I thought I’d just lounge about for a while, but then I remembered that I had dismissed Ridge during the beastkin attack. He’d been working on the city above us, and although we wouldn’t need its structures for some time, my new focus on long-term planning wouldn’t let me ignore its construction. So, I gathered Saibra, who was commanding my detail then, and left to summon Ridge.
It took far longer for me to reach a good location to call him back because I was stopped so frequently along the way. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I stopped myself along the way—repeatedly. I’d been gone for a long while, and even before that, I’d rarely been able to tour my Realm and talk to my people. So, I stopped to speak with nearly everyone whose path I crossed.
I met and spoke with farmers, ranchers, miners, and citizens of all sorts as I traveled. Many of them I’d met before back when walking among them was still something I did on a frequent basis, but even more were brand-new faces to me, and I talked with those people for just as long as I did with the old, familiar ones. It was refreshing to hear from the regular folks that actually made everything I did possible. I knew that regardless of how powerful I was or ever became, that none of what I did would be possible without the people behind me. Without their efforts, there would be no Empire. Not even my tiny little Realm could have succeeded if I didn’t have their support. No matter what happened, I hoped that the day would never come where I could no longer walk among them; if not regularly, then at least from time to time. Losing touch with them would be like losing a part of myself.
The sense of ‘groundedness,’ for lack of a better term, that I got from connecting with my people was also Ella’s V’Ríel, in a sense. It was through her that I kept in touch with my truest self. My original self, before I became a Sintári and then Empress. It was both the subtlest, and in some ways the most important of my V’Ríel. The tendrils I used with Ella were probably the weakest I could manage, as she preferred our interactions to be almost exclusively physical. Being so used to using my powers, it had become something of a challenge for me to limit myself so severely, but also provided me with a very poignant reminder that most people made do with far less than I had at my disposal.
Despite the distractions and delays, I finally made it to the base of the cliff where one of the towering staircases led to the plateau above. I wasn’t prepared to make that arduous climb, but I felt it was a good place to summon Ridge again. He came forth from the earth at my feet when I cast my Spell just as he always did, and I welcomed him back.
“I’m sorry for the abrupt dismissal, Ridge,” I explained. “But we were attacked, and I needed all of my Aura.”
“I understand, Sintári,” he replied flatly. “Shall I return to my duties now or do you have need of my efforts elsewhere?”
“No, please resume your work,” I replied to him. “I won’t be bringing back your assistant though. My plans require that I do otherwise.”
After inclining his head to me slightly, Ridge melded into the face of the cliff, presumably traveling upwards within the sheer rock wall to the surface of the plateau. Once he was off, I began summoning again, only this time, I focused on calling an air elemental to me instead of a second earth elemental.
As long as I held Ridge, and then his assistant, my proficiency with the Summon Elemental Spell had steadily increased until it hit 40%. When it had, I gained the ability to summon elementals from the air sphere, but I had never called one. Ridge’s work was too critical to delay, and I had no idea what, if anything, an air elemental had to offer, but Ridge’s steady pace had pulled his work well ahead of my needs, and I had the luxury of time on my hands. So, I decided to see just what this new type of elemental was all about.
As soon as I invoked the magic, I could feel it reaching out, making its connection with the spirit of the air. Suddenly, I felt the link resolve into something solid, as an elemental of the air was called to me. The spirit raged against my summons, furious at being compelled to serve me, and I slammed back at it with all the force I had. However, the modifier for the summoning magic was my Charisma, and despite the elemental creature’s vigorous attempts at defense, it’s will crumbled before mine, and the creature bowed to my summons.
The elemental did not rise out of the Earth as Ridge had; instead, it seemed to simply come together in front of me as various wisps of the surrounding atmosphere gathered themselves together to create its form. The roughly humanoid shape of the elemental resolved in mere seconds, and then, as it recognized its summoner, addressed me.
“What would you have of me, mistress?” Came a distinctly feminine voice.
“I have never summoned one of your kind,” I replied, a little surprised to hear the clear, female voice. I’m not sure why, but it just seemed odd. “I don’t know your capabilities. What can you do?”
“I can do many things, mistress,” she explained, with some actual emotion evident in her tones. “But I don’t know your needs. Among my many talents, I am able to summon breezes to power your windmills or sail your vessels. I can help provide fresh air for that large building I see in the distance, or any other structure you might possess.”
I had no windmills or sailing vessels, and the Palace already had decent circulation, but her words reminded me of a place that lacked such good airflow.
“We have two mines, with underground dwellings connected to them,” I told the air spirit. “Despite their best engineering, the breezes of the valley don’t penetrate them very well, and the air is a bit stale. Can you help with those?”
“Show them to me, mistress,” she replied, with a trace of anticipation evident in her words. “And I will see what I can do for you.”
I walked her to the closest mine and began to show her around, but she bid me to wait for a moment and then sped off inside. I could feel the breezes begin to flow into the passages as I stood waiting for her to return, and in a flash, she was back by my side.
“This is a simple matter,” the spirit almost seemed to scoff. “Everything is in place, I’ll only need to supply the winds.”
“There is another settlement across the valley from here that is nearly identical,” I told her. “Can you take care of both of them?”
“I can, if it is not too far away,” she answered cautiously.
“I could show it to you, but I have a feeling you might be able to get there a bit faster on your own,” I smiled as I replied. The elemental’s obvious personality was a stark contrast to Ridge’s robotic nature, and she was starting to amuse me with her attitudes.
“With your leave, I will have a look,” she clearly resented the need to ask my permission to venture away.
“Please do,” I gestured for her to have a peek at the other dwarven community.
The air spirit took off and then returned much more quickly than I imagined to give me her answer.
“It’s close enough,” she offered casually. “Supplying both of them with fresh air is well-within my abilities.”
“Thank you,” I replied, realizing that this time my gratitude might finally have an effect, unlike when I expressed it to Ridge. “Please tend to both settlements for me.”
“Of course, mistress,” the spirit replied.
I hadn’t expected the summoning to actually resolve a problem for me. While the dwarven settlements were in no real danger due to their less-than-optimal air circulation, it was a source of constant complaint for the residents. Hopefully, the expenditure of a small slice of my Aura would alleviate some of their discomfort.
We made our way back home at an equally slow pace as my journey out, stopping again when I encountered the people going about their daily lives. As before, the newer people were shocked that their Empress took the time and actually had an interest in their seemingly mundane existence, but I knew something that most leaders seemed to be unaware of; my power did not come from my Army or my treasury; it came from my people, and I intended to always treat them accordingly.
I hadn’t been gone long
, but I still checked with Talína before I headed into the seclusion of my rooms, just in case anything important had come up during my absence. Nothing had, so I retired to my chambers and called Bane to join me. Just as with Tási, my relationship with him had suffered during our trip home. He’d flown above and in front of us as we traveled the roads, but even when we camped at night, my less-than-pleasant moods left much to be desired. But with Líann tended to, and even more so, now that we’d taken the first steps together towards making her Táriel, I no longer had that same despondent attitude.
Bane sensed the change in my temperament through our strengthened bond and rushed inside the moment he landed on the balcony. He’d grown so large that even the wide double doors barely let him pass, but he squeezed through anyway and quickly made himself comfortable on his bed.
‘I’m sorry I’ve been such poor company, Bane,’ I sent him as I found my own spot beside him. ‘I missed you, even if I didn’t show it very well.’
I felt your anguish, Sintári, he replied. You cannot hide such things from me anymore. I can also sense your relief. I am glad that whatever was troubling you has passed.
I had never really explained my Tári to Bane. In fact, I realized in shock, that despite how close we were, as far as he knew, Tási was the only woman in my life. If we were going to share centuries together, I not only wanted him to know the truth, but I probably needed him to be aware of it as well. My Tári, and especially my Táriel were incredibly important to me, just as Bane was. Not only that, but I might need Bane to help me protect them from harm. When the truth about them eventually became known, my enemies might target them to strike back at me. It was the reason I intended to teach Líann how to defend herself, and even though the others were already quite strong, they were far from invulnerable. None of them were without their weaknesses, and I would need Bane’s help to keep them safe.
Bane would be my lifetime companion, sharing that destiny with Líann. So, there was no reason for me to hold back anything from him as I told him of her and my other Tári. I told him of the bonds I shared with them, and how, in many ways, they were similar to our own shared connections. And finally, I asked him to help me keep them safe, and told him that protecting them from harm was in many ways more important than saving my own life. I still wasn’t certain about that aspect of my Deathless abilities—I’d never had to actually test my power to return from death, but I assumed it was still there, even if I couldn’t verify it for sure.
Every time I finally think I know you, Sintári, he replied when I finished. You reveal something new to me. I’m beginning to fear what might come next.
‘I know how you feel, Bane,’ I sent him my own frustrated feelings. ‘Much of what I just told you I’ve only just learned quite recently. Believe me, it isn’t any easier for me to keep discovering new things about myself all the time.’
He let out a loud snort, the dragon version of a laugh, and we settled in together for a while before Tási also returned to join us. Bane cradled the two of us in his massive embrace, and we spent several hours with each other before hunger finally drove us apart.
Bane flew off in search of his own dinner, while Tási and I shared a meal together. She told me some of the details of her day, and I relayed my experience summoning the new elemental with her. It was the first almost ‘normal’ day I’d had in months, and I was enjoying the relative calm of it immensely.
Since we had a meeting scheduled for the next morning, Tási and I headed off to bed rather early, although sleep was not the first thing on our agenda that night. Tási had other plans, and, as usual, she had no trouble convincing me to go along with them.
27
Our meeting the next morning wasn’t scheduled too early, and after unwinding ourselves from each other, Tási and I had time to share breakfast before we had to venture downstairs to the conference room. The two of us weren’t exactly late, but we were the last to arrive, and Venna called the gathering to order once we were seated.
We began with the rather depressing but necessary discussion of the losses we’d suffered. Between the battle in Zonnia and the beastkin attack, almost 500 lives had been lost, and more were almost certain to follow, as the forces we left behind to secure both Hygan and Zonnia protected those vulnerable lands during their period of recovery. Those losses would need to be replaced, and that was the next order of business after confirming the tally.
The Charter not only called for each Realm to supply the Imperial Army with soldiers, but also to replenish their ranks as needed, regardless of whether the need to do so arose from battle or even retirement. Although the casualties we’d suffered had been spread out among the soldiers that had come to us from every Realm, the dwarves of Dhel-Ar had incurred the most serious of those losses. Their position on our front lines made that an almost inevitable fact, and I wasn’t looking forward to telling the King just how many of his former citizens’ lives had been taken, nor of the need for him to replace them. Luckily, Broda, as my Ambassador, volunteered to handle all of those duties for me. Not just with regard to her uncle’s Kingdom, but with all of my vassals.
From there we moved on to discuss our future plans. We had absorbed or conquered the entire eastern half of the continent, and there were only seven Kingdoms left on the western side that were not yet part of my Empire. Those Realms needed to be under my banner before I could move on to face the scourge of the Dark Lands.
The danger those cursed lands presented had only been underscored during my absence. Reports of raids all along the borders of the Dark Lands had filtered in while I was away. Those that had occurred along the frontiers of both Olóra and Eória had been easily repelled, as those nations had reorganized their forces to concentrate on that threat once they no longer needed to worry about their neighbors attacking them. Other Realms had not been so lucky—outlying towns in both Earmont and Braskan had been pillaged and razed by marauding bands crossing over into their territory from the Dark Lands.
“I hate to say it,” Stel offered. “But we can use this to our advantage. The fact that Realms within the Empire are better able to protect themselves from these threats is a powerful argument in favor of joining.”
“He’s correct,” Líann chimed in. “And the longer your Realms easily fight off these attacks while the others continue to suffer from them, the more heavily this will weigh in your favor.”
I understood the point that both of them had made, but I wasn’t content to sit by and hope that the rest of the Realms would come to me on their own.
“That’s true,” I replied. “But we need to be proactive as well. How do we bring the other Realms to us?”
“I think,” Broda replied. “That we should do exactly as you say and bring the other Realms to us. Literally. I will send envoys to each of them and invite them to a conference. They can come here and see everything you’ve done for themselves. It worked before, and I don’t see why it wouldn’t work again.”
“That simply won’t happen,” Líann countered. “Nerec and I shared an almost uniquely close relationship with the King of Dhel-Ar. We trusted that he was not leading us astray when we came here. None of the other Realms, not even the dwarven nations of Bhamar and Braskan, share that same level of trust with any of us. They will not come here, of that I am certain.”
“What about Oróna?” Stel offered after a moment’s pause. “It’s easy enough for all of them to reach and although it’s part of your Realm, it has been treated almost like neutral territory for quite some time.”
The elven city of Oróna was a major trading hub. We’d been there ourselves long ago during our early adventures, and although it was part of Líann’s territory, it had served to host numerous diplomatic meetings and summits, even when Líann’s Realm had not been part of those discussions. It’s status as a safe harbor for so many high-level events was something of a point of pride for Líann, and she took to Stel’s suggestion immediately.
“That might very well be acc
eptable to them,” she replied. “At the very least, the suggestion to meet there will not be rejected out of hand as a summit here likely would.”
“If that is our best chance, then let’s go with that,” I decided. “Every Realm outside my control is to be invited. We’ll do our best to convince those who accept to join us, then we’ll deal with the rest.”
After what had just happened in Hygan and Zonnia, the implication of my last statement needed no further explanation.
We attended to some other small matters after that before the meeting came to an end. I had business to attend to with Líann afterwards, so I sent Tási off to deal with her own obligations while I spoke with Líann.
“You and I need to deal with something very important,” I told her, and she cut me off before I could finish explaining.
“You’re going to give me another V’Ríel!” She exclaimed.
No, I wasn’t, but her eagerness to experience it gave me the idea I needed to motivate her to do what I wanted.
“Actually, I had something else in mind,” I replied. “You’ll only get your next V’Ríel after you’ve learned a different lesson first.”
Líann followed me as I led her out of the conference room and through the halls of the Palace. She hadn’t wandered them as I had, so she was completely unaware of where I was taking her. The room I’d reserved for my exclusive use was one she was totally unfamiliar with, having never been in one before, but she recognized the purpose of it immediately.
“I’m no warrior,” she looked around at the weapons and armor in disdain. “If your idea is to defeat me in combat, I won’t be able to put up much of a fight.”
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