While I had used my shrines to teleport back to World’s End every night during the past months, I finally had a chance to catch up with my various associates, underlings, and companions. It-Has-Pockets and I were on a stroll on the high road of World’s End, simply walking together and catching up. She had undergone wai’fudo again, but failed to produce any viable offspring, which was not uncommon for a troll so young, and she spent the time talking about the finer points of the experience.
“I had attempted to use eight fathers this time around, but that proved to be beyond my skill,” she expounded as she danced around me as I continued to walk down the road to an excellent brooding spot that doubled as a great perch for a couple to take in the view of the countryside. “For a full day and night, they valiantly serviced me and my insatiable lust brought on by going into heat, but I think I cast my net too wide. Their Blessings were all so very different from one another, and it became too difficult to forge a Blessing for my offspring.”
“One,” she continued as she danced close and leaned towards my ear to whisper her count, “was a [Tailor], one of some repute and skill, from what I have seen of his work. I figured I should at least have the Blessing my own mother had, just so that I would have some common basis to work off of. Hey, wasn’t your own mother a [Tailor] as well?” she asked as she continued her dance without really pausing to hear my answer. “The second was a [Armsmaster], which is not as good as a [Weaponsmaster], but I couldn’t find one who was not already taken. I figured that would give me some versatility in case my offspring favored one weapon or another. The third-AH!”
It-Has-Pockets yelped in surprise and laughed with glee as I grabbed her, and holding her close to me, I twirled around with her, joining her in her dance and doing my best not to trip over my own two feet. I have enough experience by now to perform most dances of both commoners and [Nobles] alike without making a fool of myself, but I lacked the seemingly effortless grace of It-Has-Pockets who smoothly transitioned from one maneuver to another as simply as breathing.
Our dance took us onto the merlons of the battlement, our steps careful as we twirled about so as to not fall into the crenels, or worse, off the high road. Not that I would come to harm if I did fall off, and I would surely catch It-Has-Pockets if she fell, but the rush of being so close to danger got her heart racing and made her smile widen.
“The fourth was a [Coordinator], a very respectable Blessing amongst trolls, for they amplify the efficiency of [Laborers], [Builders], and the like. I believe that such a Blessing could help unlock the secrets to a [Dancer] becoming a [War Dancer] by how it offers support to others.”
She continued the conversation, or rather, exposition, as we danced along. I’m a bit of a sucker for holding a beautiful woman in my arms and twirling her about, so the whole experience was fun even if I lacked the skill to dance at her level. I was so caught up in our revelry that I almost failed to notice the lack of guards on this section of the high road. Almost.
Sensing something amiss, I pulled It-Has-Pockets off the battlements and onto the road proper, assuming a ready but not overly-defensive posture. It-Has-Pockets quickly caught on that I was reacting to some unknown threat, and she drew her sword from the storage ring I gave her and shifted into a defensive dance with a slow pace.
Up ahead, as if invisible fog had coalesced into view, three figures stood where the quickly dispersing fog had once been, the last remnants of mist obscuring the finer details of their form. My Observer Skills had not noticed them arrive in the general area, nor had my Detection Skills pierced through their Stealth. Perhaps they had made their entire journey here under the guise of Stealth, which would be a taxing feat to most. But one particular lifeform would not find such an undertaking beyond their means.
Dragons.
Now that they were visible, I could sense that similarity. It wasn’t a scent or any visible feature of their persons that gave it away, but rather their pristine use of mana and how their entire bodies shone brightly with it, in a manner of speaking. These were no mere Counts, and indeed, the two lessers were Princes at least. And with the disparity in power being so large, the one in the middle could only be an Emperor.
One, a Princess I see, or at least I assume a feminine gender, was dressed in silks and the veil common with belly dancers, and indeed, she began dancing in such a manner as she casually closed the distance to It-Has-Pockets, who in turn began to replicate the movements. The other, a Prince, dressed more as some sort of advisor or seneschal, his outfit of rich blues and reds looking more professional than pompous. The Emperor wore a turban and kaftan, each of predominantly silver, but also royal blues and bright reds. His entire ensemble was festooned with precious gems in similar colors, and although ostentatious, he lacked the smug superiority of one so accustomed to wearing such finery. Perhaps his appearance was for my benefit somehow, or the result of a bet gone wrong.
“Greetings, Emperor. My apologies for interrupting your night out with the very lovely It-Has-Pockets, but I assumed that, by how your many agents were sniffing around my affairs, you wanted to meet in person. And so here I, Emperor Bylo’selhi of the The Equivalent Scales, have traveled all the way to your fair city that we may talk terms.” He raised his hand and waved it slightly to the side. “Children, entertain the paramour of the Emperor. The grownups need to have a tête-à-tête.”
The Prince with him turned and bowed to his Emperor, and wordlessly, the Prince and Princess accompanied It-Has-Pockets back the way we had traveled as I bid her to comply. Alone with my peer, I withdrew my finest table and chairs, along with the best of refreshments for my unexpected guest, who in turn joined me.
“Most gracious of you,” he remarked as he helped himself to a cup of wine. “Ah, rare stuff, very expensive,” he continued as he savored it for a moment, “but also very bland. Rich people wouldn’t know a good drink if it rained upon them from the heavens.”
Seemingly from his own pocket dimension, he withdrew a jug of some manner of brew, and from it he poured both of us a glass before offering me one. I joined him in drinking it down, and sweet ambrosia washed away the pale imitation of that succulent nectar that lingered within my own throat.
“That certainly is smooth and delicious. Is this mead?” I asked with genuine delight, for this was leagues beyond anything I had available.
“Indeed it is. The honey is harvested from the hives of Bumble Turtles, which as you may imagine, is a dangerous profession. The secrets of transmogrifying it into what you are now drinking are responsible for the deaths of many spies who have tried to abscond with such mysteries. I am sure that you understand the need for such secrecy in your experiments with your enchantments, as the best stuff is not dispersed amongst the rabble. Why, people go mucking about, each believing to be the pinnacle of discretion, only to sound the horns and light the beacons for any who would be of mind to observe.”
I knew where he was going with this. My attempts to look deeper into his dealings had gone awry, and he was privately chastising me without being so direct about it. Now I would have to apologize without actually apologizing. That would explain why some of my agents had failed to report in a while. Good thing none of them were near and dear to my heart.
“I do have some experience with such concerns for security and privacy, but I admit, I doubtlessly have little experience as compared to you and your flight when it comes to such a delicate dance. I do hope to someday master it well enough so that I will not inadvertently run afoul of such indiscretion.”
Bylo’selhi smiled at that apologetic non-apology, apparently pleased with how I remained appropriately civil and composed.
“Now, with the pleasantries out of the way, would you mind if we dispersed with perfunctory threats, casual insults, posturing, and general attempts to outmaneuver one another?” he asked as he sipped at his drink, but his calculating eyes never left mine.
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“But of course, for we are all friends here. There is no need for such formality amongst friends,” I replied as I finished setting down my own drink.
Bylo’selhi quickly removed his turban and tossed it away, the object disappearing before it even hit the ground.
“Whew, that thing is stuffy. Embarina insisted I wear it. That’s my daughter who ran off with your troll friend, no doubt trying to get in her pants as we speak.” He shook his head side to side, and his beautiful silver hair shone brilliantly in the evening sun as curly locks cascaded down to their full length. Perhaps it was a mere trick of the light, but some parts appeared to sometimes look blue or red, much like his clothing. “So, I’m gonna cut to the chase here, sport, but I would rather we didn’t try to bend each other over a barrel as we negotiate how our flights will get along. The Bloods and the Crypts had their scuffle a while back, before my time, but by all accounts, that shook things up too much, and I don’t think either of us want that.”
“We sure don’t. I suppose you have an offer in mind?” I replied neutrally, for I remained caught off guard at how all my scheming had been rendered impotent and moot in an instant.
“Well, I understand why you would have had such concerns, and to be honest, I would not respect you very much if you didn’t at least try to sniff around my businesses. But you and I, we are the Emperors of the youngest flights, and if we don’t stick together, the others will rip us apart when we come of age.
“Now, I know it seems like our areas of interest overlap too much. You like your roads, and roads facilitate trade. My whole flight’s schtick is trade, but to be honest with you here, champ, my children have grown fat. They feel entitled to their income and have long since forgotten the thrill of competition.” He leaned in as his rather effeminate but admittedly gorgeous face gave me a predatory and conspiratorial grin. “They may fight back, but you have my blessing if you aim to muscle in on their turf. That should help sharpen their claws.” He leaned back, his posture and expression resuming a more cheerful disposition.
“Here’s what I want. I want us to be friends. Synsinac doesn’t like me very much, and he is way older than both of us combined. We both are too close to comfort to what services his flight provides, and I expect he will soon make it clear that he sees you as a competitor that would be best struck down. Your flight is the center of attention and making too many deals with too many important people, which will leave him feeling left out.
“Furthermore, I seek cooperation between our trade empires. I know you have your ‘Crossroad Consortium’ that you are starting, but I think we can find some common ground. My flight doesn’t truly produce much, we just invest in people who do and reap profits from exploiting price margins in different regions. But you, you make stuff, and then you sell it, which is an interesting take, as I don’t think too many Emperors bother with such nuances in mortal affairs.
“I think we could both stand to profit if we made a few trade deals. Short contracts, generous and open to both sides, that need to be renewed regularly. That way, if you do get caught in something that is not very favorable, you won’t be under its yoke for too long. I like your style, kid, in how you make generous deals, like the ones you made with those refugees. I imagine you plan to live a long time, just like me, and reputation is everything to us Emperors. No sense making a bad deal for a short-term gain if it means you need to put down rebellions every decade or so, am I right?”
He finally paused as he sat there studying me, his eyes soaking in every detail of my countenance and actions. He was playing the same tricks on me I had been using on others, and by gum, his offer was seductive, which was the problem. Perhaps he would throw in a few shady things that would be easily caught and negotiated away so that I would feel clever and satisfied that I had caught everything. I don’t appreciate being on the opposite side of this setup, and I wondered what the catch would be.
“I know, I know, this all sounds too good to be true,” he continued before I could even reply. “I have reviewed your contracts, some of which were difficult to get a copy of, and I know that I am doing the same thing to you that you do to other people. But, I’m being honest with you. My flight is almost 50 years old and almost to half capacity, both of which seem to be triggers where our egg friend will remove my protection. Other Emperors and their Kings will be free to kill me, or at least, they won’t suffer a curse for their success. I would rather like to survive that ordeal with my flight intact, and I will need allies. Naturally, I will return the favor when you come of age, too. The other flights have already gone through such a hazing process, and we are the only two that have not. Even if an Emperor died today, their successor would not reach maturity in time to be my ally, and so, you are the only flight with a vested interest in helping me.”
“Your situation sounds desperate,” I commented, with great care to not appear smug or condescending. “In most negotiations, I imagine that this is where cutthroat tactics to leverage you for all you are worth comes into play. Naturally, you would not reveal your true dilemma to me unless you had taken measures to ensure that I would cooperate. So, what is it that you have on me?”
He almost snorted with a little laugh that turned into a light chuckle before he finally composed himself. “Oh, that’s the fun part, I don’t have anything explicit on you. This is about mutual survival, and transparency works best if one desires an alliance that will last long enough to see us through such troubled times. I know you have had a run-in or two with Karlenstein’s children, but he is so laissez-faire when it comes to managing his flight that I doubt he even noticed or holds a grudge. That little tussle in the swamp allowed all of us to clean out the bottom feeders of our dragon hunters, so thanks for that opportunity.” he finished as he lifted his glass in a toast to me.
“Wait, you sent dragon hunters after me?” I replied as I wrestled with indignation that threatened to flare up and anoint my countenance. “And now you want me to be your friend. Maybe I don’t fully understand the culture of dragons, but that seems like an unusual way to go about things.”
I felt a little irritated that he brought that up, for I knew he was steering the conversation in a direction he wanted. I knew I was being led by the nose, but also that he was trying to teach me things, and so I endeavored to remain calm so that I could better focus on the finer nuances of how dragons interacted with other flights.
“Oh, naturally. We all did, even Bonpricha chipped in, and she normally doesn’t concern herself with the affairs of the mortal world, from what I can tell. It was a great way to both clear out the riff-raff and give you a lot of Experience Points in return. We all wagered that you would survive, and I know at least I had agents nearby in case things unfolded poorly for you. Obviously, we can’t just tell you that, otherwise you would not have fought for your life and would not get the full value of the Experience Points you were due. Besides, if you were not strong enough to survive that, you have no business being an Emperor.” He took a casual drink from his cup before he ventured to sample the snacks I had set out, apparently unbothered by his method of ‘helping’ me.
Perhaps I found myself mostly upset because of how I was not bothered by his methods. The logic was completely flawless to me, so in tune with my draconic nature that any other course of action on the parts of the other flights would have been irrational. Perhaps it irked me because it served as a reminder of how I was so unlike most mortals and how they viewed morality.
“I fully understand if you send some assassins after me in reprisal, especially ones laden with all manner of expensive equipment,” he continued as his eyes implored me to do just that. “Why, if you didn’t, I would begin to think that you just don’t care about me any more.” He put his hand to his chest to accentuate his mock expression of being spurned before finally winking at me. “Just let me know if you send an assassin who is important to you so I can instruct my staff not to kill them. It is a great way to send clandestine letters and to help both parties gain new Skills.
“But enough of that.” He pulled out a stack of forms from his sleeve. “Here are some contracts for mutual trade and cooperation. I would appreciate it if you would take some time to review them. I am sure you will find them to be quite generous and lucrative. We are both going to need a lot of money if we are to weather the storm that is coming, and I would hate to squander our resources in a fruitless contest for dominion over trade. I believe that would see us both dead sooner rather than later.”
“I will certainly look into them,” I responded in earnestness. Chooka would greatly appreciate the chance to review these contracts with me. Not every day you get contracts straight from an Emperor focused on trade.
“Excellent. I can already tell that this will be the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship. All the flights are buddy-buddy with at least one other flight, with perhaps the exception of The Eternal Pretenders since no one really knows where they are or what they do. I’ve never actually met Bonpricha, and this little conclave of yours will be the first gathering of the Emperors in a very long time indeed. Time to earn our keep as the defenders of this world, old sport.”
“I feel like there is one more request that you have yet to ask. Lay it on me.”
“Oh my, I see someone has dabbled into their [Leadership] Skills. Why yes, I do have one other matter to discuss. A small thing perhaps, but not unimportant.”
Bylo’selhi and I discussed a certain matter, and when he and his children departed, he did so with a pact made between Emperors.
