210 Arrival (2/2)

”The duchess has declared a state of war, how shall we proceed?”

Li raised a hand to silence them. ”All questions, I will strive to answer soon, when I make my way to the rest of the council members at the stage.”

His followers made way for him, letting him walk up the main aisle to the stage where he found the faces he was hoping to find.

Sitting around runeboard table were Old Thane, Ivo, Sindra, and Ven'thur.

Immediately, Old Thane stood up to embrace Li.

”Gods, lad, I knew you'd be gone, but not this long,” said Old Thane.

”Relax, old man,” said Li, smiling. ”You know I'm not the type to get done in so suddenly.”

”Aye, that is true,” said Old Thane as he pulled away from the hug. ”But still, it was mighty worrying to hear tell of smoke and demons where you had gone. That, coupled with your absence and the city's sudden preparations for war, have left all of our nerves quite on edge.”

Li sat down on a seat and put Tia's sleeping form on his lap. She was incredibly tired, drained not only from staying awake so long, but from expending what would have been vast amounts of power fighting off Dark beasts. He doubted anything would wake her soon.

”My priests and I, too, had thought the worst. During your absence, there was a time when we attempted to commune with you, but found you had disappeared from us, your being strangely erased, and yet the power you granted us still there,” said Ivo.

We had thought that perhaps, you, Good Seer, had perished, leaving but the divinity above with us. But now, it is heartening to see that you have returned and as well as ever.”

”A good thing you were gone, I do say,” said Ven'thur. ”You will not believe how preposterously difficult it was to get some information about this situation. Right after I had believed I had quite well and thoroughly brow beaten the Merchant's Guild into an agreement with us, all of a sudden, there is a city wide lockdown, armies are upon us, and a call to arms?

All with no warning? It is disappointing to see the level of disorganization within this city's administration.”

Sindra was concentrated on paper she wrote furiously on, but her tail swayed from side to side, indicating happiness at Li's return.

”I agree with Ven'thur,” she said. ”It is quite odd that the city was so ill-informed and prepared for movement of this caliber. But now, with the guildmaster here, we can sit down and reach conclusions about it.”

”I apologize for my absence,” said Li. ”I dealt with a threat that sprawled out of expectation, but not control, hence my delay. But I am here now. Tell me what has happened so that we can give the rest of the people an idea of what to expect.”