Declaration of War

Tyler collapses on his bed. One week has passed since his first meeting with the five realm alliance, and he wants nothing more than to skip the next meeting for some much needed rest. Rolling over in his bed, he sighs and closes his eyes.

Making components went well, and providing more than enough diamonds and graphene to Flayrian master craftsmen was even easier. In fact, Tyler can't help but think that he wouldn't be nearly as tired if his social life wasn't as hectic.

"What are you doing here?" Marci hisses from just outside of Tyler's room. Her voice is audible even though the door is closed.

"I could ask you the same question, but Tyler is expecting me," Dani shouts in response.

"He is not expecting you! Why would you even try to lie about that? Besides, he just wants to sleep until the meeting."

"Oh, could you tell from peeking though the keyhole just now?"

"No, I wasn't peeping! Also, stop yelling or he will hear us!"

"If that's not peeping, you won't mind if I take a turn kneeling outside his door, right?"

"You are making this sound worse than it is! I am just stopping you from barging in his room."

"Before I even get here? You could have cut me off down the hall."

"I'm not on trial here, you-"

"I can hear you," Tyler yells. He rubs his face with his hands. "Please continue the argument somewhere else. I'll find you in ten minutes."

"Deal! Just follow the sound of blondie crying," Dani answers through the door.

"Even if I was crying, he would hear your shrieking first," Marci adds.

Tyler sighs. He feels like a mouse being fought over by two cats. Ten minutes of alone time is all he wants. Exhaustion washes over him again.

Eleven minutes later, there is a knock on his door. Involuntary groans escape Tyler's mouth, and he rolls over to face the door. Dread causes him to freeze as he wonders which princess is waiting outside his door.

"What is it?" Tyler calls out.

"Sir, this is Darnell, I'm supposed to escort you to the conference room."

Tyler looks at his phone. The meeting isn't for another half hour. "Marci sent you didn't she?"

"I'm... not supposed to answer that, sir."

"It's okay, I won't tell-"

"Tyler!" Dani's voice echos through the hallway. "We should get ready for the conference!"

Sighing, Tyler crawls out of bed. He manages to take a deep breath and mentally reset just before the door to his room flies open. Dani steps through the doorway with her eyes gleaming in excitement.

"Are you ready to show them the first ever perfect Coordinate Splicer?" Dani coos.

"You didn't flatten Darnell on your way in, did you?" Tyler asks.

"Hey, I've only done that once! He knows to get out of the way now!"

"Great, let's head towards the conference room then."

"We should take the long way; otherwise, Marci will ambush you in the courtyard to discuss boring meeting topics."

"Thanks for warning me, I'd hate to be cornered by a princess who wants to discuss the events over the last week a half hour before our conference starts..."

"Exactly, your welcome. Now-"

"He was talking about you, Dani," Marci interrupts as she enters the room. "You were rude enough to charge into his bedroom uninvited."

"You read my mind," Tyler sighs.

"Yes, precisely, I-wait, why are you saying that sarcastically? What have I done wrong this time?"

"Well, you are also here—in my bedroom—without an invitation."

"Ha! Look who is being rude!" Dani shouts.

"Me? I was just trying to get her out of your hair," Marci explains as she points at Dani.

Tyler holds up both hands to get their attention. He pauses for a moment and says, "Let's head to the conference room and talk. If we keep this up, we will run out of time to prepare anything."

The dysfunctional trio strolls towards the conference room, talking as they walk. Dani wants to demonstrate their device by traveling to a different realm's conference room. Marci plans to present a detailed production schedule to the alliance. Both ideas are opposed by the opposite princess.

Tyler is able to mediate. They agree to present both ideas and wait for the meeting to start. Content with the silence that falls between them, Tyler slumps against a wall.

Twelve women and their thrones materialize above the circular table like the last time. Amelia Razork takes control of the room immediately. Her purple eyes lock on to each participant in turn, demanding their attention as she speaks.

It isn't long before she asks Dani to prove that they made progress on the Coordinate Splicer over the last week. The red headed princess doesn't talk much. She sets up the machine as Moko carries the old-fashioned cannon in from her car.

Amelia reluctantly gives Dani the coordinates to her throne room. After a few clicks and one shot from the cannon, Dani appears next to the purple queen as a hologram. As everyone gasps and applauds, Amelia waves a hand to someone that isn't appearing in the projection. Unseen hands throw Dani back through the portal and into the conference room.

Marci's figures are more readily accepted by Amelia; however, she draws more yawns than applause from the other participants. Still, the leader of the five realm alliance seems pleased with both projects.

"Very good work you two," Amelia says as she scans the file Marci sent to her. "We should be fully equipped even sooner than I thought. Our transportation is also in order, but if you ever use those coordinates again I'll have you killed."

Dani grins despite the threat, and Marci bows to the hologram in front of her. "What would you like us to do next?" Marci asks.

"Simple, we need you-" Amelia stops as a ringing echos throughout the meeting.

Horrified, Tyler pulls out his cell phone and glances at the screen. He is receiving a call from Carla. "Umm... sorry... I-I-" Tyler stammers.

"I hope that call is more important than your life," Amelia threatens, glaring at him.

"It is, I mean, It's not-I-I should Umm..." Tyler sprints to the door and ducks out of the room. With trembling hands he clicks the button to accept the call.

"Hello, Ty, are you there?" Carla's voice comes through the speaker after a brief delay.

"Ye-yeah, I'm here."

"Is everything okay? You sound nervous."

"Well... I'm kind of in the middle of-"

"Oh, is that girl still with you?"

"Yes—I mean no! She isn't, I'm not, we're not!"

"Tyler, you aren't making any sense. Listen, I'm just calling because everyone is worried about you. Peter says you missed an entire week of school. That isn't like you..."

"I know, but I had to go away for a bit."

"Go away? Ty, are you in trouble?"

"No, no, nothing is wrong. I-"

"Well, it seems like something is wrong. I... I understand if you are seeing someone else, but you shouldn't just run away with her."

"That isn't what happened!"

"Ty, you need to come home."

"I can't..."

"You can't, or you don't want to?"

"Carla, nothing is happening with me and that girl you saw! It's not like that!"

"Tyler, you need to get back in here now!" Dani screams from the open door to the conference room.

"That was her, right?" Carla asks.

"Yes, but-" Tyler starts.

"I get it. It sounds like she needs you again... goodbye, Ty."

There is a beep as the call is ended. Tyler stands frozen in place. Twice he got the chance to talk to Carla, and both times Dani ruined everything. Staring at the phone, Tyler goes numb to everything around him.

"Hey!" Dani screams. She grabs Tyler's shoulders and shakes him. "Are you there?"

"Leave me alone," Tyler groans.

"Now isn't the time to be all mopey!"

"Please, I can't do this right now."

"Who called you?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Yes it is!"

"Why would my personal calls be any of your concern?"

"Answer the question, Tyler," Marci says from behind Dani. "Your cellphone shouldn't receive calls from outside this realm, and whoever called you hacked into our meeting."

"What?" Tyler stares at the blonde princess in disbelief.

"Your ex girlfriend... Dani, is there a way for a normal call to get transmitted here from the forbidden realm?"

"Maybe..." Dani answers as she scratches her head. "I used a magic-amplifier to broadcast my app to every realm at once. Apparently, that even included the forbidden realm."

"Could that be how the call got through?"

"For that to work the magic amplifier would have to be plugged into her phone." Dani turns back to Tyler. "Does your ex have her own magic-amplifier? She isn't that pretty, so did you date her because she had magical technology?"

"What?" Tyler scoffs. "How can you even say that? Carla is-"

"She didn't have one that he knows of..." Marci interrupts. "We need to get back to the meeting though."

"Right," Dani agrees. She grabs Tyler by the hand and drags him towards the open door. "Come on, you need to see this!"

The conference room looks the same, except for three figures in grey hooded cloaks floating amidst the thrones. Several queens are murmuring to each other. They all look concerned, even Amelia is flustered.

"Everyone is here now, so should we begin?" a sinister female voice says. The central hooded figure steps forward. Her face is hidden, but the two snakes wrapped around a dagger are clearly visible on her hood.

"Very well," Queen Amelia responds. "Who is addressing us?"

"I'm just another monarch looking to join your club."

"Can I assume you are the leader of the serpents then?"

"Very astute, Queen Amelia Razork. It's good to finally speak with the founder and leader of the five realm alliance."

"If you are going to address me by name, then you should provide your own. Although manners seem to be a foreign concept to people in your realm." Amelia glances at Tyler who bows his head in shame.

"What good would my name do you? I'm afraid knowing who I am won't help you in your impossible quest. Manners won't get you very far either." The woman cackles. "Oh, and don't be too hard on the boy. After all, he did open the signal that allowed us to join your little party."

Amelia shoots a look that could kill at Tyler. She clears her throat and composes herself before answering, "What quest are you referring to?"

"Aren't you planning to invade my realm? I should warn you that the people here don't know or care how noble your cause is. They will fight you on sight just for being different from them. Consider it out first line of defense: masses of paranoid innocents, led by men, who will use nonmagical weapons to kill their brothers if they have so much as a different skin tone."

"You are assuming that I would hesitate to destroy savages like that."

"Go ahead and kill them. Please make sure that some of your troops survive to fight in the real war though."

"If you are so safe, why bother to show up here and threaten us?"

"Why resort to unnecessary bloodshed? We arranged this meeting to offer you the chance to surrender. All of the realms will fall to us, one way or another, so you might as well choose the least painful path to unification."

"I will die before my realm surrenders to you!"

"That can be arranged!" The woman cackles again, then her image disappears along with the other serpents.

"No one speak!" Amelia orders. "Since we can no longer trust this line of communication, all of us will meet in person. My messengers will inform you of the time and location of the meeting." She turns to face Marci, Dani, and Tyler. "You three better have a good explanation for what just happened!"