by James Hunter
Interestingly enough, Berrick also stole more than a few long looks at Amara, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he looked sad. Regret lingered in his eyes, but I couldn’t understand how the Inquisitor even knew Amara.
“Thank you so much for coming on such short notice,” Abby said, standing. “I know we didn’t have another meeting scheduled until next week, but given the circumstances, Jack and I thought it was prudent to assemble and discuss our options.”
“One attack, it is not such a big thing, I think,” came a retort from Ashur eil Akhiqar, First Merchant of the Ankaran Trimerite. He dry-washed his hands as he spoke. “True, it was unexpected, but that is no reason for hasty action, yes?” He was a rather tall Accipiter with tawny wings and flowing white robes edged with gold and studded with enough gemstones to make flying seem improbable. Accipiters had hollow bones and armor class restrictions for a reason, after all.
“It’s more than just one attack,” I said, unable to hold in my frustration. “It shows that Thanatos is getting desperate. It’s a clear demonstration that we can’t sit behind our walls and expect this thing to pass by us. I know no one here wants to march into Morsheim, spells blazing, swords swinging, but the window to act is closing.”
I pulled free the corrupted dungeon heart Jo-Dan had liberated from the Overhang and slammed it down onto the table. “We’re losing ground on every front. Even the dungeons are teetering on the risk of collapse. The Vogthar captured sixteen new dungeons last night. Sixteen. Abby and I met with Jo-Dan and Lowyth this morning, and I’m telling you, we’re on the verge of losing everything. We can’t afford to talk any longer. We need to act. Now.”
Ashur eil Akhiqar frowned, considering the stone, then shrugged. “What is this to us? The Vogthar have largely left us in the Barren Sands in peace. In our eyes, this is a problem of the East. But we? We are of the West, and the West has little concern for the affairs of hostile powers. You want us to march to war, but what benefit is there to us?”
“Everyone’s fate is at stake,” I snapped. “You think Thanatos is going to overlook you? He’s not interested in half measures, Your Grace. He’s going to burn it all down unless we stop him. Ankara included.”
“So says you.” The Accipiter sniffed dismissively. “How do we even know any of this is true? It is your word, but none of us have ever seen the Realm of Order. Or come face-to-face with these Overminds you speak so certainly of. Me. Well, call me impious if you will, but I think the gods are the musings of men. Men who are eager to control others. In the merchant business, there are only two things—onur ve altin. Honor and gold, as my people say. I see no gold, and, if I am honest...” He paused, a wicked sneer curling the side of his mouth. “I question the honor of your word.”
“Hear, hear!” Caius shouted, standing from his seat. “The robed fowl speaks the truth!” The other Accipiters assembled in the crowd glowered at the senator’s distasteful remark, but Caius effortlessly shrugged off their disapproving stares. “So what if a few dungeons fall? The citizenry never worried over the troubles of monsters before these, these”—he twirled one hand—“these Travelers appeared. My job is to look after the best interest of Imperial Citizens, not to kowtow to monsters who are as likely to eat us as speak to us. Nor is it to bend the knee to some darky rebel leader with wild, improbable tales. A man who, frankly, should have his head adorning a pole outside the gates of New Viridia for insurrection!”
Chaos erupted, shouts and jeers filling the air as Dokkalfar war chiefs drew steel, ready to chop the bloviating blowhard down where he stood.
“Order!” Otto bellowed, spittle flying from his lips as he tried to bring some semblance of restraint to the proceedings. But it seemed impossible. We needed to win this, but I could feel us losing the room, losing momentum by the second. It was all slipping through my fingers, and I had no idea how to fix it. This was the way, the only way, but short of Sophia popping up and giving the pitch herself, how was I going to convince them?
Caius was hollering, fervently calling for a vote of No Confidence, and though I was only half listening, it seemed more than a few Council members were giving him their ear. Great.
Osmark leaned into me, placing one hand on my shoulder and squeezing. “Bureaucrats,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper. I squirmed as the key against my chest began to thrum with latent energy. Odd. Probably just the stress of the situation. “You did your best,” he continued, “but why don’t you let me take a run at it? You’re still new to this side of things, but I’ve been handling hostile committees and cutthroat board members for twenty years. There’s an art to it that takes time to master.” He gave my shoulder one more quick squeeze, then moved in a blink.
A deafening shot rang out, cutting through the pandemonium in a single decisive instant. Osmark stood, his face calm and unreadable, a steampunk repeater lifted straight up above him, a trail of steam curling up from the barrel.
“That will be quite enough from you, Senator,” he said, his voice as hard and unforgiving as Dwarven steel. “In fact, another word out of you and I’ll see that you are removed from the roster entirely and pressed into service as a lowly velites. We’ll see just how well you fare in the first wave.” The senator’s eyes bulged in his head, and he promptly shut his mouth, dropping into his seat, even though it looked like a vein might pop in his forehead. “Now, if you are all done, then let me speak.” Slowly Osmark lowered the repeater, setting it on the table, muzzle pointed directly at Caius in warning.
“Our Crimson Alliance allies are right,” he continued after a pregnant pause. “I understand your hesitation. Truly I do. You are concerned with governing your cities and principalities. Worried about inflation, trade routes, and Imperial tax increases. You lose sleep over bandits, raiders, and the thieves hiding among you. Most of you simply have no time to think of the esoteric realities of the gods—it is the affairs of men that concern you.” His face hardened as he looked at each member of the War Council in turn. “But that needs to change.
“My time spent in the Shattered Realms was illuminating, honored guests, and I know exactly how this ends if we fail to act. It ends in ruin. I, for one, have done too much,” he said, “to preserve humanity for it to end like this, murdered by the lazy cowardice of entitled bureaucrats when we have a legitimate chance of averting disaster. I have already borne witness to one world-ending catastrophe. I won’t be party to another. We have no guarantee of victory if we pursue this path—we may well lose—but I can guarantee that if we do nothing, we die. Which is why New Viridia will march with the Alliance, and so will any ally faithful to the Ever-Victorious Empire.”
“Obviously, we’re in,” I said, breaking the palpable tension that had filled the room. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’d rather die on my feet and fighting with hope on the horizon than crouched in some dusty corner with only despair for comfort.”
“What if we refuse to go along, huh?” Hank Carter asked in his Texas twang, rubbing at the edge of his jaw with one finger, a dangerous gleam in his eye. “Seems to me, Osmark, that if you and Grim Jack here are leading the charge... Well, you might not even need support from some of the smaller factions like my own. Might be, I’d like to sit this one out and mind my own business. Long term, what happens if I refuse to play ball?”
“Short term, nothing,” Osmark said with a shrug. “Most likely because we will all be dead or enslaved as a result.” He paused, his feral grin slipping away as he leaned forward, palms pressed against the table. “But long term? Long term, if you, if any of you”—he swept his flinty gaze around the room—“refuse to march and we somehow manage to defeat Thanatos, then mark my words, I will make it my singular purpose to grind you and your cities into dust. I will sack your high walls. Raze your buildings. And make sure your head adorns a stake outside the gates of New Viridia.” He cast an especially long look at Caius. “Don’t forget the last person to try to play games with me, Hank. Not unless you envy Sizemore.”
The former steel tycoon paled visibly, licking his lips as he raised his hands. “Fair ’nough. Just asking questions. Didn’t say I wouldn’t march with you.”
“But,” Osmark said, righting himself and straightening his jacket, “I am not an unreasonable man. I firmly believe in multifaceted leadership, and that means I have a carrot to go along with my stick.” He waved a hand, and Sandra stood smoothly, pulling out several bound scrolls impressed with the Imperial Sigil. “Although I have been absent lately, I can assure you all that I have been very busy. After consulting with senators, court ambassadors, and prefects across Eldgard, I have come up with a number of policies that will benefit everyone present, without exception.
“Honored Trimerite.” He plucked a scroll from Sandra’s outstretched hand and tossed it to Ashur eil Akhiqar. “Reduced tariffs on all Ankaran silks, and we’ll remove our Legion forces from Kakoro. To the honorable Arch Merkismathr Raginolf of Stone Reach, you’ve always wanted unrestricted trade, free from Imperial taxes, with Glome Corrie. Consider it done.” He tossed a scroll to the squat Dwarf. “I have drafted lucrative incentives for every group here, including my own faction allies. Do this, and we’re even. All old sins forgotten. You will hold no debt to me or the Empire, past whatever new deals you may strike going forward.”
“And what of us?” Chief Dao said, rising from her seat in the back. She was the First Seat of the Dark Conclave and the de facto leader of the Murk Elves after me. “What promises would you make for the Clans, Emperor?” She was a squat sparkplug with shoulders as broad as any man, and she was not a woman to be trifled with.
“Of course,” Osmark said with a tight-lipped smile. “We surely haven’t forgotten about you, Chief Dao. I said no exceptions, after all. Here.” He lobbed a bound scroll her way. “You’ll find a proposal for a permanent truce between the Empire and the Alliance, and, to sweeten the pot, there are a number of Dokkalfar relics currently in the Imperial Archive. I believe they hold significant cultural significance to you and your kind. We will release all of them back into your care once this business is finished.”
“No,” Caius stammered, regaining his feet, fists curling into tight balls. “Now this is simply outrageous. Outrageous! These treaties will decimate the power of the Empire! You can’t do this! The Citizens will revolt. The senators will expel you from office! There will be a riot! A coup!”
Osmark picked up the pistol, faster than a striking cobra, and fired off a single shot, which grazed Caius’ cheek, leaving a smear of blood in its wake. “As I said, that will be quite enough from you, Senator. I understand there will be significant repercussions, but I’ll worry about those after the world is safe.” He stowed the pistol in a holster at his side. “All of these agreements will take effect immediately, but they are conditional. You must agree to follow the lead of the Crimson Alliance and Grim Jack Shadowstrider as the Supreme War Commander. That is the deal, and it is a nonnegotiable.”
Ashur eil Akhiqar looked up from the scroll, already unrolled in his bronzed hands. Greed burned in his golden eyes. “It is done. We shall fight.”
“Then let’s put it to a vote,” I said, the world trembling all around me. Osmark for the MVP win. I hadn’t been expecting any of this, but apparently Sophia really had been preparing the way for me. “All in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say nay.”
The ayes carried it resoundingly. Only Caius offered a dissenting vote, and that was no more than a scared whimper. I received a Quest Alert, letting me know that Sophia was with us in spirit, even if not in person.
<<<>>>
Quest Update: The Road to War
Congratulations! Impossibly, you’ve managed to convince the Eldgard War Council to launch an assault against Morsheim and with you as Supreme War Commander, no less. But now the true test of skill and loyalty lies ahead. You still must marshal the combined forces of Eldgard and lead the attack through the gates and into the heart of the Dark Realm! And don’t forget the clock is ticking—you have two days.
Quest Class: Rare, Alliance-Based
Quest Difficulty: Infernal
Success: Sway the War Council to your cause and launch the assault against Morsheim before it’s too late! If that isn’t possible, launch the attack yourself within three days. Time is of the essence.
Failure: Fail to launch an invasion against Morsheim within three days. WARNING: The consequences for failure are dire!
Reward: 20,000 XP; +100 to Renown; Guidance of Sophia: Although Sophia will not be able to accompany you physically into Morsheim, she will aid you and all those who rally to your cause by dispatching strategic quests, which may just tip the balance in your war effort.
<<<>>>
“Good,” Abby said, clearly trying to rein in her shock. “Glad that’s settled. Now, we all know what needs to be done. We’ve planned this thing down to the last detail for the past two weeks.”
She leaned forward and waved her hand above the green gem embedded in the table. A floating vision of Morsheim promptly appeared, along with a layout of the outlying Vogthar-controlled towns and a number of other strategic points we’d need to secure before capturing the Necropolis itself. The map was further marked to hell with designations of troop movements, supply lines, aerial bombardments, campsites, and a thousand other pieces of information.
“Hate ta be the bearer of bad news,” Raginolf said. His seat let out a squeal of thankful relief as he stood to be recognized. The man was short, but he was awfully broad and probably weighed twice what I did. “But there’s still one wee little thing we haven’t figured out yet. The plan to take the outer city. Well, it’s bold—risky, even—but ah think we can do it. But no one has explained to me exactly how we plan to gain the inner city of Skálaholt, what with it being tucked away behind that mystic barrier.”
My belly clenched at the remark. I’d been hoping no one would bring that up, but of course Raginolf would. He wasn’t stupid.
“I’m not saying no, ah course. Ya lot did the impossible, far as I’m concerned. Put Khalkeús to rest, Divines bless his soul,” Raginolf said, making the sign of Aediculus. “But this seems like a suicide mission. Assuming the gates work—and that’s a great, big bloody assumption—we’ll be cut off from reinforcements indefinitely. Do ya just expect us to siege the Necropolis for months? Starve out the Vogs? Because Ah can assure you, we will starve on Morsheim’s icy plains long before they do.” He crossed his beef-slab arms. “Without a way to access Skálaholt and disable the shield generator... Well, this is a fool’s errand.”
There were a number of challenges to taking Thanatos’ Necropolis in Morsheim, but the single largest hurdle was that the inner city of Skálaholt was encased in a seemingly impenetrable barrier, crafted by Thanatos himself. Even if we took the outer city, the only way to get to Thanatos was to siege him out. Either that or find a way to infiltrate the inner city and bring that energy barrier down.
“Don’t worry about breaching Skálaholt’s shields,” I said, sounding far more confident than I felt. We did have a plan to take down the shields. Reckless. Iffy. Deadly. But a plan nonetheless. “There are things I can’t disclose even inside our own War Council.” I very pointedly spared a look for Caius.
“There are cards we’re holding close to the chest for now, but trust me when I say we have a way to take care of that. You just worry about showing up. We have two days until we march, people. Make your preparations to depart.” The words were iron. No-nonsense. Implacable. “Everyone is dismissed except for the core Crimson Alliance officers. We have a few more line items to discuss before we can break.”
Choices, Choices, Choices
I TOOK A DEEP, UNEASY breath as everyone trickled out of the Command Center save for the handful of Alliance officers we’d asked to remain behind. The handful that stayed—all members of the old guard and close friends—took their seats around the now emptied command table, most of them looking exhausted by the events of the morning. And they had good reason to be
wrung out. After weeks of infighting and quibbling about a thousand little details, we’d finally managed to seal the deal.
Honestly, I’d been deeply unsure how things were going to shake out, but the fact that Osmark had spoken up and fully committed his forces right on the spot had been a game changer. Without him, it was likely our shaky foreign alliances would’ve fallen apart completely, dooming us all in the process. True, the Alliance still would’ve attacked anyway—and we would’ve used every dirty trick in the book—but our chances of winning were slim even with all of Eldgard’s forces rallied behind us. Taking a run at Thanatos all by our lonesome would’ve been playing Russian roulette with a full chamber.
All that was behind us, however, and there were only a few things left to do before we launched our invasion.
The biggest of those things was upgrading our faction abilities—something we’d been putting off since I’d acquired the Reality Editor. Turned out, taking down Khalkeús was no small feat; not only had it earned me a new personal level, but it had also pushed the Crimson Alliance up to a level 4 faction, unlocking 5 new Proficiency Points, and, coincidentally, making the Alliance the top-tier faction in all of Eldgard. An accomplishment which gave me an immense sense of satisfaction, considering even the Ever-Victorious Empire was only level 3.
As much as this was life and death—and it certainly was—I was still a gamer at heart, and being at the top of the leaderboard felt good. Though, Osmark was still the level leader for personal character. Which was insane, considering the ridiculous number of legendary and Death-Head quests I’d managed to finish since entering V.G.O. It made me wonder what in the heck Osmark had done during his time in-game to achieve such a phenomenal level. Part of me wanted to write him off as being a dirty cheater, but I knew there was way more to it than that.
