"We have moved too fast. It has left us with far less information than I would feel comfortable having. We need to retreat and regroup, I know it, you know it, we all know it. Let's not kid ourselves here." Tess said now that they were all away from the assassins.

Everyone was thinking that if only it were that easy. They had extended far past the point that they should but they also could not just walk away and take the lesser option. It was just that Fate favored them and that was something equally grand and treacherous. They were not going to get a second chance at this that much was certain. Maybe just maybe they could salvage something if they cut and run now. They would at least get away with their lives intact.

On the other hand the greater the risk involved in a challenge the greater the reward would be if they overcame it. Chance would on occasion throw mountains at someone's head and nearly every one of them would die from it. The few that dodged the mountain would go on to become heroes know across the entire world. Those that managed to lift the mountain would become legends.

Legends never died. They fell to blades and poison along with the greed of mortal men but they never died. Not truly! To lift one meant to spend the rest of your life with the weight of the world on your back and never being able to put it down. To have to stand tall no matter what life threw at you and it would throw some outrageous things.

"Do we even have the option to retreat, if we were to go to the other side of the world would that make any difference at all?" This was coming from Smithy, he had more to lose them most everyone else. If they left and he stayed then he would have to face all their collective enemies alone. If he went then he would lose everything that he had built over the years.

"A fair point, could we even retreat?" Sasha said being the voice of reason. They had all gotten together that morning to discuss what was going on. Neka was there as well because they felt that no matter what they decided it would affect her.

"If we go we give up everything we have made here. If we stay more and more are going to take potshots at us every chance they can get. Neka almost died to that arrow. They care more about us not amassing any more power than messing with each other at this point." Tea said being the voice of cold hard logic.

The question was had they dodged the mountain, or lifted it without knowing. If they had lifted the blasted thing then there was nowhere on the face of this world or any other that they could run to. Fate would find them so they had best just go about their business like they always had. At the end of the day, it would not matter what they wanted to do so long as they did not know what the options were that could even work.

"The way I see it is that if we stay we have to take over, at least in part, every gang, organization, and group in the city. Not just the underworld or the everyday parts. All of it." Drassisa said after everyone took a break to figure out what they could actually do.

"If we move then we have to start all over and at this point, our reputation will probably proceed us. This could all start again but we would be on the back foot." Embrda said. He had already heard rumors about what they had done from travelers during the mad dash to the shop.

"Will Destiny give us a chance? That is a much better question to ask. If we can take one single chance given to us and make the most of it then our problems will be over with and done. If the Ladies of Lucks Favor is at our back then the opportunity will come if we wait and watch for it." This came from Neka who had no idea just how true that was. She had yet to learn of little miss messes with luck, or how most of this ill-luck had probably come about.

"She makes a good point. Let's say we focus on other cities around. Make it seem like we are content with what we have here and are looking to expand a smuggling network to other areas so we can move valuables around. If we do it right the very people now trying and almost succeeding in killing us will have an incentive to help us out." Smithy said putting out the basis of a plan. It would be good if they could get off the back foot and have enough breathing room for when an opportunity would strike.

Like this, a plan started to be formed. It would be shaky at first but if they played all their cards right then if the sister were willing to smile on them, hope would not be far behind. They would make it look like the message had been received so that they could take the pressure off of themselves and put it somewhere else.

While this happened it was important to give off a strong foot and maintain what they already had. For this reason, Embrda would ramp up his operations while staying as low as possible. They would all have more charms and wards along with whatever defensive artifacts they could find. They would be kept on them at all times to help prevent an assassination. They wanted everyone to come to them and make it harder for any group to make a slash and burn attempt on them.

Most importantly, Sasha would contact her old order. The ones that had trained a young girl into a young woman and gave her only the ability to kill and be better at it. She had her gods' blessing so there was that of course but even still some fool would definitely try something profoundly stupid.

Better to have whatever it was happening right out in the open than behind closed doors. This was a trap and they all knew it but if you have to step into an armed trap you might as well do it on your own then be pushed. At least that way you would have the chance to dodge the worst outcome. No matter what you did you would still get hurt but this way you would have a chance.

It was for this reason that Sasha sat down and put pen to paper. For this reason that they made sure the letter would go to one person only. This was just them taking pieces off the board and setting up their side the way they wanted it. It was only the beginning of what would prove to be their greatest challenge yet.