James rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped out the entrance to the tall spire, Nora on his tail as they walked through the courtyard. He looked up at the night, watching as the sister moons shone their light through broken clouds.

‘How long were we in there?’ James thought to himself. The meeting with the other district leaders had gone on longer than he had hoped for. They had all rambled on about budgeting, city planning, and, of course, debating about taxes. It was mind-numbing and gave James a migraine at the end of it all.

Thankfully, he had Nora on his side. As expected from a representative, she did most of the speaking for him. He was impressed with how well she navigated the bickering and arguing.

“Well, I suppose you have somewhere for us to stay overnight?” Nora asked as she followed James out of the courtyard.

“Yes, an all-expense-paid night at a nearby establishment,” James answered with a smile. “A courtesy from Markov himself.”

Nora raised an eyebrow at that. “I don’t suppose it’s some random shitty tavern?”

“Of course not,” James responded as he tucked his hands into his cloak, protecting his fingers from the freezing cold of the night. “It’s a protected spot that’s owned by the Thieves Guild. We’ll be fine.”

“That’s good to know,” Nora huffed as she tucked her hands into her warm scarf. She gazed up at the sparse moonlight, her dark eyes almost twinkling in their glow. “Didn’t know that nighttime would look so peaceful. Even here, in this city.”

“Well, I guess there is some sort of magic in place for that,” James answered absentmindedly as he shrugged. There was silence between the two as they walked, their footsteps being the only sound in the night. James himself was surprised by the lack of noise coming from Vindis. Usually, he’d be bombarded with the constant sounds of fighting, animal yowling, and the occasional scream.

Yet now, there was some semblance of peace. Perhaps it was because they were walking through the Gold District. James wouldn’t know. If anything, he decided not to question a good thing.

“Thank you.”

James blinked at the sudden words. He stopped his walk, his eyes looking for the source. He was surprised to find that it had come from Nora. The older councilwoman was currently looking at James with a look he had never seen from her.

She had a soft smile on her face, and her expression had changed from her usual cold glare to a warm and welcoming gaze. James himself was beginning to suspect that Nora had been replaced by a doppelganger of sorts.

“Are you–?”

“I said thank you, James,” Nora clarified with a chuckle. “And, of course, I’m sorry for everything. Back when we first met, I had thought you to be nothing more than trouble for Yorktown. Someone who would doom our little island to ashes. Instead, for the past year, you’ve done nothing but better our town. Grew its economy and inspired its people. You were a blessing.”

“Nora, I…”

“Of course, I had my doubts about you,” Nora admitted. “Even after you saved us from those Lumen Knights, I still was adamant that you were to do nothing more but doom us. Yet, as time went on, I began to see what others saw in you. You were a leader. A beacon of hope. Even when faced with overwhelming odds, you still charged in.” She paused for a moment, her eyes moving to the small pin on her scarf. The one that was shaped like a raven.

“Even after everything I’ve done to you. The things I said about you. You still trusted me enough to be your representative,” Nora murmured. “You could have easily called upon someone else, but you still decided on me. To give me a purpose. For that, I thank you, James Holter.”

James stared at Nora for a moment, unsure of what to say. After a couple of seconds, he laughed. The councilwoman tilted her head in confusion at the reaction before James patted her shoulder.

“Sorry, I just never thought there was this sort of side to you,” he admitted before he flashed Nora a smile. “I’m happy that you aren’t as cold hearted as I initially thought.”

Nora instantly reddened at that, her gaze moving away as she scowled. “I can’t believe you.”

“What?” James called out with a chuckle as the councilwoman did her best to walk off. “Are you blushing?”

“It’s cold!” Nora called back.

James couldn’t help but smile at her reaction.

‘It’s quite interesting, isn’t it?’ Faust asked.

‘I think it’s sweet of her to acknowledge me,’ James admitted. ‘It tells me more about her, if anything.’

‘That she’s not a control freak at heart?’

‘That, and that she could change,’ James thought. ‘I’m just glad that I won’t have to fight with her as often as I initially thought.’

With that in mind, James whistled softly as he headed off with Nora to check in for the night.

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

“I take it all back,” Nora muttered.

James had to use all his strength not to directly laugh at the councilwoman’s reaction to where they would be staying for the night. Before the two was the tavern/inn known simply as the Drunken Draugr. It was a rowdy night, it seemed, as usual. James could overhear loud swears and bloody brawls going on inside. It would be where he and Nora would stay for the night.

‘Well, there was the base I took over. Still no news on that.’

Not long after the Midsommar Incident, James and his clan had claimed the half-destroyed Merchant’s Guild as their new keep. The building had acted as a sort of base during the battle, sheltering nearby thieves and raven guards before it had nearly burnt to ash. No one had opposed his claim of it.

James had been excited at the prospect of a base in the city, but that excitement quickly turned to stress when he realized how long it would take to make it even livable. Even after four months of funding repairs, the base was still a work in progress, which meant that James had to make do with what he had.

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“Believe it or not, this is the safest spot in the city,” James said. “The Thieves Guild sent out a couple of their own to watch over us while we’re here.”

“Safe?” Nora looked at James like she had just seen him grow another head. “This is safe to you?”

Before James could give Nora an answer, someone was thrown out of the tavern’s doors, their smaller frame tumbling for a few meters before stopping. It was a drunk gnome, his hand still holding onto a tankard from the bar.

“Just trust me on this,” James muttered as he assisted the gnome back on his feet. The drunkard mumbled thanks to the young Jarl before waddling his way back inside.

“The things I trust you on,” Nora sighed. “Fine. It can’t be that bad, can it?”

“That’s the spirit,” James said with a grin. “Now, let’s—”

He stopped mid-talk, his senses turning sharp. James blinked confusedly, his head turning to look around. He ignored Nora’s muffled questioning, his focus on what had set off his Alert skill.

Alert was a magical skill that James had developed not long ago. He had no idea he even had it until Nathan and Falrick explained what magical skills were. The Wizards had told him that sometimes, under certain circumstances, people could develop magical skills and talents.

James had developed Alert due to the nonstop fighting he did during the Battle for VIndis. According to Falrick, his body had snapped under the conditions of the battle, forcing the rapid development of the magical skill. Overwhelming odds and the dark rainy streets were more than enough reason for him to gain Alert overnight.

However, the problem with this particular magical skill was that it had trouble differentiating between friend and foe. James had it go off randomly for no reason, like when he was going around Yorktown or when he was simply doing nothing more than eating breakfast at Dahlia’s hut.

Vindis had a tendency to be dangerous, especially at night. James always expected his Alert skill to go off whenever he walked the city streets. Even if Markov told him he was protected, James never let his guard down—until now.

He looked around the streets, his eyes scanning the wandering drunks and pedestrians.

‘Maybe one of Markov’s scouts triggered it,’ James concluded. Just as he was about to brush off the experience, he spotted him.

A man wearing a green and brown tunic, his shoulder draped by a woolen cape. He was a tad shorter than James, with black hair resting on broad shoulders. Behind him was another man, this one wearing something similar. He was taller, with short blond hair and a matching goatee. They were both standing near the plaza that connected the Drunken Draugr and the rest of the marketplace.

It had been nearly a year since James had seen these men. Back then, he had been there to see them off at Vindis after both men had recovered from the injuries they had earned from fighting Lumen Knight Gryff.

“Brant? Finn?” James called out.

Brant, the shorter of the two, gave a quick wave and smile as he approached. “James! Good to see you again!”

James stared at the two men, stunned. Before he knew it, he had stepped forward to shake hands with Brant. He couldn’t help but grin at the interaction. “Brant! It’s been some time. How have you been doing?”

“Doing great,” Brant answered with a chuckle. “Finn and I have been traveling around, taking odd jobs here and there.”

“You mean you guys weren’t in Vindis when… Midsommar happened?” James asked carefully.

“We were at Bernis when it happened,” Brant admitted, his features darkening. “News of it only came in the morning after. If I had known earlier…”

“Don’t,” James said. He patted the man on the shoulder. “There was nothing you could have done. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

Brant nodded. “I know. I just wished I was with your clan when it all went down. Would’ve gladly fought side by side with you.”

‘Fight side by side…’

James faltered at that. He remembered the countless bodies he had seen by Vindis’ city center—the bodies of those who fought, of those who were allies, of those who were friends.

“Are you alright?” Finn asked, his inquiry catching James off guard.

“I’m fine,” James responded coolly. “What have you guys been up to?”

“We’ve actually been busy,” Brant said with a grin. “We both caught word that you wanted to unite the southern clans, to unite together against those Lumen bastards.”

‘I don’t recall mentioning the Lumen Kingdom…’ James thought to himself. He brushed it off.

“We thought we could help, so we decided to do so by making contact with our old clan,” Brant continued.

“Old clan? Wait…” James recalled the clan they were talking about. He remembered them as the same people who had assisted Gryff in their battle against Yorktown. Jarl Ivan’s clan. The Hawk.

“Before you say anything,” Finn spoke up. “Jarl Ivan wants to offer his apologies and condolences regarding the battle that transpired last year.”

“Apologies?” James scoffed. “He teamed up with that maniac Gryff to wipe Yorktown off the map! People died!”

“He was coerced into doing so,” Finn revealed. “Jarl Ivan’s clan was threatened by the knights. Had he not agreed with them, he and his people would have suffered. He wants to make amends. To offer peace with you.”

“Why after so long?” James asked. “Why now?”

“Because he’s been dealing with problems of his own,” Brant said. “From what I’ve heard, marauders are taking over his islands in the south. Towns and islands, raided and captured. It’s only gotten worse since the Midsommar Incident.”

“Deimos?” James hadn’t heard about this. Not from the other clans he was allied with, at least. From what he had managed to gather, the marauders were currently maintaining their territory in the north and raiding only passing ships.

‘Then again, there was barely any word of the raided islands before the Vindis raid.’

“He wants to meet with you at a middle ground,” Finn added. “Jarl Ivan wants to discuss the possibilities of allying himself with your clan.”

“I see,” James muttered. He felt uneasy at the idea of meeting Jarl Ivan. He recalled what Olafson’s emissary, Daven, had said to him.

“I hope that you do not end up the same as the Hawk Clan. If you would end up the same as he or, Gods forbid, worse, we will no longer be on neutral ground. You will be an enemy to us all, same as him. Is this clear?”

There was a clear stigma against Ivan as a whole, to the point where even the Olafson clan discerned him as nothing more than an enemy. Even negotiating with him would prompt the other clans to reconsider their relations with James. Even with the binding pact he made them take, there was nothing stopping them from stopping their support and trade lines with his settlements. That was one of the few things they still had control over.

‘Besides, I want to actually build an alliance. Not some dictatorship or warlord rule. Good faith is still required to make sure these clans trust me.’

James frowned as he looked at the two men in front of him. The same men who had risked their lives to help him. Hell, Brant was the only reason James was still alive. He had even pledged his undying allegiance to the clan before anyone else. If there was anyone he could trust, it was Brant. James owed him everything.

“Are you sure he wants to negotiate peace?” James asked Brant. The shorter man gave a nod, his arms crossing as he looked James in the eye.

“I put my life on it.”

“Fine,” James sighed. “I’ll consider a meeting. Under my terms, of course. Let Ivan know I’ll give him an answer soon. Don’t hold your breaths.”

“You won’t regret it,” Finn said with a smile as he shook James’ hand. Brant followed up right after, his grin wide with excitement.

“With the south united, we’ll show those Lumen bastards! Swear on it!”