[YF] Chapter 247: Fortune

The Continae is not yet complete.

I don’t know why I expected it to be fully constructed; we’ve only been gone nearly three months, which is hardly enough time to finish such a tall structure. But the trip somehow felt longer. My mind had constantly been back in this city while we’d been sailing with the heqet, and my ever-present concerns that they had moved forward without me made it feel like so much more time had passed.

The tall building is only a few storeys taller than it was last time. Almost nothing considering my expectations. At least it rises higher than the other buildings around it now, but there’s still quite some height it needs to gain if it will ever reach its former majesty.

Flehullen evaded damage from the second Collapse almost without a single brick falling. Not something that could be said for some other places we’ve seen on our way back; fissures were not frequent, but they dotted the landscape where they hadn’t been before.

It was a… very concerning sight, but not something we could do anything to solve — the cleanups were already long in effect — so we simply continued forward.

Many ursu eyes tilt up. It is not a regular sight for a massive flying bird of fire to fly through their city, after all. They watch as I carry Leal to the embassy tower landing at the main entrance, rather than the balcony of my own suite. Pushing boundaries any more than I am could cause problems.

Flying in like this is technically not the proper procedure for one acting as a diplomat — taking the train and informing ahead of time is — but I’m too impatient. The train would take days longer than flight. If all things have gone well, then I’m sure Tore won’t mind, and if things didn’t… well, I’m sure there wouldn’t be much of a city left.

The moment I step past the ursu guards and arrive in the building foyer, I’m met with the crashing hug of Elder Enya. Her flames encompass mine, and the nostalgic warmth of kindling washes through me. I return the embrace. Being the one on the hotter side of Kindling is still strange, but I spread my heat through her body.

Behind her, many of my grand elders wait. They’re all in the foyer, rather than their respective rooms, likely because they could feel me coming. Iri, Ildri and Yalun are nowhere to be seen — their thermal presence not in the building — but the rest here look to be in good health. The worst has not come to pass.

I feel myself relax. Elder Enya takes full advantage and burns hotter. It is good to see that my worries truly were for nought.

“How has everything been?” I ask. Seeing them waiting here like this, all my concerns flee my mind. I can already tell before they respond.

“Smoothly,” Śuri announces. “We’ve been enjoying the ursu’s hospitality while waiting for our junior. For one so impatient to have us leave the wasteland, you sure took your time.” Despite his accusing words, the glint in his eye reveals his true intent, and I don’t fall for it.

“So did we get everything we wanted?”

As I extract myself from Enya’s embrace, I catch Leal’s subtle glance out into the street. Right, we should go see Gerben after this. I’m sure she wants to spend some time with him before we move on.

“Everything and more,” he says, pouring a glass of alcohol that I only now realise each of my elders hold as they sit around a table. A platter of steel chips reveals they hadn’t come down solely because they felt my arrival. Huh… I’m surprised the ursu were able to convince them to try the liquid.

“They were somewhat interested in our glass production capabilities, but it was not as much as we’d hoped. Instead, their desire for energy was central to our talks. After their war with Henosis, they have come across plenty of technology and improvements to their life that they simply don’t have the infrastructure to sustain.”

Pausing in his summation, Śuri gestures to a pair of bar stools around the table that both Leal and I take. The seats are tall and wide, but are strangely formed in a way that leaves them looking neither oversized or tiny beneath the áed and ursu. Leal continues her glances towards the front archway with furrowed brows, where I feel dozens of ursu congregating in the street.

“We’ve come to an agreement to form a sort of experimental facility on the border of their nation where áed can convert the energy stored in material to fire hyle batteries they can then transport through their cities.” Śuri’s mouth burns slightly hotter as he drinks from the glass. “We’ll simply have tribes rotate through to offer their service.”

This is a better solution than what I’d been thinking, which was to have an áed in each ursu city to control their bratchina furnaces. As much as I hate remembering my time from back then, I understand now how important I had been to their continued operation. But this solution would mean the áed didn’t have to travel into the dangerous land prone to rain. They could also be watched. In a place built to centralise our conversion efficiency, the elders could remain assured of their tribesmen’s safety. And most importantly, there won’t be any repeats of Gloria. Neither her abuse, nor my deadly retaliation.

“In return,” Elder Cyrus takes the lead of the conversation. “We will be provided with enough resources to sustain every áed. Twice over, even. To fulfil this promise, and improve relations, they will be constructing a railway line that will eventually reach the Agni mountains.”

My eyes widen at that. “You agreed?”

Śuri answers for him. “After looking at their train lines, we believe it better to have a line of connection we can control. We will be careful who we welcome, but the benefits of a direct line of distribution will be beneficial.”

“We won’t be allowing it to become a crutch.” Kiko glares at Śuri. Did they have a disagreement during the talks? “As undeniably good as these terms are for our peoples’ growth, we mustn’t allow our tribes to grow dependant on the gift of others. We will work with the ursu, but we shall never become subservient to them.”

The chatter from outside is starting to grow. More people have gathered. I guess I might have caused a stir flying in with the form of such a large bird.

“Are we really talking about this, now?” Ignatia seems indignant as she considers the others across from her. She turns to me, eyes serious. “Well? Did you find what you were looking for?”

I simply nod. Turning to Leal, she’s already taking out a notebook. “We found the Anatla; trapped.”

That seems to snap everyone’s attention towards us. Ignatia gingerly grabs the notebook from Leal’s hands as if it were fragile. Carefully, she turns the page, her eyes immediately widening. It seems she’s noticed the similarity of áed inscriptions.

“That inscription is what kept it locked away,” I say. “A Titan circled the immense formation. I believe it was guarding the inscription.”

“I recognise nothing,” Ignatia says quietly. “These are obviously influenced by the patterns I know, but none come similar in their design. And that’s ignoring the eastern inscription aspect. What kind of materials were used?”

I proceed to show her the slice of rock I pulled from a pyramid and tell them what we found. The stone tablet long ceased function, but it is possible she’ll find what they used to create the lines themselves. For now, I’ll leave them with Ignatia; she’s the expert.

“So where is Yalun?” I ask. “And the other two?”

“Yalun went to inform the other grand elders. She’ll be back in a few days,” Śuri says, picking up a thin disk of metal. “Iri and Ildri are… somewhere…” he trails of, unsure.

I pick up a flat circle of steel from the platter, and am surprised to find them adorned with a thin inner layer of powdered rare metals mixed with some sort of jelly alcohol. The moment it bursts on my tongue, the flavour immediately enraptures me. While lacking the strength of the centzon’s oil, the mixture of explosive and energetic flavours is immediately addicting.

Besides me, Leal picks up one of the coin-shaped delicacies and prods it in her fingers. It bends easily under her manipulations. She furrows her brow, and casts a put-off gaze over the other áed at the table before she hands it to me. A second later, nothing remains.

I don’t know when the ursu decided to make this, but its no wonder my elders suddenly seem to love them. Now, should I thank the creator for such a creation, or be terrified that they’ll subjugate the áed with flavour alone?

Well, there’s gold and silver powdered through the jelly inside, so I have to imagine they can’t produce them endlessly. Not if they want to keep their buildings flush with colourful metals.

“So, there’s been no problems?” I ask, noticing the crowd out in the street has grown thicker, and louder.

“Not at all,” Elder Enya answers quickly, before any of the others can.

“You wouldn’t consider that to be a problem?” Kiko asks with a raised brow.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Enya glares at the áed, daring him to continue. It’s strange, considering she’s probably the weakest here, and still standing tall against our strongest… not that Kiko’s let anyone know he’s the strongest.

“She’s going to find-” the grand elder’s words are cut off as the noise outside suddenly grows to shouting. When I notice the ursu standing guard out the front draw their swords through thermal sense, I’m already out of my seat and striding for the commotion.

The few ursu warriors stand before a crowd that shouts incoherently. None besides the guards appear to have any enhancement, and yet the moment they see me, many try to rush forward.

Of course, those that try get knocked to the hard stone road as soon as they try. The ursu swordsmen slam into the grouped mass and send them tumbling, unable to oppose the warriors’ vastly superior strength.

That halts their charge, but it does nothing to stop the riled crowd as they surround the opening to our building. Their furious gazes pierce into me, while their hateful words fill the air. Only when I hear the words they scream, do my flames burn cold.

“Murderer!”

“Destroyer of Morne!”

I freeze as the weight of their eyes suddenly crushes me. Mere moments ago, I thought nothing besides confusion of their hatred, but now they are lead. Each of them pierces me, and layers me with so much weight that it feels like I’ll be pulled beneath the surface and drown in the cramped confines of the earth.

They know.

“Shut up!” Leal steps before me, her arms snapping the chains of those heavy eyes. “You know nothing of what happened.” Leal’s rage is palpable, and the way markings ignite across her arms with a thin sheen of water flowing from each, she’s very near striking out.

I reach an arm to calm her down, but some idiot throws a bucket of water. The pail incinerates long before it can cross the distance, poofing out of existence with a little clear flame that immediately dries the skin of all unenhanced in range. They gasp for breath as the áed grand elders step forward.

No áed would allow one of their own to be attacked without defending them. Any that do will face our combined wrath. That is what each of my elders’ eyes declare as they walk out from the embassy.

Between Leal and my elders, all thoughts of the trade deal and alliance is gone. Their eyes reflect fury. And if I don’t stop them, there is going to be a bloodbath.

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