It turned out we’d only finished round one.
I didn’t win the next two.
After our tussle, Kaoshin and I returned to the hall where we’d been drinking. This time when he offered me a drink, I declined. Was more than done with the idiotic traditions of the Seven Celestial Chains.
“Well, not like I can call you a daisy for not drinking after those fights, can I?” Without waiting for a response, Kaoshin slammed back his own drink with a wide grin. “Ah, it feels good to do that without having to dip my nose in or worry ‘bout it spilling down my chin.”
“Glad I could help,” I said, drawing a blue slushie out of my storage pendant.
“Boy, you think on what I said about us being your warriors. We know the darkness that dwells in the hidden valleys. Seen more than most. If you’re honest about this empire of yours, you’re gonna need the Seven Celestial Chains,” Kaoshin said, setting his stone mug to the side, the uneven stone clicking repeatedly as it fought to find balance.
Seemed like a fitting metaphor for the runemarked warriors themselves.
What would it cost us, to have warriors like them? What would we get in exchange?
The Vox Knights were training our guards, and we’d have a force of Kinya users. But they were being taught how to be Vox Knights. And as good as the knights were, the mountains weren’t their home.
Vaserra knew the mountains… but mostly she knew the ones close to Cape Aeternia.
At the very least, Sidhe would want to get information out of them. Heck, she might even use them as agents. The thought of Kaoshin as an undercover operative made me snort into my blue slushie.
Kaoshin had been respecting my silence, letting me think. “Something funny, boy?”
“Yeah, realized your kids are going to have to look up to you again,” I said, finishing off the slushie then packing the cup away.
“Ha!” Kaoshin barked out, slapping my arm. “You better watch it, or I’ll set you up with my great-granddaughter. She’s about your age.”
“Already taken,” I said, holding up a hand. No way I wanted to get into that again. It’d already been messy enough with Tamrie and Ari.
“Good ones always are,” Kaoshin grumbled. Then he grinned. “Course, that doesn’t explain you, does it?”
It wasn’t much later that I bid him farewell for the evening, though it took a while to escape his effusive goodbyes. Turned out he appreciated me. I didn’t bother sleeping in their stronghold or returning on the trian, using Recall to return home. Soon as I could round them up, I spent a relaxing couple hours inside Memory Palace with Ari and Bevel.
The next day, we had an entirely new set of plans. During our time inside Memory Palace, Ari convinced me that the Seven Celestial Chains would be useful. After all, they were warriors used to rescuing people in the mountains. The sanctuary thing was something they took seriously, even if it hadn’t been the core focus of the group I visited. While they were more than a little rough around the edges and not prone to charity, they were good at the job. Having a few Untethered accompany a squad of their warriors would combine our superior scouting with their combat ability.
If we could improve the Untethered’s equipment, it’d be even better.
Unfortunately, while we had plenty of nature materials, a lot of the more interesting materials were in short supply. Even when trading with Spellford. Honestly, expanding our equipment was a tall order when we were struggling to keep up with the current demands. The politics of Terra Vista and its civil war had caused trade to its interior to dry up. While there were signs that might be settling, it’d be a while before we saw much on that front. If I could somehow bypass them and get to the Forgelands, that had promise, but there wasn’t any way I could see to get there.
Still, what was the point of having a Master of Information, if she couldn’t get me information?
As had apparently become her habit, Sidhe was seated at the table on the balcony outside the World’s End Tavern. This time she had a tall fluted glass filled with a crimson liquid. The glasses were just one sign of how much trade we’d been doing with Spellford recently.
“You want me to acquire more diverse affinity materials?” Instead of looking over Tetherfall from her table in Esbee’s, Sidhe turned to stare at me, an eyebrow raised over her black eyes. “You want to mass produce more than your emergency artifacts?”
“They’re not enough. We’ve got plenty of folk rolling in but no resources coming with them.” I rubbed at my neck. “We can’t maintain a stockpile ‘cause everything but nature materials are snapped up almost as fast as we find them. Even hunting monsters isn’t getting us enough materials these days.”
“I have a potential solution for you.”
“Wow. You really are a Master of Information. Didn’t even have to talk to anyone.”
“The refugee group you spoke to yesterday, led by matriarch Felith? They’ve been making some rather unique requests. Unique and expensive requests. And they don’t have much to pay with. However, she hinted at a valley overflowing with such materials.”
“She already refused me,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “Didn’t get the impression she was interested in trade.”
“Perhaps her mind has changed. Worth an hour to check.”
“Yeah, it’s worth poking my nose into. But even if she has a bunch stashed away wherever she came from, we’ll need to secure it. It’s a catch 22.”
“I’m unfamiliar with that phrase.”
“Uh. I’m not sure of the origin, but it basically means that… that the problem loops back around, I think? Not important. The point is that we’ll need to station people to secure the source instead of rescuing people.”
“If you acquire the location, I’m certain you can find the it easily enough. Assuming it’s real,” Sidhe said, turning back to looking out over the valley and sipping from her fluted glass. “And the Vox Knights are looking to test their newest recruits. This seems like a good fit.”
“Good. That’s… have you seen Bevel?” I’d been halfway through standing when a thought struck me.
“She was floating around near Inertia’s camp half an hour ago.” Was a little creepy she knew that, but I supposed it was her job. Should probably make sure we were paying her properly.
“Thanks,” I said as I departed, leaping off Esbee’s patio and flying up out of the chasm.
Sure enough, Bevel was hanging out, quite literally, at the airship. The nets hung over the frame gave it a strange look, but I couldn’t deny they were easier to move than typical scaffolding.
Plus the Untethered preferred the nets.
“Hey, how do you feel about making some new friends?” I asked Bevel after she’d dropped down beside me.
“Depends. Are they magic friends?” Bevel waved her hands, causing the air to ripple and show images of Tender and its raptors.
“They might know a little magic? I think they’re just regular folk,” I said with a soft chuckle.
Releasing the net, Bevel hopped forward on one foot. “Ugh. I guess I could try. Is it important that I like them?”
“I mean, not sure it’s worth being someone’s friend if you don’t. Otherwise, it might be best to downgrade them to ‘person I know’.”
“Kay. Who’re the new maybe friends?”
“There’s this group of refugees who came in yesterday. They’re led by this matriarch…” I explained everything I knew about Felith and her group as we strapped into our gliders before making our way to their camp.
Their general aloofness and her apparent talent with magic was enough to entice my daughter, so a short time later, we were circling over the site of Felith and her family. It was… well, the way Felith had been talking, I’d thought they might have Earth mages in their numbers. Or at least proficient outdoorsmen.
If they did, they were underutilized. Her group was barely sheltered. And that was with us providing them heavy duty fabric and framing. They must’ve turned down the assisted set up. Even an hour of an Untethered’s time would’ve set the whole place in order.
While most of the camp was disorganized, there was an obvious exception near the middle. A single oversized tent was secured with more than twice the number of needed supports. Even if we weren’t in the calmer spring months, it’d be overkill. Most of the adult members of their group seemed to be working in the area, though there was no immediate sign of Felith.
One adult noticed us circling, and soon the entire camp was watching as we descended. Figuring Felith would be in the central tent, Bevel and I set down at the edge of camp closest to it. That it was on the lip of the small plateau where they’d set up, meant it was clear of the mess. We hadn’t even finished unstrapping from the gliders before one of the white haired elves disappeared into the central tent, returning with Felith in tow. Beside her was a frazzled looking elf, though he had the horns that marked him as an one of ours. Combined with the insignia stitched into his shoulder, I realized he was one of Alister’s new aides. It seemed they did have help with their resettlement efforts. Which made the mess even more surprising.
“I had been under the impression our meeting would be a singular event,” Felith said by way of greeting, hands folded in front of her flowing white dress. “Have we offended you in some way?”
The thought that her camp’s lack of organization would offend anyone crossed my mind, but thankfully, not my lips. “Not at all. Heard you were making requests, and thought we might work out a deal.”
“I see.” She seemed to be weighing what to say next, simply standing and watching me for a few seconds before, waving me after her. “Come, we will talk over tea. Your ward can visit with the other children.”
Nodding to Bevel, encouraging her to go mingle, I followed the matriarch.
The inside of the tent was crowded to overflowing. Along one side were enough bedrolls to fill every inch of the tent twice over. If they were all sleeping in the central tent, it at least explained why the rest of the camp was neglected. Not that it’d be easy, since most of the interior was cramped with one type of production or another underway. A lot of sewing and sharpening of stakes.
It felt a bit backwards, considering the tools and magic we had at our disposal.
“I’m afraid we have little to offer in way of trade. Even before we left our home, we were a humble people,” Felith said as she had me sit at a small table near the back of the long tent. Alister’s aide stood nearby, shaking his head softly.
“You say that, but I’ve been told you’ve been offering the location of a valley rich in affinity materials. One you think is worth getting some of our better facilities and equipment. Full enclosures for greenhouse spaces, complete with growth enchantments don’t exactly grow on trees and all-weather gear with extreme condition augments? What do you even need something like that for?”
“Ah. I believe there’s been some miscommunication. I had inquired what sort of rates such might command. Your aide mistook that for requests. In fact, these are services I believe my people will be able to offer, in short order,” Felith said, pouring tea into simple clay fired cups, one for her and one for me.
The grimace on the aide’s face drew my attention. “Is that true?”
The young man looked between me and Felith. Letting out a sigh, he shook his head. “Not entirely, Magus Protectus. That might have been her purpose, but she phrased them as requests. I wrote her exact words in the messages I sent out. I even used our modified Scribe Scroll spell.”
Felith frowned, eyes narrowing at the aide. Clearly she hadn’t expected him to disagree with her.
“If you’re looking to see what you can get for those sorts of services, then you must have something you do want,” I said, taking a sip of the tea. It was earthy, with a lot of residue.
“We don’t want charity. And I’m still not taking students,” Felith said as she sipped her own cup.
“Trade, not charity. Information on that cache of affinity materials. What are its contents? Where is it? Does it have guardians? Why haven’t you harvested it yourself? If it’s worthwhile, I can set you up with several buildings. Honestly, in the time we’ve spent talking, I could’ve erected enough housing for your entire family.”
“Hmm. Perhaps.”
That was all I got out of her for the next few minutes, as she instead started interrogating me on several aspects of Cape Aeternia. Seeing as I’d come here looking for information, I indulged her, despite the fact the aide had likely answered her questions already.
Eventually, she tired of her interrogation and politely ejected me from her tent.
“I shall consider your proposal,” Felith said as we moved outside. It seemed Bevel had managed to talk to several of the teens while I’d been inside, and was showing them her glider when we emerged. A quick shout from Felith had the teens snapping to attention then scurrying away from Bevel.
“That’s all I can ask.” It really wasn’t, but I didn’t feel like pushing her would get me anything. There were other avenues to explore.
Instead, I buckled up alongside Bevel before blasting into the air. Once we were in the air, headed back to Tetherfall, I asked, “So, make any friends?”
“Maybe? They were nice, but they were all pretty scared of that lady you were talking to.”
“Scared, huh? Did they say why?”
“Nope, never talked about it. But they seemed okay, I guess. Most of ‘em know mist magic!”
“Huh. Interesting.”
The meeting quickly faded from my mind, other than to make a note to get Vednil to update me if Felith reached out. Since she was a hyrda-soul, visiting and getting to know Felith wasn’t a complete waste of time, but it felt close to one. At least Bevel and I were able to race each other on our way back to Tetherfall.
With so many refugees coming in, our healing rods were in high demand. I spent an hour making the rods we’d devised. They used cheap tier-1 materials for a third Order spell, so they’d only last a few casts each, but already they’d saved lives on several occasions, according to Alister’s reports. A better return on time than my meeting with Felith.
As I had that thought, I realized I was a bit bitter. And not just at her. The entire state of the Frigid Peaks was something that shouldn’t have happened.
Of course, as everyone seemed so insistent on telling me lately, I was in charge of my own little empire.
Maybe it was time to address this from another angle.
When I came from the Aranor estates, I’d brought a collection of seeds and grafts to grow rare affinity plants. That could be expanded upon.
If no one had the materials we needed, we’d simply start an initiative to grow our own.