“Juan, there’s no need for you to apologize. What you say makes sense. In fact, I think I should be the one to offer an apology. You lost someone in the last battle. In fact, Remy, I’m guessing all of your folks lost friends, if not family. I should not have pressed you to decide so quickly.” Remy nodded, though it really hadn’t been a question.
“Alright. Those of you who know for sure you want to take the oath, Helen here will administer it. The rest of you, take some more time. If you have family who remained behind, go talk to them. Try to bring them here so they can see and investigate for themselves. I’ll give you the rest of today and tomorrow to look around and ask questions. Beyond that point, if you still aren’t ready, I’ll ask that you return to your home. I’m sorry I can’t give you more time than that, but recent events have made it clear that I can’t have unsworn people wandering around unwatched. That mistake cost several innocent lives. And I can’t spare more of my own people’s time guarding those who are unwilling to join us.”
Remy gave a slight bow. “That is more than fair, Allistor. As I said, I have made my decision, and will swear the oath now.” He smiled at Helen, who moved to stand in front of him. Even as she crossed the room, four of the visitors who’d stood with Remy now crossed back to sit with Juan and the others, apologetic looks on their faces. Helen just smiled at them as they passed.
Allistor gave them another chance. “Really, guys, I understand. We understand. None of us has made it through this year without losing someone. And we’ve all felt the constant fear. If you need the extra day or so to think, then take it.” He watched the people still standing behind Remy for half a minute, but no more of them left the group.
Smiling, he said, “Helen, if you would?”
And a few minutes later there were roughly nine hundred new green dots clustered in the dining area on his interface’s map.
“Welcome, new citizens of Invictus! Those of you who wish to return to your Stronghold can do so now. Kira and Gralen will fire up two of our ships, and taxi you back in… 20 minutes. They’ll remain there for two hours, so that any of you who wish to come back and relocate to another property can do so. And for those of you who want to bring back the hundred or so of your family or friends who stayed behind and show them around.” He waved at the crowd, and they began to disperse. With a nod toward Remy, he stepped back into the lobby and led the man back to his informal meeting spot. The two men took seats.
“I take it you wish to remain at your Stronghold?”
Remy nodded. “Maybe not long term. I like this place better, to tell you the truth.” He spread his hands to indicate the tower around them. “But I think a lot of my people will want to stay. Juan was the only one to speak up, but many of them are going to need some time to adjust. And if we’re going to take out the rest of the goblin horde, I don’t see any harm in giving them that time.”
“I agree. And since the Stronghold is inside my city, I can do this…” His gaze unfocused as he moved through the tabs on his interface. A moment later, Remy’s eyes widened when he received several notifications. Allistor laughed. “As Prince, I can promote favored citizens who advise me or serve as leaders for segments of my people. Let me be the first to congratulate you, Baron Remington.” He held out a hand, which Remy shook.
Remy shook his head. “Shit. If there’s one thing I learned in the army, it’s to never accept promotions that put you in charge of more people!” He grinned at Allistor. “But since I was already sort of serving as step-daddy to everyone at my place, I accept.”
“The position allows you to take certain actions as my vassal. That includes claiming more property outside the city in my name, disciplining those who reside on your property, arranging the resources of your Stronghold as you see fit. Though I would strongly recommend you add some defensive turrets and such. I’ll allocate some city resources if you don’t have sufficient points of your own.”
Remy shook his head. “I think I’m good. I just got some System Points and experience for becoming a noble.” He chuckled. “If my mama could see me now.”
Allistor let him enjoy the moment for a bit, then changed the subject. “We need to talk about what happens if some of your people choose not to join us. Not right this minute, unless you feel the need. It may be that, given another day to think, they’ll all join, and we won’t need to talk about it.
“Just one question.” Remy held up a single finger. “Should any of them refuse to join, will they be banished? Because if that’s the case, they need to know that before they decide.”
Allistor sighed, leaning back in his chair. He took a long time to think it over before answering. Remy, realizing the importance of the answer, waited patiently.
“This is a new situation, sort of.” Allistor began. “I’ve made the offer to Stronghold leaders before to let them remain in the city as allies. To trade with them, if possible. But I made it clear that I wouldn’t assist them beyond that, and the tacit protection they receive from being inside the city walls.” He tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. “But that offer was made for the entire group. Everyone inside the Stronghold, from the leader on down, as a single unit. I’m not sure how to deal with a situation where there are a few holdouts within a group.”
“Might I offer a suggestion?” Remy leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. His face hardened. When Allistor nodded, he continued. “As a leader who’s responsible for the people under me, I don’t like the idea of having people around who are unwilling to swear a simple oath not to hurt or betray their neighbors. If you were asking more of us, I might feel differently. But basically, those who refuse to swear are saying they want to keep open the option to steal from, or in some way hurt their own people. My people. As cold as it may seem, I say put them out. We live in a practical world where, as Juan pointed out, we have to fight to stay alive. There’s no room anymore for sentimentality and one-sided loyalty that might endanger us. Even if we’re getting stronger, and the world is getting safer, I see no reason to invite trouble.”
Remy paused for a moment, forcing himself to relax. “That said, I don’t wish them dead. Maybe we could arrange for them to have a safe place somewhere else? Give them some supplies and weapons, or something?”
Allistor didn’t hesitate. “I would have done that, regardless. Every human life is precious, and I will do what I can to help preserve them, as long as they don’t act against me or mine.” He watched Remy’s face as he spoke. “Let the holdouts know that if they decline to join us, we’ll clear and secure a place for them to create their own Stronghold. But it’ll be outside the walls here in New York, or outside any of my other properties. And Orion isn’t an option. As humans, they have certain rights to claim land here on earth. That doesn’t apply on other planets. I’ll supply them with plasma rifles, and enough food for a week. After that, they can trade for more if they have something of value.”
Remy nodded. “That’ll do. Enough of a stick to encourage them to join us, but leaving them a viable option. Thank you, Allistor. I’ll join my people heading home, and do my best to bring all the rest into the fold.” Remy stood and offered a hand, which Allistor shook.
“Good luck, Baron Remington.” He reached into his inventory and pulled out one each of the standard three scrolls. “We have a limited supply of these right now, but we’re working on a solution that’ll allow everyone to learn at least these three as soon as possible. How high are your Intelligence and Will Power attributes?”
When Remy told him, he smiled wide. “Then you can learn a few more. Here you go.” He handed the man scrolls for Mend, Vortex, Mind Spike, and Fade. “When you come back, I’d like you to set aside some time to sit with me, and a few of the others. We’ve got a lot of information regarding how the world works now, and I want to bring you up to speed, so that you can do the same for your group.”
“Thank you, Allistor. These are… quite a gift. I’ll put them to good use.”
*****
It didn’t take long to get all of Remy’s people back to their home. As instructed, Gralen and Kira parked their two ships in the same spot near the river and waited for those who wanted to make the return trip.
Allistor found he was nervous about the potential for holdouts, and soon found himself pacing back and forth across the lobby. He decided to try and channel that energy into something useful. “Nigel, has prime finished adding and upgrading his troops?”
“He has, Sire. Would you like to inspect them?”
“No, thank you. Please ask him for an update from his scouts. I want to know if they’ve found the goblin horde’s base, yet.”
There was a short delay before Prime’s voice replaced Nigel’s. “My scouts have continued to follow a dozen different goblins. So far the individual targets have moved about in a seemingly random pattern, hunting and gathering food, but not returning to a base of any kind. Groups of two or three have come together to share shelter and sleep in rotation, then separated again afterward.”
“Do you think they’ve spotted your scouts? Are they putting on some kind of show?”
“I do not believe so. It is not uncommon for goblin scouts to remain away from camp for long periods, filling their bellies and searching for valuable items, before returning. It may be another day or two before we can track one of them back to their horde.”
“Alright, thank you, Prime. Please report immediately if your scouts discover anything important.”
“Of course, Sire.”
Allistor, still feeling fidgety, was considering heading up to the roof to pound on some metal. He actually took a few steps across the lobby toward the elevators before he spotted Harmon approaching across the courtyard, holding up one massive hand to wave at him. Stopping where he was, he waited for his large friend to step inside.
“What the hell did you give us to drink last night?” Allistor scowled at the merchant. “I thought my head was just going to fall off when I woke up this morning. And I only had one mug of the stuff.”
Harmon chuckled, patting Allistor on the shoulder. “It is called Tiq. Distilled from the juice of a cactus that grows in abundance on my homeworld, along with a few secret ingredients. Our people drink it like water, my diminutive friend. You will eventually develop a tolerance for it.”
“The hell I will. Never touching that stuff again. Next time I celebrate with your warriors, I’m bringing milk, or something.” Allistor grumbled, making Harmon laugh even louder.
“I came to tell you that I have spoken with Master Daigath. He has agreed to come and meet with you, and will arrive first thing in the morning. Assuming you allow him access to your portal hub.”
Allistor’s spine shivered for just a moment as visions of an elven army bursting through into his headquarters flashed through his mind. He shoved those thoughts aside, trusting in Harmon, who so far had not led him astray. “That’s wonderful news, my friend. Thank you.”
“It’s the least I could do after you invited us to that battle with the goblin horde. Have you found their nest, by the way?” Harmon did his best to look uninterested. Allistor wasn’t buying it.
“Ha! Your warriors want a shot at more snacks. Well, you are welcome to them as soon as we locate their… nest, did you call it? Prime’s scouts are tracking them, but no luck yet.”
Harmon nodded is massive olive green head. “If I were you, I would arrange for a nice box in which to present that Ancient Shellback heart to Master Daigath. He has not decided to work with you, as yet. Only to meet with you. It would be a good idea for you to impress him. He likes fresh fruit and vegetables. And brandy. That stuff you seized from the goblin ship would do nicely. I’ve not tasted human brandy, but if you have some handy I would happily taste test it for you.”
Grinning along with the merchant, Allistor said, “I’m sure we can find some local versions. I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted brandy myself. I guess I’ll have to learn. We can experiment together this evening.”
“Good! A fine meal prepared by lady Meg, followed by brandy tasting? Excellent! I’ll see you this evening.” Harmon began to walk back toward his building. Before he exited the lobby, he turned and added, “Oh, and for Master Daigath, and elves in general, first thing in the morning means an hour or so before sunrise.”
Allistor rolled his eyes as the orcanin exited the building, chortling happily to himself. Fuzzy took advantage of the open door and entered the lobby from out in the courtyard, where he had once again been romping about with Invictus’ smaller citizens.
“Hey, buddy. Let’s go see Meg. I need to speak to her about a couple menu items, and I bet you could convince her to fork over some tasty hunks of meat. I’m guessing you worked up an appetite out there, rolling around like a puppy.” Fuzzy just grinned and fell into step beside him.
Chapter 8
Not having time to have a proper box crafted for presenting the Ancient Shellback Heart to Master Daigath, Allistor took a little time to shop the open market via the kiosk. He did a search for gift boxes, and was bombarded with nearly a thousand options. Narrowing his search, he tried wooden gift boxes, and added some dimensions. This reduced his choices considerably, and it didn’t take him long to find an attractive wooden box that looked as if it were made of mahogany. It had silver hinges and an ornate silver clasp that was stylized to look like an eagle’s claw. Allistor quickly purchased it for five thousand klax, and retrieved it from the kiosk window.
Pulling the rare crafting item from his inventory, he placed it into the box, which turned out to have been lined with a soft, silvery fabric that reflected the glow from the heart. Closing the box, he put it back into his inventory ring as he headed toward the dining area.
Remy had sent over every single one of the people who’d stayed behind at the Stronghold after the battle. Along with about two hundred of his group who had opted not to stay at his Stronghold. Most of those had already filtered away through the teleport system to other locations. Some had stayed at Invictus tower to escort the newcomers around or introduce them to new friends.
Allistor was gratified to hear that about two dozen of Remy’s people had elected to try living on Orion. He wanted as many humans as possible to begin mixing with the beastkin, and vice versa. In fact he was considering offering some kind of incentive to his humans to try out the new planet. He’d already effectively bribed some of the beastkin with land on Earth if they’d be willing to stay there.
Prime’s voice interrupted Allistor’s musings. “Sire, I am pleased to inform you that my scouts have located the goblin horde’s nest. We were able to follow a small group of them who returned to deliver food and loot. The nest is less than a mile from Baron Remington’s Stronghold, almost due north. They appear to be inhabiting a large, primitive power generation facility.”
“Great! Have your scouts been able to tell how many of the goblins remain?”
“Unfortunately not, sire. The goblins appear to have settled in subterranean levels, and my scouts are unable to follow without alerting sentries. We have been able to locate three separate entrances to the lower levels, but all three are well guarded.”
“Alright, thank you. Please have your scouts form a rough perimeter, and locate any other possible exits. Keep a sharp eye on those. When we attack the nest, I’ll want at least a hundred of your battle droids at each exit, and several thousand others surrounding the place. I don’t want a single enemy to escape.”
“It shall be as you say.” Prime saluted, remaining nearby in case Allistor had other orders.
“Nigel, please put me in touch with Remy.” Allistor waited a moment until Remy’s voice greeted him. “Hey Remy, the battle droid scouts found the goblin nest. I don’t know the city at all, and my map’s not fully filled in. Prime says they’re in a large power plant due north of you, less than a mile. Ring any bells?”
“Oh, shit. That’s the Con Ed plant. Straight up the FDR, not very far at all. The place is huge, and sits behind high brick walls
and fences with razor wire.”
“So… just dropping a bomb…?”
“Would do no good. You’d need like, twenty big bombs. Or one really, really big one. And that brings up another question. It’s the main power plant for the area. If we’re going to rebuild this part of the city, aren’t we going to need that?”
Allistor shook his head for a moment before realizing Remy couldn’t see him. “I don’t think so. I mean, all of our facilities come with this sort of automatic electricity and water that are, as far as I can tell, some kind of magic or extremely advanced System tech. And we can always use the hydrogen engines to create power on a large scale if we need to. We could probably replace that great big power plant with something that takes up less than an acre?”
Allistor looked at Prime as he spoke, and the general nodded his head.
“Yep, Prime is nodding his head at me. So we could bomb that place into oblivion… if we had that many bombs. Which we don’t. I think Gene and his guys might have one or two ready by now. We’ll have to try a strategy that worked pretty well before with the goblins. Piss them off, draw them out, kill as many as we can with a bomb, then get down and dirty inside the nest to kill whatever’s left.”
Remy sighed through the audio link. “I defer to your expertise. But even after the last battle, I’m not sure that many of my people are prepared for that kind of fighting.”
“If this horde is anything like the previous ones we’ve fought, the highest level and toughest goblins will be the ones we have to go in after. My raiders can handle it.” Allistor wasn’t as confident as he sounded.
“When do you want to hit them?”
“Let’s say noon tomorrow. Maybe a little later. I have a VIP coming to visit first thing in the morning. And I want to see if we can have a few bombs made before we go. Any of your people that want to join us should start preparing.”
“Roger that. See you tomorrow.” Remy signed off.
Shadow Sun Progression: Shadow Sun Book Four Page 12
