Chapter 367: Unique Treasures
"The Vale of Mists was once like the High Fen," Beilan began. "It was valuable because of its location. The river flows all the way to the sea and goods from across the lowlands flowed through the Vale to reach customers west of the mountains. But the Vale of Mists itself produced very little of value. Now that it is no longer a path for the flow of treasures from afar, it has little to offer the rest of the Eldritch world."
"In the short term," he continued. "It’s possible that you could profit off the refining and shipment of goods from Airgead Mountain. I have already proposed a trade in jewels through the Vale of Mists that should be sustainable even if Lady Ashlynn’s plan for an ore canal doesn’t work out."
"It’s much easier for a courier to slip through the wilderness with a bag of jewels than it is to transport tons of ore," Nyrielle acknowledged. "Marcell has proposed doing so in the past, but the results haven’t been spectacular."
In fact, the Vale of Mists regularly received a trickle of gemstones from Airgead Mountain as part of the agreement Nyrielle had forged to help defend the valuable mountain from Lothian raids. Those gemstones paid for everything from Darksteel weapons to shipments of cotton or salt from the lands west of the mountains. But the prices the jewels fetched were only enough to fill the gaps in the Vale’s needs, and treasures that could finance widespread reconstruction were once a decade rarities.
"This problem is likely because you lack artisans who can turn raw jewels into rare treasures," Beilan said confidently. "I am connected with a few masters who may be willing to send an apprentice to do rough cutting work that could significantly increase the value of anything you can retrieve from Airgead Mountain. But in my opinion, relying on the wealth you can extract from Airgead Mountain is only a short term solution to the lack of trade that keeps the Vale from returning to its former glory."
Before he could elaborate further, a roar from the crowd drew their attention to the arena below. People leapt to their feet, many pointing and shouting as the battle between the vampires and champions began with an explosive display of power and cunning. Facing off against six veteran champions, Savis and Tausau displayed cold, ruthless efficiency in eliminating their opponents. Shackled together at the wrists or ankles, it should have been impossible for the vampires to move with their usual speed.
The gladiators clearly planned to utilize that handicap as they slowly advanced under the cover of the Muckin archer. They never expected, however, that the Vampires would refuse to let their chains constrain their movements. Rather than taking slow, hobbled steps around the arena, Savis pounced directly on Tausau’s back, riding upon his shoulders while the Clanless vampire hunkered behind his shield and charged the archer like a maddened battering ram!
Arrow after poisoned arrow slammed into Tausau’s shield but it did nothing to stop the charge that directly bypassed the remaining gladiators in order to slam into the Muckin archer with enough force to send the man sailing through the air like a broken doll, crashing limply into the sand of the arena more than thirty feet away.
"Yes, Little Brother!" Savis snarled as he hopped down from the towering vampire’s broad shoulders. The skin of the Muckin was far too toxic to risk attacking with his claws, but now that the only warrior he couldn’t shred had been crushed by Tausau’s claws, he felt truly free to tear into the remaining warriors. "Stay close to me now and watch my back as I tear them limb from limb!"
"Just like the old days, Big Brother," Tausau said, grinning as the years of distance between them fell away and they returned to an earlier era when they had been called Hamdi’s Claws. If only their brother Torbin and sister Birsu were here to fight with them, that would have been even better.
It wasn’t perfect, but after Torbin’s death at Lothian hands, and with Birsu taking up the mantle of ruling the Tangled Wood until their master was free from his punishment, it was the best that Tausau could hope for in terms of a reunion. Now, as he charged across the sands, side by side with Savis, he only hoped the remaining champions could last longer than the Muckin archer had, to give him even more time to relish in fighting beside his brother once again.
"Then what do you see as a long term solution?" Nyrielle asked Master Beilan. The sight of her great-uncles fighting together brought a smile on her lips and made it easier to keep her tone light with the serpentine merchant, but her gaze was still sharp as she pressed him for solutions to the problems he presented. "We are unlikely to have many trading partners, even if we are able to extend a secure trade channel all the way down to the Southern Steppe," she added.