Emmanuel stood in the guard tower, looking over the training area. He saw the men and women there, wearing their layered clothing as they fought with the small shields and curved swords of the Fayad family.
“Father.” A woman’s voice came from behind him as he heard Nasreen kneel on the tower floor.
Emmanuel continued to watch the men and women training and fighting with one another, the flash of blades and shields, the moving of fabric as they focused entirely on their attackers.
He pulled out a scroll from his robe and held it out.
Nasreen stood and took the scroll, reading it in silence as he continued to watch the fighters.
She closed the scroll and Emmanuel turned around.
He looked to be entering his later years, his features softening with time, but his eyes were still bright and there was a hidden energy in his bones and greater power waiting to be unleashed.
Nasreen might be the leader of the Shadowridge guards but she still wasn’t able to defeat her father.
He looked at her, interested in her thoughts. She opened her mouth and then paused, thinking through the contents of the letter further.
It was a few more minutes before she started to talk.
“Do we know what their purpose is?”
“This is the only letter that we have received,” Emmanuel said simply.
“Based on our reports, the Vermire Outpost has only grown in strength in the recent years. They have a group of healers who brought them more adventurers. Many high-powered merchants have moved over there, some of them even opening their headquarters within the outpost. It has doubled in size and there are more people looking to move there. They are so bold to raise crops outside of the outpost. They might not sell the best items of all the outposts, but they are more consistent. You might find rare items in the different outposts; you will always find them in Vermire.
“With being attacked by the former Zatan Confederation, they played nations like pieces on a board, and proved their strength. They became a neutral ground for many nations and powerful groups to mediate their issues within the city and trade. They have grown in power, which can make them arrogant. This letter can be a way of them exercising their power, though they have taken time to digest their gains, to stabilize their foundations. While they might be arrogant, they are also smart and showing us face by sending a letter and gifts to entice us into meeting with them.”
Emmanuel waited for her to say anything else. “That is a good summary of Vermire, but what about this letter?”
“It is unclear what they want, if it is to show off their strength or if it is to become a powerful figure in the outposts. The wording makes it seem as if they feel that we’re equals, even though Lord Aditya has only been doing this for a limited period of time. It makes me think that they want something from us?” Nasreen looked at her father.
“I think so too.” A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Nasreen smiled, seeing her father’s acknowledgement before she frowned. “What do they want to work with us on? We’re across the other side of the Beast Mountain Range. It will take us nearly a week to reach them. Although we know of one another, we aren’t of much use to the other.”
“Ah, Nasreen, what if I was to tell you that he has sent messengers to the Sea Breeze, Sea Castle, Hunter Frontier, and Sun Forge outposts?”
“All of our outposts are opposite one another across the Beast Mountain Range. We’re far away from one another, so we don’t have issues with one another and we all have different beasts and items in our areas. Plenty of trade and no issues. Is he looking to set up a trading caravan between us all?”
“Would he ask us to meet to set up a trade caravan? What about our caravans? We send out caravans we have a stake in to trade in our stead,” Emmanuel said.
“They could have just made a trade caravan themselves, so they need our help to do something? What would need the help of six powerful outposts?” Nasreen’s eyebrows pinched together. “With that kind of strength—well, we would need others, but we could cut—”
Her eyes flashed and she looked up at Emmanuel. “They can’t be thinking?”
“About cutting a road through the Beast Mountain Range? Well, we should go and find out. A total of twenty-five different outposts have been contacted, nearly all of the outposts that have not had a large conflict or are owned by a nation or outside group. We will leave in three days to make it for this dinner. You will take care of the arrangements. Your brother Majdi will be taking over command of the outpost while we are away.”
“There is no need for you to go,” Nasreen said.
“Thank you for your concern, but on a topic such as this, if it is as I believe, then I do not think sending a proxy will be in our best interests.”
***
“These are the latest reports from the outposts?” Elan asked Miss Evernight, who was spearheading intelligence gathering activities in the area immediately around Alva Dungeon. With the recent expansion of the intelligence service, there was little that moved around Alva Dungeon without her knowledge.
“Yes, sir.”
Elan made a noise of understanding as he read through the condensed reports. He took some ten minutes before putting the file down. “Thoughts?”
“It is as we believed it would be. There will be neutral parties, and those against. I believe that we can, with the right pressure and incentives, bring nineteen of the outposts to our side,” Evernight said.
Elan looked over to Glosil, who was reading an identical report.
Glosil waited a few more minutes before closing the folder. “It looks good to me. For this operation, you will report directly to me and be Lord Aditya’s right hand. Make sure that you have support liaising with the military.”