Chapter 729: Desert (1/2)

“The first gates are set up,” Ilea said to Claire.

“Wonderful. We’ll send representatives to the three cities immediately,” the woman answered. “Do you have time for another flight?”

“Depends where,” Ilea said.

“The Pit. Bralin helped us with the communication and already suggested various trade agreements. He’s surprisingly knowledgeable about the town’s resources for a mere mechanic,” she said.

“Hah, yeah. I suppose he is,” Ilea mused. “I’ll deliver the letter to their current Champion. I’ll make sure we can get there faster as well.”

“If that’s a possibility. We didn’t plan to involve them for another week but the faster we can get everything rolling, the better,” Claire said with a smile. “Everyone is excited. I also drafted something for the Empress, that’s less of a priority though. With their resources, they’ll be ready in a few hours at most.”

“Ready to receive a gate of their own?” Ilea asked.

“Indeed. Their use is impossible without the tuned keys of course, and I’d like to have a guard or two present to make sure they don’t already take it apart,” she said.

“Well, they have a Fae… so I wouldn’t be too sure they can’t figure it out,” Ilea mused.

“That’s why we bought up the entire stock of several rarely used metals. Even if they happen to have a few of them stored, it would take them years to set up their own network. And I would imagine they’d start with their own Empire and Baralia. A plan for such is already offered in the letter, with us providing the gates of course. I doubt the Empress would refuse, not after what you told me about your meeting… and subsequent spar,” Claire said with a slight smirk.

“Didn’t expect you to move so quickly with them,” Ilea said.

Claire shrugged. “A half elf and a Fae change things considerably. We might not think much of those secrets but the Empress knows what kind of damage their revelation could cause within their nobility. As does our own Council.”

“I do hope you’re not threatening them,” Ilea said as she received the communication.

“Not at all. But I can’t remove the unspoken implication. The mere fact that you found those secrets gives us a lot of leeway when dealing with Lys. I’m very grateful for that, even if Alyris has been very accommodating so far. Our dealings should be even more smooth now, and I’ll make sure to play fair,” Claire answered.

“Make sure you do. Wouldn’t want to see you turn into another powerhungry ruler,” Ilea said with a smile.

“Right hand you mean. Of the powerhungry ruler I decided to serve. The Meadow that is,” Claire said.

“I see it’s infecting everyone’s minds already,” Ilea mused.

“Well I’m sure you had nothing to do with its behavior,” Claire answered.

“And you’re even blaming me. What has the world come to,” Ilea said. “I’ll go deliver your letters.”

The flight to the Pit was rather quick from the starting point of Riverwatch, the settlement considerably closer to the Naraza mountain chain than Hallowfort. Ilea stopped just above the entrance and summoned her war machine. Its weight pulled her down until she impacted with a majestic boom. Her own weight certainly didn’t have anything to do with it. It was all the machine.

Spells were readied as the dust settled, her booming voice resounding through the crevice. “I’m back.”

Cheers came from the poor sods burdened with guard duty, the gate opened immediately upon her declaration.

Ilea made her way inside and down to the settlement, training her boost chambers in her legs to get down to the entrance. Her head caught on the ceiling with the first try, her entire form flipping once before she impacted the ground with a heavy strike. Getting up was a task in itself but she managed thanks to the boosters and her space manipulation. The next try went better but she still fell another four times until she arrived, covered in dust and debris, the guards with weapons drawn and their war machines at the ready.

“Welcome, Lilith,” one of them said as he checked behind her. “Did a monster get inside?”

“Just me,” she answered with her deep voice. “I’d like to meet the Champion.”

“Aren’t… you, technically the Champion?” the other guard asked.

“No. I’m most certainly not,” Ilea answered. She didn’t want a ruling position. Not here, not anywhere. A veto right perhaps, at most. Just to make sure nobody would suddenly declare fascism or slavery a fun new trend.

“Please enter, we will inform the Champion of your arrival,” the first guard said and stepped inside.

Ilea followed and waited near the entrance, the view of the entire town still quite impressive. She set one of her gate marks. Just the one left, and I need it to connect to the others. She could remove the one in Riverwatch or the one at the edge of the Meadow’s domain at any time but for now she didn’t see a reason to do so.

It didn’t take long for Helwart to arrive personally, his large war machine landing near her. He tapped his helmet.

“Scared someone might listen?” she asked.

“Yer back earlier than I thought, Lilith. Gossip spreads faster in this town than a wildfire down in yer human lands,” he spoke. “You wish to stay or is it something urgent?”

“I bring news from the Meadow Accords. I did mention a potential alliance,” she said and summoned the letter, teleporting the thing into his large metal hand.

The dwarf made it vanish.

His armor counts as his body? Ilea wondered. That’s at least how most storage items worked and she hadn’t detected any active space magic.

“Hmm. Yes. This is workable. We would like to meet these Councils. I’ll need a day to convince the proud folks of our proud former prison,” the dwarf said. “Do you wish to stay? I’m sure your journey was long.”

“I’m fine,” Ilea said. “I’ll be back in a day.”

“Wonderful. Also… a working teleportation gate will be more convincing than anything I can present,” he added.

“I think seeing the Meadow and our allies will do the trick just fine,” Ilea said with a smile. “Until tomorrow, Helwart.”

She made her war machine vanish and stepped through a thin fissure, vanishing from the Pit.

“Madwoman,” the dwarf sent just before the fissure closed.

“That’s one of them,” Ilea mused, stretching as she walked towards the soul forge. Riverwatch is probably the closest to Virilya. Until the gates are active that is. All that saved time. She watched the people work, walls and buildings added to the domain of the Meadow. Paved roads now led down towards the Descent and up towards Hallowfort, a large defensible building now located where the gate to Morhill had been placed. “I hope you declared the borders. Wouldn’t want you to feel cramped in your own home.”

“Physical space is hardly a concern, Ilea,” the Meadow replied.

“Good. But still, make sure you don’t let them walk all over you,” she said.

“Not all of them can fly,” the being answered in a matter of fact tone.

Ilea smiled and addressed Claire. “The Champion of the Pit is ready to meet the council in one day. I assume with the most important people in the city.”

“That’s good news. We will be ready to receive them. If a gate is required for them to come, we can provide one,” Claire answered.

“No need. I’ll get them here myself. You can discuss the gate then,” Ilea said.

“Wonderful. Thank you, Ilea,” the woman said and nodded her way, back to her previous discussion a moment later.