Chapter 10
United Nations Courtyard, Thursday, January 17, 2013, Afternoon
Luca sat calmly in front of the microphone on the table at center stage as people scurried around him, preparing for the press conference. Many officials grumbled about holding an announcement event outside in January, but Luca had been adamant about the necessity for the outdoor venue, and they’d eventually capitulated. It wasn’t every day that an ancient sovereign nation would appear out of thin air.
Despite his serene appearance, Luca couldn’t deny the trepidation that threatened to consume him. What he was about to do went against eons of Therian tradition, but the secret was already out, and this was damage control. If there was ever to be any hope of peace with and acceptance by the humans, it had to start with truth. He risked a lot by exposing hidden corners of the world, but Luca believed they risked more by not confronting the problem head-on.
Luca pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Remy.
I”m checking to ensure the website is ready for all the traffic it’s about to get.
Remy’s response was instant.
Certainly, Sire. That new vampire Amaris worked wonders with the design. The infrastructure is in place. The site won’t crash.
Luca sighed in relief. He should have known Remy had handled it. The man didn’t miss anything.
Thank you. It’s almost time. Wish me luck.
Good luck, Sire.
Luca slipped the phone back into his pocket and continued his mental preparations. He’d spent the time since his coronation negotiating favored nation status with Russia and arranging a thousand-year lease on the peninsula to make the Therian empire’s entrance into the human world official. The Kamchatka Peninsula would become a haven for Therians, and Ash would locate the vampire seat of power there. They both wanted to set their territory up as a neutral zone where the human and supernatural worlds could seamlessly blend as an example for the rest of the planet.
Ivanna and her team were never more than a few steps from Luca, and he was grateful that they were watching his back. Determined to diversify beyond dragons, she had brought half a dozen other Therian species onto the security team. She’d selected her team based on their loyalty and ability, but their impressive Therian shapes were also a consideration. Luca knew better than to argue with her and had agreed to open the King’s Guard to all Therians. His people had jumped at the chance to protect their king. That had further united the empire and ensured that attacks were thwarted long before they came to fruition.
If things went well with his shift and the resulting uproar, Ivanna and her team would also shift in turns. Luca thought it was a brilliant idea. He thanked the team for their support and told them how grateful he was for a chance to showcase the variations among their people.
“Good afternoon. Thank you for joining me here today.” Luca smiled at the gathered officials, making sure the cameras caught it. He was handsome, charming, and charismatic, and he put people at ease. He wore an expertly tailored dark blue suit that accentuated his frame with a pale blue shirt that set off his eyes, and he moved confidently.
“My name is Lucaindrion Nablyudatel. I am the king of the Therians, one of the three rulers of the Gaia Trianon, representing the citizens of the magical world. I and my people are shapeshifters who can take an animal form. We have lived among you throughout history, evolving alongside humanity. Shapeshifters represent Gaia Theria. The vampires are the citizens of Gaia Vampira, and the witches comprise Gaia Magika.”
He paused, waiting for the roar of the world leaders’ multilingual outburst to die. When they realized he couldn’t answer their shouted questions until they stopped talking, the crowd got quiet, and he continued.
“Recent events exposed humanity to the supernatural, and rather than pretending it was a hoax and continuing to hide, the leaders of the hidden world’s ruling factions are proposing a cooperative alliance with humanity.
“Many of you rightly fear the vampires’ terrifying image, but Nadya, their former queen, is dead, and the new monarch has no interest in subjugating or preying on humanity. Those were the actions of a madwoman who can no longer hurt anyone. In addition to shapeshifters and vampires, the hidden world has several powerful witch families. We have always lived among you in peace, and we wish to continue to do so.”
Luca paused, giving his listeners time to absorb his words and converse before he resumed speaking. “We can move into a new era. Therians, vampires, and witches can offer the human world magical and technological advancements, and our records of human history are unmatched and complete.
“We don’t want anything from you other than to continue living in peace. Collectively, we can move into the next stage of life on this planet, where the innate magic of the world is integrated into daily life. We can choose to rise above the things that make us different and focus on what we share. For too long, we were separated by secrecy. Humans deserve to know the truth of the world they live in and meet the stewards they share it with.
“We are willing to cooperate with and integrate into human society, but there will be no shifter registries or segregation, and vampire and witch hunters will be dealt with. We want peace and will not initiate conflict, but we can and will defend ourselves if attacked.”
That brought another round of shouts, and it was several minutes before things quieted down enough for him to continue.
“I’ve presented a lot of information, so while you absorb that, I’ll cut straight to the part that makes all this matter. I will shift on camera and prove that what I’ve said is true. I am a dragon. I will remove all my clothing and change, so if nudity offends you, look away.
“I will not attack, nor will I make any aggressive moves. I will retain my shape for ten minutes to give your cameras ample time to gather evidence from every angle, and then I will shift back to my human shape. If everyone remains calm, I will take questions at that point. If things continue to be civil, the members of my King’s Guard have agreed to shift and show their Therian forms.”
Without waiting for a response, Luca moved to the large area of snow-covered lawn that he had requested be left clear. He moved slowly so the cameras had time to add censorship bars as he stripped. When he stood naked, Luca called the magic that fueled his change, willing it to go slowly so everyone watching would know that he and his change were real.
Blue lightning crackled over his skin, arcing over the dark markings that spanned his body from shoulder to thigh. Luca’s eyes glowed, and the air around him swirled with focused magic. He let the power move through him, reshaping him from a two hundred-and-thirty-pound man into a seventy-foot-long dragon that weighed two tons. His body was covered with cobalt-blue scales that shimmered in the winter sunlight. The blue darkened to black, and each scale was edged with silver. Silver and black horns protruded from his head, and his long tail had a cluster of sharp spikes.
Luca couldn’t see the people through the camera flashes, but his only job was to be seen. Those who didn’t see it live would see the video. He moved to show different angles of his body while Ivanna kept anyone from getting close to him. After ten minutes, he returned to his human form and dressed. He smiled and waved at the crowd and the cameras as he returned to the podium on the stage.
His eyes still glowing from the magic of the shift, Luca grinned as he leaned toward the microphone. “Now, who has questions?”
The attendees fired questions at him that he couldn’t hope to hear, let alone answer. “Please calm down. I can’t hear any of you. If you form a line, we will set up a microphone. Everyone will get their turn.”
There was a mad scramble to form a line, but the world’s leaders managed to conduct themselves appropriately. The representative from the United Kingdom was the first in line.
“Where are Therians located? How can an ‘ancient sovereign nation’ just appear?” he asked.
Luca smiled. “Now that the contracts are in place, I am happy to announce that Gaia Theria’s seat of power is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. After negotiating favored nation status, we have secured a one-thousand-year lease on the peninsula, even though the Therians lived on that land long before Russia was a country.
“Though the peninsula isn’t heavily populated, numerous human cities exist in what is now Therian territory. Humans are welcome there, but anyone who does not wish to continue living on the peninsula can contact the Therian embassy. We will purchase your property for higher than market value and help cover your moving expenses.
“Those who stay will be granted dual Russian-Therian citizenship. We will have customs and an immigration process like any other country for visitors and immigrants. We don’t want anyone to feel trapped. Simply put, if you don’t want to be there, we don’t want you there. We will commission multiple colleges, where humans can study our historical archives and other collected knowledge.”
The next question came from the Argentine representative. “If your seat of power is located in Russia, is that the only place Therians live? How does a country go about negotiating favored nation status?”
“We are legal citizens of every nation on Earth, and there are different species’ strongholds in multiple countries. Regarding negotiating favored nation status, contact the Therian embassy in your country once it’s established to inquire about specific requirements.”
The Italian representative spoke next. “How many Therian species are there?”
“There are one hundred Therian species. Some bloodlines died out over the centuries, though.” Luca nodded at Ivanna, who gestured for her six team members to spread across the open field while she remained by the king’s side. “If you turn your attention to the lawn again, you will see representatives of the tiger, wolf, horse, bear, moose, and raven shifters.”
The shifters were all several times larger than their animal counterparts, and they were an impressive bunch. They each stayed in their Therian forms for ten minutes as the onlookers stared in awe, then returned to their human shapes.
The next question came from the German representative. “Why did the hidden world stay secret for so long?”
Luca laughed bitterly. “Salem. The Spanish Inquisition. Nazis. Apartheid. Slavery. Racism. Human history proves that anything different or misunderstood will be punished. Fear of the unknown can lead to violence and misunderstandings. There was no need for anyone to die, and until recently, it didn’t seem that humanity was ready for the truth. Superstition and a lack of accurate knowledge can be dangerous. Rumors and lies kill as easily as weapons.”
The Australian representative asked, “Why reveal yourselves now, then?”
“Nadya pushed the timeline by killing a news anchor on live television and declaring the vampire race superior, but I had always planned to reveal our presence after I ascended to the throne. Also, technology has advanced to the point that this message will be spread worldwide before the press conference is over. Until now, that could not have happened, and it was a large factor in our decision.”
“You’re asking us to trust vampires?” The French representative scoffed. “By all accounts, they feed on human blood. How are we supposed to reconcile that with the peaceful image of them you portray?”
Luca shook his head. “It’s not my job to convince you that vampires aren’t dangerous, and it would be a lie. Of course, they”re dangerous. So am I. So are you. It is not my place to speak about vampire affairs, and it violates our peace treaties for me to do so. I can arrange a meeting with their new monarch, but I will not speak about her or her motivations beyond my sincere belief they are genuine.”
He answered questions patiently for another hour before calling the press conference to a close. Some of the representatives were shivering, and it wasn’t fair to keep them standing outside.
“Thank you all for coming and for your interest in my people. I’m afraid that’s all the time I have for today. Please visit TherianEmpire.com for the answers to many of your questions and the contact information to establish a Therian embassy in your country.” Snow began falling. “I imagine we will see each other again soon, and next time, we can meet inside.”
Luca and the other Therians moved swiftly toward the parking lot, eager to be away from the noise of the crowd, who’d gathered in groups for frantic conversation. When he was behind the tinted windows of his SUV, he breathed a sigh of relief. That had gone much better than he’d hoped, but the next few days would show how humanity reacted.
“Thank you, Ivanna,” he began as she drove toward the airport. “Please express my gratitude to your people as well, though I will thank them in person. They went above and beyond today, and I won’t forget it.”
“You’re welcome, Sire. We were all honored to serve you today. Also, thank you for allowing me to expand the King’s Guard.”
Luca smiled. “You were right, and it would have been foolish not to listen. I spent many years around Nikoli’s guards, and they had no sense of purpose or unity. Your people feel like a team, and you’re a great leader. We’re lucky to have you, and it’s important that you feel valued and appreciated.”
Ivanna grinned at him in the rearview mirror as she skillfully merged onto the interstate. “Thank you, Luca. That’s a lovely thing to say. You’ve been a damn fine king so far. We’re lucky to have you, too. Now, let’s go home.”