He`s so big, and he flies, and he has poison breath. Does he have to be more than that?"

　　"He CAN be much more than that. And I`ve been wondering why."

　　"Why?"

　　"Yes," Kumbanaka replied. "He`s got magic, which I`ve never seen or heard him use in battle. And he& I`m wondering if he`s ever had to fight anything before in his life."

　　"Well, he`s smart and all. Mebbe he spent his school time in the library. When he was a kid."

　　"A simple lack of training may be the answer. But it`s not an excuse. He should be fighting smarter. In fact&"

　　Here Kumbanaka reached out to Martin, including him in the conversation.

　　"Dragon. You have a problem," Kumbanaka declared. "You aren`t fighting wisely. Do your brains fall out when someone attacks you?" Fred was appalled by Kumbanaka`s taunt.

　　"I`m fighting just fine, Kitty. Leave me alone."

　　"No. I understand it. You don`t want to die. You don`t even want to be attacked," Kumbanaka continued. "Show the humans you`re too dangerous, and they`ll never attack you again."

　　"If I wanted your opinion on the matter, furball, I`d rip it out of your dead body." Martin thrashed a bit in his gold piles.

　　"Do you even know any offensive magic, Dragon?" Kumbanaka didn`t stop. "Why aren`t you using it? Why aren`t you erasing any human that gets near you?"

　　"Fuck you, cat! You think I`m not trying?!"

　　"I think you`re smarter than this. I think you`re depressed, and that`s getting in the way of your peak lethality."

　　"Fuck you," Martin said again. "Fred won`t let me kill all these humans. Not unless they get close."

　　"Excuses, Dragon. There are two human kings in this town right this minute, and they like to challenge you. In a simple feudal system like this, an abundance of rulers is wasteful. It holds the humans back from achieving their potential. I think a little regicide is appropriate in this situation, don`t you?"

　　"Now wait a minute&" blurted Fred. He didn`t like the sound of that.

　　"I`ve been killed by that king before, kitty," said Martin.

　　"And if you can kill HIM, and every one of his annoying little knights, the humans will never bother you again. Do you think that any other king would take such a risk? Do you think other humans would be so foolish? One ruler, crushed in your teeth, will solve all your problems."

　　Martin thought, and Fred held his breath. After a few moments, Martin said, "Perhaps&"

　　"Perhaps isn`t good enough, Dragon. Get off your posterior and build your traps, and devise your spells. Do what you have to do to win."

　　"I will in my own time, cat. This conversation is over!"

　　Fred looked at Kumbanaka, who was sporting a huge grin. He gave a big furry thumbs up to Fred. "I hope you know what you`re doing," Fred said to him.

　　Neither Kumbanaka nor Martin were attacked for the rest of the day. Fred looked again at the Forest Temple, and saw the priests starting to settle into their new home. He looked for the prince, but didn`t see him, so Fred assumed that he`d been freed of his obligation now that the priests were in residence. Fred hoped the guy hadn`t gone back to town. According to Kumbanaka, nobody wanted him back.

　　Fred watched as the great line of wagons each got unloaded. The priests must be very well regarded and wealthy; a great deal of fluffy bedding was unpacked and distributed. There was even a chef, a fancy stove, and a big table that was assembled from parts. Fred also saw that, for every man in a silly hat, there were ten humans running around, doing whatever they asked. All told, there were about a hundred humans in the group, but that didn`t even begin to fill up the capacity of the buildings that Fred had built here.

　　In the afternoon, Fred saw the Black Mamba& No, Kalia Koude, studying the bathing pools. By then the top pool was steaming in the cool air. She didn`t stay long, though.

　　Throughout the day, more humans kept coming up the road. Many of them were pilgrims, but Fred saw that many were clearly fighters and mages, swords and staves in hand, come to challenge his creatures. He saw the pilgrim`s area (outside the wall) fill with more and more tents throughout the day. He also thought there were more gryphons than ever, but they were always coming and going, so it was hard to tell.

　　He saw Priestess Sharfroen very occasionally, throughout the day. Mostly she stayed in the Healing Temple, and left her acolytes and staff to manage the pilgrims outside. She did sing outside once, in the middle of the day, and that was enough to cheer up everyone.

　　At dusk, Jim showed up.

　　Hello, Fred. How was today?

　　"Hi, Jim. Well, some fancy types came to the Forest Temple, to stay, I think."

　　Oh yes. Fancy indeed. Perhaps they can activate the teleport pad.

　　"Martin thought they could. He said if they have enough time."

　　Fred then told Jim about the whole argument/discussion that Kumbanaka and Martin had had. He talked about Martin`s opinion about where the fresco and the teleporter came from. And he told Jim about heating the top of Martin`s tower for him.

　　This is what I`ve been talking about, Fred. Martin, Kumbanaka, and you are all supporting each other, and I think your magic is guiding it all.

　　"You designed the magic to make them act this way?"

　　No, the design was more general, to encourage bonds, trust, and connections with each other. The magic of Aeru clearly isn`t making Kumbanaka or Martin into something they weren`t already. But your magic helps with exactly this outcome; your creatures helping you and each other. Trust it. It`s a good thing.

　　"Sure. I mean, I don`t really have a choice."

　　No, since it`s such a fundamental part of you. But again, it`s not evil, it`s good. Trust your magic.

　　Now, I have to tell you something. While I`m aware of a demon army on this continent, it`s nowhere near here. However, I`ve become aware of several human armies that have been corrupted and co-opted by the demons. And some of them are threatening your peers.

　　"That sucks."

　　Indeed it does. Now we will start to see the value of an Earth Spirit`s walls and local communities. Humans fighting humans is as old as Aeru herself, but we`d rather the humans banded together to fight the demons. The demons are clever and manipulative, though, so this was inevitable. I will keep you informed about these human armies, and what they do. I won`t let them sneak up on you.

　　"Okay. I guess I should check for demon infiltrators again, too."

　　Do that. I must go now.

　　"Bye."