Ruinous Return

The past week of travel had been slow-going and cautious, and she felt the gnawing seed of trepidation slowly sprout in her mind into full-blown anxiety. She was confident of her speaking abilities, her convincing nature, and her natural charm. But she was about to meet a representative of royalty. Not just a rich merchant, or a prospective client. And she was representing the interests of the Destroyer.

An entire alliance relied solely on her abilities, and she felt the pressure mounting. As her escorts and her rode along the roads, stopping at various inns along the way to pass the night, she had nothing but time. The capital of Trisk, a city called Skir\'s Retreat, was on the Northern coast. It would take another two weeks of traveling through the kingdom.

And that whole time, her guards traveled in relative silence. They were extremely disciplined, and spoke in hushed tones, only knowing Arinol, and not wanting to blow their cover. So, Rashanna was alone with her thoughts, and the anxieties built upon themselves. The only disturbance to their travel routine was when their ravens would return from flying back to send updates. She had grown fond of her new pet, naming her Melody, and chatting with the bird, while not necessarily intellectually stimulating, was a great distraction from her thoughts.

Finally, she had arrived at the capital city. After acquiring accommodations in the upper district, she paid a messenger to send word to the palace of King Skir the XXV. The royal family had an unbroken lineage tracing back to the founding of the kingdom and was the most peaceful of the three major powers of Ghomar. It had never experienced civil war and was on the far side of the Valley of the Volcano, so it did not deal with the Demonic Dragon\'s occasional incursions. A relatively rocky coast with few beaches ensured that they were well protected from ocean invasion as well.

The day of the meeting arrived. Her guards switched to richer, more lustrous colored cloaks that still concealed their features. She opened her trunk and laid out her best attire; an emerald-studded bracelet accentuated a very rich, red dress that complemented her black fur and contrasted nicely. A cloak of light, sky blue was emblazoned on the back with the symbol of Lady Rivers\' empire. She looked in the mirror in her fancy room at in the inn and took a deep breath. "You\'ve got this," she whispered to herself.

She left with her escort and arrived at the enormous castle. There was a large moat filled with water, and the main courtyard leading to the drawbridge was bustling with various nobles who were celebrating a holiday. Perfect, right-on time. She had ensured to arrange the meeting at such a time when people coming and going from the castle would not be overt. Discretion was key, as if a visiting diplomat representing a new faction became public knowledge, then rumors could spread.

She and her escorts went into the castle proper, blending in quite easily with the nobility. She was approached by a guard wearing a suit of full plate armor, and holding a halberd made of exquisite craftsmanship. "Invitation?"

Rashanna pulled the slip of paper she was given the day prior from her cloak pocket, "I am here to see Lugen Naskowitz."

The guard looked at the note, nodded, and then looked at Rashanna\'s companions. "Forgive me, but only two bodyguards are allowed per noble guest."

She looked back at her companions and relayed the information in Arinol, confident that very few would recognize let alone speak the language here, as the Ari mostly settled in Khrelardia and Valagonia pre-purge. Her companions nodded, and all but two split off and left to return to the exterior of the castle. "Lead the way," she said.

The guard led her down several corridors until they arrived at a bedroom. The bed was pushed to a corner, and the center of the room was dominated with a medium-sized table. One chair was on the far side, and a middle-aged Foskor – one of the bear-folk – sat in the chair, the dappled sunlight shining down on the tufts of white fur along the back of his shoulders. He was broad and muscular but dressed very ornately. He stood as she entered, "Ah, you must be Diplomat Selenya."

She entered and curtsied, taking her cloak off, draping it over the chair back, and sitting down. Her guards shut the door behind them. "Yes. Thank you for meeting me, Diplomat Naskowitz."

He smiled and reached for a decanter, pouring two glasses of red wine before leaning back in his chair. "There have been stirrings in the South. Word of a new power rising. And my king is…quite interested in allies. Especially given the state of Valagonia\'s current ruler."

Rashanna nodded and swallowed the knot in her throat, pushing it down along with all her anxiety as she went into her \'merchant-mode\' and put on her best face. She ensured to smile, showing off her pearly white teeth, and fluttered her eyes to put on the most charismatic presentation possible. "I represent Lady Rivers."

The man\'s eyebrow raised slightly, "I am not familiar with this person whom you speak of."

Rashanna snapped her fingers, and both soldiers pulled their hoods down, revealing their Duskari heritage. The diplomat across from her showed no emotional response. Damn he\'s good, she thought. "You heard the voice of the Demonic Dragon echoing across the world a few weeks ago. Just like every other person on Ghomar." She gestured to her revealed companion, "Lady Rivers is the ruler of the Duskari in the Valley of the Volcano. The Destroyer, returned. She is the Demonic Dragon, reborn."

The man leaned forward and took a sip of the wine. He looked at Rashanna, not at the two Duskari, but at her. Staring into her. Dissecting her with his eyes. "The Demonic Dragon was slain ten years ago. The Destroyer was killed. And yet you claim they returned?"

Rashanna nodded and took a sip of the wine as well, "Yes. Lady Rivers intends to rule all Ghomar and create a world of peace, prosperity, and equality."

"See, that is a hard sell," Lurgen said as he took another sip. "No king, no noble wishes to give up their positions of power." He smiled, "We have had scholars investigate the concept of a more…equal society. Without a powerful figurehead, who by their very nature is elevated above the rest, there is no structure. And they need representatives in all the places they control."

"Precisely," Rashanna replied. "Lady Rivers seeks to rule all Ghomar. All your king would have to do is bend the knee, agree to some changes to your laws and codices – minor changes, given the progressive nature of Trisk\'s already existing policies – and he would have a powerful ally and protector." She smiled, "I assume the outskirts of your kingdom have reported to your Spymaster the changes to the mountains surrounding the Valley?"

"Yes…disturbing reports of the whole mountainscape, changed to enormous walls."

"That was Lady Rivers. " Rashanna smiled sweetly and was quite satisfied as she finally got an emotional reaction out of the man. Shock, with an underlying trace of fear. Perfect. Time to go in for the kill. "Lady Rivers wishes to meet with your king and arrange for his loyalty. As a gesture of our good will," she snapped her fingers, and one of her Duskari produced a small bundle of cloth, setting it gently on the table. Rashanna unwrapped it and pulled out several of the purple patches. "This is a medicine that can be used on the battlefield."

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The Duskari who handed her the package held his arm out, rolled up his sleeve, and produced a hidden blade, rapidly slashing a small groove that began to ooze blood. He grabbed one of the purple patches, stripped off the cloth covering, and slapped it onto the wound. He then turned his arm and knelt as the Diplomat inspected the arm. "Hmm. Interesting."

Rashanna pulled out a small card that the Alchemist hero had written up, "This is what the patch does."

Lurgen looked over the note before his eyes went wide. He reached over and gently peeled back the bandage. The Duskari\'s wound had stopped bleeding and had begun to heal. "This…is astounding…"

Rashanna held back her emotion and nodded as the anxiety washed away. You\'ve got this. You\'re in control now. Keep the upper hand. Hammer it home. "The Alchemist hero has thrown in his lot with Lady Rivers. He is providing medicinal products just like these. We have a total of a thousand as a gesture of good will." She waved her hand and the Duskari stood behind her once more. "And we have more heroes on the way to join Lady Rivers\' new empire," she stated, confident that what Lady Rivers had discussed in the bed chamber after her appointment to Diplomat would come to fruition.

"Tell me of some of these changes Lady Rivers proposes," Lugen instructed.

Rashanna shook her head, "First, let\'s get the basics out of the way. These have very little wiggle room." She held up a finger, "One, all races will be treated as equals. As Trisk already operates in this fashion, there won\'t be any real change there; save for the second requirement."

She held up a second finger. "Two, whilst kings, nobles, and the like will maintain their positions for their current lifetime, any successor will be determined by meritocracy. If King Skir wants his son or daughter to take the throne, he will have to ensure they can rule just as effectively as he could. Evaluations will be done in a cascading method, meaning that Lady Rivers will evaluate each king-level ruler\'s efficacy, and they will be responsible for their own underlings being awarded rank, responsibilities, and wealth commensurate with their skill at the decided appointment."

She held up a third finger, "Three, you will have to alter portions of your codices of law to a variety of adjustments. Primarily, ensuring that food is readily available to all your populace – again, not an issue for your kingdom as you already have those very robust public-food programs. But some other changes include harsh punishments for those who commit abuse against their kin and kith, and harsher punishments for rape and violation of one\'s bodily autonomy."

She held up the fourth finger, "Lastly, every individual within your borders will have their name, location, date of birth, and any external spell…specialties catalogued in a single filing system that is updated every five years. This, along with any particular skill set they may have or profession they are well-versed in. This system will only be applied to those who have reached the age of majority for their race."

Lurgen grabbed his wine glass and took a large sip. He stared into the dark liquid. "The king would be hard convinced of your second requirement. The throne has stayed in his family since the kingdom was founded."

Rashanna raised her glass as well and took a sip, "If he does not agree to those four terms, then no vassalage will be brokered. Other negotiations can be made regarding any other changes, but those are absolute." She put the glass down and stood up. Time for the last power play. "If you do not bend the knee, then the Destroyer will utterly ruin the kingdom. You have seen their power through your reports. Imagine if your entire kingdom was torn asunder with earthquakes. Or the fields decimated by firestorms that were uncontainable." Not that she would ever do those things based on her described goals…but the threat has to be there. "Part of being in the fold is that those powers will not be turned against Trisk, and you will have guaranteed peace and prosperity. Protection from the racists in Valagonia, and the unknown force of the Paragon hero that now rules Khrelardia."

Lurgen stood up as well and bowed. "I would ask that you stay in the castle. We can arrange for your guards to have quarters adjoining your own and will send for your luggage and mounts. But I need to discuss these four strictures in more depth, and I do not think our short appointment here is enough time."

Rashanna turned to her companions and switched to Arinol, barely whispering into one of their ears as she snapped her fingers behind her back to drown out any chance of eavesdropping. "One of you with me, the other to go with this Diplomat\'s men to fetch our companions. But, have two of them stay outside of the city limits with their raven and make camp in a hidden place. Make sure you bring my raven here." She turned back and switched to Triskol, "I would be pleased to stay in your guest quarters as we continue our discussions."

Not even a day had passed by the time Lyn and the armada had arrived at The Rill. An enormous river the size of the Mississippi that ran from the ocean to the Valley of the Volcano. To the South was Valagonia, and the duchy of Ishtok. To the North was Trisk, and the Slor mountains that provided additional protection against Valagonia. The ships began undoing their binds and started the long journey up the river under the power of oars, and against the current. It will take them a week or so.

Lyn looked at Naila with a smile. The woman had been running across the various ships, barking commands and orders at the Ari marines who seemed to acknowledge her instructions with only a few sidelong glances and foul dispositions. Since boarding the vessels, she had been trying to show off to Lyn. No doubt trying to vie for that Admiral position. She put her hand on the woman\'s shoulder. "I will be going ashore and traveling alone. You will find an entrance into the Valley of the Volcano when you arrive; just sail right on in."

She nodded, "Of course, Lady Rivers."

"Good. And if you get them all there in one piece," she pointed at Gil, "And keep this one out of trouble…you can consider yourself my Admiral until someone better comes along to replace you."

Naila laughed, "That will never happen."

Lyn looked down at Gil and crouched next to him. She switched to Shereldian, "This is your last chance to go back to Valagonia. We can drop you off in Ishtok with a bit of coin if you want…Or you can stay with the Ari here, and Miss Naila will keep an eye on you."

The boy looked between the two women. "I\'ll go with the big lady."

Lyn nodded and ruffled his hair a bit before pulling Cataclysm and switching it to the bow form. She retrieved an arrow, nocked, and let loose the short distance to the shore. She teleported and waved at the Ari ships as they went up-river. Now for the boring and draining part. At least she would be improving her mana capacity.

She knew that Trisk would be the first objective when it came to unifying Ghomar under her rule. Whether they bent the knee, or she had to dismantle their government and assert control through several displays of power…they would be the first. Khrelardia and Valagonia were already at each other\'s throats from what she had received in her reports before leaving the Valley a few days ago, not to mention they were dealing with civil, internal strife.

She put her hands on the river\'s edge, and breathed deeply as she channeled her vast reservoir of mana into her mana channels. "En ethiel an le / thalion min / an adhano na nin ir / a ambaro i adwen enni / aglatho gaear en heledh / na dôr i bartho pân nin govadhrim e-bann / a bartho nin gohain / grotho han na gond / a masado sich erin thûr / a bartho govadhrim ú-harthol nin garan / trîwain i amarth / a aglaro rath an gwanath na taid an hênui-írm / talath erin thôr an padad panui / a gwanno i echad hên / an i ennas / na i minath e-erudh / dôr, ú-wathol / a echado naid nad dhîn / erin thûr / a bartho nin govadhrim adwen."

She felt the earth beneath her feet lift her up and carry her forward, traveling at a fast pace up the riverbank. She glanced back and to her satisfaction, the entirety of where she had traveled was replaced. No longer a simple short wall, instead a massive wall of stone, thirty feet high with a five-foot walkway on top and several carved slots for handholds on the back side away from the river sprouted up. She felt her mana draining away, and after three miles she had to stop and take a breather.

A whole three miles of fortification, she thought as she sat on the newly raised fortification. Walling all The Rill is going to suck. But, on the plus side, she was effectively walling off Trisk from Valagonia, and setting up a portion of the promised grazing land for the Sloren once they moved towards the Valley. When her mana had refilled, she repeated the process, and continued mile by mile towards the mountains marking the edge of her territory. Carving out what would be her new domain. And with each breather to let her mana refill, she had just a little more capacity. Boring, but worthwhile.