The chosen place for the meeting was in Detroit. It was fairly close to Coralost, we had a good relationship with the local Kabbalist traditions there, and, well, they wanted an answer from me, so I had them arrange for a meeting of their elders who could debate the theology and set religious doctrine from what I was going to tell them, be it positive or negative.

My mentioning the Radiant Holy Auspicious Butterfly Emperor had started the whole ball rolling, and it seemed the arguments had been building up at the highest levels of Kabbalist society for some time. It seemed there were very old records, considered either deluded, apocryphal, or heretical, that alluded to the fact that the First Prophet had not been a servant of the Lords of Light, and such had been written into the legends about him by later adherents.

If that was true, the entirety of the Tribes of Kabbal could be considered to have been lied to and manipulated by the Lords of Light, and they in fact owed their identity and power to the mercy of a Great Beast, not Ihovah!

The Synod’s absolute rejection of the idea had only made the rabbis of the Kabbalists even more suspicious, and so at last they had reached out to me, tentatively hoping that they might be able to get an answer from me.

Thus, here I was, at the Mount Zion Kabbalist Temple in Detroit, with over a score of black-robed and very serious Rabbis regarding me as I walked into the room.

There were two Sages among their number, several half-Sages, and the rest were all Archmages, or they would not have risen to the positions they had.

Given that I had to earn their respect, I didn’t conceal everything. When the subtle power of their Auras hit mine, both testing and establishing the power that was everything in the world of magic, their eyebrows all rose towards vanishing hairlines when they realized I was also a Sage!

They desperately wanted to ask how old I was, staggered by the fact made obvious before them. It was not something I could hide at this range, and they could not be mistaken about it.

I was maybe twenty years old, and I was more powerful than men there who were four times my age!

“I am Fae of Coralost, called Healer Fae or Lady Fae, as you might wish,” I bowed gracefully to the old men and two women here. The Order of Esther dominated the rabba of the Kabbalists, but the Acropolis actually attracted a very large number of the ambitious female Kabbalists, and had been a strong ally for them over many centuries.

Which was another problem, but given our difficulties with the Synod, the Acropolis certainly would not be opposed to taking down their rivals a whole lot of pegs. The movement to remove Black Magic wielders from serving in the Acropolis proper, or gaining higher office, was also gaining momentum, particularly as it became known that a rather untenable number of the Knights and Muses of the Acropolis had such magic...

But that was a different matter.

“I greet the Elders of the Conclave of the Kabbal. It is an honor to stand before you. How may I be of service to the First People of the Light?”

They relaxed despite themselves at the simple show of respect. With my age, power, influence, and wealth, I had every right to be as arrogant and proud as any young master of a Great Family anywhere in the world, and I could have carried a chip on my shoulder bigger than the Temple we were standing in.

“Lady Fae,” Sage Jediah spoke up for everyone, not daring to address me familiarly with the power I was showing, nor look down on me. “You have our great thanks for coming to see us. I admit to you having given us a dreadful surprise with your accomplishments!”

“It is not something I feel a need to spread about, Elder Sage Jediah.” The fact I identified him pleased him, too. He only glanced sideways, and the other Elders just nodded slightly. They didn’t need to talk about that fact, either. It was a show of trust in them that I’d revealed it, and they would extend the same by the matter reaching no further.

“Indeed. Given the power you’ve displayed and the new Tradition you are furthering, revealing you are a Sage might well upset some powerful people.” He stroked his beard, smiling at the thought, and plainly not discomfited by the fact. There were many Kabbalists among the Coralost students now, ecstatic to have developed their own magic and changed their lives, even if it wasn’t that of their ancestors.

Or, perhaps, it was even older than that of their ancestors. After all, it used the magic every Human started with in life, not the Elements that sprang from the Beasts, right?

“An inquiry was sent to you about a certain delicate matter,” spoke up Sage Ruth, looking quite spry for over ninety summers of age, not about to be relegated to the side. “Have you looked into this matter for us?”

“I have indeed. I have a fairly extensive reply for all of you concerning it. I do have a question for you all before we proceed.” I met each of their eyes in turn, yet all at once, a disconcerting process for them. “Tell me, do you trust the veracity of the Imperial Beasts? Because if you do not, then the answers I have for you are, in the end, meaningless.”

Eyes turned, and a dour, pudgy man with thick curling black hair and beard rose. A judge of the Orthodox Tradition, Abraham by name, as I recalled. A half-Sage who had risen to prominence on his ability to mediate and rule on the worthiness and validity of doctrinal arguments among the faithful.

“That very question was put to my office well before this meeting, Lady Fae, and in fact, it prompted the question that was delivered to you. I and my aides went through centuries of findings and records with members of the Great Beasts who were able to communicate with our people.” He paused to take a deep breath, as if reviewing his findings mentally once again.

“Although there are Great Beasts that are clever and some that are tricky, those who were not Contracted Beasts were never seen to lie deliberately or to use such for purposes of manipulation, nor did they ever go back on their words. Indeed, they would often adhere to their promises under the most trying of circumstances, up to and including their own deaths.”

He took another deep, forced breath. “It did not even seem to be a code of honor or anything similar among them. They just... do not lie, and they hold to their promises, as a part of their beings. Even those who have extensive contact with us humans lie only unconvincingly and with great difficulty... unless they have blood ties to us, or to the Nether Realms, in which case they often lie frequently and effortlessly.”

Didn’t that show a certain something, a thought I was sure they were all sharing.

“That manner of conduct is even more prevalent among the most powerful Beasts.” I stepped aside and waved my hand, spending Mana, and a Portal rippled up into being before the Conclave of Elders. They first blinked at how easily I’d brought such a thing up, then realized it was nigh-unbelievable I could do such a thing without massive material Seals and Foci for it, and the last that I’d done so with a smoothness and control that they couldn’t match.

“Elders, your replies lie beyond this Portal. If you would care to follow me, we shall get you all the answers you seek, to your complete satisfaction.”

They all looked at one another, back to the sunswept grasslands on the other side, and watched me as I stepped through it, the magic breaking over my skin as I passed to the other side. I turned back and waved for them to come on.

Well, they couldn’t be shown to be reluctant or afraid, especially with such a powerful display of magic in front of them! The black-robed Kabbalist Elders filed out and swiftly passed through the Portal to join me out in a vast sea of waist-high golden grass, looking up at the blue sky and feeling the fresh wind that held no indicators of human civilization whatsoever.

Then they turned around and did a couple of doubletakes.

To the north and about two hundred yards east, a Stormcrown Eagle towered taller than most trees upon a jutting rock formation there, obviously raised and molded just for him to perch on. To the south of him, a great Open Sky Wolf Noble, as mighty as the Eagle, rested upon the grass and so wasn’t looming as high, but even laying down was still thirty feet at the shoulder.

They carefully did not raise any magical spells, despite two Noble Beasts being so close, especially seeing how relaxed I was.

“Skyweeper and Chases-Tempests are here to prepare the ground, nothing more, making sure nothing dared to intrude upon us, Elders.” I waved away the Portal, which dissipated as they watched, fighting down their suspicions at my welcoming smile. “We are in the American Heartlands, near the center of the Great Plains. As you can see, this is a land soaked in light under the sun, and so an excellent place for you all to meet.”

“Meet?” Sage Ruth promptly spoke up. “Meet with who?” she asked for all of them.

“Before I answer that, I will ask you all to recall your etiquette for meeting with Great Beasts. Who is aware of the proper protocol for doing so?” I lifted my hand, and looked over them all.

To my surprise, Judge Abraham lifted his hand quickly. “My investigations gave me a clear idea of the expected etiquette for Humans dealing with Beasts Greater than they,” he confirmed solemnly.

“Are you all willing to have Judge Abraham serve as your spokesperson, Elders? You are about to meet a Great Beast. Superb manners are a great aid when speaking with them.”

The Elders all looked at one another, murmuring and nodding.

“Excellent. Remember to kneel.” I turned around as Noble grew into my hand, and the Feathers and Tail upon it shimmered into view, startling all of them when, at this range, they could feel the Wills upon them and what those Tokens came from.

“Healer Fae pays her respects to Radiant Holy Auspicious Butterfly Emperor!”

And out of nowhere, not fifty feet away, the towering body of the most powerful Butterfly in the world shimmered into view.

I went down to one knee, and a telekinetic reminder hit the backs of the Kabbalists’ knees as they gaped at the scintillating beauty of the Emperor of all Butterflies, Her hypnotic appearance leaving everyone under Sage gaping dazedly at her.

My swat to their knees did get them down in the waist-high grass rather quickly, however.

“Introduce yourselves to Her Imperial Majesty. ‘This one is named So and So of the Kabbalist tribe of Humans, and Pays respects to Her Imperial Majesty’, will suffice!” I said over my shoulder.

Eyes and heads were lowered hastily, literally unable to look upon Her without falling into fascinated beguilement. The first of them lit up with silver not-fire, realized he was meant to speak, and shuddered once. The Aura about them was not hostile, was not heavy, but it was overwhelming, and it was everywhere, far beyond any Beast’s Aura he had ever encountered in his life!

This was a True Emperor of the Beasts before them, who was written about in old, old tales that had been considered mere vivid dreams and myths, one who had been around longer than the Kabbalist tribes had existed!

“I-I-This one is Rabbi Josiah of the Kabbalist tribe of Humans, paying respects to Her Imperial Majesty!” he managed to get out with only a little stammering.

One by one, I lit them up and they introduced themselves, kneeling there in black robes in the sea of golden grass, the dazzling Butterfly’s wings spanning over two hundred yards making the Light Mana shimmer and dance around us.

“This one is Judge Elder Abraham of the Kabbalist tribe of Humans, here to seek the wisdom of Her Imperial Majesty!” Judge Abraham finally spoke up, the last among them to do so. I calmly picked him up with TK, brought him forward, and set him down next to me.

“IT HAS BEEN LONG SINCE I HAVE SPOKEN WITH A MEMBER OF YOUR TRIBE. ARE ELDERS ADAYAM AND LILLITHA STILL REMEMBERED AMONG YOU?”

The whole Conclave of Elders rocked at Her gentle, windy voice, and the meanings behind it.

Judge Abraham almost face-planted, and the rest of the Conclave bowed even more deeply. “Those, those names have been changed by times and ages, Your Imperial Majesty, but in the oldest of our records, that is indeed how they were Named. We, we thank You for remembering them!”