Chapter 402 The Dangers Ahead (1/2)
Arran re Nisra as he considered the situation She was undeniably pretty, with dark eyes and a kind face that revealed not a trace of guile of hostility Even now, she appeared hter of one of the I, too — even younger than he'd realized Frouessed that she had yet to leave her teen years behind her, and he could tell that her youth was genuine rather than the youthful agelessness of Body Refiners
Yet for all her youth and beauty, there was so, carefully concealed behind her harmless appearance
”What do you want?” he finally asked, deciding that there was no point in dancing around the question
”First,” she said with a smile, ”I want you to enjoy the food I've spent the past few hours preparing And second, I want to warn you about the dangers that await you in Sacrifice”
”Why?” Arran gave her a skeptical look ”We don't know each other Why would you want to warn me?”
A flash of displeasure crossed Nisra's face, but it disappeared a h ”If you insist on skipping the pleasantries, I suppose there's no choice but to be direct I intend to travel to Sacrifice within the next teeks, and I find myself in need of allies”
This ti ”So you want my help”
”Not just yours,” Nisra replied ”I'estured at the food that still stood untouched on the table, and added, ”Please, eat This took me hours to prepare”
Arran heaped so his attention back to the girl ”If it's an alliance you want, you should talk to the captain He's the one who leads the Wolfsblood Army”
”I shall talk to hiotten a look at the chath is whatseriously”
”That's what this is about?” Arran raised an eyebrow ”You want to see if I' your ally?”
”That's part of the reason I invited you” Nisra reached out to take a small pastry from the table, which she carefully placed on her plate She took a small bite, then finally turned her attention back to Arran ”The Desolation is a dangerous place, and allying oneself with the wrong people can have dire consequences”
”So you need allies,” Arran said ”But you still haven't explained what need we have for you”
”The first part of the answer is obvious,” she replied ”To maintain an army is a costly affair, and that's twice as true in Sacrifice I can help with that” She took another bite from her pastry, and continued, ”But more importantly, you need allies if you wish to survive”
”Do we?” Arran asked ”We can handle the Blightspawn, and we have no plans of getting involved with the Lords' squabbles”
At this, Nisra gave a sh ”Surely you know it's too late for that You and your captain were involved in the death of Lord Kadun That alone is enough to et for others”
Arran had no response to this Although he knew that it was true, some small part of him had hoped that their visit with Lady Raina would be the end of it But as he'd already expected, it appeared that wasn't the case
Rather than admit that he was at a loss for words, he took a bite of what looked to be stew froood
”There are threethe Lords of the Imperium,” Nisra continued as Arran ate ”And et you once you enter the Desolation”
”Three factions?” Arran lowered his spoon, and gave her a questioning look ”I thought there were only two — those who seek to invade the lands to the east, and those whose focus is on fighting the Blight”
Nisra es in the east are but a trifling matter — a distraction from what truly matters”
”Which is?” Arran asked
”Power, of course” Nisra's earlier facade had all but disappeared, and now, her background as a noble of the Ih so clearly it was impossible to miss ”The power to shape the Ihtfully ”How do these factions fit into that?”
”The factions,” Nisra began, ”are what keeps the Lords of the Ith would far surpass that of both the Imperator and the church But instead, they squabble and bicker a that the balance of power reed”
Arran took so that what she said made sense From what he'd seen of the Ih that few could stand against them if they joined forces
”So what are these factions?” he asked ”And which ones want to kill me?”
”The factions themselves aren't after you,” Nisra corrected him ”You are beneath their notice If you weren't, you'd be long dead already But there are soet you and your co her an impatient look, ”will you tell me which factions there are?”
”There's no need to hurry” Nisra took a slow bite of her pastry, al his patience Then, at last, she spoke
”The first of the factions is commonly known as the Martial Alliance Their leaders are ion of the Ined with the I the full resources of the Iiven that most of their members' lands border the Desolation”
”I take it Kadun was a member of this faction?” Arran asked
”Correct,” Nisra replied ”As is Lady Raina — another of your acquaintances, or so I've heard Although they're the weakest of the major factions in the Imperium as a whole, much of their influence is concentrated in the Desolation”
”So they're the ones I need to watch out for,” Arran said ”Understood”
The ss weren't as si him, she continued, ”The second faction is the Lords' Alliance — those who seek to increase the power of the Lords within the Imperium Their support lies ions of the Iuessed
”And h the Lords' Alliance is the largest faction, their strength in the Desolation is limited Many of them are more concerned with their own lands than they are with the defense of the Iave her a wry smile ”I suppose I shouldn't count on their protection, then?”
”Not if you value your life,” Nisra answered flatly ”The only thing that binds theth in the Desolation was greater, few of theain”
With a sigh, Arran asked, ”What about the third faction?”
”The Righteous Alliance,” Nisra said ”Traditionalists, closely tied to the church — an association that brings thehout the I the factions”
Arran creased his brow in thought He had not forgotten Nisra's earlier words — that two of the three factions would target him and his companions
Yet the Lords' Alliance did not appear to be a threat, and no matter how he looked at it, he saw no reason that the so-called Righteous Alliance should bear hihteous Alliance want to attack hteous Alliance despises outsiders nearly as ht,” Nisra answered ”More, soue An ar they will consider a stain upon the Ier to erase”
As she spoke, Arran could not help but curse softly ”I suppose I'd best start sharpening my blade, then”
”And there we have your final problem,” Nisra said, a hint of amusement in her expression now ”The arhters of Lords What do you think would happen should you kill one of them?”
This ti but soft He'd already realized that killing Darian lordlings would invite retribution, but if the Wolfsblood Ar violence would be impossible
”Your problem is easily solved, of course,” she continued ”Leave your companions behind, and you can enter the service of someone with the influence to protect you With your abilities, there should be plenty of interest”
”I won't leave the Wolfsblood Army,” Arran replied at once
Nisra nodded ”As expected But for your army to survive the Desolation, you will need allies”
He gave her a s us back to you”
”So it does,” Nisra replied, a wide smile on her face ”I have the means to support your army, as well as the influence to protect you”
Arran refrained fro out that it was her h he knew the distinction was an i he was not at all convinced of — it would only take a single word from her mother to take ahatever help she provided
Yet giving voice to that thought would change little, and he had a et out of this?”
”Allies,” Nisra replied simply
Arran shook his head ”If you have asallies should be a simple matter”