Shen knuckled his back as he straightened up. The Sowing was upon them and they had a couple more weeks to finish so that they would get the optimum yield come harvest. He had tilled this field his whole life, as a child and, after he grew up without access to the potent powers of Animus, forty years later he was still on the field, growing barley and rice. Another field next to the current one contained sugar cane, but all of that paled in comparison to the cacao tree orchards, which were heavily guarded to prevent theft of both fruit and seed.

He still daydreamed of being able to cultivate the food of the gods, chocolate. Such wealth would flow into his coffers and he would buy even more land that he currently held. His family was already one of the wealthiest landholders in Uaran, but a man could always dream of more wealth. Even so, he never forgot his roots.

Of his sons and daughter, three managed to awaken and were currently in the city studying to be a proper Spirit Binder. Hopefully, at least one of them would focus on the magic of the land, of the ability to ensure a prosperous harvest, and even accelerate the crops’ growth.

He paused as a sea breeze washed over the land. He took a deep, deep breath, appreciating the salty brine. The coast was merely a league away, and once upon a time, he spent most of his youth swimming in the warm waters. Now he brought his grandchildren to the beach and loved to watch them build castles on the sand. Can’t do that now, though. After the Sowing, perhaps, though at this Season, the water would be cold.

After he worked the kink out of his back, he returned to his task. As a landholder, he didn’t really need to be on the fields. There were farmhands for such things, and his neighbour William always mocked him for grubbing in the dirt. But Shen would never leave his roots.

The morning had turned to noon when he finished sowing the field. He straightened up every time he felt the sea breeze, and it was about time for another break. Except…

When the breeze came, it didn’t bear the salty scent of the ocean. Instead, there was just a tiny hint of rot and decay. Frowning, Shen shaded his eyes and stared south. The light of the Radiant Sun bounced off the blue waves, and it took a while for his rheumatic eyes to catch sight of them.

“By the Sky Spirits…” he breathed in terror. Not four longstrides away, a broad line of…creatures walked. And from what he could see, those things should either have been through funeral pyres or buried underneath the earth.

__________

Prince Finan Conail Agalmar accepted the steaming cup of tea from the waiter. The Moonlit Night Cafe wasn’t bad by any means, though compared to the tea bars in Realmheart, this place was a quaint backwards shop. There were no paintings or sculptures to admire, there was no music to soothe the mind, and there was a regrettable lack of companionship, or at the very least, a conversation with someone interesting.

Not that the cafe could help that. Faron’s Crossing had been founded by a group of retired legionnaires. There was an annoying lack of scholars, courtiers, and socialites. But then again, shouldn’t he be happy that he was no longer embroiled in courtly games? He, the youngest child of the Empress, was no longer the object of intrigue. He was no trophy for a social climber, he wasn’t a tool to further someone’s agenda, and he wasn’t a target used to coerce his Mother. By leaving Realmheart and the Core planes, he had taken himself out of play, and only if he returned in the same capacity, or if he secured rulership over a frontier, would he find himself once more within the Game.

Part of what attracted him to Yuriko Mishala was how innocent she was, and how blunt her desires and goals were. She didn’t desire political power, nor did she want more wealth. All she wanted was strength. It was something as important as the other ephemeral things, true, but much more complex and her single-minded pursuit of it shone like a brightly polished gem.

The serving man placed a slice of cake in front of him. Honey cake, if he wasn’t mistaken. It looked light and fluffy. Also sweet. Too sweet for his tooth, though he did remember that his beloved loved sweet things.

He looked out over the town. In the several weeks that Yuriko left for her mission, very little had happened. Except for that one thing that shook the town to its core.

The northern half of the town was in shambles. A sudden flood a few weeks ago slammed through the River Caradec and took with it a hefty part of the retaining wall. It flooded and swept aside dozens of dwellings and ruined several patches of crops, too. The Protective Dome had not been set to resist water coming downstream, which had blindsided the town.

After repairs and rescue had been enacted, a group had been sent north to find Avos Shillogu to find out what happened, but no sooner had they stepped a longstride from the town that they’d been ambushed by a troop of Kadracki Rangers. Half of the Journeymen had been killed, while the other half managed to return.

That seemed to have set off the Federation. Every day, Kadracki harassed the town. They shot arrows at the walls, even if they had little chance of hitting anyone. They harried farmers trying to get back to their fields and ran when the militia attempted to catch up to them. It took only one bombardment from the Implacable Jade to teach the rangers to stay under cover and to move fast. They were often exposed for less than ten minutes, which took the Jade as long to start up.

Finan thought that after the victories against the Federation forward camps, that would have been the end of it. Cierra Village had been bombarded too, but it drove the Federation army into hit-and-run tactics instead. They roamed to the east and the north, thrashing farmsteads and stealing crops. They hadn’t set fire to the fields simply because there was nothing there yet, but if the campaign had begun in the Season of Fire, then the fields would have been ripe for arson.

They were giving him a headache. He had limited resources at his disposal. The Implacable Jade would have made short work of them, but the forest cover was enough to thwart bombardment. And he didn’t want to burn down all of the trees. Besides, the Jade didn’t have enough incendiaries to do it. Sure, the Plasma Carronade could ignite the foliage, but that simply wasn’t done…

Huh. Why not, though? Environmental destruction would force them into the open, and regrowing the burnt-down forest was only a matter of the correct Heritage and Animus. He could do it if he needed to, though since he was only at the Journeyman level, his abilities would fall far short.

But maybe doing that would finally rid the town of those pesky land raptor riders.

No. That was foolish and short-sighted. He shouldn’t destroy the land that his beloved cherished. Even if they were currently awash with vermin.

He took a sip of his tea. The aroma tickled his nose and complemented the taste. At least this was good tea. The honey cake was a bit dry. Not enough honey, he assumed. But this being the only restaurant still serving actual food meant that he didn’t have any choice.

The chef aboard the Implacable Jade could have given him a better afternoon tea, but his guest wouldn’t have been allowed inside anyway. Ah, here he comes now.

The man climbed up the stairwell slowly, and Finan held in a wince of sympathy. Marron Mishala Davar was a strong man, a recent Knight who had developed a respectable powerset. To look at him now, with a scar over his unseeing eye, walking with a limp, and wheezing after the short climb, was disheartening. But, hopefully, his future brother-in-law wouldn’t suffer for long. He needed some time yet, but it would come. He’d already sent a message through the Implacable Jade’s communication artefact.

Knight Davar was accompanied by his fiance, a comparatively small woman named Niamh Cara Randal. Her family once held a noble position a few generations back, a small barony, but has since lost qualification. The barony wasn’t here in Rumiga but in one of the other Stable Planes, Lamara. Holding peerage needed competence in a rather narrow field, and it looked like the Randal family had moved their Heritage from governance to Runescript trades. Ah, Miss Randal was only tiny compared to Knight Davar. She was actually nearly Finan’s height, though she was more slender.

The two of them made their way towards Finan’s table. He stood up when they arrived, eliciting a surprised eyebrow raise from elder brother, and a small gasp from sister-in-law. He didn’t have to stand in greeting if he was seated, due to his rank as a Pia’Vasi, but by doing so, he indicated that they had a closer relationship and that he viewed them with respect.

Why wouldn’t he, though?

Miss Randal’s runescript healing talismans have saved more than one life. Knight Davar, even though he was practically disabled, still took his watch duty on the observation platforms, and he shot at and drove away the town’s enemies.

Kadracki Rangers and Haveenian infantry. Swarmlings and Wanderers from the Tidelands. The frequency of the incursions still remained high, although the town’s Protective Dome did not need to remain active. The campaign a few weeks ago had taken out all of the Steam Cannons and bunkers, and there were no indications that the Federation army would try that again. In fact, they’d stepped back and allowed the nameless to press the siege instead.

“Good afternoon, your Highness,” Knight Davar and Miss Randal both said with a short bow when they reached the table.

“Good afternoon, elder brother and sister,” Finan said, holding in a small smile when both of them twitched. Knight Davar looked irritated, but he mastered his emotions easily. “Have a seat,” Finan continued. He noted that one of his bodyguards, not Knight-Captain Cillian, but one of the other Praetorians, signalled the waiter.

As they settled back down, the waiter approached them and presented the menu to Knight Davar and Miss Randal.

“Tea and honey cake for both of us,” Knight Davar said.

The waiter bowed and gave them their privacy.

“So,” Knight Davar began, “to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?” His tone was wary and he stared at Finan with a blank face.

Finan smiled and said, “I’ve taken the liberty of contacting a healer to help you, elder brother. They should arrive here in a few weeks, and by then, you should be back to full capacity.”

Instead of reacting with gratitude, the man just blinked at him. “That is a powerful favour. I’m not sure I can pay for it.”

Finan waved his hand dismissively, “I require no recompense. Not for family.”

The corner of Knight Davar’s eye twitched and Finan snorted in barely contained laughter.

“I jest, of course. And I really require no recompense.”

“Only one that puts my sister in debt, isn’t it?”

“Not at all. I meant it. It is of no matter, and I’m sure you know the other reasons why I am here.”

“Rulership?”

Finan nodded, then added, “I have asked my Imperial Mother for the chance. And resolving the siege of Rumiga, and moving it from the frontier, are the conditions.” He took a deep breath. “I cannot do it alone, of course, and I will need the aid of stalwart men and women like you. And,” he paused to meet both of their eyes, “regardless of the success of my suit with your beloved sister, I will not hold anything against you, and still wish for you and your family’s support.”

Knight Davar met his eyes for a very long moment, while Miss Randal fidgeted and squirmed in her seat. The waiter arrived with their refreshments, breaking the stare-off.

Finan drank from his cup, absently noting that the tea’s temperature had fallen far below the optimal point. With a brief flare of Animus, he wrote a heating pattern into the liquid and let it warm gently.

He hoped the Davars would agree. They were an obscure family and didn’t dabble in politics. But all of their members were scarily competent.

Before Knight Davar could answer, a youth ran into the cafe, zeroed in on him and approached. Finan and his bodyguard of the day recognised the messenger boy and allowed him to come close.

“Pardon, your Highness, Constable Andersen sends word. Lady Saki Mishala bears a message. She waits in the town hall.”

Finan and Knight Davar exchanged glances and wordlessly decided to go to the hall first.