Mirabella had a raging headache, and it was just the start of the day. From the moment she had woken up there had been a constant stream of visitors. Their complaints ranging from the banal, someone's cow was still sleeping, to the deeply concerning, a guard was dead from a cut throat. She sighed deeply as another such report was being repeated to the gaggle of merchants and knights not privy to her inner council.
"According to early investigations the ruins below us are inert, but clearly of the Faerun design. The Mage's are still looking into the purpose of the ruins, or a method to study the magic they likely contain. A Mana Well was also detected, which answers the question of why the Hold was built here, but why it was never reported. Likely to do with the strange events of yesterday, and the ruins themselves." The words were met with an outrage of disgruntled voices, most about the wasted time and efforts of securing the dungeon to the South. Because of course they would be concerned about lost profits, these merchants were all the same, though the knights supporting them was concerning. The report of the Captain wasn't a good one, and the fact that he had posted a formal complaint about it before made it worse.
In many ways Mirabella was looking back on her own choices, and what she had read and remembered gave her a shudder. Vague figures in rooms flickered on the edge of her mind, but it had seemed like she had fought the magical influence. When she had just been dancing to its tune. Likely just how Reginald had been. His death was likely something also orchestrated by whatever had been affecting them, and the fact that it was gone meant someone had done something.
She was fairly certain it had to do with those monsters that had been seen around the walls late at night. Only a few guards had reported seeing something out there, but the fact that it was only those above level 15. Gave it a weight that few could argue with, and she would be a fool not to pay attention to any out of place thing at this point. Like the object hanging around her neck these days.
She clicked it open to show the lightly, glowing number 90 stamped into it's face. While the number hadn't changed, the hand was ever, so slightly moving to 89. It made her vastly unease considering she felt like she was on a timeline she couldn't see. The only benefit was it was the only timeline she was under now. The King had been ecstatic, in his own ways, to hear about the secured Mana Well. Now the plan to update the capital's defenses and magical infrastructure could proceed, so long as the students and Magistrates from the College got here safely.
"We need to prepare our defenses for the clash!" A voice broke into her thoughts, and she looked around the room to find the speaker, "Clearly, the Felbeasts are preparing for something now that the ruins are turned off. Likely it scared them off a few times."
"What nonsense is this?" Her voice carrying in the room, "Merchant Kled, the Felbeast wouldn't have any interest in us now."
"No?! We claimed a Mana Well, Lady Mirabella. A Mana Well is a critical resource of the Kingdom!" Kled retorted, waving his arms at his audience. He had positioned himself to be facing the majority of the crowd and in direct line of Mirabella. Clearly, a foolish attempt at politics.
"Considering their activity near the Capital and other kingdoms. It is clear they are targeting for fear, not resources right now." Her reply silencing his clear attempts to continue his rant. With a wave of her hand, the knights straightened, "It would be foolish to attack a defended position with nothing to gain besides a temporary disruption. With the Mana Lock on the Well only we can remove it. It would be..."
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"...a clear waste of resources to continue attacking that Holding." Councilor Tvash finished, sitting down to the nods of most of the seated. Only one was truly important in this discussion, but only because of tradition, not truth.
"So, my requests for a meeting were a joke to you all." The man in question widened his already large eyes. Bright yellow like the sun with the red feathers around them looking like staring into the eyes of an angry god. For he was that to many of them, but his principles would always get in the way of what they needed to do.
"Not a joke Lord Remus," Councilor Leoric responded, bowing his head in acknowledgement of Tvash, "Tvash is pointing out that we have already wasted a lot of resources in trying to claim that Hold as well as claim the Dungeon you covet. Surely, you wouldn't be alive here and now if you hadn't the wisdom to send in that homunculus." The rest of the table nodding at his words. To Remus it looked like a play that had been practiced well beforehand. Internally, he sighed but on the outside he just frowned. He hated how human like his people had become since the council had reached level 75. They played these games of politics to gain themselves advantages and favors.
"I will seek my original goal then. The woman will likely be in Masire, she had more the look of their nobility. You can all do what you want, I am done with you all." His words came out stiff and halting, but the reaction of the council was a mixed bag. Some looked ashamed while others looked pleased, some, like Leoric, looked confused. Which just confirmed more of the politics behind it all. He didn't wait for anything else before he moved out of the room. Looking to all as if vanishing from their midst.
None choose to speak for a long moment after their "Leader" had left. Everyone showing their camp by looking at certain members around the table.
"Well, unexpected, but our goals still are the freedom of our people." Tvash said suddenly, spooking a few people, "To this end I would like to present this new bit of news I have just received." He then presented a clear glass orb from his pocket. The table stood up in surprise at the object, a Far-speaker was something that they only had a few of. He held his hands out to sooth the group, before placing it on the table.
"I assure you that I did this knowing the risks, but wanted to see for myself the dangers that Lord Remus spoke on. To this I sent a team of experienced people to the dungeon and the Hold. This was their report." He continued, gesturing to the Far-speaker on the table as it activated.
"Magus Elric reporting...I am not even sure where to begin. We infiltrated Veridian Hold over a week ago, and found a panic over a magical curse in the area. We left upon study of the defenses and risks. Both were minimal at the time. Within three days swift travel we had reached the dungeon's castle like entrance. Using stealth we achieved the second floor, however this is where things became a problem. We were not prepared for the differences in reality to what Lord Remus had reported. The dungeon was-" a terrible series of screeching sound rang through the room, causing most to clap their hands to their heads, especially the ones with more sensitive hearing.
"We are now retreating and I feel it is important to designate this dungeon as Extremely Dangerous. None should attempt it, I don't even think a team of level 100's could do much here. The dungeon appears to be-" the sound changed, losing the odd gritty backdrop. -"I do not wish for visitors, any will be face the wrath of my dungeon, of me, of Elyria." the words shocked the room, and the orb on the table seemed to glow with more mana than it did before. In the dark it looked like a baleful eye looking at each of the Councilors and none moved.
Then it winked out and a relaxed sigh could be heard in the room. Tvash smiled at the conversation around him, they would all fall in line now. He still remembered how he had felt the first time he heard it a day ago. You couldn't forget that voice, that energy, like the will of a god to the unworthy.