[Book II Chapter 11] SARAH: Conference of Immortals

------------------------------------------------

Ticking echoed around the desk as Sarah poured over the numbers hovering before her, resisting the urge to peek over her shoulder. It had taken her a few days to get a grasp of the Guild’s finances, which dwarfed those of any nation. The primary source of income was the commissions from issuing quests. While some of this was requests from governments to patrol borders or eliminate threats, the majority came from private parties. Great value was placed in the guaranteed accuracy, so companies big and small liberally assigned escort duties and retained talent to safeguard property. Besides commissions, other inflows included the profits from auctioning dungeon loot, sponsorship deals, and ad revenue.

The outflows were just as enormous, and they were rising. Beyond salaries and maintenance costs, the Adventurer’s Guild undertook its own missions to safeguard Enera. It was these expenses that were exploding. What we’re spending on the requisition of airships is ridiculous. It’s lucky we’re loaded.

Sarah had been astounded by the guild’s balance sheet. No debts plus properties around the globe. The bulk of this wealth was locked deep in vaults at Bastion, presumably for times like these.

Sarah’s new job was to oversee the budget, approving and denying funding to keep expenses in check. She was also expected to provide the guildmaster regular updates on her progress.

She sighed. At least there’s no government filings or taxes since we operate outside any jurisdiction. It’s this lack of oversight which made the books a mess before Radin took over. After a few adjustments and a final review, she closed the spreadsheet.

“Decent enough I suppose…” Radin said half-heartedly. Sarah glanced back at the transparent figure floating behind her. Shortly after taking over, she’d been dismayed to discover her predecessor haunted this office.

Ghost were common enough on Enera. True, the soul departed for the Abyss, but every person left an imprint on the Ether. Their feelings, their hopes, their dreams… Under the right conditions, these transformed into apparitions in the physical world. After images of the departed.

Despite being very much alive, Radin had forcibly manifested one of these here, a guide for his successors. What’s more, it wasn’t the usual transient entity. This copy could think, learn, and voice his opinions loudly. A true doppelganger in spirit form.

Sarah didn’t dare go against him. She suspected the entity was capable of more than mere advice. Why go to the trouble to leave it behind if it can be ignored? Besides, the real thing is out there somewhere, and I don’t want to upset him. Radin’s audit had been the most traumatic event of her tenure as steward, something she would never forgive Lily for.

Sarah smirked, remembering the one silver lining to her current situation. A moment that nearly made it all worth while.

She wasn’t sure if it was vengeance against her or the position she’d assumed, but Miki had quickly taken to bullying her. She’d come in with outlandish funding requests, overriding her objections with a near jubilant glee. She’d even offloaded work that had nothing to do with her responsibilities. Overwhelmed, Sarah had timidly asked Radin if he might make himself visible and help her. To her surprise, he’d been agreeable to the suggestion.

Sarah switched on a recording, fast forwarding to the moment the ghost had revealed himself. She hit pause and admired the look of abject horror on Miki’s face.

“Everyone has arrived.” An electric sprite announced.

Sarah left the office, her mind wandering to what work had distracted her from. That call home was catastrophic. At Astra’s orders, she’d recounted all her underhanded deeds to her mother and brother. Their silence as I explained was unbearable.

“Tell Astra to do whatever she wants with you.” Her mother had said, shutting off the connection.

Sarah stared at the ground. I’m dead to her now. Of that she was certain. It was both soul crushing and relieving. Having so completely failed her expectations, I no longer have to live up to them… As for Andrew… she was glad he never got the chance to speak. She didn’t think she could’ve handled it.

I’m just a slave now. Sarah no longer bothered consulting the cards. She knew what they’d show. Death, death, death… Death everywhere except one path. When channeling, she could feel it, destined doom hanging over her.

At least Astra was giving her a chance, not making impossible requests. If she’d forbidden scheming, I’d be dead. Sarah spend her free time considering ways to escape. Unfortunately, her imagination was failing her. Once the Dark Age is over, I’ll be free if the world survives…

With a deep breath, Sarah entered the Core Room. Around the round conference table were gathered the Isle’s most renowned immortals, lighting sprites zooming excitedly overhead. So many veterans and paragons…

Not all immortals were equal. The lowest tier were novice immortals, those who recently reached the wall and those who abandoned self-improvement. It isn’t just the state-sponsored. Many retire to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

The next tier were veteran immortals, those who continued to risk their lives. Some were simply too restless for a peaceful life. Others were too accustomed to the thrill of battle. Still more were roped up into wars or disasters against their wishes. Regardless of the cause, this group continued racking up achievements and honing their skills, reaching a higher level. They nearly always possessed a sublime vagary.

Last were the paragons, those with complete mastery of their martial arts and magics, monstrous amounts of experience, legendary weapons and equipment, and several sublime vagaries. The avatars of the dark gods and undead champions are in this category.

Sarah appraised those around the table one by one.

Nagara Ubilon, the Grim Defender. The dark-skinned necromancer was famous for her ruthlessly efficient as Mask of Xarst. Apparently, no one has seen her laugh.

Angela Greaves, the Orihalcum Knight. An earth-affinity metal bender who’d completely mastered the unearthly steel. Rumor is she loves it’s blue tinged shine.

Askavar Raymon, the Dungeon Delver. The man wore explorer leather filled with pockets and pouches. No one has spend more time in dungeons. It’s a miracle he’s alive. Or here for that matter.

Jake Thorn, the Despicable Bastard. The darkness affinity rogue was famous for his womanizing, abrasiveness, and underhanded methods. His skills are respected as much as the rest of him is loathed. Hopefully he doesn’t hit on me again.

Escard Roen, the People’s Knight. A popular excommunicated paladin. No one knows the details of his fallout with the White Mountain.

Selina Gladesong, the Unerring Arrow. The second best archer on Enera. She relocated to the Isle to escape her sister’s shadow.

August Terrance, the Severing Air. He’s an expert at force fields and sealing enchantments. Don’t know much else.

The last two were Astra Skyfell and Gareth Black. Miki stood off to the side, waiting for the small talk to die down. I can’t believe I’m here.

Nagara watched Sarah install herself quietly at the side of the room. “Given the crucial importance, is it alright for her to oversee the guild’s finances? Recruiting another necromancer strikes me as a safer option.”

Sarah shrunk in her chair as they all turned to her. How many know or suspect?

“As a measure of loyalty, the oath isn’t perfect either.” Astra answered bitterly. “As for the current treasurer, I will personally vouch for her. She would never dare betray me.” Sarah hated the smug smile on her tormentor’s face.

“Anyway,” Astra continued. “I called you here today for an update on the current situation. Miki, if you would.”

“The global political order has collapsed.” The pink demoness explained. “Samuel Lithorn as the Northern Emperor entered into defense packs with small and mid-sized territories around the world. These Vassals states were the cause of his out-sized influence.”

“This has ended, and the World Council, the symbol of his dominance, is effectively defunct. Conflicts are springing up all over due to this power vacuum. The biggest so far are the Grey Kingdom’s offensive and the bloody war between Tanga and Benadin.”

“I can’t believe that, even after the White Dragon, those two are at it again. What’s Barsal Farran been up too?”

“On that subject, I have spoken to the man.” Astra responded. “He’s uncovered disturbing facts. Both countries had begun military preparation months ago, and the pillar’s destruction was merely the catalyst. Something or someone caused tensions to flare at the worst possible time.”

“The Laughing Man’s work?” August asked.

“Maybe. However, the telltale sign of his involvement is usually a string of high profile deaths. That wasn’t the case this time, which is why the Barsal Empire was caught unaware.”

“So Simon Black then.” August said.

“Or someone aligned with him.” Astra agreed. “Whatever the case, these wars are not our concerns, although we’ll be dealing with the aftermath.”

“You say that, but what about the trouble right on our border?” Escard said. “Isn’t Kyrgyzstan about to invade Nirvan?”

All the nations around the Isle had been under the umbrella of Lithorn’s protection. With that shield gone, one country had begun appraising aggressive options. Spiral City was an appealing prize, and Kyrgyzstan was preparing to seize control under the guise of offering assistance. Decimated by several werewolf outbreaks, Nirvan wasn’t in a position to put up any resistance.

“While that isn’t officially the guild business, don’t worry about Nirvan.” Astra said darkly. “Kyrgyzstan will soon learn the folly of amassing an army on the edge of the Blue Abyss.”

Eyes lit up with understanding. Remembering the giant worm, Sarah understood too. Idia have mercy on their souls.

“Do we have any idea where the first true catastrophe will come from?” Selina asked.

“Not yet.” Miki answered. “But we might have an inkling. Several tethered realms have disappeared.”

This is new. Tethered realms were places in the Ether permanently anchored to somewhere on Enera. They don’t normally vanish.

“The rifts left behind have mostly latched onto ephemeral domains, beginning the process of forming new tethered realms. However, this afternoon one connected to the plane of ice…”

How disastrous. The elemental planes were gargantuan realms capable of spawning immortal level inhabitants. At least it wasn’t the Moonlit Lands, the Corrupted Swamps, or the Bloodstained Plains.

“Lily is currently dealing with the threat, which is why she’s absent.” Miki continued. “We don’t yet know what is causing this or where the missing realms are located. But since this is a dark age, the trend likely portends a dire outcome.”

“Any giant insect threats?” Angela asked.

“None.” Astra answered. “We are keeping on top of that. There will be no repeat of the blue-backed spiders.”

“Good.” Angela declared. “I still remember that extermination. It played a big part in getting Lily to immortally.”

“On a different topic,” Askavar said. “How’s progress in Bastion?”

Enera’s continents were connected in the shape of a deformed butterfly, and Bastion lay in their center, west of the Sarada desert and south of the Isle. Apart from the strategic location, it was home to the Great Metropolis, the largest neverwhere ruin on Enera. Its former inhabitant had mastered all manners of advanced magics, the greatest of which were the giant half-ring arches scattered throughout their former capital. By exploring the immortal-level dungeon below, it was possible to obtain blacked orb artifacts, which, when taken somewhere and activated, could form a stable gateway to one of the half-rings.

Three had been opened before the last Dark Age, connecting to the Northern Empire, Aery, and the Barsal Empire. While originally a novelty, these soon became a lifeline. Bastion went from a small city in an unimportant arid land to humanity’s last stronghold. Layers of great walls and fortification were erected to protect the refugees flooding in from around the globe. Food for this swelling population was brought in from the Green Hell to the south east. Tyrants didn’t participate in much fighting because they were so busy hunting.

This time around, the plan was to begin the migration to Bastion as soon as possible. Isolated, undefended areas will be overrun when the undead rise.

“Gareth has just returned from there.” Astra looked over expectedly. “Let’s hear his report.”

“Bastion is slowly coming up to speed. It has basically functioned like a tourist destination these last two millennia, so some infrastructure was badly in need of repair. Like last time, we’ll eventually be moving the guild’s headquarters there once construction is done.”

“Regarding evacuations, there are ample food reserves, and much of the housing is in relatively decent shape. Bastion will be ready to receive people within the week. It’s getting them there that will be the difficult.”

“I’ll explain from here.” Miki said. “There are several challenges for the evacuations this time around. First, Enera is far more populated and far more spread out, especially the Demon World under the Blue Abyss. I honestly don’t how we’re going to manage that…”

“Askavar,” Astra broke in. “We may need another blacked orb.”

Askavar grimaced, “I was afraid of that. When I helped the elders of Cultivating Realm retrieve one after the Dark Age, I confirmed a suspicion: the difficulty and time required is increasing each time. I’m not looking forward to the next run…”

“Please prepare just in case.” Astra said. “For now, there are more pressing issues. Miki?”

“We’re facing a problematic lack of urgency.” Miki explained. “People haven’t yet grasped that a Dark Age has begun and are unwilling to abandoned their comfort and worldly possessions for the life of a refugee in Bastion’s crowded makeshift cities. This attitude is amplified in underground areas barely impacted by the pillar’s destruction. They can’t even see the stars disappearing.”

“When are you planing on revealing the big secret?” Jake Thorn chimed in. “I mean Torak’s existence.”

“As soon as we can find a way to do so without causing unnecessary hysteria.” Astra answered.

“This is why I was against hiding it.” Nagara shook her head. “Better that everyone knows what’s at stake from the start.”

“Are you considering forced relocations?” Jake pressed.

“Not currently.” Astra glanced to Miki. “This brings up the next issue.”

“There’s an airship shortage.” Miki stated. “They’ve gone from a luxury to a necessity. High valued goods previous moved through warping now require transportation. Adventurers that can afford the ballooning prices are acquiring them too. Everywhere, they are being horded for a possible emergency escape…”

“The truth is,” Astra added, “It’s a good thing so many are disinterested in Bastion otherwise there’d be panic.”

“What’s the plan?” Selina asked.

“We focus on the willing and get our hands on as many airships as possible.” Astra answered. “It’s sad to say, but it’s not worth wasting energy on the stubborn. Once the first two or three disasters strike, minds will change all on their own.”

“Millions will have to die for that.” Escard said softly.

Astra shrugged, “We don’t have the resources to move everyone. It’s inevitable.”

There was silence around the table. This isn’t empathy, Sarah understood. Torak’s legions gain their strength from the overwhelming number of deaths a dark age brings. The more we save, the weaker they’ll be. Conversely, the opposite too.