"I don't like this place. It makes me feel uneasy." Ketsia says to Sega as they are marched towards the center of Talknara to meet the city of Blood Merchant's head council.
The locals stopped to glare at the spectacle of the two women being marched along by six soldiers surrounding them on each side. It was an unusual thing for people coming to enlist their help being given entry into the city let alone audience with the council. The guards had sent word of their arrival and orders were sent to escort them in.
"It's not as bad. I admire them for their way of life and culture. Everything within these walls revolves on war. Here a person's worth is solely judged by their ability to increase the chances of victory in war whether by physical capability or battle strategies, even one's ability to create durable weapons and armor. Though with your ability the weapon smith looses their flare I suppose."
Ketsia replies with a scoff as they start up the stairs to a large three storied building with the name "Hall of Flames" engraved into the stone above the massive two sided wooden door. The soldiers salute and position themselves behind each door, two pushing each door open whilst two remain saluting. Once the door is completely open the four who were pushing the doors stop the door from closing as the ones who remained saluting beckon Sega and Ketsia to follow them deeper into the Hall of flames.
The four wound their way within the elaborate labyrinth winding down turns and up several flights of stairs before coming to an elaborately decorated wooden door adorned with steel, gold and blue Aztec ore mapping out an immense phoenix in the midst of glowing blue flames. The guards salute and open the door before inviting the guests in. Sega and Ketsia step inside the room. Before them was a massive C shaped table with eight seats, all occupied save for one. Sega noted that the room wasn't as elaborately decorated as the hallways outside which struck her as odd. Behind the seats was a large window letting in sunlight that bathed the room in a mellow golden glow. Below the window was a courtyard where people were training, honing their sword skills. All around the yard were gigantic stone statues whose heads peered into the window of this room on the third floor.
"The Perils of War, Keepers of Cargeant, Rulers of Western and most of Southern Taabu. Before we address the reason of your visit kindly let us relive you of your arms." A plump man sitting at what would be the center of the table says. The two guards in the room quickly step up to take the weapons.
Sega and Ketsia stare down the guards before they both give away their daggers. Ketsia still has a weapon strapped to her back in bandages. She refuses to part with it when the guard tries to take it away from her.
"If you touch it know you have chosen death." She says looking straight at the guard who instantly hesitates.
"Lady Sega kindly tell your sister to comply." The plump man says as he signals the guard to take the weapon.
"My sister leads us but we're not bound to her word as slaves would be. You'd have better luck petitioning directly to me." Ketsia retorts before Sega could say anything.
"My apologies. Surrender your weapon Lady Ketsia." The plump man corrects himself.
"This is absurd! Just grab the damn blade from her." Another councilman, the only other one apart from the plump councilman who wasn't adorned in any sort of battle armor blurts out.
"Ketsia don't make a scene. Let him take it." Sega says looking at her sister.
"Go on. Take it. You already know what it'll cost you." Ketsia says as she turns her back to the guard to let him take the wrapped blade.
The guard reluctantly takes the blade and steps back to his original position close to the door.
"Right onto the next order of business. Before you from the left is Lady Miranda, Sir Rajruc, Lord Leroy, I myself Lord Fulcram, Lady Mikayla, Sir Ledemim, Sir Toyo and our absent colleague is Lord Commander Belze. He apologizes for his absence of course." Fulcram the plump councilman says.
"Why aren't you and that loudmouth Sirs?" Ketsia asks whilst pointing at Leroy.
"Excuse me?!" Leroy says getting up in an outrage.
"Leroy sit!" Fulcram commands. Leroy adheres but evidently reluctantly.
"Why do you allow them to throw slurs around casually as if they aren't the ones who asked for this meeting? Who do they think they are." Leroy complains after taking his seat.
"I assume the two of you are Lords because you haven't participated in combat." Ketsia says.
"And what of it?" Leroy retorts.
In a bid to deescalate the situation Fulcram chips in. "Your assessment is correct but nevertheless both he and I have earned our seats within this council via other means."
Ketsia shrugs her shoulders unimpressed by the answer. Sega motions to Ketsia to be quiet.
"Now that we've exchanged pleasentries allow me first to apologize for our lack of decorum, we usually send our ambassadors with gifts but you see this matter was of the utmost importance we had to make haste." Sega starts off. Fulcram nods to let her know she can continue.
"Thank you for understanding. Now to cut to the point. Northern Taabu more specifically the territories under the rule of the Reapers have made it apparent that war is here by erasing one of our military bases quite literally off of the map."
"Haven't your territories always been at war? Why should this development concern us?" Lady Mikayla asks.
"Along with the base were the troops who resided there. We are in need of soldiers, well trained competent ones. Who better than the fabled Blood Merchants of Talknara." Sega answers.
Toyo laughs a bit at the remark. "It's an unspoken rule that us independent territories aren't supposed to get in between The Perils and Reapers qualms and quarrels, ever since you lot signed your treaty restricting your means of battle to the unaided military strength of your own territories. You know this yet you are still here. Aiding you to transgress terms of a treaty that you signed yourself especially against a foe like The Reapers is not really in our best interests."
"The treaty has been made null and void by the actions of The Dreamtaker. We are free to act as we please." Ketsia says.
"Well that's a terrifying thought. What's to stop the Reapers from coming here if we decide to give you aid?" Lady Miranda says.
"You think The Reapers are terrifying! Do you not acknowledge my strength. Or the benevolence my sisters and I bear toward your people. Talknara sits on Cargeantian soil and yet you operate as a sovereign state." Sega chimes in her demeanor and general aura becoming hostile.
"Is that a threat?" Leroy asks as if he can't believe what he just heard.
"From a military standpoint Talknara is a fortress any military advance would fall before your might but against one of us…How long do u reckon it'll take before this council bends the knee?" Ketsia says her voice void of any positive emotion.
"My offer to you is simple; first you keep your sovereignty, second you'll be well compensated in gold or whatever it is you blood merchants are paid with and access to our Aztec ore mines in the Cargaentian mountains deep south."
Sega's offer was met with nothing but silence.
"You've heard our terms. We'll be expecting your troops in the Cargentian capital in two days if not then I hope to find you here prepared to entertain me." Ketsia said turning to the soldier who had taken her weapon from her. She stepped close and reached her hand out to take it back. Immediately her weapon was back in her hands a blade came hurling from her sleeve immediately penetrating the soldier's armor.
The whole room goes into a panic as they watch Ketsia proceed to grab the stabbed man and fling him into the air before executing a kick to his torso right at the hilt of the blade pushing it further into his body and flinging him out toward the windows behind the councilmen forcing the ones in its way to duck behind the desk.
All the Sirs and Ladies of the council draw their weapons and train them on Ketsia.(The Lords stay behind the Sirs and Ladies.)
"I had warned him if he takes it I take it back with his life." Ketsia says calmly analyzing all the people carrying arms against her.
Sega pulls out a medium sized pouch full of gold and valuable stones and walks up to the table and places it before Fulcram's chair. "Consider that a down payment. It should also cover repair costs. We'll be taking leave now. Come Ketsia." The council watch them leave the room before instructing soldiers to escort them out of Talknara and report back incase of any development.
"So we're doing business with The Cargentian Perils of Doom." Mikayla says as she sheaths her blade.
"They've murdered one of our own before us of course not Talknara will not bend the knee. Where's that hot blooded fool Belze when you need him! Its his job to prevent things like this from happening!" Leroy shouts stepping forth to pull his chair out.
"Don't be foolish. If we stand against them we will fall. Belze gets no word of this whatsoever is this understood. Rajruc go and tell him to get ready for war, you know the details and our enemy tell him to get a move on. The rest of you each to your respective stations to ease out the process of going into war." Fulcram said his tone carrying a weight of finality.
* * * * *
"So we go back to Cargeant? Come up with the next phase of the plan?" Ketsia asked Sega once they were outside of Talknaran territory.
"Not quite we have one more place to visit. A day from now the Throneram War Festival begins. I say we join the festivities." Sega says to which Ketsia responds with hysterical laughter.
"Are you crazy! Being in Throneram's territory is one thing but being in the capital right next to The Throne of War is another thing Sega. Its too dangerous especially now that we don't know what The Reapers are playing at.'' Ketsia responds.
"The more the reason we should go. We aren't going to start a fight or anything and besides with you there we can fight back if need be. I'm going so question is are you coming with or not?"