Despite clouds covering every inch of the sky, James could clearly tell that it was still mid-day. He looked back at the sea, his eyes spotting the distant floating city of Vindis. Thankfully for him, the city had floated closer south this time of the year, making the trip to its docks much shorter. Draugr’s Haunt was also quick with its smaller size and crew, making it all the faster.

James watched as the ship barricade up ahead opened up for him, allowing him through without much hassle. It probably had to be due to the fact that his ship flew the White Raven flag, letting the guards know that he owned half the city.

He caught a glimpse of Argyle, the dwarf that was in charge of the ship barricade. He could see the sunken look on the dwarf like he had been losing sleep.

“Hey, Argyle!” James called out as his longship drifted past. “How are you doing, man? Everything alright?”

Argyle blinked at his shout. The dwarf turned to James with a weak smile, his hand waving. “Just a bit tired, Red Slayer! Don’t worry about me.”

James frowned a little at that but didn’t say anything as his ship made its way to the docks.

‘I hope he’s doing alright.’

Argyle was one of the few who had survived the marauder’s first wave of attacks during the Battle for Vindis. The dwarf only managed to survive by using the floating bodies of his guardsmen to stay above the water. When James and his men had found Argyle, he was mute and unresponsive. It took some time before he was able to talk and return to duty once more.

‘It’ll take some time, but he’ll be fine. He won’t be all there, and he certainly won’t be the same, but he’ll make it,’ Faust muttered.

‘I hope you’re right.’

----------------------------------------

The streets of Vindis were bustling with activity, with a variety of people flooding the harbor. Merchants, adventurers, mercenaries, escorts, and even the occasional bounty hunter, judging from the pins they wore on the hem of their cloaks. If James were to focus, he could even spot a couple of thieves blending in with the locale.

They were dressed as ordinary folk, ones that shouldn’t catch anyone’s attention. That was if one weren’t to look for specific details, such as the green cloaks on their backs or the unique boots they wore. With that in mind, James spotted a merchant man and escort with these defining features, their eyes glancing at him every now and then. He caught the gaze of one who was looking for too long and gave her a wink. The thief instantly flushed before she disappeared into the crowd, possibly to notify Markov of James’ arrival.

“Convenient,” James said under his breath. Now, he didn’t have to go visit the Master Thief in person. Markov knew where he docked his ship and would pay for the barrels at the set price both men agreed on. Thief’s honor. That is if thieves had any honor…

“Did you say something?” Nora asked.

“Just talking to myself,” James admitted. “I tend to do that a lot.”

“I see,” Nora muttered. She shifted uncomfortably as she walked, her gaze moving to the city around her. It was clear that this was Nora’s first time seeing buildings as tall as these. Even James, who had lived in a modern-day city for a few years, couldn’t help but gawk at Vindis City with admiration.

Maybe it was because it was so vastly different from what James was used to. The tall buildings here were almost monolithic, made up of mostly brick with little to no windows. There was also an influx of people everywhere. While the late nights were sparse with people, mid-day was another story. There were so many people in the markets and harbor that James had to count himself lucky for not getting trampled.

Speaking of night, the darkness was also prevalent despite it being mid-day. That was due to the lack of lighting. Even with lampposts and magical lights, Vindis was near pitch-black at night. The city was something that still surprised James, even after all the time he had spent in this world. It reminded him that there was more to discover and figure out in Valenfrost.

‘For now, however, we have business to attend to.’

James sighed at that thought. There was a part of himself that wanted to do nothing more than to adventure and conquer. To explore and discover secrets. To form a party. He could almost see it. Dahlia would be the healer. Falrick was obviously the Wizard. Seamus would be the fighter. Haggard would be a great tank. And James would be the vanguard. There to cover up any of the party’s weaknesses and support them.

‘Ah, but we both know what happens to adventurers,’ Faust commented.

James faltered at that. He remembered the young adventurers he had seen in Vindis before it had been raided. It was only after the Midsommar Incident that he saw what had become of them. Most of their party was dead, and the two survivors were injured and scarred to the point of permanent damage. Deimos didn’t care enough to finish them off completely, so he left them to their fates at the hands of marauders.

James clenched his fist at the memory. He was reminded of his goal, his one objective.

‘One day. One day, I’ll be strong enough. I’ll wipe that fucking smile off his face.’

Even if it meant his end, James would do anything to make sure Deimos paid his dues.

----------------------------------------

James and Nora stopped their walk once they reached the main center of the city. James moved his gaze to the tower in the middle of the large courtyard. It was like a spire, its height dwarfing all the other buildings in the floating city. This was their destination, where the meeting would take place. James couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. Even standing here, in the same place where he had nearly died, he felt his nerves get the better of him.

‘I can handle the dangers of battle and the looming threat of death, but meeting diplomats seems worse. Funny.’

“Are you alright?” Nora asked. The councilwoman raised an eyebrow at James, her body language relaxed and her arms crossed.

‘She’s not nervous,’ James noted. He mentally facepalmed himself. ‘Of course she’s not. Nora’s been doing stuff like this for years. I’ve literally just been forced into this a couple months ago.’

James shook his head and took a deep breath. “I’m good. Let’s go?”

With that, both of them made their way through the doors.

The first thing James noted was the glowing totem that sat in the center of the room, its pulsating runes emanating a magical glow. This was where Dahlia and her team had fended off Lumen soldiers. Where they had fought to protect the totem. Had it not been for Malik and his army of undead, Dahlia and her team wouldn’t be alive.

“Am I to believe you’re the Jarl of the White Raven clan?” a voice called out from James’ left. He turned to see a portly-looking gnome next to a couple of the city guards. He had spectacles over his reddish nose, his graying hair swept back. He wore what looked like expensive clothes, the pin on his cape signifying him as someone from the Merchant’s Guild.

James noted the lack of thief boots and cape, which meant this particular man was not affiliated with Markov or the Thieves Guild. Whether that was going to prove to be a problem was something James was going to find out soon.

“Yes, I am James Holter,” the Outlander answered. “You are…?”

“Thaddius Arclong. Head of operations for the Merchant’s Guild in Haven,” the gnome answered with a sniffle. He pulled out a small white handkerchief before blowing into it. “Please pardon me, I am quite ill. I am not so used to a city like… this.”

‘Haven? You don’t think Frue Margeret sent him here?’

‘Only one way to find out,’ Faust responded.

James rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Thaddius blow his nose. “I haven’t seen you here before? Is there a particular reason you’re visiting Vindis?”

“That is something I much rather disclose upstairs,” Thaddius answered nasally.

“Let us be on our way then?” James proposed as he gestured toward the stairs.

The gnome nodded without a word before he headed up the stairs. James looked back at Nora, who had been watching the interaction. He extended his arms to the stairs.

“Ladies first?”

Nora huffed before she went up, leaving James alone on the ground floor. He soon followed the older woman up the tower’s staircase.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

While stairs were certainly not his best friend, James could feel a bit of pride at the noticeable increase of endurance he had built up these past months. Just a month ago, climbing these steps had resulted in him taking multiple minute long breaks for him to catch his breath. Now, he only needed to take one breather.

“We’re here,” Nora said. She seemed unaffected by the long climb, but James could still see the gleam of sweat that appeared on her forehead. Regardless, she didn’t let it get to her, not like James, who was currently focusing on controlling his breathing.

“Don’t you train?” the councilwoman asked.

“I do,” James responded with an agitated breath. “It’s just been a while since I’ve done cardio, y’know?”

“No. I don’t know.”

“Ah, whatever,” James muttered. “I’m good now.”

He brushed himself off before focusing on the doors that led into the meeting room. James took a deep breath before he walked through them.

There was a table in the center of the meeting room, chairs surrounding it. Half of them were occupied by men and women who all had a say in how the city was run. While James owned a majority of the city, it did not mean he was entirely in charge.

Some of the men in this room were high-ranking guild members, others were in charge of sectors in the city, and a couple of them were simply representatives of other clans. All in all, these guys were a painful thorn in James’ side.

Yet they were a necessary thorn.

“It seems like Jarl Holter has finally decided to join us. Despite missing last month’s meeting.” one of the men called out.

“Give Holter a break,” a younger woman called out. She sat across the table, the pin on her collar signifying that she was a representative from Vindis’ Merchant Guild. James recognized her as one of Markov’s contacts, mainly as the one responsible for fencing his alcohol to the taverns.

‘Carla,’ James absentmindedly reminded himself before he turned to the man who spoke. It was one of the district leaders, specifically the one that looked over the Gold District. He was tall and clean shaven, his dark wavy hair swept back to reveal his tired and baggy eyes. James recalled his name from the last time they had met.

“I was dealing with clan troubles, Niles,” James said, making sure he spoke clearly and confidently. If there was any sign of weakness, he was bound to get ripped apart in this godsforsaken meeting.

“Clan troubles, I see,” Niles muttered as he leaned back. “Well, I suppose all that matters is that you’re here now. With a guest nonetheless. Would you mind telling us?”

“I’d like to do that a little later if you don’t mind,” James responded as he went over to an empty seat. He gestured for Nora to sit, his hands pulling the chair back.

“I suppose we can get to that later,” another district leader said. There were a couple of murmurs that followed that statement.

“Aside from Holter’s guest,” the same woman from earlier spoke. “It appears we have another new face here.” Everyone at the table craned their heads to the gnome from earlier. The one James had met downstairs.

“My name is Thaddius Arclong,” he introduced. “Representative of both the Merchant’s Guild in Haven and the Frue’s court.”

“Frue Margaret?” Niles asked. “Did she finally decide to care about Vindis?”

“She has sent me here to discern the status of the Vindis’ Merchant’s Guild,” Thaddius revealed. “She does have a share of its profits, after all. Even after giving up most of her ownership of the city to Jarl Holter.”

Everyone turned their gaze to James after the comment. The young clan leader did his absolute damndest not to squirm in his seat at that.

“I can assure you, Mr. Arclong, the Vindis Guild is doing fine in profits. If anything, our earnings have increased in the months following the Midsommar Incident,” Carla called out. Unlike James, she seemed to keep herself calm and put together.

“Is that right, Carla? Am I right to assume it has to do with the business you have with the White Raven Clan?” Thaddius asked. The gnome raised an incredulous eyebrow.

“Our dealings with Jarl Holter’s clan aren’t illegal,” Carla responded calmly. “The Merchant’s Guild can trade and buy with other clans.”

“You might be right with that. Still, there is the talk of unlicensed alcohol trade,” Thaddius pointed out. James could catch some side eye from some of the members at the table.

“Unlicensed alcohol?” Carla acted shocked at the accusation. “Are you suggesting that I am allowing such activity in my guild?”

“No, I am not,” the gnome muttered. “I am only warning you of the dangers of doing such business. I will have you know that unlicensed alcohol trading carries a fine of one hundred valdoras plus confiscation of said alcohol.”

“Is that a threat?” Carla asked.

“Alright!” James said aloud. He had heard more than enough. “Thaddius, I think we all got the message. I think Carla here knows the rules of proper trading, right? Cool, let’s take a small break?”

Both guild reps were still staring at each other conflicted looks before James stood up, his hands extending to both.

“Seriously, no need for unnecessary drama–”

“Holter, I would like to call for a recess with you,” Thaddius interrupted. The gnome glanced at the clan leader with a tired look. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

“Sure,” James muttered, his raised arms slowly lowering to his sides. He stepped away from the table to head over to the exit before he suddenly remembered.

‘That’s right, Nora.’

“One more thing before I go,” James said to the table. He gestured over to Nora, who was patiently sitting down next to his recently vacated seat. The councilwoman slowly stood up, her hands together as she raised her chin.

‘She’s nervous,’ James realized. He could see how the older woman’s eyes now shone with a sense of stage fright and nervousness. It was clear to him that this was the first time in ages that Nora had been in front of a council like this.

“This is Nora Haythwood,” James introduced. “She will be my representative for Vindis and its council.”

There were some murmurs coming from the table members, all of whom were staring at Nora with looks of judgment and curiosity.

‘They’re sizing her up.’

James would’ve left the councilwoman then and there to fend for herself, as she had done so for him before. Yet something in him protested that idea.

‘I feel bad for her?’

James couldn’t really believe it himself. He had no idea he was even capable of feeling sympathy for someone like Nora. Someone who had nearly sent him out to die.

‘She didn’t really do it out of resentment or hatred. Nora was just acting on her fear,’ Faust pointed out. ‘Fear makes fools out of us all.’

‘Still, she did try to exile me,’ James mentally noted. ‘Then again, would I even be better for leaving her like this? I did bring her here to help us.’

It would be an act of cruelty to leave a small-town councilwoman to deal with city assholes. James himself had to deal with their shit for the past few months. He had no desire to leave Nora to the same fate.

“I–”

“Let’s get one thing straight before any of you say anything,” Nora interrupted James, her voice cutting through the silence. “I am nothing like Jarl Holter. I won’t allow disrespect out of niceties and politeness. I am here to protect and advance the White Raven clan’s interests. If any of you even try to prevent me from doing my job, then there will be problems.”

James stared at Nora, watching as the fear left her body and voice. She had a confident air about her, her head tilting as she sighed.

“Believe me. You don’t want any problems with me,” she muttered. “You’ll have a better time swimming in the canals you all throw your shit in. Trust me on this.”

James couldn’t help but smile a little. There was a sense of pride that came with the sight of this woman treating Vindis’ council no different than the one at Yorktown.

‘Funny. I’m actually rooting for her.’

“I’ll leave you guys to it then,” James said as he made his way out of the room.

----------------------------------------

“You don’t have to worry about the fine or the confiscation,” Thaddius said as James closed the door behind him. “I am simply here on Frue Margeret’s behalf.”

“Four months of no contact, and now she wants to talk?” James asked. “What does she want?”

“First of all, she’s been wanting to speak to you,” the gnome said. “You’ve been deliberately ignoring her these past months.”

“Ignoring her?” James asked. “I’ve heard nothing from her! The only form of contact I ever had with Redyr was when she sent me the papers for her share of Vindis.”

“I suppose you thought she did that out of the kindness of her heart?” Thaddius pointed out. “She has been waiting for a response from your clan for months since.”

“I… I don’t know what to say,” James murmured. He wanted to facepalm himself. Of course, there was a catch to Redyr’s ‘gift’ back when he had received those papers. He felt like an idiot for not figuring that part out.

“Don’t fret. Frue Margaret has given you leniency on this slight,” Thaddius said. “There are more important things to discuss.”

“Important enough that she sent a Merchant Guild member?” James asked.

“She didn’t want to raise awareness about the situation. If she sent out someone like Elias, it would certainly bring about onlookers and eavesdroppers.” Thaddius explained.

“What is this about?”

“It’s about the Midsommar Incident,” the gnome revealed. “She needs to know if you plan to retaliate.”

James blinked at that. Didn’t they already discuss this?

‘Not really, now that I think about it. We only discussed options and saved the conversation for another day. That was three months ago.’

“Retaliation isn’t ideal,” James muttered. “Not in the state we’re in. Not when the clans are scattered.”

“She was hoping for a response like this,” Thaddius sighed in clear relief. “Thankfully for us, the Lumen Kingdom is also looking to sweep this under the rug. With some time and meetings, we might be able to negotiate peace–”

“There will be no peace,” James interrupted. “I only said war is not ideal. Never said anything about negotiating with the Lumen Kingdom.”

“But they’re–”

“They’re feigning ignorance. After what happened in Vindis, I doubt they’ll learn their lesson and keep away,” said James. “Tell Redyr that I want to call a meeting with her. In person.”

“W-Wait, we have—”

“There’s nothing more for us to speak about,” James said as he turned to the doors. “If your Frue wants me to consider peace, then she and I need to speak face-to-face about this entire situation.”

Without another word, James entered the meeting room, leaving the gnome by himself in the hall.