Emil Grandview stood on the Wu Chi hex. He alternated between checking on the group's progress and scanning the view in front of him. They were making progress, but he doubted they would reach the bottom of the cavern system anytime soon.

Seera's watchdog bothered him. He hated to admit that, but the man was dangerous. He might be too dangerous to be allowed to go back to his other world.

Emil was not afraid of the man, but he felt that Shanahan could kill any of the other Weapons if he was given time and incentive. That could be used against him, but if it backfired, the Master Weapon knew his holdings could suffer extensive damage before the marine could be brought to heel.

Emil wondered what a marine was, as he worried at the problem. Could his faction stand up to a group of normal men like Shanahan if they were armed with the weapons he had seen?

Something long and sinous emerged from the cave. It headed right for him. He shook his head. This was obviously the type of monster that had been attacking the Wu Chi villages this close to the edge of the hex.

He supposed he shouldn't allow it to run rampant since he was standing right there. He stepped on the back of the monster as it flew threw the air. Then he brought down the summoned sword of light at his disposal. It sliced the head off the flying monster. The two pieces of monster fell in the gap between the two hexes. He stepped back and dismissed his sword.

Killing one of the beasts had been easy. He wondered how he would fare against the rest that remained in the cavern. It had been a long time since he had been challenged. Maybe Seera was right. Maybe he should have gone in as a guide instead of her.

Too late to worry about that now. If she and Shanahan were killed, he would go in and get their powers to be handed out to someone else to promote from simple fighter to Weapon.

The air shimmered to his right. He checked it for danger. His reading was caution, but nothing immediate. He waited for the shimmer to stop.

Piotor Klaschikov appeared in front of Emil. He was the ruler of the Shapers. His stone armor held various stones that he had made with his talents. A bag hung at his hip. More stones probably waited in the bag to be used.

Someone had hammered his face when he was younger, but now age and gravity had given it a sag from the bones. Browns eyes regarded the larger Grandview with caution.

Simply calling up a spirit was an easier move than picking the right stone to use in the middle of a fight.

“What brings you by, Master Carver?,” asked Emil. If he had to attack, his Eye and Phoenix would be a good opening combination in his opinion. Then he could pull his Sword, or swing a Fist.

Giving someone like Klaschikov a chance to pull any of his deadlier stones would be foolish. Shapers could counter the spirits he used with enough time to think about what they had.

“I want to talk to you about your minion killing one of my people,” said Klaschikov. “I want to know what you're going to do about it.”

“Apparently your Shaper assaulted a spirit holder when she wanted to leave my employ,” said Grandview. “And then he violated whatever small understanding they had by allowing my people to go where she was and bring her back. He didn't think she would take exception, I suppose.”

“His tools and belongings?,” said Klashchikov. “What happened to them?”

“Seera used one of the things she was threatening me with to destroy the building,” said Grandview. “The place shrank out of sight in a snap of the fingers. I'm glad she didn't use that on me.”

“Where is this Seera?,” asked the Master Carver.

“She is doing something for me and the Wu Chi at the moment,” said Emil. He held up his hand to forestall any protests. “I don't know how long it will take, or if there is a lot of danger, but she is supposed to escort the Wu Chi representative back to the surface when they are done.”

What happens afterwards?,” asked Klashchikov.

“She asked to go back to her new home, and I said yes,” said Emil.

“What about Vassily?,” asked Klashchikov.

“What about him?,” asked Emil. “He should have taken better care about his choices.”

“So his killer gets to walk free?,” said Klashchikov.

“I don't see why not,” said Emil. “I would have killed him myself if he had crossed me. When Seera is done, I will relay your wish to talk to her before she goes to her new home. If you can't wait that long, the cave is right there.”

He gestured at the open maw of darkness across from them.

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“Why aren't you escorting the Wu Chi?,” asked Klashchikov. He frowned at the bland face and grand mustache.

“If I did, I might have to leave to take care of my other duties,” said Grandview. “The Wu Chi didn't want to be left without any protection if that happened.”

“What else are you getting out of this, Emil?,” said the Master Carver.

“A map of the caverns that I can use to improve my city, and the farm lands around it,” said Emil. “They might even stumble on the source of the monsters. That will be something useful for the future.”

“A command over what creates the cavern monsters might be useful,” said Klashchikov. “I assume that you don't intend to share this if they find it.”

“The Wu Chi will have it as soon as their representative leaves the cavern,” said Emil. “Nothing I can do about that.”

“And you think they will reach the surface after going down to the bottom?,” said Klashchikov.

“Seera's friend seems exceptional as far as being able to survive trouble, and he has the Fist and the Horse,” said Emil. “The combination of those two spirits with his own outlook makes him a man I would think about not letting get the upper hand in any way.”

“The Horse and the Fist?,” said Klashchikov.

“He killed them both with his bare hands,” said Emil. He shrugged at the look he received from the other faction head. “He is armed now, and I consider him the most dangerous of the people that went into the cavern. If he decides to turn the Fist on the cavern, there's no telling what he would do to the hex and my city above it.”

“I would like some satisfaction for what happened,” said the Master Carver. They both knew he couldn't let one of his lieutenants be killed without some reprisal.

“If you want to wait with me, I don't have a problem with that,” said Emil. “I might have to step back to the tower at some point. I still have a hex to run while this is going on.”

“So do I,” said Klashchikov. “What happened to Vassily's body?”

“It was inside the house when it shrank,” said Emil. “I suppose it's still there, wherever that is.”

“I am not happy about this, Emil,” said the Master Carver. “You should have done something to prevent this.”

“I agree,” said Emil. “I thought that my people would keep Seera at the tower without a problem. I never anticipated the way things worked out.”

“I expect to be informed when they return to the surface,” said Klashchikov. “Then I will talk to your woman and her guardian.”

“I'm sure that will go over excellently,” said Emil. He smiled.

“We'll see,” said the Shaper. He touched one of the stones on his armor. The air distorted and he faded from view.

Emil checked with his talent. The Shaper was out of his range. That was good. What other diplomatic snarl lay ahead of him?

He didn't want to bring the rest of the Weapons to this side of the hex. They had their own duties to carry out. A few of the other factions weren't as friendly as the Wu Chi, or the Shapers. They needed to be repelled when they tried to establish a presence on his hex.

How would those factions take it when they learned he was missing three of his Weapons? Would they try to invade? Would they keep to themselves?

Would they go after the Shapers when Vassily's death became known beyond the few who did know? Vassily's creations dealt with space, and the ways to manipulate it. Being able to teleport was one of its most basic uses. Instant defending forces was another.

He might have to support the Shapers if something happened. It helped keep his own hex clear of problems.

Klashchikov might want Seera to take a look at those other factions. Disrupting them could only help the Shapers' position.

Emil decided he needed to make himself more comfortable while he waited. He didn't need to stand the whole time if he could get his thinking chair from the tower and return.

He should raid the dining room for a snack to keep from falling faint with a lack of food.

Emil smiled. He stepped to the tower. He grabbed his chair from his office, and some hastily prepared sandwiches before stepping back. He placed the chair under a tree where he could watch his hex for trouble while he enjoyed his snack.

He checked on Seera's group. They had made some progress. He doubted any monster in the cave could handle Seera's watchdog. He doubted Klashchikov appreciated how dangerous Seera had become on her own, and how dangerous her ally actually was.

He had already decided if they came into conflict, he would throw in the most dangerous attacks he could while keeping his distance. He didn't want to get into a slugfest with someone else with the Fist.

Standing off and using fire, or lightning, seemed the better tactic in his view.

The fact that Seera might have taken the time to loot Vassily's arsenal was not lost on Emil. It was something he would have done in her place.

And if she had more of those crushing weapons, he didn't want to give her a chance to use them. He would punch her head off, just like he would Klashchikov's if they came into conflict.

He decided on tactics while he waited. He doubted they had found anything useful that he could take from them, but there was always a chance some adventurer had left something behind for those who were brave enough to follow them.

Emil finished his meal and thought that some tea would be good while he waited. Luckily, there was a tea house in reach. He stepped over to it, and asked for some cups of tea.

He drank his fill and returned to his station. When the sun went down, he planned to let Seera know that he was heading home for the night. It would be up to the group if they wanted to keep moving in his absence.

He imagined they would keep going in the dark until they got too tired to move any more. It didn't matter if the sun was out, or not, down there.

He watched the orb start sinking below the mesas that made up the hexes of the factions. He stood and took his chair back to the tower. He returned to his spot and crossed over inside the cavern. The Eye pointed him to where he could appear without causing too much commotion.

“Hello,” Emil called. He held up a hand of fire to illuminate himself. “I'm heading back to the tower for the night, Seera. I'll be back in the morning.”

“Thank you for letting us know, Emil,” said Seera. She had stepped in the way so her guardian wouldn't shoot. “We'll see you then.”

“Also the Master Carver would like a word with you when you're done,” said Emil. “I told him he would have to wait, but he has always been tempermental.”

“We'll keep an eye out for him,” said Seera. “Have a good night, Emil.”

He stepped out of the cavern and then stepped home. He picked up the reports left on his desk and started reading until he became bored enough to fall asleep.

Tomorrow was another day.