Chapter 193: [ - - 193]
"They are no longer just squabbling tribes," Aris corrected.
He pointed a gloved finger at the large parchment map spread across the heavy oak table.
"For the past two years, Zarth has been locked in a bloody civil war. But a victor has emerged. A ruthless warlord named Warchief Vorath, known as the Blood-Axe."
Belladonna stopped tossing her hunting knife. She caught it by the hilt and sat up slightly. Her dark eyes narrowed in the flickering candlelight of the war room.
"I have heard of him," she said, her voice dropping a fraction, "He drinks the blood of the chieftains he defeats. Real savage bastard."
"Indeed," Aris nodded gravely, "Vorath is currently subjugating the last of the rival tribes. He is effectively unifying the entire Kingdom of Zarth under one single banner."
"But unity is extremely bloody and expensive. He has promised his new coalition wealth, slaves, and fertile land."
Aris traced a charcoal line from the rugged Zarthian border directly toward their current location on the map.
"Vorath knows our Kingdom’s borders are weak right now," Aris continued.
"The Royal Legion is stretched thin. They are too busy dealing with internal politics and power struggles in the Capital."
"And more importantly, Vorath’s scouts already know that Lord Caelum has fled like a coward."
"He thinks we are a soft target," Leo deduced. His eyes glowed faintly in the dim light of the war room. He leaned his hands on the edge of the table, studying the troop placements.
"Exactly," Aris said, tapping the map, "Auravale is underdeveloped. But if they can get their hand on it, it can be turned into a very wealthy trade hub."
"It sits right on the edge of the frontier. He just needs to slaughter a few hundred guards, and he will be sitting on piles of Gold."
"Vorath needs pure gold to pay his new armies. Sacking this city would fund his ambition for at least a year, and years to come when he is in full control."
High Priest Remus let out a high-pitched squeak. He pulled a golden rosary from beneath his collar and clutched it tightly with sweaty hands.
"The Light protect us!" Remus wailed, his multiple chins trembling with terror, "A barbarian horde! If they manage to break into the town, they will burn the Temple! They will defile the holy relics!"
"We must send word to the Capital immediately! We must pray for immediate deliverance!"
"Will you be quiet for a second, High Priest Remus," Leo snapped.
The sheer force of his annoyance silenced the fat priest instantly.
"Your prayers won’t stop the swinging axes," Leo said coldly, "It will be the Blackfangs."
Leo then turned towards Aris, "What is the exact timeline? Is Vorath marching his main forces towards Auravale as we speak?"
"Unlikely," Aris mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "From the information we have, Vorath is a brute, but he is a highly cunning warlord."
"He will not risk an open, full-scale war with the Crown’s main forces until his internal conflicts are fully resolved. He still has minor rebel factions at his back."
Aris crossed his arms, "I suspect he will test our fences first. Probe our outer defences. He wants to see exactly how quickly the Crown responds to minor incursions before committing his horde."
Leo straightened up from the table. He did not look worried. He looked bored.
He reached into the deep pocket of his coat. His fingers closed around a heavy, cold object.
He pulled out a circular token made of solid black iron. The firelight caught the intricate carving on its surface, a three-eyed goat skull. It pulsed with a very faint, dark energy.
Leo tossed the iron token onto the centre of the map. It landed on the parchment with a heavy, definitive thud.
"We might not need to fight the entire Zarth nation," Leo stated flatly, "This can be an opportunity for us."
Aris frowned. He leaned over the table, staring at the black iron. He recognized the residual mana clinging to the metal. "What is this?"
"The Sigil of the Silent Moon," Leo answered smoothly, "He told me this is very valuable in the Zarth Conclave. I will be welcomed with open arms."
Remus gasped loudly. He scrambled backward, bumping into a stone pillar as if the token itself were cursed.
"You... Lord Leo... You made deals with the beastmen?!" Remus shrieked, pointing a shaking, fat finger at Leo, "That’s Heresy! Absolute heresy!"
"I think you are missing something here, Mr Almighty High Priest," Leo shot back without looking at him, "You were the one who sent me to get the delivery from the beastmen."
"That..." Remus’s word were caught in his tongue.
Leo ignored him and pointed at the token.,"I got this from Elder Baez. He is a high-ranking Shaman of the Conclave."
"He handed it to me personally when I picked up that Black Sky package in the Endless Forest. He told me it guarantees safe passage with any Zarth patrol."
Aris narrowed his eyes. His tactical mind was already spinning, "You want to use a Shaman’s token to secure Auravale?"
"I want to use it to secure our leverage," Leo corrected. He paced slowly around the table, taking command of the room.
"Vorath has a massive army, but he lacks resources, food, weapons, armours and infrastructure," Leo explained, his voice projecting pure logic.
"He has only unified wild tribes for now. He didn’t build a functioning kingdom. Armies need food. They need weapons. They need constant supplies. They cannot eat unity, Aris."
Leo stopped pacing and locked eyes with the Inquisitor.
"I can offer Vorath some money, grains and something else that he might need" Leo said. "I can use this token to send a secure, direct message to Elder Baez."
"I will let the Conclave know that attacking Auravale means destroying a massive, steady revenue stream that they desperately need to fund their civil war."
"This might get us a few months," Leo said, "and a few months is all I need."
Aris looked deeply impressed. He rapidly calculated the political and economic leverage.
"A negotiated economic peace with a Zarth Shaman," Aris muttered, "It is highly unorthodox. The Capital would despise it."
"Only if they know," Leo shrugged and then raised an eyebrow at Aris and Remus.
Remus looked completely lost. He wiped sweat from his bald head. "Can you actually trust these savages to keep their word? They are beasts!"
"He is right. You can never trust them," Belladonna’s voice cut sharply through the room.
Everyone turned to look at the Bandit Queen. She had stopped playing with her knife entirely. She was leaning against the stone wall, her arms crossed under her chest. She wasn’t looking at the iron token on the table. She was looking directly at Leo.
"It is a highly intelligent plan, Leo," Belladonna said. Her tone was completely flat and devoid of emotion. "It proves you can think three steps ahead of a warlord. Except for one very important detail."
Leo raised an eyebrow. He remained perfectly still.
"That old goat already tried to have you murdered," Belladonna stated bluntly.