In the center of the makeshift camp, the gathered groups were seated around a small campfire and some rustic seats. Due to the number of people, it was impossible to hold the meeting in the makeshift tents that the gnolls had set up.
Atasha guided Alex to where the key members of the gnoll camp were, and then she finally called the meeting, speaking in the human language. While all the present groups had some way of communicating with the gnolls, speaking in the gnolls' language was never an option. They always tried to communicate in another language during official or formal meetings.
"Finally, the representative of this camp has arrived, and he will negotiate on our behalf," Atasha declared loudly to those present, and then proceeded to introduce him to everyone.
The other groups, although irritated by the delays, still took their turns introducing themselves.
First, the largest and most relevant group present in the camp after the gnolls presented themselves. They were a type of lizard known as Resh, who had a preference for living in wetlands and lagoons. Their leader, Ner Lak, was a physically imposing Resh with green scales tinged with yellow and amber vertical pupils. His scales bore multiple scars, showing that he was no newcomer to conflict.
The second group to introduce themselves were the Ferys, also known as forest dwellers. They appeared elf-like in many ways, except that their average height exceeded 2 meters. They were generally slender and agile but quite fragile. They had a strong connection to nature, which had caused them to mutate over time, differentiating them from the elves, who had a greater preference for places with high magical concentrations. The group present here had no defined leadership, so they took turns speaking.
The next group was the most peculiar. They resembled small walking trees and were simply known as Treepeople, even though they had a significant presence at the conference. However, no one took them very seriously or respected them much because these beings had one of the lowest combat abilities. While they were highly resilient on their own, capable of surviving for up to a year without sustenance, they would be defenseless in the presence of a predator. It was a miracle they had survived this long.
Finally, there were the elves and the dwarves, represented by a small diplomatic group.
After the introductions, the elven representative was the first to speak.
"The Kingdom of Heresh has started a war against the Krons, and soon we will free you from their evil oppression. Today, I am here to offer you the chance to avenge these demons for all the injustices they have made you suffer. My kingdom will equip and train you to fight them and reward you for every enemy you kill," the elven diplomat got straight to the point, looking for cannon fodder and not hiding his intentions.
Atasha had set up a crude map on an improvised table. The elven diplomat provided details on where and when hostilities would begin and emphasized how generous the rewards would be for those who participated.
The following groups took their turns to provide information. They all aimed to recruit the gnolls for their own campaigns, except for the Treepeople, who remained on the sidelines in a corner of the conference.
Although Alex had expected lengthy conversations and diplomatic maneuvering, the truth was much simpler. All the different groups had come to recruit the gnolls to fight in their wars, but none intended to integrate them into their respective factions.
Alex collected information about each battlefield and the rewards offered by each faction and then dismissed all the groups. While the elven diplomat couldn't recruit a large number of gnolls, he was still satisfied with the dozen who chose to follow him. After all, he knew there were other gnoll groups scattered across the peninsula that he could try to recruit.
When all the other groups had left, Alex decided to approach the Treepeople. He called the oldest-looking one to speak with.
"Hello, can I know your name, and if you are an Elder for your people?" Alex asked cordially.
"Hello, Mr. Alex. I don't have a name; our species doesn't use names, but I suppose you can call me Salvia. It was an old name that used to be used to address my people," Salvia replied.
"You don't have names?" Alex said, confused.
"No, sir, my species can communicate among ourselves in non-verbal ways. We understand each other better through spores. Over time, our abilities have evolved into a form of telepathy," Salvia calmly explained.
"Impressive," Alex remarked. "Well, leaving that aside, I'd like to know more about your presence in this place, why you came to our camp, among other things."
"Would you believe me if I told you that the forest recommended it to me?" Salvia asked fearfully, then quickly added, "Although I don't know why, but don't worry, we won't tell anyone else about this place."
"To no one else?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
"During our journey here, we may have come across the other groups, which led them to find you," the elder said with guilt.
"Let's put that aside for now. The forest brought you here, so what do you want from this place or from us?" Alex asked.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"To be honest, I'm not sure what we can achieve. We just came here because the forest encouraged us. We simply want a safe place to live," Salvia said.
"I'm sorry to hear that. For now, you can stay in the vicinity, but you should know that I can't protect you. The truth is, we can hardly protect ourselves, and we're beginning our preparations to join the war, so we don't have extra resources," Alex told him as he placed his hand on the old Treepeople's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Mr. Alex. We'll be content as long as you don't cut us down and throw us into the fire," the old one said with a self-deprecating laugh as he returned to his group with his head down. He had known from the start that he wouldn't get anything, so even the small act of not scaring them off was perceived as a gain.
Alex felt a certain pity and had a small desire to help, but he knew there was nothing he could do. His hands were tied with what lay ahead, and he knew that the worst was yet to come.
On the table with all the information he had collected, there was a large, crude map of the Iretar Peninsula, specifically the northeastern sector. There were five clear zones of activity, which were difficult for all parties involved to traverse, making them almost isolated from each other. Alex had some confidence in his new abilities and in finding a way to move through these areas easily.
In each zone, both coalitions were engaged in a relentless war, along with some neutral factions like the Resh and the Ferys.
"You should lead us north, with the elves, and fight in Minar Erat. That's the seat of Kron power in the region. If we can eliminate them quickly, the rest of the peninsula will be much easier to liberate," Raknar suggested.
"You're crazy. That place will be a slaughterhouse. On the contrary, we should head southeast, where there are few forces from both coalitions. It's a place where we could easily settle and defend," Zalika responded.
"Hunkering down to wait for our deaths? I'd rather be the one to stab the knife. In the southwest, there's the largest production of alchemical reagents and metallurgical resources of the Krons. If we can destroy those facilities and their natural resources, we'll deal a fatal blow to both sides," Tharoh proposed.
"What's the point of just destroying? We need means to expand, the means to build our own civilization. To the west, near the coast, there are dwarven expeditions. If we fight alongside them, we can acquire land and resources, even the technologies necessary for our people to prosper," Atasha suggested.
Alex listened to each one giving their reasons and opinions on the current situation and finally felt Torel's gaze.
"Don't look at me; the truth is, I don't see how you could carry out any of the plans, especially with a group of gnolls. I'd recommend running away. It's always better to live to be fabulous than to die senselessly," the elf said with a shrug.
Everyone made disdainful gestures in response to the elf's declaration, but no one said anything more. They all knew they had to wait for Alex's response before the decision could be considered final, so they decided to give him some space to deliberate while they continued their tasks in the camp.
Alex made plans in his mind, weighing the merits and demerits of each option and comparing them to what they needed.
First, Raknar's suggestion was discarded. While the potential gains from looting the regional capital of the Krons were high, they would have to participate in the bloodiest part of the war at their weakest point, and they would likely be used as cannon fodder by the others.
Similarly, Zalika's proposal was rejected. Although the healer had a point in wanting to secure territory for defense, the truth was that what Tharoh had said was also true. They would lose the ability to move freely and would have to defend a place that would likely not be very productive at this time, leaving them far behind other factions for the rest of the war.
They needed an advantage, something that would help them grow stronger quickly and give them an edge they could continue to utilize. From that perspective, Tharoh's and Atasha's plans made more sense, with Atasha's being the better of the two.
However, a dark thought crossed Alex's mind. He remembered some stories from his father about how fighters would exhibit incredible zeal when cornered, but they would become much harder to mobilize if they had a safe extraction route.
For this reason, Alex searched for a plan in which they didn't acquire land. If the gnolls had a place to retreat, they wouldn't fight at their full potential. So, he was about to decide on Tharoh's plan when a more devious idea crossed his mind.
In the south, between the other two zones, there was a large area of wetlands, swamps, and lakes surrounded by the forest on one side. This relatively difficult-to-reach area was the largest and most populated of the five zones. It had the characteristic that it was uninhabitable for the gnolls. However, a large number of gnoll slaves were operating there for both coalitions.
In this battlefield, Alex could cooperate with the Resh and liberate large numbers of gnolls, as well as plunder vast amounts of resources, all without allowing the gnolls to settle. This would give them a significant boost for tackling the next area. With each battle won, it would become easier to win the next one, allowing them to quickly amass a critical mass that would be considered a power by others and invited to the negotiating table.
Of course, this plan also had significant drawbacks. It would require moving their non-combatant population from one place to another, and they would be incredibly unproductive. The only way to maintain a growth rate would be to stay on the offensive, acquiring resources to process as efficiently as possible. This would continue until they finished with that sector and decided to advance to the next. Obviously, they would only move from one sector to another when they were completely secure, as moving between sectors would be quite complicated, as their short expedition to the city had shown.
Although the plan seemed quite robust to Alex, as it was the only secure way to build true strength to stand on their own and not be overwhelmed by others again, he still felt that it was very cruel, and he began to regret even having thought of such a plan.
"What troubles you, young one?" said the old Shalara.
"Grandmother Shalara, it's nothing, just concerns about what we should do," Alex replied, trying to downplay the matter.
"It can hardly be nothing. It's clear that whatever burden you carry is affecting you. Feel free to share it with this old fossil," the elderly woman said.
"It wouldn't be fair of me to share this burden with you," Alex replied, shaking his head.
"These old bones have lived long enough. If they can be of any use in lightening the load for the young, it will always be fair, my child," she said with a smile.
"Grandmother Shalara," Alex said in a low voice, clearly touched by the woman's words. He proceeded to summarize his thoughts for the old woman.
"I see what troubles you, and I recommend not letting yourself be consumed by these thoughts. You've seen the plan that offers the most potential for our people. All those who entrusted the leadership of our people to you can't claim anything against you, especially after the successes you've achieved," the old woman said as she hugged Alex and patted him on the back.
"Thank you, Grandmother. I've made up my mind. I'll communicate the plan to the others, and we'll set out as soon as possible," Alex declared with renewed optimism.