Alaster’s patience was quickly melting away. He had plenty to do before he left for Galmore, and it seemed as if everyone was hellbent on distracting him. He had put his Knights aside because the City Lord had requested to speak with him. So Alaster had put the rest of his plans to the side to do so.
Except that it had been nearly twenty minutes and Alaster was still waiting in the lobby of the Meeting Hall.
There were four guards preventing anyone from entering the room, each well equipped. Two from Onigas, two from Galmore. All four were experts, and quite powerful ones from the pressure around them.
Alaster was currently sitting on the sofa across from the double doors. It was surprisingly simple, yet amazingly comfortable. If it wasn’t for the constant pain, Alaster was sure he would have easily fallen asleep.
He had spent his time working over the Mana Streams for his next Minion. He was not actually working with them, as that would be intensive and could not be easily halted. Instead, he was simply looking over them, imagining how he would have to manipulate them to achieve his desired result.
Luckily, after twenty minutes, Alaster was finally able to learn that what he wanted was indeed possible. He was even able to figure out a step-by-step plan on how to achieve it once he had the time.
Unfortunately, he could no longer work on this project without Weaving the Streams.
Alaster stood up from the couch, as he did so, he could feel all four pairs of the guards’ eyes flick to him. They were imposing themselves, but Alaster’s size and armor was infinitely more so.
He made to enter the room, but the two Galmorian Guards blocked his path, as they were the two directly adjacent to the door.
“No entry allowed.” One of the guards said with a sneer.
He was a man that enjoyed making people obey him. The two Onigarian Guards were much more hesitant to interfere with Alaster. They knew him, his power. They knew what he had done for their home. But they also knew their duty, which at the moment, was protecting that door.
Unfortunately for the Galmorian Guards, Alaster was sick of waiting, and he too enjoyed making people submit.
* * * * *
Keylan sat upon his throne, supervising the negotiations. It was standard procedure for others to manage the talks, only looking to their leaders for discrete permission and guidance. Which was also why the man known as Azemar sat next to him.
It was clear to Keylan that the man was the leader of the Galmorian Delegation. Though he felt that there was more to it than that. The man himself was quiet, rarely speaking, though Keylan was not sure if that was because he was sleeping or not. But when he did speak, it left little room for others.
Currently, their subordinates were around a round table, littered with countless papers, maps, lists, and policies. They had been talking for several days, from before the sun rose to long after it set. And yet, little had been truly decided, and nothing significant.
Keylan did not mind the political play, though he was not a fan of it either. He struggled to simply sit there, listening and watching to nothing actually happen. Luckily for him, he was able to use the excuse of rebuilding the city to get out of the meeting. Azemar did not have that excuse, not that it ever stopped him from simply vanishing.
Keylan would have been paranoid over such a high value person, of impressive strength, simply disappearing. Able to go practically anywhere he pleased inside Keylan’s own city and home. But he also knew that if Azemar actually wanted to spy, the man would not have needed a ‘easy’ in through the delegation. Nor would there have been much he could do to stop it.
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It was not as if rebuilding the city was truly an excuse. It did need to be repaired, and plenty of it required the City Lord’s direct supervision. The actual repairing of buildings was actually the easiest part.
Just as his advisors had believed, the building of the outer wall, paired with the raising tensions across the continent, had been like a magnet to refugees and others similarly looking for a safe haven.
In order to bolster the defenses, Keylan had authorized the mandatory drafting of any combat capable individual. The promise being that if they fought valiantly and did not attempt to flee or desert, they would be granted genuine citizenship, and all the privileges there of.
So many had been drafted, and even more volunteering, that Keylan had been worried if the city could even handle that many, even if the city remained independent. But as much as he hated himself for thinking it, so many of the refugee soldiers had perished that it was not a concern.
In fact, due to the siege, even with the rapid influx of people, the number of people within Onigarian walls had stayed roughly the same, only a few hundred more than before. Which for taxes, would be great for the city. But winter was coming soon, and Keylan was not sure they could grow and hunt enough food to feed everyone.
The Tarian Siege Mages, given accurate instructions by the Assassins within the walls, had been sure to target the food storages. The Assassins had also killed critical people to Onigas’ continued survival, which Keylan now had to find replacements for. Positions that are not easy to prepare for.
He also had to worry about settling all the refugees, now turned citizens. The outer wall would assist with that, but at the moment, the outer wall was heavily damaged and completely militarized. It had worked well enough while under siege as they could shove all the soldiers into barracks, but that would not work for sustained living, nor for families.
At the moment, while repairs were underway, the outer wall was also undergoing a drastic shift. The outer wall would remain a heavy military presence, but part of it would also be turned into residential living.
Keylan’s presence and authority was being constantly called away for these repairs and changes, but he also could not ignore these negotiations. The repairs would help keep Onigas standing today, but the negotiations, if they worked as well as everyone was hoping, would help keep Onigas standing for years to come.
As it was, Keylan had his chin on his raised palm resting on the armrest of the chair, struggling to keep his eyes open. The talks had begun several hours before, yet the only thing they had decided on was how much sugar would be sent. A small detail, that had lasting consequences, but one that still bored Keylan out of his mind.
Just as Keylan was thinking about how to excuse himself, the doors exploded inward. One of the guards stationed to the door had been thrown into the door with enough force to break the steel hinges. The eight guards within the room immediately raised their weapons and stood in front of their charges. Even Keylan stood up, though he needn’t have bothered.
Instead of an assassination attempt, in walked Alaster, a blackish green tail of Mana carrying the second Galmorian guard by his throat. Alaster walked in without care. Though the City Lord could sense the irritation. Not anger, but annoyance, like a fly had been buzzing around his face.
Behind the intruder, peeking through the now open doorway stood the two Onigarian guards, still unsure of what to do.
Upon seeing who it was, the four Onigarian guards inside the Meeting Hall lowered their weapons. But the Galmorians did not hesitate to charge the attacker.
Alaster casually swung the tail around, slamming the Galmorian guard into two others before deflecting a pair of thrown knives. The three guards were thrown into the wall, the breath knocked out of them. Alaster caught the arm of the dagger wielding guard that had suddenly appeared behind him.
Throwing the man over his shoulder, Alaster launched the guard over table in the center of the room and into the far wall.
The last guard swung his powerful axe overhead, intent on crushing the enemy’s skull, but the large axe met only stone before Alaster kicked the man, sending him over to his buddy against the far wall.
In just ten seconds, six of the Galmorian most elite guards were disabled. Just ten seconds for Alaster to casually deal with them.
The Onigarian guards were hesitant to do anything and turned to their Lord for instructions. Keylan simply waved them away, which they obeyed by sheathing their various weapons and stepping to the side.
Alaster confidently walked forward.
Those around the table fearfully took what protection they could from behind the table as the large dark armored man passed them.
Alaster stopped in front of the raised platform the two thrones sat upon.
“You asked me to come speak with you. Out of consideration for your position, I did so. But I am a very busy man, made even more busy due to saving your city. Do not waste my time. What do you want?”