Chapter 487: Contingencies (2/2)
оvelworld~cоm Despite their efforts to prevent it, we have captured one of the devices It was a relatively si copy”
Durgar slapped his palainst the table “This is excellent! It puts us on even footing with their ability to strike at a moment's notice With the speed and mobility of the Beast Corps, we can—”
“This council lacks the authority to send my exosuits and their pilots anywhere at all,” Gideon snapped
Durgar’s face went red as a bloodberry, but his father spoke up before he could e a response “It is clear that the Council of Lords has little stoar, and gauge the te ar’s jaw clenched several times beneath his beard, and he looked down at the table,no one’s eyes
“So it seems,” Lady Kathyln said into the silence that follows, “that we have est we follow Master Gideon’s suggestion Send these people hoht do the sareement “Well said On behalf of what reree”
A the dwarven lords, Silvershale and Earthborn were the ed a look, and then Carnelian answered for theree to release the prisoners and allow them to return home” There was a brief pause, and then, “On one condition”
I eyed the dwarf expectantly; in armed conflict, no victor backed doith an incentive
“Great harrona, and on his behalf,” Carnelian said with a rehearsed air “We expect recompense from Alacrya for its war crimes Justice in material wealth, in the absence of justice in blood”
“You have taken the words straight from my mind,” I said quickly, before anyone else could intervene “Dicathen has suffered greatly under Agrona’s attacks Perhaps not as much as Alacrya has suffered under his rule, but your point is nonetheless valid Although I aer in a position of political power and can make no promises for the dominions of Alacrya, I’m certain you can make any future leaders see the sense of your demands, just as I do
“In fact, I would offer h it was the asura and not Alacrya who did such horrible dae to Elenoir, a cowardly attack that took many Alacryan lives as well, we nonetheless would offer similar justice for the elves Currently, the borders with the Beast Glades are defended only by the villages my people set up there Should the elves seek to rebuild their ho rown consistently more bold over these last months I hope to leave soes we have already established, to tend the border with the Beast Glades Perhaps, in ti partners with the elves, as we’ve established hunting grounds and crops in the otherwise lifeless wasteland”
Virion, his hands on the table, pushed back into his chair slightly This and the slight widening of his eyes were all that gave away his surprise Ideally, I’d have sought his agreement beforehand, as I’d done with Gideon, but I trusted his sense of fairness and equity to win out
“Your offer of aid is…very welco deeply “And yet the agreement was that all Alacryans be sent back to their homeland This would allow some to stay on our shores, where they have already proven a danger once”
“Elenoir and the Beast Glades are far from Darv,” Virion said easily “The risk is fir to accept that risk in exchange for Lady Seris’s offer of support and protection forto revive the Elshi+re Forest”
Durgara cold look froed elven woht offer,” I continued “The technology of Alacrya is advanced We will share our knowledge Agrona was only one asura There is an entire nation of theerous to us Alacrya will share our knowledge, because it is that, not Vritra blood, thatDicathen and Alacrya may assure continued peace between our two continents by equalizing our nations in power, but as our world grows stronger in total, we also help to safeguard ourselves against future asuran involvement”
I withdrew a leatherbound sheaf of parchment A dwarven attendant took it and carried it around the table to Lady Kathyln as I indicated She took it with care, regarded it curiously, then turned searching eyes back on ift for Lance Varay Aurae, who I believe will benefit greatly frorin Caelum before we fled Alacrya, at the cost of many Alacryan lives”
Kathyln’s expression hardened, and she gave a single sharp nod as she set the bound parchments on the table and rested her hands protectively atop it
“Now, unless there is any further business, there is anizeme the specifications of these portals so we can establish a ti respectful but businesslike “Commander Virion Ito return to the border villages, and then I will provide you nu away, I walked confidently toward the closed dwarves The startled guards straightened, looking from me to someone behind me, then hurried to open the doors
As I nature follow after, noting the silence of his footsteps as he hurried to walk at my side
“That ell done in there,” he said quietly “It sees incorrectly”
“I did what all leaders do: sought allies to support my positions,” I answered in the same low tone “I hope you don’t misunderstand It wasn’t aining position”
He raised his hands and gaveti you in action makes it all the s to coht, but out loud, I only bid him farewell for now
The palace was soon behind me as I marched with a rapid surety toward the closest of the prison wards, which was not far down the curving highway The outer guards barely twitched their beards at my approach, but the warden within hurried to retrieve the keys and allow me into the cells
In the hours and days after the battle, ht into cells, many even held in the bunkers built in the base of the city to protect the civilians Several fights had broken out between Agrona’s loyalists and those who had followed in with It had only been with Lance Bairon’s assistance that I’d convinced our jailors to separate the loyalists and place the out prisons
Now, the upper cell contained mostly those ere least a threat to the Dicathians, and those most in need of protection froreet and check on reat losses during the battle, and then on the Arkwrights Ureeted young Seth Milview and Mayla Fairweather, interrupting their reading as they poured through a book together Soiven the addressed by a Scythe—even if I no longer held that title—was barely a flicker on their faces now
I felt eyes followingme carefully Caera turned away from some conversation with them and dipped respectfully “Lady Seris What news?”
I gestured for her to followfor Lyra and Cylrit Caera did not ask any more questions but followed me patiently
I found them in one of the few cells that had solid walls to provide some privacy for conversations within Normally it would be locked and warded, but like all the other cells, it was open into the central cha those ile and move about the complex Even if the lords of Vildorial had wanted to clap every Alacryan h for even ten percent of the prisoners, but I had specifically convinced theest of those jailed after the battle—to go without such precautions
Lyra was sitting cross legged on her bunk with her back against the wall Her flaainst the stained, off-white stone Cyrlit stood against the opposite wall, his thuroohtly disheveled, his hair unkereed with hiht, whatever that rave, as if they’d been discussing soh they looked at me in tandem, neither spoke to ask what had happened Instead, they waited
I gave them a soft smile, and their demeanors relaxed
“It ell, then?” Cylrit said finally, pushi+ng himself away from the ith his elbows
“More or less as expected, yes,” I confirmed I closed the door behind Caera, then activated the erness for a simple solution overwhelmed baser desires, and with Master Gideon there to provide solutions to their concerns, it was fairly straightforward”
Lyra let out a slow breath between pursed lips “Forgiveso, but I wasn’t sure If the tables were turned, who in Alacrya would have shown the sa you should re soin to rebuild our nation, there is much we can learn from how the Dicathians treat each other”
“I can’t stop thinking about whatback in Alacrya,” Caera said, half to herself
I reached out and lifted her chin with a finger, ht now, there is a vacuurona will be struggling to fill it But there are stillfor the betterrona was only the first step”
“And…” Cylrit hesitated “What about our plans?”
“We’ll have to judge the state of our hoering on her the longest “It is certain that the conflict isn’t over yet The fight to come will be for the very soul of Alacrya”
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