Chapter 6: New Beginnings 6

Elania hesitated at the entrance, her hand tightening around Yolani’s as they took in the chaotic scene. The celebration was in full swing, with men laughing, drinking, and feasting at every table. The intensity of the revelry confused her.

“Where did all this food come from?” she asked.

Yolani shook her head, her eyes wide with bewilderment. “I have no idea,” she replied, scanning the crowd. “We should find Gaston.”

Elania nodded, and they stepped into the hall, weaving their way through the throng of boisterous men. As they moved deeper into the room, the crowd noticed their presence, and a cheer erupted.

A man broke away from the group and ran towards them, arms outstretched. He engulfed Yolani in a hug, lifting her off the ground. A hiss escaped Elania’s lips, ready to intervene.

His friends were quick to act, dragging him away and apologizing profusely for his behavior. Yolani stumbled back, her face flushed with embarrassment and shock as she clung to Elania’s side. She wrapped a protective arm around Yolani, scanning the room for any further obstacles.

At the far end of the hall, Gaston and Henri stood off to the side, watching them. They waved, beckoning them over. Elania nodded, and she and Yolani began to make their way towards them, dodging the rowdy men as they went.

Gaston greeted them with a smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Are you two alright?” he asked, glancing at Yolani.

Yolani nodded, a slight flush still coloring her cheeks. “I’m fine,” she assured him. “Just a bit surprised.”

Elania turned to Gaston. “What’s happening here?” she inquired, gesturing to the surrounding celebration.

Gaston chuckled. “One of the Silvers’ in charge got wind of what happened in Neftasu. They brought in this feast for the men.”

Henri nodded. “We’re celebrating our survival.”

“And toasting lost brothers,” Gaston added.

Elania looked out over the crowd, her vision shifting. Connections between the men, invisible threads binding them together, likely a result of how much she had fought alongside them in the battles against the Lightbringers, came into focus. A thought crept into her mind, unbidden and uncharitable.

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Perhaps the Silver Soldiers or one of the Towers were trying to ingratiate themselves with the remnants of Neftasu’s Guard. Everything she had seen so far led her to believe that silent connections like that—political or divine—were tightly integrated into the fabric of Contia. They needed to be on guard against such machinations.

Yolani and Henri fell into easy conversation, and Elania turned to Gaston. “How are the quarters? Are the men settling in, aside from the feast?” she asked.

Gaston sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We haven’t had much time to adjust, but we’ve sorted out most of it. The quarters are fine, considering the circumstances.” He paused, his expression turning grim. “As for the Guard, we have exactly 6,383 men left. That includes the injured.”

Elania’s heart jabbed painfully in her chest.

That was less than half compared to when the final assault on the Magistry District began. She closed her eyes, focusing on her divine abilities. With a thought, she pulled up her [Divine Status] using [Divine Insight].

[Followers: 13,276]

The number glowed in her mind’s eye, and Elania quickly did the math.

If they had 6,383 guards, they likely rescued 6,893 civilians. But that number could be even less, depending on whether the mushroohums and Tessa counted among her followers. They probably did, meaning the number of civilians saved was likely lower. Although not by too much.

Yolani must have seen something in her eyes because she squeezed her shoulder. “We did the best we could,” she said.

Elania nodded, leaning into Yolani’s touch.

She looked at Gaston, her expression turning serious. “Keep the men in good spirits,” she said. “And keep your ears open. We need to learn as much as we can about what’s happening in Contia.”

Gaston nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

Henri stepped forward. “I could lead a squad and scout the city,” he offered.

Yolani frowned. “That might anger Arlois,” she cautioned, glancing at Elania.

Gaston shook his head. “We’re not prisoners here,” he pointed out.

Elania bit back the word “yet,” but worry gnawed at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that their freedom was tenuous at best.

“There’s also the matter of the cost,” she said. “Housing all of us, feeding everyone… we only have a month to figure out how to pay for it all.”

Gaston nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll wrangle some quartermasters and get a handle on what we’re going to be looking at. We’ll figure it out.”

“The city has a unique form of currency. It’s written on magic paper,” Yolani said.

Henri raised an eyebrow. “Why would paper have value, even if it is… magic?”

“It’s backed by the ‘Bank of Contia’ and represents [Power] containment,” Elania said. “Shock-crystals represent the lowest denomination, and mana shards are the larger one.”

Gaston frowned. “If our coin isn’t worth anything, that’ll be a problem for us.”

Yolani shook her head. “We brought considerable supplies from the Magistry. And Elania and I have a personal stash with many shards.”

“You’ll need to be careful if you’re carrying a lot on you,” Gaston warned.

Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve been around and can handle myself.”

Gaston held up a hand. “I know,” he said softly. “But the warning is still relevant.”

“We’ll be careful,” Elania said. No one would want an altercation with a demi-divine from what she could tell, at least not without the backing of one of the Four Towers.

She turned to Yolani, eyes searching her partner’s face. “Maybe our next stop should be finding the bank instead of checking on the refugees.”

Yolani nodded. “Let’s go.”