Ar'Kendrithyst

The destruction of a city using principles of magic that Erick had willed into being, was not something he expected to ever really happen. Hiring Kiri as a secretary was unexpected, too. Mog asking him to never come back to class was unplanned, as well; he still had a lot to learn about personal defense, but at least Kiri was able to spar with him as soon as she got hired by the Army, whenever that might be.

Erick almost wanted to pursue that whole situation with Kiri and the Army, to make sure her hiring was uneventful, but other events and happenings took precedence.

The Guard and the Farmer’s Council worked fast in dispersing cheering incani from angry dragonkin; the orcol and wrought stayed out of that fight. It wasn’t a direct confrontation anyway, according to Poi; there were no humans on Spur’s farms, yet. There was a worry about the human and the incani at the Adventurer’s guildhouse, though. After the Guard dispersed the farmers, they reoriented to both the Mage and Adventurer’s Districts to set up constant patrols.

Erick didn’t know what the Adventurer’s District looked like, but he could guess.

As Erick walked the streets of the Mage’s District, he passed men and women in the plain steel armor of the Guard, watching out for trouble; patrolling. Erick had come to the Mage Guildhouse to see Guildmaster Sirocco Zago, the matronly incani who ran the place, and ask her about what was happening. But Erick quickly learned from Anhelia that Zago was out of her office, already in the Incani District, trying to do… something.

Anhelia, all grey metal and looking like an incani, stood behind the welcoming receptionist’s counter, staring Erick down. “This is not your war, Erick. Do not go to the Incani District. Do not try to stop anything or step into this mess. This is not your fault, this is not about you. Stay out of it. Stay very, very, far away, like us wrought, and the orcols, and even the dragonkin, though some of those people might have a specific platform to be angry with certain incani in town. Don’t you go involving yourself in this mess. Silverite is already on it.”

So Erick went home, and tried not to think about what was happening five full [Teleport]s away, and right in his backyard.

He failed.

He decided he needed to talk to the Oceanside Trio; the only other humans he knew in town.

He opened the door to his own house and got one step out, when he saw Silverite and Zago and some human guy walking toward his house. They stopped. Erick stopped. Erick stepped back into his house.

Erick asked. “Hello?”

Silverite said, “May we hold on the introductions till we are settled somewhere inside?”

Erick had no idea what was happening, but he would likely find out soon.

Erick put on his best business face and said, “Of course! Come right in,” as he stepped aside so that Silverite, Zago, and the stranger could enter. Erick guided them to the sun room and opened the curtains to a view of his garden and the city across the human district. The sun was maybe an hour from setting; it cast long orange light through the sun room. Teressa went to make coffee at Erick’s request, while Poi took point outside the room.

All the while, Erick caught glimpses of the stranger. The human man was average, with desert-brown skin and greying brown hair. He had a habit that Erick recognized he shared with Jane; with steely blue eyes, the man casually took in the entrances and exits to the room. The man also had a sure grace to his steps and movements; he was in peak physical condition. Inside the sun room, the four of them sat more or less equally around the two long sides of a rectangular coffee table, while the afternoon sun draped orange light between two pairs of people. Zago made sure to take her place as far away from the man as possible. Erick sat beside Zago, while the stranger sat beside Silverite. Erick touched the Silver Star affixed to his own shirt; it felt unusually warm, but it wasn’t hot.

Seated, and with coffee on the way, Silverite began, “I would like to introduce you, Archmage Erick Flatt, to Viscount Andro Helix, the man entrusted by the Viridian King and Council of Kingdoms in the Greensoil Republic to control Frontier for the last several years. Viscount Helix, this is Archmage Erick Flatt.”

Yet another conversation where Erick was way out of his depth.

Joy.

Erick said, “Hello, Viscount Helix.”

Helix said, “Salutations, Archmage Flatt.” He continued, “It’s my understanding we have you to thank for two great boons recently. Both for the SLRs you cast across Frontier to drive back Bulgan, as well as the quick identification of the methods used to kill one of our sister kingdoms.” He said, “To cut to the quick: Frontier would like you to cast [Withering] upon our city every now and then.”

As Erick was thinking of how respond—

Silverite said, “And upon Spur at roughly the same rate.”

“And upon Kal’Duresh,” Zago said. "Today, if possible. Tomorrow, if not."

Erick’s train of thought got thoroughly derailed. “… I heard there were some almost riots today. That’s going to stop, right?”

The Silver Star on his shirt cooled. Was that a good thing?

Zago breathed deep. Silverite stilled.

Helix smirked, and said, “Nothing will happen on our end.” He turned toward Zago. “I can’t make promises for these murderers over here.”

Silverite started, “Now, Za—”

Zago said, “Don’t pretend to be some beacon of propriety, Viscount Helix, when your people murder incani adventurers from Kal’Duresh all the time.”

Helix smiled now. “It’s only fair. Don’t pretend that Kel’Duresh is not still supporting Bulgan—”

Zago yelled, “Slander and lies! Bulgan is a monster! He turned on everyone—”

“And yet his first real action as a Shade was to attack Frontier.” Helix said, "You—"

“Stop.” Erick said, “Please.”

A calm descended, as fighters returned to their corners.

Teressa entered the room with a tray carrying four mugs and a large pot of coffee, along with milk and raw cactus sugar in little cups with little spoons. She set the tray down on the coffee table, then exited the room, never turning her back to the people inside.

Erick stood up to serve coffee.

“Helix? Sugar or milk? I recommend both for first time drinkers.”

Helix said, “I couldn’t accept first pour. Please serve Zago, first.”

“Now, Viscount.” Silverite said, “I hope that was not a barb pointed in my direction. I would not allow you to come to harm in my city, and I hope you and your Republic would know this.”

“Of course not, Mayor. I just don’t trust the interests of Kal’Duresh.” Helix looked to Zago. “They have operatives everywhere.”

Zago harrumphed.

Erick didn’t miss a beat, turning to Zago, asking, “Milk? Sugar?”

“Both,” she said. “Please.”

Erick poured the first cup, and smiled; platinum coffee poured into the mug. Teressa had used the good stuff. Helix raised an eye at the platinum liquid, but Zago just took her cup and instantly sipped the hot drink. She smiled at Helix with what had to be a calculated amount of contained menace. Only after everyone had sipped from their own drinks, including Silverite, and Helix had cast a casual, tiny [Cleanse] at his own mug, producing nothing, did Helix sip his platinum coffee. He paused. He sipped again.

Helix said, “This is… really quite good.”

Silverite said, “Blessed by Atunir herself, though Erick invented the coffee to begin with. I understand it was supposed to be some sort of bean, but the bean version takes too much preparation.”

Erick said, “Beans from trees that grow in large pods and have to be dried and then roasted. It’s a long and involved process; tea is much simpler, and tastes the same. I want to try making chocolate, too, though I suspect that will have to remain a bean and require hundreds of iterations and several years to get it right.”

“Complicated cultivation?” Helix asked.

“It’s hundreds of flavors that all taste like one, and then there’s the preparation. Fermenting and drying and roasting and grinding. You don’t just make tea out of it, either. You eat the actual beans ground into a paste and then… More and more.” Erick said, “It’s a long process.”

Zago set her coffee down. Something seemed to change in the air.

Silverite and Helix set their drinks down; Erick followed their example.

Zago said, “She is ready.”

Helix frowned.

Zago pointed to her left eye. It began to glow violet. “Baroness Pirazel Xelxex is now in attendance.” Zago said, “Let us discuss the issue we have all come to discuss: the possibility of routine [Withering]s for Kal’Duresh, Spur, and Frontier.”

Helix put on a professional face, though everyone could tell he was not happy.

Zago spoke with a slightly different voice, slightly deeper, with some strange accent, “Greetings, Honored Mayor of Spur, Silverite, Longstanding Friend Guildmaster, Sirocco Zago, Particle Archmage Erick Flatt,” she spat, “and Helix.”

Silverite frowned. She said, “We’ve already had this part, please can we move on?”

“We can have a little bit more.” Helix smiled. “Planned any war crimes lately, Xelxex?”

Xelxex said, “It’s not my fault your people killed Bulgan’s parents. Reap what you sow.”

“His parents were acting on your orders to kill our adventurers in the Dead City, and so was Bulgan, but that’s all normal shit from your people. But Bulgan crossed a line into joining the Shades to commit warcrimes, and you enabled this transition.” He gestured at Zago. "You even roped this one into going along with your plans."

Silverite sighed.

Helix laughed, asking Silverite, “The Republic’s offer of Spur becoming another Kingdom is still there, waiting for you. We could rid both of us of Kal’Duresh’s incani menace. Frontier would vanish; our people would move to Spur. Spur would grow, and all it would require is you accepting the title of Duchess.”

Silverite spoke a sentence that she had likely spoken hundreds of times before, “I am not doing that, Viscount.”

Xelxex frowned with Zago's body, saying, “We have disavowed Bulgan and rooted out all of his co-conspirators, executing twelve people and banishing twenty three others. The information we have provided to Spur should prove that we are not the antagonists here, in fact, according to Bulgan’s ancestors, who we could summon and talk to right now if you wish, Frontier’s former Viscount is to blame for transforming Bulgan into someone willing to become a Shade, for when Helix took control, he did nothing to rectify the problems—”

Helix interrupted, “I’m sure your demons will have a real honest appraisal of themselves and the people they murdered.” He added, “If you want to talk to ancestors, how about we call down my predecessor and he can talk about how you systematically destroyed Frontier with plots that I’m still unraveling all these years later.”

“Like your angels could possibly prove impartial.”

“Are we done yet?” Silverite asked, “Everyone measured each other’s Strength, yet? Let’s move on, please.”

Helix smiled. “Of course. Let’s proceed with this [Withering] discussion.”

Coming in to this conversation, Erick had no idea what was happening, or how it involved him. But now that he was here, in the middle, he saw opportunity.

A lot of opportunity, to do a lot of good, all at once, while still keeping himself separate from this eruption of the Quiet War happening in his backyard.

Thank you, Silverite. He owed her for this.

Erick said, “I’m not getting in the middle of this; this is not my Quiet War. If you want weekly [Witherings], I am willing, but the only city I will be [Withering] whenever-Silverite-decides, is Spur. Your planned cleanings will be well known ahead of time. I’m thinking once a month. I will, of course, respond to emergencies, such as a Shade attack or whatever monster forces might threaten you, as long as I feel safe doing so.”

Helix said, “We’ll pay you 10,000 gold for monthly cleanings and to forgo Kal’Duresh.”

Xelxex, said, “We’ll pay double that, to forgo—”

“You’ll both pay nothing.” Erick said, “Because I’ll do it for the rads from every monster I kill with the spell during the course of this cleaning, which you will remit to Silverite’s care— If that is acceptable?”

Silverite smiled. “Yes. Spur will take on this responsibility.”

Erick nodded. “In the case of you calling me in to repel a monster attack on your city, I will accept half of whatever rads drop from the monsters I get Participation from.”

Silverite kept her smile. “I think this is a wonderful compromise.” Still smiling, she turned to Helix and Xelxex, saying, “Don’t you agree?”

Helix said, “Agreed. Thank you for making this quick, Archmage."

“Acceptable.” Xelxex said, “Can you please show me the spell you will be using?”

Erick popped out the relevant spells and handed them around the table.