Transcendence?

***Nation of Mist, Lirwin Island - Capital***

“Raise your head Sky-General. Someone with your accomplishments doesn't need to bow down in front of this Council.”

I look up and into the eyes of three elders, which belong to the Council. They are the rulers of the Nation of Mist and their wise guidance spared us from any foreign influence for many years.

All of them wear masks to symbolize that they have given up on their own identity to serve the Nation of Mist with all their effort. There is one woman and two men in front of me. The voices of all three sound very old, which is remarkable for someone from the Nation of Mist.

More than once I was tempted to unmask them, just to see if there are wrinkles on their faces. Most mainlanders get wrinkles when they become old. Will someone like me get them too?

“Your description of the situation is concerning. We may really have to act in order to stop any further bad developments.” The second elder talks openly.

The third elder nods. “These new artefacts from Norfolk don't just undermine our trading by avoiding our merchant ships. They produce new ideas within the population of the main continent. If we aren't careful, the world might change to our disadvantage.”

The first elder shakes her head. “Maybe we should rethink our politics and change our stance. The world hasn't changed for a long time. We have forgotten that only those who can change with it will survive.”

She points at a stash of documents in front of her. “Nathan Lenarch and Kane Lenarch have their fingers in this business. The house of Lenarch has trading connections and influence all over the main continent. They aren't bound to a certain country. If we anger them, it might as well be the end of our trading fleet.”

Slowly she looks from one person to the next. “We are dependent on the resources from the main continent. And there aren't many nations to trade with. Jamaian is gone. Mislow has reduced its trade and the Academy doesn't have to be mentioned. The principalities and kingdoms of Norfolk are the only ones who keep supplying us. If we anger the house of Lenarch, we might as well surrender to Phenex.”

“You seem to know this Ascathon. Didn't you buy a few military inventions from him yourself? Could we talk to him and bring him to reason? And how fast can we deal with him, in case he doesn't act according to our wishes.” The third elder looks at me.

“How long until a few of our ships could be stationed in his harbour?” The second elder's voice is a little too eager in my opinion.

“The weapons trader is certainly a reasonable fellow. But he is also someone who has his own mind. I don't think that he will stop his actions because we ask nicely. On the other hand, we shouldn't anger him by doing something ill-considered. We have our hands full with the Phenex Empire.” I look at the three people in front of me, but the masks make it impossible to read their expressions.

“You want to say that one principality would pose a problem to our fleet? That's preposterous! He doesn't even have any mentionable warships. Just a small fleet of fisher boats!” The second elder's voice sounds unbelieving.

“I would like to point something out. Everything the weapons trader sold to us was very powerful. His ideas tilted the balance of power considerably, twice! And to me it looked like he considered everything he gave to us as mere toys. So what happens if we try to use force and he uses something that he considers a weapon? Will we have enough of our fleet left to deal with Phenex?” I shake my head to make a point. “I don't think it's a good idea to stab him in his back, after he provided us with the tools, which were necessary for our survival. Doesn't the royal family have any opinion on this matter? They surely wouldn't allow such an action anyway.”

“That's the point. The king said that he had a vision about the future. It foreboded that only darkness lies in front of us. So we are considering our options to stop this from happening.” The third elder's voice is grim and hard.

I tilt my head in confusion. “Forgive me, my words aren't meant as an insult to the royal family. And the king is a very powerful divine seer. But all divination magic has to be used with great care. There are countless possibilities for the future. Even someone like me, who hasn't the ability of foresight, can see that there are many paths which could lead to war and our doom.”

The elders shouldn't take a harsh action because of one vague bad prophecy. Especially if nobody is able to know the result. “Sometimes it's smarter to wait and explore each path with scouts, before deciding on a course of action. So let's use our connections to investigate the state of affairs on the main continent further, before deciding on a course of action.”

“That's a wise argument Sky-General.” The first elder sounds a little relieved. Did she expect me to call for war?

“I wouldn't have become the Sky-General if I would act without caution.” I bow to the three elders.

“That would be all for the time being. You can leave now. There are still matters to discuss between us elders.” The second elder signals for me to leave and I excuse myself.

After the big door is shut behind me, I finally draw a deep breath. The inner politics of this nation are a pain in my butt. And the elders are also hard to control from time to time. They are too unpredictable and have too much power.

That's what you get if you have multiple people with different opinions. Everyone is pulling into his own direction and in the end you get half-assed solutions.

I wonder how this nation worked before I got into a position of power to influence the elders. It's unbelievable, I really had to cover for the stupid weapons-trader. They would have given orders to attack Norfolk if I hadn't spoken against it.

Such an action would have sparked a full fledged war for sure. Ascathon has the protection of the Jarl. Norfolk may be just a loose conglomerate of principalities, small nations and kingdoms. But all of them answer to the Jarl and if one of them is attacked, they would surely stand together and cut their trade with us at the very least. That action alone would break our necks, because Norfolk is the only nation left, which provides us with much needed iron. I wipe some sweat from my forehead.

This discussion was surely going into that direction before I stated my opinion.

Maybe the king's vision wasn't so wrong after all. Haah. I start walking slowly and leave the hall of elders behind me. There are multiple powers at work in this country. First there is the royal family. They may not have any real political power, but their divination is known to the whole nation. The advice of a member of the royal family is seen as absolute.

Then there is me. The Great Sky-General Fingulf! I control the navy which represents the military power.

And lastly, we have the elders. They may be good when it comes to peaceful considerations and keeping an eye out for the population. But god save us, when they get the idea to act any further. It's good that the military power isn't in their hands.

“You look concerned, Sky General. Did something bad happen at the meeting?” My attendant suddenly speaks up from the side. He was my aide for many years by now. I didn't even realize that he sneaked up on me.

I think I am a little too distracted. “It went well. Considering our current situation, you can be happy if there isn't an all out war. Those elders surely would be up for it. But I think I talked them out of it.”

My attendant nods and looks back at the hall of elders behind us. “Are you sure that it's alright to keep peace at all costs?”

I make a dismissive gesture and wave for a carriage which is coming closer. “There is no benefit in fighting over nothing. And attacking Norfolk would be even worse than fighting over nothing. We would be forced to conquer Norfolk, or at least their harbours. Our Nation can't exist without metals for our ships. And if we attacked Norfolk, they would stop to trade with us.”

“I don't understand why the elders act suddenly like Phenex isn't a problem any more. Sure, Phenex isn't doing much for now. But that will change as soon as they get Jamaian under their full control! Their train of thought is just too irresponsible.” I shake my head.

My attendant nods while the carriage driver stops in front of us. “I finally realize that you are a too stabilizing element within this nation.”

“What? Argh …”

I look towards my attendant while a burning pain spreads through my side. With a grimace, I look down and widen my eyes. A dagger is stuck between my ribs and blood is running down my trousers.

My attendant starts to smile. “Sleep now, general. You have done your job.”

A cold and burning feeling spreads through my body and I fall to my knees. Is the dagger poisoned? “Why?”

“Because God has spoken to me!” My attendant smiles broadly at me. His face is distorted and he wears a really insane expression.

I feel anger and sadness welling up inside me, a gesture of my fist unleashes all my magical power at the man whom I thought to know very well.

My attendant raises a barrier, but it is blown away like paper. I am not a general without reason. My friend is flung into the air and lands a few metres away. His body is twisted and broken.

I fall on my back as my vision blurs and the last thing I see is the concerned face of the driver, who jumped down from his carriage to check on me.

And I thought, I would die in a great battle...

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