Chapter 3:

“Still a million gold?” Desari growled, turning her eyes on Limos. He sat on a plush seat, his coat and hat on his staff standing next to him. A monocole on one eye as he flipped through documents.

“And an offer dear Desari.” He looked over her shoulder.

A letter appeared in Petor’s hand, he offered it over.

Desari cracked the wax and read the contents.

>There is a way that you might use your planar gem to interface with the teleportation runes throughout Ilus. With this you can move the city where you’d like. I will include information on all three locations. Including where it came from.

She lowered the letter.

Limos raised an eyebrow.

“How?”

“I can give you the information, it is up to you how you will use it.” He smiled.

Anything could happen in a fight, if she could get everyone out of danger before it even started. Though I could be trading one problem for another.

“A deal with the devil it is?” Desari said.

Limos leaned forward. “The devil you know.” She swore his eyes glowed, that smile on his face.

“I’ll take it.”

Limos snapped his fingers, four tomes appeared on his table, one a quilted cover of different colors and materials bound in chains. Another’s covered looked to be made of obsidian with flecks of white within that—were moving. The third book was in a white stone with grey lines. The fourth the same. Limos held up a sealed packet and placed it ontop.

“Books on the realities that surround us, the links and positions that one may fall through. Mysteries turned fact. A way for you to integrate your planar gem into the city’s structure.” Limos picked up ledger and began reading over it. “I wonder just what you will be able to do with it.”

Desari walked over to collect the books.

“Where do you want the dossiers?” Petor asked.

“In the spare room, away from prying eyes,” Desari said.

“Want help?” Mya asked.

Desari stored the books and looked back at them. Valter and Petor had their helmets off, Mya’s eyes seeking out an answer. “I’d appreciate the help.”

Valter nodded and Mya smiled Petor took out dossiers and handed it to them.

Desari felt that she’d passed through some sort of trial, some sort of change.

“Limos, can you shift my credit over to repay Petor?” Desari asked.

“Done.”

“Would take you a week to go through all the information here. Its dense.” Petor held out a dossier to her.

She took it and walked for one of the rooms, the others following.

“Had a little look over the maps and copied them out too,” Mya said.

Desari opened the door, a bedroom, attached bathroom, couch and a table with thankfully four chairs at its center.

“The information on the different positions around Ilus is indepth.”

“Know the enemy and you know the battle already,” Valter reached the table and put the dossier on it without releasing it. “I would suggest that each of us gets to know one of the groups. Desari take on Ilus, learn about their situation, you have the greatest knowledge there. Do either of you have a preference?” He looked to Mya and Petor.

Mya opened a dossier and took out a map throwing it on the table.

A volcano lay on one side, a band of ground covered in lava streams that dropped off into a cliff, pooling and joining other molten stone and metal at the base.

“The volcano is controlled by the Cinderborn, crafters and rulers of the area. The Molten Fist, a group of mercenaries that have come into some land rule the stretch between the volcano and the molten sea, they call it Dragon Falls. The Emberclaws use some kind of ships that move over the Molten Sea. I know about ships and crews. I can take on that and figure out things.”

Desari’s eyes raked over the map, taking in the information. Her eyes drawn to Ilus to one side, on the edge of the dragon falls and molten sea.

“Cinderborn for me. I know about living near mountains and crafting,” Valter said.

“I’ve worked with mercenaries before, a few of the guys I knew took it up for some years. Also about occupying someone elses land.” Petor put down his dossier and opened it up, breaking through the seals.

***

A knock at the door drew Desari out of her reading. Mya had claimed the bed. Desari on the couch. Valter was at the table.

Petor was on the floor, information all around him.

Each of their heads snapped up.

“Got it,” Mya uncrossed her legs, over the side of the bed and onto the floor, rising with her natural dancer’s grace, her thumb pushing up the edge of her blade as she sniffed a pistol on her bandolier. She grimaced. “Urgh, powder in the nose.”

The others shifted, still reading but paying attention as she left the room, half closing the door and walked to the main door.

Desari cast a listening spell, grimacing. How it had been the wind, another extension of herself now cut away. Spells felt almost clunky compared.

“A selection of food as requested. We have added a menu detailing the different items.” The server said.

“Thank you, I can take that from you,” Mya said.

“I also have an invitation from Forge Master Peck herself.”

“Thank you.”

Wheels moved on the tiled floor and the door closed.

“Message for you boss man,” Mya said.

“Thank you.” Limos said. “Lets see what we have here,” A plate scraped against others, a utensil scraping on others to add more food.

Desari fell back into the information on Ilus, time and the world falling away as she kept reading.

The door opened, Mya wheeling in a cart of food, eating a sandwich. “Coast is clear.”

Petor and Valter stood up.

“Lets get some food in and discuss what we’ve figured out?” Mya pulled out a plate and started spearing things from the various plates and bowls.

“That works,” Desari stood.

“We’re cordially invited to meet with miss Peck tonight for dinner at the Netherforge,” Limos raised his voice to be heard through the door. “She promises information on the weapons she sold to the people attacking Ilus.”

“We’ll be there,” Petor said.

Desari close her mouth and nodded to him and the others in gratitude.

“Desari, you want to start with the current situation in Ilus?” Mya asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Messy,” Desari said, picking out food, she couldn’t pick out any poisons with smell, taste or sight and started to load up.

Petor and Valter moved off, facing to her and listening. “They arrived a year ago. They were slipping between dimensions before they were able to tether here. It was only a month for them. They integrated with the area and lava burned through buildings, and created the streams you see on the maps. They were able to fix that up with minimal issues. The locals came knocking around that time. City shows up out of nowhere, kind of odd.”

Desar grabbed a jug and poured water into a cup.

“They had been in the area for a while. It was their territory. Saw Ilus as theirs. They went into the city, declared it their own. They started attacking and looting, enslaving people. Didn’t know they were dealing with a city of mages.” Desari grabbed up her water and took a drink, clearing her throat.

“The mages fought back. Master Ikor left his tower and visited his rage upon them. Many died but Ilus was saved, the Molten Fist rebutted.” Desari tilted her head to the side. “Then Ikor moved beyond the walls of Ilus, went to the surrounding encampments, the ones on the coast and nearby. He ordered them evacuated. Took their supplies and destroyed them so that they couldn’t be used again.”

She let out a sigh. “Egrin, the leader of Ilus, his policy has been that of peace. Of living between the nations around them. Beyond Ilus’ walls he has no say. Ikor used this loophole. He defended Ilus, then he removed people from around it, beyond their walls. It started factions. Ikor leads the faction that’s most willing to fight. There is another faction looking for a way to return to the material plane. A third that is still continuing the development of mages.”

She moved for the table, searching for a place to put down her drink. “Power begets power and the mages of Ilus are some of the strongest around. People came from all over a peace of sorts lasted between Ilus and the others. They didn’t come out of their city and the Molten Fist didn’t attack them. People came from all over to learn.” Desari put her glass on the table to pick at her food. “Ilus started teaching them. Which lead to the next conflict.” She shoved some kind of cheese, craker and meat mix into her mouth. “Ilus was growing in numbers and quickly making strong mages. Right in the middle of Dragon Falls. The Molten Fist saw a threat, one that was already antagonized. They needed to put a stop to things. The Cinderborn and the Emberclaw saw the same things. Ilus was relying on itself, it had few ties to the people around it. Turned isolationist after the attack by the Empire.”

She threw back a few dried fruits.

“Cinderborn saw them as a threat to their trade, to their power in the area. They reached out to the Molten Fist, putting pressure on them and giving them support,” Valter said.

“The Molten Fist had an enemy in their midst and another potentially along their longest border. It forced their hand,” Petor added.

“The Emberclaw had lost several ports that they could sell their goods. Ilus was starting to create ships that could ride on the heat of the Molten Sea. Greed and fear,” Mya looked to the others and back to Desari.

“The Molten Fist went first. Stopped people from entering and exiting Ilus. Then they moved in a show of force. Went to them, demanded that they fold into their territory,” Desari took a breath, picturing her teacher and mentor. “Egrin told them that like knowledge, they would not be trapped. They would be free. They meant no harm, they would defend themselves. They attacked at that moment. Thinking they had the moment of surprise. Egrin, Ikor and the masters were ready for it. They cut them down with only three remaining to send word back to the other groups.”

“The Molten Fist said that they had gone there peacefully to resolve the issues and were cut down in cold blood,” Petor said.

“It was just the match, the tinder was ready. The Cinder care only about the knowledge of Ilus. They didn’t see it as a direct threat until the siege started,” Valter said.

Desari drew the water out of her cup and had it whirl around her, shifting into various shapes. An exercise she’d done to increase her control. Now something that calmed her.

“The Siege.” Desari’s hand tightened.

“Where they used the changing ritual,” Mya said darkly.

Petor squatted down and shifted a piece of paper. “Magical transmutation of a person to better adapt to the plane they are upon.”

“They used the winds of the Molten sea to spread the reactants,” Mya said. “The Cinderborn used the Emberclaw ships and positions on the Dragon Falls to activate the ritual. Well beyond the reach of Ilus. It changed sixty percent of the people within Ilus, transforming them into races better suited to the fire region.”

“The process was painful and debilitating. People were in a panic.” Desari said.

“Perfect for the other groups to attack,” Petor shook his head.

“Cinderborn thought they had it in the bag there. Capture a bunch of people from Ilus, enslave them, pull the information from them. Use them to defend their lands,” Valter said.

“They didn’t anticipate the defenses of Ilus.” Desari shook her head. “Ikor didn’t win many fights in the council, but he won the vote to increase their defenses. His faction and the others were united by making the city as safe as possible.”

“And what a way they did,” Valter’s voice respectful.

Each of their eyes was dull, picturing their versions of the defense.

“They doused the area in water which turned into steam, cooked some alive near the hottest lava flows,” Petor said.

“It was meant to deter them,” Desari said.

“As it should dropping a lake’s worth of water over ten square kilometres.” Mya shook her head, eating from her plate.

Petor cleared his throat. “They charged forward, Molten Fist for the walls, Emberclaw with Molten Fist fighters for the bay.”

“That’s when Egrin triggered the lightning,” Desari said. “It used the steam clouds as a conductor. Thousands were electrocuted. As soon as that was done they drew in the heat from the area.”

“Emberclaw ships rely on the heat of the molten sea to fill their sails and float.” Mya said. “They lost their lift, people went overboard, others crashed into the cliffs or the sea itself. A few were able to survive.”

Desari pulled the water close to her mouth, drinking from it and then swirling it away again.

“That’s when the ‘beams’ fired,” Valter said. “How do those work?”

“They used the heat they drew in to central units along the wall. The heat was funnelled to weapons that had a barrel that trapped the heat and runes that drew in filtered air and shot it out. The heat turned the gases into a plasma which creates the beams.”

Valter and Mya showed greater curiosity, the gears turning behind eyes.

Petor rolled forward. “A lot went down with the changing, but the others on the wall rallied and used the beams. It tore through those that were charging the defenses. Used artillery like weapons that hurled balls of this plasma out.”

“The beams were short range the balls longer.” Mya said, tossing something into her mouth. “Smashed up the ships good. Routed them at that point.”

“Then Egrin used the last of his power to form two great formations in the ground around the city. These were empowered to create the Citadel shield,” Desari said.

“The armies were routed and the attack stalled. Ilus’ might was shown off. Other groups smelled the blood in the water. Pressure ramped up,” Petor said.

“The Emberclaws are a clan, their hope to get in on a prize turned to ash in their mouths. They’d lost brothers, sisters, cousins, mothers, fathers. It went from raid to blood feud,” Mya bit off something crunchy.

“The Cinderborn saw the writing on the wall. Ilus was not just some city full of riches it was a poisonous thorn in their side and it was no weaker than them.” Valter raised an eyebrow. “The second spell used within the city, a healing spell?”

“Yes, it depleted nearly all of the power they had remaining,” Desari sat down in one of the chairs, the water splitting into various shapes, combining as they met one another on their paths, only to break apart again. “The plan was to launch an attack on Molten Fist and the Emberclaw clan, to reduce the possibility of further threat. Egrin created the shield instead and healed everyone. The healing didn’t turn back the transmutation, it had already taken effect. It only sped it up. It eroded Egrin’s power base within the city.”

“Should have launched the attack,” Valter said.

Petor shrugged but nodded.

“They might have wounded the Molten Fist badly, though the cinderborn would have been still there and the emberclaw,” Mya said.

“Since then, the forces against them have been able to hit the city and people within with different attacks. Six months ago the outer barrier of the shield was destroyed, two months ago the second barrier came down. Now there’s just the last barrier built into the city walls,” Petor said.

“I think Egrin was trying to get time. Time for a different solution than killing those around them. Based on the reports I think he’s looking for another way to save the situation. Though he’s not pulling his punches anymore. He’s turned his magic towards war.” Desari let her head hang back. “He always went on about how magic was made for peace, not war. It is beautiful, wonderous. Though it has an edge, like any blade. I tried to drive it home to him again and again. He saw students, willing to learn, eager. He hoped to spread ties that would bind all, that would bring us together. It did, but then greed stepped in.”

“The best defense for your values is an offense that makes the other guys shit their pants,” Valter said.

“Hope for peace but plan for war,” Petor moved back to the cart for more food.

Valter moved to the table and ran a finger over one. “The Cinderborn, on behalf of the allied fire region groups, reached out to the Netherforge Consortium looking for weapons that would defeat the barriers around the city. Magma gliders, guardians, city breakers.”

“Abilities?” Mya asked a moment before Desari who leaned forward, Valter pulling out sheets with diagrams.

“Guardians that are fitted for speed, melee weapons, only two arms and the rest used to generate a defensive barrier. City breakers,” Valter tapped the table and looked to Mya without turning his body. “They’re ballistae, though the important thing is the payload, not the launcher. They send it really far, kind of in the name really. What they do, and I don’t really understand it. Is they basically create barriers in flight that protect them until they hit another barrier. The entire core of the weapon is filled with gems that can hold mana. They spend it all, tearing holes through barriers. It opens up holes. Enough of them and the barriers getting hit break down.” His eyes turned distant. “First they will change colors, coming out of attunement. Then they’ll flicker and break, sometimes they can come back, but weaker than before, or smaller.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“What’s been happening recently?” Desari asked.

“Emberclaw have put together as many ships as they can. They’re expecting an order of gear, they’ve taken some ship weaponry off to clear space.” Mya got up off of the bed. Heading for the cart as Petor vacated with another plate. “Several ships are missing, I think that’s how they’re getting the weapons. People from cinder and those wearing Molten Fist armor were spotted on the missing ships.”

“Molten Fist have been recruiting people.” Petor said, putting together a bite. “While they have lost a fair amount, they had lots of gold being a mercenary group. They’ve called back the rest of their people that were out on campaign. Got a deal with the Emberclaws and the Cinders. Though I think they’re wary of what might come after the whole thing.”

“So they’re going to hit Ilus again which is down to one shield and work to end this thing.” Desari said.

“They’re looking weak to the others,” Valter said.

Desari pinched the bridge of her nose. “What a fricking mess.”

“How about the teleportation stuff?” Mya tapped a spoon on her plate.

“Complicated,” Desari shot a look at the door, hiding Limos beyond. “I don’t know how he did it but the letter has instructions on how one might alter the inscriptions within Ilus to connect it to the planar gem. Use it as a focal point. One would have to have intimate understanding of the inscriptions to alter them in this way.”

“Limos,” Petor shrugged.

Desari chewed on her lip, before pulling a sphere of water into her mouth dissolving its form and drinking.

“The information makes sense, the references in the book link up. It could have taken months to figure out. I think it will work.”

“And yet you are not excited, anxious instead,” Valter said.

“There’s a catch,” Mya said, returning to her perch on the bed.

Desari stood and gathered up her plate she’d picked over. “It will take time to carry out. I don’t know how long.”

“Doesn’t seem short if you’re worried about time,” Petor said.

“Two things. Getting the information to Ilus and then using it.” She put the plate down, her appetite falling away.

The map under the pages showed the region, marked out in hazy colors of territory.

“One can use teleportation and portals outside of the city. Though within its limits. No one can, not even Egrin. The strings lets call them are all shifted around so anything attempting to reach the city will be flung away at best.”

“At worst?” Valter asked.

“They are consumed by the void. There’s a reason there are few that know how to teleport and portal,” Desari said.

“Realm of the gods,” Petor said.

“While mana can help us and makes it possible. The gods and their power is on another level. It allows them to cheat to a high degree.” Desari leaned on the table. “We need to get into the city. Everyone is watching the area around it.”

The others moved around the table.

“How will they attack Ilus?” Desari looked at the others.

“They got the magma gliders for a reason,” Valter ran his hand over the lava gashes in the ground, tapping when they reached the edge of the city.

“Ilus didn’t have rivers there before,” Desari said.

“The city is a mess of streets, pain in the ass to get through. The rivers create direct lines through it,” Petor glanced to Mya.

“Why use the streets when you can move faster in a straight line.”

“The wall would have to be modified for the lava flows no?” Valter asked.

Desar half closed her eyes, pulling up the information. “They moved the buildings out of the way and yeah they had to change the walls, passages through. I would guess they put in measures to make sure they couldn’t be exploited.”

“Its rare that a thing as big as a wall will get stronger missing a part underneath it. To use the magma gliders inside the city, they’re going to need to break the walls over the lava flow,” Valter said.

“So, target the walls where the lava is to break them down and get the gliders in,” Desari nodded.

“I’d be doing fast and far sweeps coming into range and sweeping back out of it in multiple directions if I was the Emberclaw.” Mya ran her finger back and forth over the molten sea section of the map. “They’ve been up-armoring their gear and layering in ways to decrease the heat in a single area. Spread the beam’s heat out. They deal with the temperatures all the time. I have to think it will be effective.”

“The Molten Fist is going to be in the middle of this, rushing across the open ground as fast as they can to reach the place, on gliders, foot or mount. You think Cinders will come with them?” He looked at Valter.

“They’ll want some people there to secure their victory and their prizes I am sure. Give at least the appearance they won’t stab their allies in the back,” Valter said.

“The old tactics used by Ilus have counters now. Shields that diffuse the beam’s power over a large area and into the ground. Lightning rods that pull it away, and not going too close to the lava rivers so they don’t get burned by the steam,” Petor said.

“They’re going to be focused on fire based spells. Ilus has spells of all kinds, that should give them an edge,” Desari said.

“Numbers put the three fire region groups at about forty times as many people as Ilus.” Valter held his chin. “Taking a position is usually three to one without advantages.” He scratched his beard. “This I would think six to one as an outsider. Few groups would accept such losses.” He looked into Desari’s eyes.

“The Abyssal Plane cares about territory and the appearance of strength. If they do not defeat Ilus, they will be next.”

“How did Molten Fist take their region?” Mya’s words broke their eye contact.

“The previous land owner used them against another group and then didn’t pay them,” Petor said. “They didn’t take too well to that. They talked to the Cinderborn, offered them an agreement, used paths through the volcano, put the landowner to death. They claimed the land. The people folded in, their army integrated into the Molten Fist.”

“What about the leaders within the merecenary company?” Mya asked.

“Uhh,” Petor moved to the sheets on the ground, picking up some and shifting others around. “They were given different appointments. Ruled over the various, cities, towns, outposts.” He stretched the last word, flipping through pages.

“Yeah so based on merit and position the leaders were given rule, their people became their guards and vassals.” He picked up a map and held it out to Valter. “Open that up could you?”

Petor pulled the clutch of papers back.

Valter opened the map and put it down, the Dragon Falls was broken up into a further five areas.

“Torin Blacksteel leads the Molten Fist. He controls five companies—they’re listed as companies but they’re vastly overstrength. They have two supply and three fighting,” Petor talked as he scanned through information.

Five companies, five regions.

“Elara deals with trades with the Cinderborn.” Petor picked out pages as he talked. “Caius trades with and organizes passage for the Emberclaws. Riven holds one pass his company are usually on the front line, Gavrik holds the other, he’s usually incharge of training and has special units. Lyra has several bases of operation, she’s their recon and stealth. They shift around constantly. Groups from each will head out as a unit under one of the company commanders to go deal with jobs. Cities will trade between them constantly. Now Torin unfortunately controls the region where Ilus is located.”

He grabbed one piece of paper, adding others to it and pulled it from his pile, putting it on the map and spread them out.

“Information reports on each of them.” He stepped back so the others could read the pages. “Apparently Lyra, Riven and Elara are firmly in the camp of wanting to leave this whole mess behind and return to being a mercenary company.”

“Torin is the only one holding them together. He’s getting the pressure on all sides. A cork stuck in the middle,” Valter said.

“Tension gives us opportunities,” Desari said. “The Cinderborn and Emberclaws anything that we can use there to create division?”

“Emberclaws are in a blood feud with Ilus.” Mya crossed her arms and clicked her tongue. “Now while this seems irreversible on the surface. I think it stems from two things.” She held up her forefinger. “Pride, the elders ordered the first attack, thinking of it as a good way for them to increase their power base and to blood the younger generation. It backfired and badly, now they’re doubling down and it is the young that are paying for it.”

“Seems like a way to get in there,” Petor said.

Mya nodded, and raised her second finger. “Two, they’re afraid. Looking weak is not a good thing in the abyssal Plane. They need to look strong or there are other groups that might come for them. Plus there is the fact that Ilus is well, much stronger than they anticipated. Their using their logic for the situation. If the roles were reversed they would destroy their enemy to the point that they would never recover.”

“Ilus would rather come to the meeting table and negotiate,” Desari shook her head.

“The Emberclaw has done that four times in their history and only once did they not attack the other party,” Mya said.

“So they’re scared, their younger generation is being sent into the fight against Ilus because the Elders bit off more than they could chew and now they’re scared to take away the pressure,” Petor said.

“That sums it up nicely,” Mya said.

“If we can work on increasing the division there. Show how Ilus would offer them a deal, that they do not need to keep on fighting.” Desari looked around and shrugged.

“Or give them a new enemy to fight? Make their fears realized.” Valter said, putting down one sheet and picking up another.

Desari’s eyes latched onto the piles of information. “We know where their ships are, their harbors, everything that they’re doing.”

“Everything is focused on the fight,” Mya held her chin. “There are two groups that are interested in their region. The Infernal Marauders and the Skreggers. Skreggers are basically a riff raff group of pirates that show up every so often to try and steal ships and loot, then they head off. The Marauders have greater structure.” Mya moved to her pile of pages and pulled out a sheaf of them. “This is our information on them. They are led by High Captain Sarnai Hellfire. They act as mercenaries, as traders. They’ve grown in size and have reached seven fleets. Problem is that they don’t have a base of operations. Emberclaw’s position along the coast would give them a base of operations and routes in-land.”

“Lets keep them in-mind,” Desari pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, writing down information. “What of the Cinderborn?”

“They like to see themselves as master manipulators beyond everything and stronger than everyone else,” Valter said. “Their position in the volcano has given them a home that has been left largely alone by others. Their trade goods keeps others from wanting to attack them. They’re established in the area, many are jealous of them, but they are unable to do anything about it.” Valter cleared his throat.

“Their arrogance is a staple of how they deal with others, including those that are part of their own city. Those with more power live higher up the volcano, the weaker at the base. Their population is lopsided with few at the top and many at the bottom. It has created a caste system, Embers are common citizens, Lavawalkers, the military, Infernists are the artisans and the merchants, Magmaists are basically priests, but they really act as the nobility, leadership of the military. The Ash Sovereigns are the leaders of five houses that are infighting with one another all the time. The only time they’re not fighting, they’re suppressing someone else. Rules are followed and enforced heavily. Something given from the top must be followed by those of a lower strata.” Valter’s tone turned amused.

“They have not fought in a very long time. Nothing offensive, only defensive, so secure they are in their volcano. From the reports their military follows the rules to the letter. People are given position based upon their caste, not their ability. This leads to a lot of stupid officers with no experience over soldiers that have been doing it for a long time. For them it is best to bow to orders, no matter how stupid and carry them out while mitigating their losses. A few different or conflicting orders at the right time, wouldn’t be bizarre, but could scramble all their efforts.”

“Cinderborn follow rules to the letter, Emberclaw are overextending themselves and turning this into a fight of survival. Half of the Molten Fist don’t want to even be there.” Desari finished up her notes and underlined a section. “Well that is definitely something that we can work with.”

“Have the Molten Fist and the Infernal Marauders worked together before?” Petor asked.

“Uhh.” Mya flipped through her pages. “Yes they have.”

Petor looked at Desari.

“Another opening.” She turned her attention to the map, her mind shifting between possibilities. “Though I don’t see one to get into Ilus. We can get a message to them.”

“We have the information on the different ships that are carrying Netherforge’s goods. If we slip that over to the Marauders? Unless I’m missing the mark and we’re not thinking of using them?” Valter said.

“We don’t have long until it reaches them. We’re going to have to move quick.” Desari’s mind flicked through parts and paths of a plan.

“I don’t want to be that person, but there are only four of us and there are hundreds of thousands part of this,” Petor said.

“A breeze can topple a pebble on a mountain, which can topple a stone, which can topple a boulder, which can bring down the mountain and crush the city below,” Valter said.

Desari lifted her eyes, plans still forming in her mind. “It matters not the numbers, it matters how you use them. Limos was right that first time we stepped into his carriage. Information is the deadliest weapon of them all.” It was all so complicated. She was used to the subterfuge the small things that had a great impact. This was a war. Her eyes unconsciously moved to the man with the same moniker.

“Valter.” He turned at his name. “What would you do in this situation?”

He crossed his arms.

“Get the Infernal Marauders to launch attacks on the supplies coming from Netherforge at the least. Try to pull them to our side and against Emberclaw. Break up the Molten Fist internally or even pull them onto our side, ally them with the Marauders. The Emberclaw are tight, creating internal strife will be hard. Using the other pieces we will have to throw them off. The Cinderborn are too reliant on command and control. I think it will lead to micromanaging. We use that to hamstring them and pressure the others. That will set the ground work.

He let out a sigh.

“Timing is everything. We need the pieces to move at the same time. Losing the shipments will create stress. We make them think that the other groups gave up the information. Turn up their distrust. Then we whittle them away with an eye towards that. Once we come to the fight we will know the pieces that we can use. For that, we will have to plan as we go, we do not know the pieces in our hand or out of it at this time.”

He gave her a shrug, as if sorry that he couldn’t give her more.

She’d had kernels of ideas, though the way he strung it together so easily. “Valter, I want you to think on just how we’ll fight this thing.”

Valter tilted his head.

“I think you have the most battlefield experience out of all of us. What actions do we need to take first and how? I know the flow of information and how to break things from the inside. I think that we can use this all to our advantage.”

He nodded. She’d seen that look before, when he was thinking on his smithing, pulling together a plan. It was the same look he’d had when she’d talked of the different factions.

“Are you sure?”

“This is outside my realm of experience and it would be stupid to not use the one named war to lead a war no?” She smiled.

Valter quirked a smile and stood up straighter.

“Very well. Mya, I want you to make contact with the Infernal Marauders. Feed them parts of the information that they can verify. Work up a trade with them. Don’t give them the information. Sell it to them. They’ll trust it more and we’ll get something from the trade.”

“Gotcha,” Mya nodded.

“Petor, you’re going to work the Molten Fist angle. Either use the contacts that Mya can pull up or use the contact methods in your packet. We want to create division at the very least, if we can we want to remove the Molten Fist as a fighting force from the board.”

“Alright,” Petor sighed, putting his hands on his hips.

“Desari, you’re going to need to slip into Cinderstein, mingle with the Cinderborn, learn the caste and communication system. We’ll use that backbone against them. You’ll need to forge messages to the lower castes. We will have to do slowly and sparingly to create the environment we require.”

Desari nodded.

“I’m not much for the sneakier side of things,” Valter’s mouth quirked into a smile. “I will remain away from the other groups within the Molten Fist territory. We’ll teleport into the location and spread out from there. We bought plenty of cores to give us some jumps,” Valter said.

Desari nodded.

“I will need some more information and time to come up with parts of a plan.” Valter continued. “Its only once we’re on the ground we’ll be able to start pushing things along. Right now your goals will be to find a way into the different groups. Figure out their weaknesses, their breaking points and push on that. Our biggest issue is going to be communication. We need a way to talk to one another to coordinate.”

“Thankfully we have a planar merchant next door, he might have a way around that,” Desari smiled. “If not, then we have our soul oath between one another. Petor has showed that he can send mana through it already. I have to think that there is a way we can use it to communicate with each other.”

Mya took out a book and held it out to Petor.

“What’s this?”

“Its that coded speak that those chase ships used,” She said.

“The one with the light, short, long and with the pauses?”

“That’s the one. Good for you I know how it works,” She took out two more books and handed them out.

Desari got the colorful version with pictures and meant for kids, a jaunty sailor made of bones on the cover. “Morse code for budding sailors?” Desari read the title.

“I didn’t have all the adult versions,” Valter had a colorful kids version as well.

“Has the alphabet in the back of it. Anyway. It works and we can use the soul tethers to do it. Well once we figure out a way for us to pluck them, not just Petor,” Mya said.

“Well, the tether is like a spell. It goes through a weave of all our souls at the same time. When I give you mana, I pick out the individual’s thread and then feed it mana like I would a spell,” Petor said.

Desari sunk into her core and studied the site of the oath in her core. She move closer, studying them to find Mya’s thread. Slowly she introduced mana to it.

“Well hello Desari, come to give your mana donation,” Mya affected a sultry tone.

Really? Desari glared at Mya who’s face split into a wide smile.

“This will work in a way. Quick short messages of importance when we can’t use other means of communication,” Valter looked up from his book “Having something that transmits our voices would be best. Get more information across quicker.”

Desari stored the book away for later reading and headed for the door.

“I’ll check with Limos.” She opened it.

“They are growing bolder with each day. Some trying to cut worlds off,” A heavyset demon wearing a fine suit said, one of three facing Limos. He wore it like one would if removed from a set of armor. “Order to the chaos they say. Suppression for power is more likely.”

She recognized Hedgewick pushing his glasses back and looking over. He tilted his head in greeting.

Desari returned it.

The other was a severe looking woman, her hair cut short, numbers in different fonts were tattooed upon her body, none more than those on her right arm. Her eyes flickered over and then back to her board where lines of numbers were being calculated.

“The weapons from the Netherforge will help,” Hedgewick said.

“Only a few weapons. Will need to expand their quantity and quality. Greater chaos is needed to shift tables and values,” The woman said.

“Thankfully chaos is something that we do wonderfully well,” Limos said. “I can lead on the negotiations, though I will need someone to establish routes to and from the Netherforge Consortium through the Abyssal and Water Planes. I’m hoping to connect it into our other routes.”

“I have a new one, Jaxus.” Hedgewick said. “He has just completed over-turning his route to another and bringing new negotiators up to speed on his previous area. He worked to set up his own trade route there and has come to understand larger picture of how we work.”

“Perfect. That will do nicely, send him over within four hours if possible,” Limos said. “Anything else to discuss?”

The trio shook their heads.

“Very well. Also advise Jaxus that I think our own horsemen will be stirring things up.” Limos’ wolfish smile spread as he looked to Desari.

The woman with the pages of numbers flipped to a fresh page and looked at Desari.

The demon’s eyes dropped on her like the scales of judgement. She felt the quiet controlled power behind them. Like Limos, his strength was something hidden in the shadows, wearing soft clothing as if it would change the monster beneath.

Her core shuddered as her channels flinched a chill filling her like a ghost had just run through her.

“An interesting choice.” The man’s voice rolled to fill the room.

“Will is stronger than any bare information,” Limos waved a finger in warning.

The demon cracked a smile and lowered his head to Limos. “As you say master.”

Limos sighed through his nose and waved away the words. “Alright you three back to work. The devil demands more from you and I am that devil!”

Even the number woman quirked something that might have been amusement at his words.

The trio and their seats faded away like a breeze through smoke.

A tower-like object with bands of different rounded materials stopped spinning, covered in runes.

Limos put it into a worn felt lined case and stored it away.

Here he sat coming to their summoning. He had powerful associates working for him. Multiple routes across worlds and planes.

Barely touched the surface on him have we.

“What might I do for you Desari?” His words snapped her back to reality.

“We were wondering if you might have some kind of communication devices that we could use over long distances,” Her voice took a turn to the ironic as she glanced at where the tower had been.

Limos chuckled. “Are you looking for inter or intra-planar?”

Desari opened her mouth, closed it. “What about across the planes?”

“Paired Trevain Crystals will allow you to talk to others that have them. Run your mana through the weave to the correct crystal and you can call individually or more, up to all the others from the same cluster. They will light up when you are talking. You can talk to someone no matter the Plane, or World they are on. I could part with them for say a million gold.”

Her blood chilled running down her spine and through her body before the flush.

“They take centuries to grow, then each cluster must be chiselled as one by masterful-“

“Seven hundred! What spoiled goods you trying to peddle now!” Mya stormed out of the room.

“The finest of Trevain’s!” Limos sat up and pulled out a silk cloth, laying the crystal upon it gently. It looked like a cluster of quartz, appearing to be frosted from the runes inscribed into the material.

Limos plucked one of the crystals, a thread of his mana winding into the runes, lighting them with a soft glow.

“With these one can communicate across any plane, any realm.” His voice came from the base between them “As they formed together, they resonate together.”

Mya plucked one from the base.

“Good fit, good make,” She squinted at the crystal, casting a spell over her eyes. “Mastercraft. Pretty high quality there.”

“You’ll never need another communication device again,” Limos twirled the crystal in his fingers.

“Communication is one of the most effective force multipliers,” Valter said.

“Better than just talking to Mya whenever I get stuck on watch again,” Petor said.

Mya shot him a look that promised retribution, Petor grinned openly, leaning against the door.

I have my information now. She looked at the others. There hadn’t been a question in their minds. They’d set forth to help her. As they had when they’d been at Sorelli.

“Mya?” Valter asked.

She let out a breath as if it pained her, looking at Limos.

“One, million,” He said as if that amount was perfectly reasonable and understandable.

She squinted at him as he looked back at her.

“It’s a good deal,” She let out a grunt of defeat.

Limos’ smile was fiendish.

“Come on, have to leave at least some room for barter,” Mya muttered.

“Ah, but I felt that you would get there sooner,” Limos chuckled.

“Watch me, I’m going to quote you the exact price on things we sell in the future.

Limos’ smile faltered and for the first time, Desari saw fear in his eyes.

“The exact price.”

“Without any room to dither,” Mya smiled.

“But no barter, no trade, no haggling?” He looked horrified. “How could you?”

“You leave me but no choice!”

“One point two!”

“Nine!”

Desari looked to the others, shrugging at the byplay. Seen weirder things.

“A million!”

“Nine and a half!”

“One!”

“Nine hundred and seventy!”

Limos moved the crystal in his hands. “Alright very well.” He grumbled and stood, putting the crystal back into place and reaching out a hand to her. She took it and shook it.

Desari lifted up her card to Limos.

“If we’re all going to be using these, it does not make sense to put that all on you,” Valter said.

“What he said,” Petor quipped.

“Well,” Limos coughed. “I will need some more funds though.”

“Well we’re going to owe you for the work that you do forging our armor right?” Petor said.

“Yes we are,” Mya said, talking over Valter before he could turn it down. “Could you move A hundred and twenty thousand from my account to Valters?” Mya asked.

“Very well.”

“Same from me,” Desari said.

“How much will I owe?” Petor rubbed the back of his head.

“About three hundred and sixty thousand,” Mya said.

“That then. Before I remember the value of gold,” He patted Valter on the shoulder and went back in the room. “I’m hoping we get some kickass loot from this!”

Desari smiled and Valter grinned through his thick beard.

“Funds have been processed,” Limos pushed forward the crystals and their base. “One Trevain cluster.”

“I’m also interested in getting some ingredients,” Desari said. She took out a list and handed it to Mya.

“Ouu.” Mya moved to put the crystal back.

“Keep it, that ones yours,” Desari said.

Mya winked and put it away. Desari picked up the crystal.

“Place your blood on the base and it will come to you when summoned. Each of the crystals can be bonded with one by one,” Limos said.

“Thank you,” Desari nodded.

He gave her a warm smile, that turned predatory as Mya put away Desari’s list.

Desari left them to it, giving Valter his crystal.

“Thank you.” He raised it in salute.

Desari bowed her head in understanding and walked through the door. Petor was back on the floor.

“Heads!” She pulled out the second last crystal and tossed it to him.

He grabbed it out of the air and looked at it. “Scared the hell out of me that’s like a whole shit-ton of wheat!”

“Put some blood on it to bond.” She headed for the couch.

Mya and Limos were bartering or arguing through the door.

Valter walked in and sat at the table. The sound of flipping paper filled the room, with the occasional yell from next door and pen on paper.