The seven-day mourning ceremony ended without any trouble. Then came the eighth day- the day to choose the new leader of Solara.
It was strictly an internal matter for Solara. Lorian and the others were only invited as observers and honorary guests. But to everyone's absolute surprise, it was the first time in Solara's history that someone from the Enlightened Conclave was selected as the new leader. In a massive shift, the new leader was chosen straight from the military wing of Solara- the Arcane Watch. Gauthier de Mornay, the former Constable, was now the Grand Scholar of Solara. However, the title was changed, from Grand Scholar to Arcane Martial.
It was clearly a choice born out of necessity. With war looming, Solara needed a leader focused on the battlefield, not quiet study. It also sent a clear message to the whole continent that Solara was getting ready to fight.
If taking charge of Solara was the first major event, the second was finally holding the Heptagon Accord meeting that had been delayed for over a week. It was a meeting meant to decide the future of not just the seven city-states, but the entire continent.
That morning, the seven lords gathered around the round table-
Lord Lorian Thorne of VeridiaGeneral Marcus Ironclad of AethelgardArcane Martial Gauthier de Mornay of SolaraFirst Trader Zaira Zohanar of Port AzureNeophyte Kenneth MacAlpin, representing High Druid Colm O'Oakhaven of SylvanaJarl Borin Stoneheart of GlimmerfallPrincess Selena Stormhold, representing Lady Justice Serana Stormhold of Valoria
Then, the meeting began.
Unlike past meetings, there was no polite small talk. Mutual distrust and personal greed had reached a boiling point, and the fragile alliance was ready to snap. Yet, instead of an immediate shouting match, hurling abuse and slurs at each other from the very beginning; the room started off in an unsettling, icy silence. It was clearly the calm before a very bad storm.
"We were all called to this meeting over some very specific news," Zaira began. Her voice was calm and freezing cold, a tone which was completely unlike her usual feisty sassy demeanor, "Yet fifteen days have passed, and there is still not a single word from the capital."
"There is no news of the Emperor being alive, either," the new leader of Solara replied, "He might as well be dead, and the three princes are just hiding it. That is why the capital is locked down tight."
"Or maybe it is just a clever trap," General Marcus Ironclad scoffed, leaning forward, "MAYBE….maybe, the Emperor, and YOU set this up together. The capital goes completely silent, and everyone fears the worst. Using that excuse, you invite all the city-state lords out here, only to ambush us right at Solara's borders. Isn't that a bit too convenient?"
"GENERAL MARCUS IRONCLAD!" Gauthier slammed his fist down on the table in sudden rage, "Don't forget we were victims too! The Grand Scholar herself was murdered right inside her own hall!"
"First," Marcus said, holding up a finger, "I said 'MAYBE,' which means I am just tossing out a possibility, not stating facts. Second, I said 'You,' not 'Solara'…."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Gauthier snapped.
"I mean YOU orchestrated the whole thing just to grab the seat of power in Solara, using the late Grand Scholar like a puppet." Marcus stared right at him, clearly trying to provoke Gauthier.
"Third," Jarl Borin chimed in, scratching his thick beard, "if the young Lord of Veridia's theory is right, the Grand Scholar wasn't killed by an outsider. It was basically a case of…" Borin paused, struggling for the right words, "What is that old saying again?"
"Curiosity killed the cat," Zaira answered with a smirk, "Anyway, our good general here is a soldier, not a diplomat. He prefers to speak bluntly without sugar-coating things. He is just throwing possibilities around. He isn't officially accusing you of murder or treason. Not yet, anyway."
Gauthier visibly swallowed his anger, forcing his breathing to slow down. He took a long, steady breath before speaking, "Fine. Let's move on. As I was saying, this meeting isn't just about the missing Emperor. Let us assume he is alive and kicking for all I care. I will personally write an apology letter to every single one of you later, and I promise we won't send out unverified rumors ever again until half the continent already knows about it."
He let out a heavy sigh, "A few days ago, three strange visitors came to our city. They stood before the Conclave and claimed they aren't from our continent at all. They came from an archipelago far to the southwest of Tir Luthar."
"Wait. Southwest of Tir Luthar? Are you talking about the Graveyard Basin?" Kenneth, the Neophyte from Sylvana, asked with an awestruck expression.
"Yes," Gauthier nodded, "THE Graveyard Basin."
"Impossible," Zaira said, shaking her head in dismissal, "The elves, the Empire, and even our own traders have sent ships out there many times. Barely any ship can make it through the Iron-Tooth Shallows, let alone survive that accursed mist hanging over the water year-round… what do they call it again?" Zaira tapped her chin, trying to remember, "Right…. the Choking Shroud! And you are telling us these visitors came straight out of THAT place?"
"Well, yes," Gauthier said, "Long story short, according to them, their rocky islands don't grow enough food, and they recently suffered a terrible famine. Out of pure desperation, they decided to risk the Choking Shroud and somehow stumbled onto our shores. They want to trade with us. All of us. If you all agree, I will have the guards bring them in so we can hear them out together."
The lords looked around the table. One by one, they gave slow, agreeing nods.
At a gesture from Gauthier, the doors swung open, and the guards led the new guests inside.
Three figures stepped through the doors, their shapes were completely different from one another. The first was a thin but tall giant standing at least seven feet tall. The second was short and round, standing no more than four feet. The third was right around five feet and seven inches, built with thick, heavy muscle.
They wore robes made of a strange, shimmering silk that looked as though the threads were alive. Their heads were hidden beneath deep hoods, and their faces were covered by strange metal masks that immediately reminded Lorian of the samurai masks he remembered from his past life.
Strangely enough, none of them carried any visible weapons. But the most surprising thing happened the moment they crossed the threshold- the entire hall filled with a rich, calming fragrance that instantly eased the tension in the room.