A Dragon's Tale
Copyright© 2022 by Antiproton
Chapter 75: Plausible Deniability
Fantasy Sex Story: Chapter 75: Plausible Deniability - An accident + Magic = A man's mind in a dragon's body. After being pulled into a high-fantasy world of elves, magic, and airships, our hero finds himself chased by lords, hunted by mages, and fighting to protect and nurture those he loves while also fighting his new dragon instincts. I promise a happy ending to this character-driven saga, but don't forget: "the course of true love never did run smooth".
Caution: This Fantasy Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Fa/Fa Mult Consensual Mind Control Reluctant Romantic Lesbian BiSexual Heterosexual High Fantasy Restart Magic non-anthro MaleDom Light Bond Group Sex Harem Polygamy/Polyamory Cream Pie First Oral Sex Pregnancy Slow
The King leaned back in his chair on the balcony above the conclave’s meeting room in Illuminar’s temple in Nalatia. It was late afternoon and the sun was streaming through the large, stained-glass windows positioned at regular intervals around the circular room. As befitted such a room, it was white with subtle gold trim around the edges, though only as accents and not a main feature.
Below the balcony and out of his sight, dozens of luminars were gathered since the High Priest, Plesius, had called this conclave after hearing the Prophet’s homily in the throne room earlier that day. The King himself was there to see which way the conclave would decide. Personally, he hoped they would side with the Prophet, not that he would give voice to such a hope; it would not be appropriate for The King to express an opinion outside the bounds of orthodoxy.
“My king?” Delabor whispered from the room’s door, which he had cracked open.
The King beckoned him into the room in silence so that he wouldn’t disturb the deliberations below.
“My King, The Queen sent me to ask what celebration you would consider appropriate after Kendra Ejder regained partial feeling in one of her toes, and thus will likely make a full recovery.”
The King smiled, glad that the Prophet’s wife would recover; it would be a true shame if she did not. “It should be left to the Prophet, though we will offer a dinner. They have had a trying day after the ambush, and allowing them the opportunity for a peaceful and relaxing evening to rest and recuperate would be prudent.”
“You are wise my king.” Delabor bowed.
“Come, join me for a few minutes.” The King said, as Delabor was literally the only other non-luminar who was allowed onto this balcony. Normally, the meetings of the conclave were private. However, The King was allowed to listen from this balcony as long as he was quiet and remained out of sight so he didn’t disturb the proceedings. And because The King could not be out of contact with the kingdom, The King’s herald was allowed as well.
“You are most generous, my King.” Delabor whispered, bowed, then sat down in the only other seat next to The King’s. “If I might ask, how go the deliberations?”
“Plesius repeated the Prophet’s case to the conclave, and it has caused quite the stir.” The King replied.
“That is not surprising my king.” Delabor nodded. “If I might entreat your insight once again, I would ask how the luminars are receiving such information.”
“They are just now coming to a conclusion, so you may listen yourself.” The King said, gesturing toward the railing, and Plesius’s voice was audible from below and out of sight.
“Brothers in the faith.” The High Priest began. “As our King -- long may he reign -- pointed out, to the elf looking through blue glass, all the world appears blue. While I would not recommend that we change our position on such an important issue after a mere afternoon of consideration, I humbly submit that all of us -- perhaps myself most of all -- have been looking at this issue through blue glass.”
Delabor smiled. “Plesius appears to have changed his mind.”
The King nodded slowly. “Indeed.”
Another luminar down below -- whom of course they couldn’t see -- began to speak. “If, perhaps, it is true that we in our culture are looking through blue glass, then perhaps prudence would suggest that we consult luminars from other cultures. I do believe we have here the esteemed and honorable luminar from Illuminar’s temple -- blessed be He--” Everyone echoed the sentiment. “--in Arcanum, Adrian Kossel. Perhaps he could share his perspective?”
There was a general murmur of agreement.
There was a moment’s pause, then another man spoke, probably Luminar Kossel. “I would be honored to address this esteemed conclave, but I am here merely as an observer.”
“Then please, remove the garb of an observer and assume the role of a participant.” Plesius replied. “Further, it is your observations that the conclave would hear, so your prior role as an observer would increase your qualification to speak, not reduce it.”
Someone chuckled, probably Luminar Kossel, then spoke. “Honored members of the conclave, I should, perhaps, make you aware that I traveled part of my journey here on the Argo, and as such, I might be biased. That said...” He paused. “The case that Ethan Ejder made and Plesius restated appears to be clad in dragon steel. I can find no way around it that doesn’t violate the command of Illuminar -- blessed be He.”
“Blessed be He.” Everyone echoed, then there was a murmur among the luminars below. To The King’s ears, it sounded mostly like a murmur of agreement.
“Alana Ejder had no part in her mother’s shame, and assuredly was not even conceived until hours after it was completed.” Luminar Kossel continued. “Given that she did not exist until hours later, she cannot be shamed by the deed that created her, unless the sins of her mother can be transferred to her.”
“The child shall not bear the guilt of the parent.” Plesius recited the quote from the Book of Light.
“Exactly.” Luminar Kossel replied. “It is also true that while the evidence of her mother’s shame needed no trial because it was obvious to all, no trial was convened to condemn Alana Ejder, and two or three witnesses weren’t presented. If a trial had been convened, then perhaps the litigator for the defense would have quoted that passage from the Book of Light and the ‘blue glass’ might’ve been removed sooner.”
There was a general murmur of assent from the room.
“Brothers of the conclave, are we agreed that the argument presented is not only meritorious and worthy of further consideration, but also that the case is strong enough to establish the aforementioned position as a legitimate point of disagreement in the faith, which is within the bounds of orthodoxy, and thus it can be held without dishonor?” Plesius asked. “All in favor?”
There was a loud chorus of “Aye.”
“Opposed?” Plesius asked.
Relatively few voices replied: “Nay.”
“We shall reconvene in the morning at sunrise.” Plesius said. “Until then, I ask that you join me in prayer and fasting for wisdom and direction on this topic from Illuminar -- blessed be He.”
The whole room echoed the sentiment.
“The Prophet appears to function as a prophet usually does; upsetting long-held traditions.” Delabor said with a smile as the noise of many men rising and collecting their things filled the room.
“He does indeed.” The King nodded, a small smile on his face as he considered what he’d just heard.
Perhaps thirty seconds later, the door behind him opened and Plesius spoke. “My king.”
“Enter Plesius.” The King said.
The High Priest entered and then bowed deeply.
“My king, I shall attend to other tasks.” Delabor rose, bowed to The King and then Plesius, then left.
Once the door had closed, Plesius spoke. “My king, can a high priest who has made such a grievous error regarding such fundamental teachings of Illuminar -- blessed be He -- remain in his post? Should not an honorable high priest who has displayed such grievous error in judgement resign and make way for another who will not fail the God of Light so completely?”
The King had seen Plesius in many moods and dispositions before, but none like this one. His posture wasn’t as straight as usual, nor were his eyes filled with their usual light and zeal. His tone, expression, and body language ironically reminded The King of the Prophet when he had told Ethan of his blunder in the public verbal altercation with Plesius.
“It is not The King who has authority in such matters.” The King replied. “As I said when we discussed your verbal altercation with the Prophet, mistakes are an unavoidable part of life. One cannot wipe them away, so one must live with them by doing one’s best to rectify them.”
“You are wise, my king.” Plesius bowed. “I confess to not understanding how one who has failed so utterly could honorably remain in such a high position.” His tone was even, but it still reminded The King of the Prophet’s tone during the rebuke.
“Every luminar in the kingdom would be in such a position.” The King replied. “It would not be good for the spiritual health of the nation if every luminar did as you suggest.”
Plesius paused a moment before speaking. “Might I have leave to speak freely my king?”
“It is so granted.” He replied.
“I have failed.” His shoulders slumped. “I do not know how I will look my wife or children in the eye after this failure, and I feel unworthy to wear the robes of a high priest.” He swallowed. “I have memorized the entire Book of Light and read the relevant passages countless times. For a high priest to miss them is inexcusable. I have no defense, I have no explanation; I have failed the singular duty of a luminar, and especially a High Priest: to exposit the Book of Light accurately for the edification of Illuminar’s faithful -- blessed be He.”
“Blessed be He.” The King echoed. He intended to reply, but Plesius continued.
“And now, it is yet worse.” Plesius swallowed. “I am now forced to face the genuine possibility that Ethan Ejder is no false prophet, but a true one, for would a false prophet wish to expose such an error? If that be the case, and little else seems likely, then I have found myself not only promulgating false doctrine, but also decrying a true prophet as a false one, and thereby resisting the will of Illuminar Himself -- blessed be He.”
“Blessed be He.” The King echoed, then smiled. “Come, Plesius, sit a moment with me.” He indicated the chair that Delabor had recently vacated.
Clearly not wanting to, but also clearly unwilling to defy a direct command from The King, Plesius obliged.
“You are one of the youngest High Priests in the history of the wood elven realm.” The King began. “Additionally, you have led such an exemplary life that the pangs of true failure are not as common to you as they would be to many of your age.” He turned in his seat to look Plesius directly in the eye. “Failure is a part of life. Not one mortal has avoided suffering it, for only the God of Light cannot fail.”
The High Priest didn’t reply, but he didn’t look comforted either.
“Yes, you have made a grievous error; so has every other mortal since the first, all the way up to the present day.” The King said. “None is immune from such errors, and to believe yourself above them is to place yourself in the company of Illuminar Himself -- blessed be He.”
“Blessed be He.” Plesius replied, but The King thought it was more of an automatic response than anything else.
“The conclave chose you to be the high priest, knowing that you were mortal and thus would fail at times, and likely more than other candidates.” The King continued. “Perhaps you do not remember the discussions surrounding your appointment, but I recall them well. The other luminars believed that you might stumble more than other candidates because of your relative youth, but considered you to be the best choice regardless, despite your flaws.”
Plesius made a thoughtful sound.
“As the proverb goes: to err is mortal; to forgive is divine.” The King added. “You are a man of strong passions who has never lacked for zeal. Turn that zeal toward correcting your mistake, to making amends for the mistakes you have made. There is little else a mortal can do when he does suffer failure.” He looked at him pointedly. “And fortunately, this failure can be rectified.”
Plesius nodded. “I will endeavor to do so.”
He looked a little better. Not a lot, but a little.
“I expected nothing less.” The King smiled, then an idea occurred to him. It was, perhaps, an extremely poor idea. However, he saw great potential for much good in it, and for more than just Plesius.
Hmm.
Yes...
Yes, that could indeed be a good thing for all parties involved.
“Plesius, I am of a mind to have yourself and your wife dine with The Queen and myself tonight.” The King said after another moment of thought.
Plesius’s eyes widened for a moment, then he head bowed. “We would be most honored, great King.”
“However, it might not be just the four of us.” The King said with a smile.
“Dear lord in heaven, what a day.” Ethan sighed. He was sitting on one of the couches in their new Nalatia suite that The King had offered them after the ambush earlier that day. Kendra and Sarah were next to him, the former trying in vain to get her toe to move while the latter merely sat quietly, almost pensively. Both were leaning on him though, which meant it was almost impossible for his heart to not be happy.
“You aren’t kidding.” Alana replied. She was curled up in the corner of another couch next to Rachel, who yawned.
“Why do I feel like it should be midnight five days from now?” The redhead said when she’d finished her yawn. Her hair faded from red at the roots to blonde at the tips, making it look like her head was on fire with the lamp that was directly behind her.
“Because we could all sleep until then.” Selene replied, then echoed Rachel’s yawn. On her lap, Thor was curled up and snoozing away.
“Amen.” Beth said after everyone had finished their echoing yawns. “Sadly, we can’t.” She paused, then looked at Ethan. “Or at least you can’t. That tournament in Ivernia is starting in two days ... or three days?” She cocked her head to one side. “Tomorrow? What day is it?”
Everyone chuckled.
“The tournament isn’t for a few days.” Kendra said. “If Ethan goes by himself, he could leave at dawn in two days to register.”
“Oh, because...” He frowned, then looked at her. “I was going to take Alana, Rachel, you, and Selene with me, but since you can’t walk, I doubt you could fly an airship.”
“Worse, I would be a liability if we were attacked.” Kendra said. “I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to recover fully. It could be two days; it could be two weeks.” Probably because it was only Ethan and his wives, Kendra made no attempt to hide the sullenness in her tone.
“That means we can’t come either.” Alana waggled her finger between herself, Rachel, and Selene. “We can’t fly an airship, and we can’t get there quickly enough without one.”
“Master, I could fly Kendra’s airship.” Taloni volunteered.
“Is that a good idea?” Kendra asked. “You’re getting much better at slinging, but that leaves only Selene as a defender if you are attacked since I won’t be there. Too many ranged fighters and not enough melee fighters could leave you vulnerable.”
“Ignoring how much I want to go, tactically, Ethan going by himself is probably the best choice.” Selene sighed. “If something happens, he can just fly away. Even if Kendra was at full strength, if the shit hits the fan, we would still need to get to the airship to leave, and hope they didn’t have any airships with archers nearby.”
Everyone except Ethan stared at her.
“What would ... uh, ‘poop’ be doing on a fan?” Beth asked as she scrunched up her face in disgust.
Ethan and Selene laughed, then had to explain what the expression meant.
“I hate to agree with Selene’s point, but I do.” Alana said.
“Sadly, me too.” Rachel nodded.
“But on the bright side, if you don’t need to match the speed of an airship, you’ll only be gone three or four days.” Beth said brightly
“Someone has been spending a lot of time with Victoria.” Tee teased, but she grinned as well.
“Or Monty Python: Look on the bright side of life!” Selene chuckled, which of course led to her and Ethan explaining that reference as well.
Everyone laughed as Selene explained the antics of the British comedy show, leading Ethan to internally breathe a sigh of relief. He had been worried that after the ambush, things might become more somber and feel less like a family. However, to their credit, his wives appeared to be taking Monty Python’s advice and looking on the bright side of life. Either that, or perhaps they had been spending more time with Victoria lately. Either way, he was glad.
“Speaking of the tournament, did Elder Goman finish with the improved disguise gem yet?” Selene asked when she was done explaining.
“He hasn’t sent it if he has, but it’s only been a few days.” Alana paused. “Wow, it feels like a few months.”
“No kidding.” Ethan nodded.
They talked about that for another few minutes before there was a knock at the door.
“The honorable Delabor King’s Herald is here to see you, honored Prophet.” One of the Lightguard said through the door.
“Thank you, send him in.” Ethan replied.
The door opened and Delabor entered, then bowed deeply. “Honored Prophet, The King would like to extend an invitation for dinner, but before you make a decision, his majesty wished you to know that there would be a surprise guest. If you decline, The King will still provide food from his own kitchens for your evening meal, and in fact, all of your meals as long as you remain our guest.”
“Thank you, that’s really generous.” Ethan smiled, then hesitated. “A surprise guest, huh?”
“That is correct, honored Prophet.” Delabor confirmed.
“Well, I think The King has earned some trust.” Ethan said after a moment, and all his wives agreed.
“I shall return when everything is prepared.” Delabor bowed, then left.
“Well, we might be in for an interesting dinner.” Rachel mused.
“You have a guess who it is?” Alana asked her.
“Maybe.” The redhead replied with a tiny smile.
Alana put her hands on Kendra’s wheelchair so it didn’t move under her while Ethan set her in it. Selene would have, but she was stowing Thor safely in another room so he couldn’t escape. The wood elf would’ve preferred that the wheelchair wasn’t necessary, but at least her fellow wife would recover fully.
“I’m grateful that The King provided the mobile chair, but I hate needing it.” Kendra said, a slight edge in her tone as she used her arms to resettle her legs.
“You’ll get better.” Ethan said with a grin. “And then I’ll spend some time making sure full sensation has returned below the waist...”
Kendra smiled faintly at that.
Sarah blushed.
“Don’t worry, you’ll look forward to it too.” Alana assured her, though she added a sliver of slyness to her tone to tease the girl. She needed some lighthearted teasing after what had happened earlier.
With Kendra in her wheelchair, Alana set off with the rest of her family, following Delabor toward what ended up being a large outdoor structure that was like a gazebo. It was rectangular with white supports, though it took Alana a moment to realize that they were living trees with white bark. The ‘roof’ was made from living tree branches that had been artfully interwoven to create a trellis-like ceiling, over which were the leaves that created the actual ‘roof’. The air was warm enough to be comfortable, but she could tell that the heat of summer was giving way to the cooler evenings of fall.
The King, The Queen, Ahjah, and Thea were already there, but Alana highly doubted that Ahjah and Thea were the surprise dinner companions.
“Greetings, honored Prophet.” The King head bowed, then turned to Alana and looked her in the eye. “Greetings, Alana Ejder.”
Alana froze, stopping almost mid-stride.
Her mouth fell open and her eyes went wide.
“Did you just...?” Ethan said with obvious disbelief in his tone.
“I did.” The King nodded, then individually greeted every single one of Ethan’s wives by name as he looked them in the eye, Taloni and Rachel included.
∗Close your mouth, a bug might fly in.∗ Ethan thought to Alana in a teasing tone as she stood there almost dumbstruck.
“It is wonderful to be able to greet you properly my lovely niece.” The Queen said with a radiant smile, then swooped in and gave the still-stunned wood elf a huge hug.
It took Alana a full five seconds to realize that what was happening was indeed actually happening. When it finally hit her, she hugged The Queen back tightly.
“Not too tight dear, I don’t need to lose that much weight.” The Queen said with a jovial air.
Alana let go and leaned back to see The Queen beaming radiantly at her. “You know, I helped your mother pick your name.”
“You did?” Alana asked.
“Of course.” The Queen nodded. “My sister was always smiling whenever we were discussing you, since long before you were born.”
It was Alana’s turn to beam.
“So, it sounds like my speech had some effect?” Ethan asked, also beaming.
“Almost as large as the effect your roar had on the general populace.” The King replied. “A near panic set in until the news spread that you and your wives were attacked, after which I believe every elf in the city said a prayer for you. But yes, your speech did indeed have an effect, and not just on myself. It also had a rather large effect on the surprise dinner guests.”
“Who are they?” Beth asked.
“Patience; they will arrive soon.” The King replied, then looked at Ethan. “You and he have had your differences. However, I believe if you put aside past events, you will likely find an ally in your future endeavors.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Alana saw Rachel’s smile widen ever so slightly.
“Oh?” Ethan asked.
“Yes, honored prophet.” The King replied. “But come, take a seat; he and his wife will arrive soon.”
∗Rachel, do you know who it is?∗ Beth asked the group chat.
∗I have a guess.∗ The redhead replied, her tone indicating that she wasn’t going to share that guess.
Everyone sat down and the servants brought some refreshing drink that tasted vaguely of citrus, but Alana couldn’t identify the specific flavor. There were two unoccupied seats leftover, which she assumed were for the mystery guests.
“Um, before the other guests arrive, there’s something I wanted to ask.” Thea said, then looked at The King, took a deep breath, and spoke. “Could Lord Farbrottan be officially uninvited to my coming-of-age ball?”
Ethan’s face suddenly became a bit ... stiff.
“I know that’s a serious thing.” Thea added. “And I know it might be a diplomatic mistake, but after that ambush earlier, I don’t want him there.”
Everyone looked at the King.
“He is almost certainly already in transit.” The King said after a moment. “It would require turning him away at our borders, which would indeed cause manifold diplomatic problems. However...” He looked at Ethan. “ ... recent events have provided ample reason to dis-invite him, as he seeks to kill the Prophet of Illuminar -- blessed be He.”
“Is that a yes?” Thea asked.
“It must be done properly.” The King replied. “An official proclamation recognizing Ethan as a true Prophet, followed by a statement that he is under the protection of the crown while within our borders. After that, anyone who threatens him harm will not be tolerated in this kingdom.”
“Um, what about Fiona’s husband, Lord Delmar?” Sarah asked.
“His bounty is ‘alive only’.” The King replied. “Given that, he will be allowed to remain. However, any hostile action taken toward the Prophet or his wives will result in his immediate expulsion from our kingdom.”
Thea opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it and nodded. Alana looked at Ethan, who had nodded his head in concession, though he was frowning as well.
He looked at her and thought to the group chat. ∗I get that a king has to deal with people he doesn’t like, and I’m really grateful for his protection and all his help, but it still rubs me the wrong way that Lord Delmar will be at Thea’s coming-of-age ball, especially since it doesn’t seem like she wants him there.∗
∗Yeah, I understand as well, but right, I don’t like it either.∗ Alana said.
Rachel bit her lip and looked down slightly, so Alana reached out under the table, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. The redhead glanced at her and half-smiled at her, but it didn’t reach her eyes. For as much as they loved each other and supported each other, sometimes, you just couldn’t help certain kinds of hurts.
∗Thea agrees.∗ Selene replied. ∗However, like you said, dealing with people you’d rather not is part of ruling. Thea says that the wood elven kingdom does a lot of trade with Narlotten, but far less with Ivernia because they don’t produce much that the wood elves want, and most of the people in Ivernia are too poor to afford the kind of goods wood elves usually make.∗
“Thank you.” Ethan said aloud to The King after a moment. “Not having Lord Farbrottan here will be one less thing for us to have to worry about, and I appreciate it.”
“You are welcome.” The King nodded at him. “You should, perhaps, work on your -- as The Queen might say -- your ‘indoor expressions’ concerning Lord Delmar.” He smiled.
Ethan chuckled. “Like an ‘indoor voice’; nice.”
“It is The Queen’s turn of phrase.” The King said, then looked at his wife fondly.
The Queen smiled. “Our daughters were beginning to get a reputation for displaying all that they felt on their faces, though they had mastered their tones much more quickly. Thus, I thought it was appropriate.”
They talked for another few minutes before The King stood, then beckoned to a servant who was standing at the door of a magnificent nearby building.
“Our final guests have arrived.” The King said, then looked at Ethan and his wives. “Do please use your ‘indoor expressions’ for our guests; if you will overlook the brown leaves of the past, I believe you will find green ones in the future.”
Alana looked toward the door as the servant opened it to see--
Her jaw dropped.
It was the High Priest of Illuminar, Plesius, and a woman who could only be his wife, given the way she was clutching his arm.
Selene took The King’s advice and used her ‘indoor expressions’ as she saw the newcomers. Ethan and Plesius had come to verbal blows only a few days before, and now they were coming to dinner? That really didn’t seem like a good idea. Although...
Huh.
Something was different about the High Priest. She couldn’t tell exactly what, but definitely something. He wasn’t standing quite so stiffly straight, his nose wasn’t in the air, and instead of a confident, bordering on arrogant expression, he looked pensive and introspective.
His wife looked, there was no other word for it: frail. She was shorter than he was and it looked like she was genuinely clutching Plesius’s arm for support, not as a social convention. She was about Alana’s size, but whereas Selene’s fellow wife was toned and almost wiry, Plesius’s wife was just plain thin. Her clothes draped in such a way that it was obvious that she was thinner than was strictly healthy.
Despite that though, she had a warm, kind smile and caring eyes. Something about her reminded Selene of Ruth or Anthiel. She wasn’t sure what or why, but she was definitely reminded of them.
“Honored Prophet, you already know Plesius Zaluhar, called High Priest.” The King said as they arrived. “This is his wife, Epheny Zaluhar, called Blight Survivor.”
“Greetings.” Plesius said, then head bowed.
“Hello.” Epheny said with genuine warmth in her tone as she clung to her husband’s arm. “I’m honored to meet you.” Her tone sounded simultaneously both frail and strong, like the vocal cords making it were weak, but the will driving them was anything but.
“This is Ethan Ejder, called Illuminar’s Prophet -- blessed be the God of Light -- and His wives; Alana, Beth, Taloni, Rachel, Kendra, Selene, and the Prophet’s Betrothed, Sarah.” The King said, indicating each in turn.
Ethan and his wives all said ‘hi’ as well, though there was a bit of awkwardness around the table.
Epheny looked around at all of them. Her eyes hesitated for a moment on both Kendra and Sarah, but eventually landed on Selene. The Brazilian woman got the uncomfortable feeling that the elven woman could see right through her, though she wasn’t sure why she got that impression.
“If I might be a bother, might I sit next to Mrs. Selene Ejder?” Epheny asked after a moment.
“Um, sure.” Taloni -- who had been sitting on Selene’s one side while Kendra was on the other -- hopped up and moved to an open seat.
“Would you please?” Epheny said to her husband, and he helped her to the seat and into it.
Any amount of residual dislike of Plesius mostly evaporated for Selene as she watched this. The High Priest was careful, kind, and tender with his wife, who obviously needed help to get into the seat.
“Thank you dear.” Epheny said to him warmly.
Thereafter, Plesius took the only remaining seat, the one on The Queen’s left hand. That seat was opposite Ethan, which Selene wasn’t sure was intentional or not.
“Plesius.” Ethan said with a nod of the head.