Kamer-on tapped his fingers on the long marble desk in front of him. He shared it with one other representative in the Assembled Forum of Princes, a large meeting hall with a podium at the center and tiered desks heading back toward the rear of the room. Stairs near him went up the center of the room, heading toward a crest on the back wall that represented the whole of the princedom. Behind Kamer’s seat was their own crest, the devouring hound.
At the podium now was Nat of the Han family, a scruffy bearded man that prided himself on talking as long as possible about as little as possible. Now it was a trade resolution, asking for lowered tariffs on some goods or another. All the representatives in the room, cousins, siblings, or children of the different princes, already knew how they would vote on the measure. It wouldn’t pass, Nat didn’t have enough votes and he knew it. But he still talked, still wasted their time.
High on the wall above Nat was a massive beat orb, a large glass flask filled with animated, ‘ignited’, flame. It counted Beats for the meeting, keeping time by tracking the beats of the day. As the day waned dancing flame inside would dim to mere embers, and then reignite with the rising sun. While philosophers and arcanists said Beat was felt by everyone, having a massive orb to tell you it was getting late was helpful. For now, Kamer knew that time was wasting.
He watched the entrance doors to the forum hall. Outside of the 13 representatives, only a select few other people were ever allowed in the Assembled Forum when they were having a true meeting. Two guards, and two record keepers, both bonded pairs and sworn to secrecy. But in an emergency, others could intrude, if briefly.
“I hope you will see reason, cousins,” Nat said in his wavering voice. “This isn’t just about what happens in Handa, this is for all of us. We live in peace now, but we all know that the future may be riddled with the strife of the past. We should not hinder each other, but instead help wherever we can.”
The door slammed open, letting in the noise of an argument from outside.
“Please, I must see him!” Said Dev. “He requested this news to come straight to him!”
The entrance was off to the side of the podium, so anyone entering would see the tiered seats of the representatives and not who was down in the speaking pit. Dev locked eyes with Kamer immediately, and Kamer rose.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Nat yelled. “Explain yourself.”
Kamer stepped out onto the steps, and Dev came running into the room with a tightly bound folio.
“Apologies, sorry,” Kamer said as he walked down the steps, “let me see what this is all about.”
Dev met him halfway, and handed the folio over, which Kamer ripped open right away. He scanned the documents, getting angrier with every line. Then slammed it all shut.
“Can we continue?” Nat asked from his position at the edge of the pit.
Kamer looked up to the Beat orb, mumbled to himself, and then shook his head no.
“This can’t wait, Nat-han, I’m sorry. This information I just received, I must bring it to the forum’s attention immediately!”
Nat’s glare could have struck down a lesser man, but Kamer matched him.
“What could this possibly be, Kamer?” Nat asked.
Kamer motioned for Dev to leave. Nat made a mistake asking. Since he was the one to ask the question, it could be argued that he gave up his remaining speaking time to receive an answer. The doors were shut again, and Kamer took to the podium, with Nat standing off to the side.
“This better be good,” Nat said.
Kamer handed the folio over to Nat, and then cleared his throat at the podium.
“Thank you for the time, Nat-han,” Kamer said. “Cousins, I have just received word back from the Duchy of Akahi, and I have terrible news.”
On the nearest level, Tal-ma sat up in her seat.
“It was only a few days ago that Tal-ma reported that communication to the Duchy was cut off. While at that time it didn’t seem prudent to send any larger investigation, my prince saw fit to get a closer look. As you know, a large number of those in Ony are Emberists, we needed answers, many of our people spoke of family that left for Akahi that have not returned.”
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Tal-ma pounded her desk with the flat of her hand. Her wild red hair, tied back in a long tail, swung back and forth as she shook her head. “We haven’t heard back yet, how have you already received word back from the Duke?”
Kamer had to fight down a grin as he addressed the crowd. “That is just the thing, Akahi has fallen.”
He had everyone’s attention now. Whispers went between desk-mates, and Tal-ma’s eyes narrowed at him.
“While we don’t have all the information, it seems that the Dukedom has fallen to blasphemous ways, their own forces using Ashen magicks, necromancy! What they thought they were going to accomplish, I have no clue, but this report shows people struck down Ash Walkers!”
“Preposterous!” Tal-ma shouted as she stood at her desk. “The priests of the temple would never allow the Duchy to fall so far. What proof do you have?”
He took a second to focus at the podium. To his side, Nat-han was frantically reading. So he continued. “You yourself admitted just yesterday that you haven’t been able to get any message back from Akahi, that no travelers were returning from Akahi. Does it sound like they are in open communication with their neighbors? Does that sound like the priests of the temple have been able to keep the Duke in control?”
Tal-ma stood stiff, blinked. “The-the-they could be having issues, they may be under attack.”
“By who? Their horned allies in the South?”
“Then what are you suggesting?”
Right on time, Nat-han clapped the folio closed, his hands squeezing the papers in a death grip.
“Quiet!” Nat snapped. His voice echoed through the room, and all eyes turned on him. “Everyone just be quiet, this is still my time.”
Eyes turned to the Beat up above, then back to Nat.
“Yes, of course.” Kamer stepped aside from the podium.
Nat took his place again, and placed the closed folio on the podium. “I will temper my statements by saying I do not know how much of what I just read is true. I trust Kamer-on, and Shan-on, but this information is terrifying. There are reports of corpses littering the streets, and Hi’s temple left empty. The people hid in their homes from the monsters unleashed, and it seems no one has been able to speak to Duke Daen himself. If this is truly his doing, then Akahi truly is lost. If he is under attack, then they desperately need assistance.”
“Let them get assistance from Barune!” Shouted Fil from the third tier. “Is that not who they have threatened us with any time we so much as ask for concessions or new trade deals. Those are their allies.”
Nat slammed his hand on the podium. “This isn’t about petty squabbles. The Duchy exists as the home of The One. This goes beyond alliances, or trade deals. Everyone should be coming to their aid. We have an easier path than Barune, we can send forces to check on them.”
Tal-ma raised a hand. “Are you suggesting I march troops into a sovereign nation because maybe they are having some issues? What if we are attacked?”
“That would be what the troops are for, right?” Kamer said with a raised eyebrow.
The room exploded into arguments, words flying at every desk. Tal-ma shouted curses at Kamer, but he couldn’t hear them over the cacophony.
Then Nat’s shouting from the podium got them to quiet down enough for him to continue speaking.
“Cousin Kamer-on, you thought it important to continue digging, you investigated this problem. What is your responsibility here?”
Kamer turned on him, “Just because we discovered this, you want it to be our women and men that go and face those monsters? What do we have this Alliance for then?”
The military of Ony was known across the Princedoms, second only to Mabony near the border. While Mabony was meant to defend the Princedoms from invasion from the South, Ony’s troops were trained to fight threats within their borders, which usually meant watching the Merchant City. Neither army needed to be used, the Princedoms had not fought a war in three lifetimes.
“Kamer-on,” Nat said, his voice fading into pleading.
Kamer closed his eyes and sighed. “Of course, I misspoke. Tal-ma is right that their forces need to guard the border. I will request my prince send troops to check on the situation in Akahi directly. There was another part of that report that worries me though.”
Nat looked down at it, “Which part?”
“The daughter of the Duke,” Kamer said.
Nat opened it again and scanned the pages. “It says here, she is reportedly in Barune. They are sheltering her?”
“Are you suggesting,” Tal-ma began, “That Barune knows about this, and is cooperating with them?”
Kamer shook his head no. “No, but while our forces are in Akahi, I will try to figure out if she has any plans on Barune as well. It is up to all of us to keep the arts of necromancy at bay. With no troops at all, she could cause havoc in the center of Barune and they would have no clue what to expect. We should send word to the King, let him know that he may be harboring a blasphemer in his borders without knowing.”
“Agreed,” Nat-han said. “For now though, we should all make sure our people know what is awry at the temple, and we should prepare for the worst. The Alliance stands!”
They all stood and saluted, their hands clasped in front of their chest, and repeated the words. “The Alliance Stands!”
Then the forum dissolved, some of them standing and walking out while others sat in their seats and took notes. When the doors opened, assistants stepped in, and others left to go speak with their princes.
Kamer hoped Shan knew what he was doing, because the plan was in motion, ahead of Greywind’s wishes. They were going to have to be careful from here on. If credible word got out about what they did, the Alliance’s wrath would be turned in on them.