"There must be something we can do,"

one of the council members said,

wiping sweat from his brow.

Another beside him tried hard to suppress a yawn.

It was late afternoon and the leaders had been

discussing the matter since the night before,

when the God had responded to the King.

A Planisadian Lord stood and repeated his intent on escaping the encroaching

green fog. "We can't just stay here and be engulfed by this horror creeping closer each day."

None of the scouts had returned and the Lord believed it best to escape while there was still time.

But others argued that it would take days to move everyone and that they would be caught while trying to escape and thus not even have the protection of their fortified city.

"No, we kill the God and all should be well again," said a bold Erenion, sweeping his hand in an arc nearly knocking over a weary servant who was refilling his goblet.

"Yes!" A Barbarian agreed, passionately. "We ran before, and only survived thanks to making a stand here. We fought before. And so fight again, we shall. Let them come!"

The council was in uproar. It was not the first time someone suggested battling a God. And while many felt it was the only solution, they were reluctant to fight one.

"Are you mad?" someone shouted, "Cypher is a GOD"!

"It is Pathos, fool! Don't be deceived!"

"I suspect another God is truly behind this," said one of the lesser nobles, one known more for reading books than anything useful.

Then the King stood. He told them all, "We will stay, but we will not fight. Send for the Knights."