Meeting on Neutral Ground

Richard Pictures gulped as he eyed the figures seated around the table. No one was talking … at least not out loud.

“Can’t even learn any secrets,” Richard mused.

As the high consort, he was dragged along like a puppy to every one of Glinda’s meetings. But this was by far the strangest. Their conference room was in a castle adrift in the Astral Sea.

“Glad I don’t work here,” Richard thought as he stared out the window at a vortex of twisting aether energies.

Getting dizzy Richard looked away. Unlike the Land of Dreams transfixed in Astral Sea, the castle and everything in it was adrift.

“This place,” Richard thought still recovering from vertigo.

The level 7 Shadow Sorcerer recalled his history lesson on the fortress. It was originally built during the Jinn Wars and was assumed to be lost to the void. Its name was forgotten. A half-Jinn Royal bastard exiled to the void made it her home. Eventually, she began renting it out for clandestine meetings. It was now used by many as neutral territory. Arch Casters of all schools met here at the Nameless Fortress to talk in secret.

Glinda had arrived first and sat quietly waiting for everyone else. The High Witch of the Los Angeles Life Coven was well known. She was the most powerful Life Witch on Earth. Her reputation as a Sorcerer (life magic user) who had killed countless Warlocks (**** magic users) and many Rival Sorcerers was hard to avoid. She sat completely confident all her invitations wouldn’t be ignored. There would be no absences. Even if a guest didn’t fear Glinda herself, her coven was currently the largest on Earth and arguably strongest. Ignoring a direct invitation was just stupid.

“Welcome, friends and enemies alike. First, my thanks to Madam Mim for hosting us. Your continual renovations are quite lovely. And I believe I speak for everyone that your telepathy table is a great addition. We appreciate the ‘Mental Energy’ necessary for its creation and use,” Glinda thought into everyone’s mind.

The seated guests all turned to bow their heads in respect to the Mad Mage. The pink hair crone waved away the attention and resumed chewing on a bone.

“Thank you to my fellow Soul-Casters coming. Although we rarely get along, we should always be able to talk peacefully,” Glinda thought to everyone as she scanned the room.

The two slightly pregnant High Elf Sorcerers were staring daggers at the single Vampire Warlock. The elder vampire didn’t notice, she was busy glaring at the shirtless Werewolf Warlock. The muscle head K-9 was oblivious to everything and fixated on the strange bones Madam Mim was eating.

“May I have one of those?” an elderly goblin said breaking the silence.

Everyone turned to the green-skinned warlock and then to the dwarf sorcerer he was staring at.

“No Billy, we’re mortal enemies, … Life-Casters and ****-Casters don’t get along, … remember?” the heavily pregnant dwarf woman said before taking a large bite of her cupcake.

“Oh right … sorry. Just thought it looked good …” the elderly goblin said sadly bowing his head.

The dwarf woman eyed the goblin elder, before giving a long sigh and reluctantly handing him a cupcake from her bag.

“Thank you, Sarah,” Billy said happily.

Everyone watched the short exchange before dismissing the short casters.

“Anyway, … my final thanks go to the Unseelie Court dignitaries. I know your latest war with the Summer Court is ongoing, and you are quite busy. So, I will make this brief,” Glinda thought to everyone, as she looked at the Satyr and Arachne.

“This better be good. My brothers are raiding the Faun Queen’s wine country,” the Satyr thought to everyone before pulling a wineskin out of nowhere.

“I agree, this better be worth it. My sisters and I avoid the Astral. It reeks of Jinn,” the Arachne thought eyeing Madam Mim.

“That, brings me to the reason for this meeting,” Glinda thought to everyone.