Crimsoncrest (The Weirkey Chronicles Book 10), page 29
Fiyu turned to him, eyes widening. "You won't join us?"
"I intend to observe from stealth, in case the meeting is compromised or you require assistance."
"As much as I like the idea of backup," Nauda said, "I think we need you to take point. These people are aeon-class, so Authorities are probably basically meaningless to them. A Dominion might at least get their respect."
"Better not to get involved with their games. As soon as I do so, I may begin a countdown." Guchiro began to turn away, but Fiyu moved to catch his sleeve.
"Please," she said, "everything could depend on this. There are already so many powerful enemies involved, we need allies as well."
The older Ichili stared at her for a long moment, eyes revealing nothing above his mask, then sighed loudly enough to be audible even through the metal. "For you, Fiyu. But I would like you to remain prepared with a weirkey, in case the event is compromised."
"Yes, of course!"
"Do not attempt to fight, not even to defend. Only the barriers between worlds will defend us if this truly becomes a conflict."
Nauda was betting that it wouldn't. Surely, out of all the selfish or malicious organizations across the Nine Worlds, there had to be at least one that was open to reason. She had reluctantly accepted that the Asplundat Movement needed to surrender its great project, so she needed to find them a buyer who wouldn't take advantage of them.
As they waited the final hours, Nauda prepared herself. She soulcrafted a little on her Authority floor, but that was more to reorder her mind than for any power it might grant her. Most likely only their words would matter in this meeting.
It occurred to her that, even if Tythes was weakened now, he could be a serious threat here. But he was their only connection, and he had been quietly cooperative since they'd left Siata, so she had no choice but to rely on him.
Eventually four of them departed: Nauda, Guchiro, and Tythes, with Fiyu trailing in stealth. They had discussed multiple configurations and potential strategies, but in the end only a simple approach made any sense. Getting Homez and the Asplundat Movement involved would only make this seem entangling, and they wanted to come off like an independent organization that could be trusted.
Guchiro led them this time, weirkeying the group to the location Tythes had been given. It seemed to be an ordinary Fithan wasteland, the exact location unclear-
Nauda stopped thinking about any of that as she realized there was an enormously powerful entity behind them. She caught only a glimpse of a white crystal before a voice spoke in her mind.
"More than agreed. No matter." A second later another weirkey reached for all of them, pulling the group to a new location. Only Guchiro even had a chance of reacting in time, but his gaze flickered to the others and he held back.
After they twisted between worlds, they found themselves standing atop what appeared to be a cube of solid white marble. Nauda had never seen anything like it, but the blazing sun overhead let her know they had gone to Arbai. The Orphic Cabal had supposedly started there, so hopefully that meant their meeting had been accepted. She had no way of knowing if Fiyu had come along with them and resisted the urge to look for her and break her cover.
Instead she took the moment to observe the world around them, apparently an endless desert filled with cubes, each one a hundred paces to a side. There wasn't time to examine the others, because her attention was immediately drawn to the group standing not far away, apparently waiting for them.
"Welcome," a deep voice said. "We did not expect this proposal, but we are always willing to negotiate."
"You represent the Orphic Cabal?" Guchiro asked flatly, staring across at them.
As little as she liked that approach, Nauda had to leave it to him. Meanwhile she made sure to look over the group of Arbaians carefully, analyzing them as best she could. Only the leader was a familiar Mundhin, with a body of red sandstone and numerous quill-like limbs. Beyond that she saw a serpentine being coiled around a crystalline staff, a floating boulder, and the ominous crystal being that had transported them.
She almost chuckled at herself as she realized that she now thought that Mundhin, who had been so strange to her once, were normal people. The Eubhan were vaguely familiar as well, similar to other Arbaians even if they looked like snakes. She wasn't familiar with the boulder-like species, but they had met one on Deuxan - he'd even had a former connection to the Orphic Cabal.
The last in the group, though... it appeared to have a body composed entirely of spiky crystals, not quite as tall as the average humanoid. Within the crystals shifted glowing lights that seemed to form eyes, yet they were inhuman vertical eyes that revealed absolutely nothing. Even Navim, who had gemstones instead of a face, revealed so much of his emotions via the movement of his body. But this crystal Arbaian didn't seem to have any moving parts, and though it might have emotions beneath the surface... those ghostly eyes stared at her as if they didn't understand the concept.
All their appearances aside, Nauda was absolutely certain this group was powerful. They felt like Strongholds or Dominions... except she was certain that they were using shielding walls. These were some of the most powerful soulcrafters in all the Nine Worlds, meeting with them under uncertain premises.
"We are indeed the Orphic Cabal," the lead Mundhin responded eventually. "We do not, however, generally meet with organizations like yours. Just how did one of you obtain this information?"
"Oh, that was me," Tythes said. "I may have stolen it."
Nauda winced and wanted to pummel him for not revealing that earlier. If the Arbaians took offense at that, they were going to have a problem.
"That is an unusual feat," the Eubhan said, as if this was a mildly interesting revelation. "It would not normally be possible, unless security was lax."
"Or I could just be that good," Tythes said.
"Don't push your luck." The Mundhin moved its quilled limbs, seeming almost... amused? Nauda wasn't sure what she knew of Mundhin body language would translate here and so she tried not to make any judgments. At least they weren't flying into a rage or canceling the meeting.
No, the Arbaians were just staring.
"We won't waste your time," Guchiro said. "You are interested in the sublime material that the Asplundat Movement is developing, correct?"
"While projections suggest it will be puissant," the hovering boulder said, "there are too many eyes on it at present. We prefer to conduct our own affairs free of these politics."
"What would it take to persuade you to become involved?"
"The sublime material is less relevant than those who seek it. It is not in our best interest to engage in open warfare with such entities."
Guchiro shifted his weight, clearly unwilling to give. Nauda had been silent up to this point, trusting in his strength to start the conversation, but she thought he was wrong here. She didn't want to generalize all Arbaians, but so far they seemed open to reason. Given her side's weaker position, they needed to give more if they wanted to get anything back.
"We know we can't fully repay you," she said as she stepped forward, "but I think I can still convince you that you should help us. The Salebrante is actively working to steal the material, and we received word that Plutalgion himself may come to take it for Tymetron. All of you are aeon-class soulcrafters, but can you afford to allow aeon-class opponents to gain the edge?"
"Entirely fallacious," the Eubhan said, coiling lower around its staff. "One sublime material does not upend the balance of the Nine Worlds. Do not be solipsistic: this war is everything to you, but it is only one of a great many conflicts at the current time."
His response came rapidly and dismissively, yet Nauda didn't think she'd made a mistake. The others seemed to have listened to her, and the Mundhin might have even been impressed when she threw around the names of aeon-class organizations. Guchiro had gone still, so it was still her place to ruin or save them.
"I'm not saying this is a critical battle for you," Nauda told them, "I'm saying it's an opportunity. You must know that your rivals are all working through agents as well. Let us make a deal with the Asplundat Movement and you can acquire the sublime material without great cost to yourself. In return, all you need to pay are materials that will be used in battles against the subordinates of your opponents."
"Easy to propose, difficult to accomplish." The Mundhin spoke the words as if they were a quotation and the Eubhan nodded. "If you presented us this crest, we would give fair compensation, yes. We are particularly interested in the slow processes that led to its creation, and would compensate for those as well. But given the forces involved, it seems unlikely that you can deliver on what you promise."
"But could we set up a method to make it possible? Say, for example, that we fully infuse the material... is there a location we could transport it by weirkey?"
"We could provide such, yes."
The boulder spoke up before she could respond. "Such plans neglect the reality of brute force: Plutalgion's greed knows no bounds, and he may attempt to seize it himself. Even if they prevailed in the lesser battle, they are unlikely to transport the material successfully."
"You speak truly." Nauda bowed in his direction. "If you would be willing to provide some security for the sublime material while we deliver it, that would greatly increase the chances that you get what you want."
At that the Mundhin - and, unexpectedly, the boulder - both chuckled. As usual, the crystalline Arbaian gave absolutely no response, its eyes flickering around instead of focusing on her. But the Eubhan flicked its tongue and flared a stone hood.
"And so the true intent is revealed," the Eubhan said. "You pretend to purchase materials, but in fact purchase warriors for your battle. We will not be taken in by such facile tricks."
He seemed entirely hostile and Nauda hesitated, unsure of what approach to take. Guessing at Arbaian psychology had worked for her so far, but she was still talking to four people she didn't know, with motives she only guessed at. It would be so easy to misstep now...
"Do you mean to say," Guchiro said as he stepped up beside her, "that you expected low tier soulcrafters to take on aeon-class organizations, steal an exceptional sublime material, and deliver it to you? The probability of that seems low, but if that is your expectation, I hope your suggested price is appropriate."
For the first time the Arbaians weren't unified, several speaking at once. They stopped at the same time, something unsaid seemed to pass between them, and then the Mundhin waved a limb before he spoke.
"We judged the matter was not worth the risk, but perhaps we can come to a compromise. We will not go to war against Plutalgion or the Salebrante, not for ten times as many sublime materials. It is not a matter of strength, simply principle: we are not mercenaries. However, if you can truly provide the opportunity, perhaps we can make a concession to assist."
"Is this sanctioned by the Asplundat Movement?" the boulder asked. "The material itself has less utility in the long term than the process that created it."
Nauda hastened to tell them that they could make those arrangements, not quite believing that this could be working. They settled into a negotiation and there was no more time to think about anything else.
~ ~ ~
The moment of the second transfer had been terrifying, but Fiyu had managed to restrain her instincts and remain still. Because weirkey travel took everyone in a specific area, in the center of the group she had been transported along with the others. Now she was much happier to be able to watch from stealth instead of having all these fearsome Arbaians staring at her.
As far as she could tell, the negotiations were proceeding well. Relative Guchiro and Friend Nauda balanced one another, which pleased Fiyu greatly. The Orphic Cabal might have the upper hand, but her side did have leverage due to the Asplundatcrest.
Most of the Arbaians had settled in for discussion, but the ghastly eyes within the crystal continued to flicker everywhere and Fiyu shifted uncomfortably when they passed over her.
Currently they were discussing the exact repayment under various circumstances, including different infusions for the crest. In a sense, this should have been relaxing, because it expanded the success state: even if House Crimson or someone else managed to infuse the crest, her side could still recover and deliver it to the Orphic Cabal. But that only made her fear that Friend Theo had been correct about the period of infusion being a brutal conflict.
Fiyu shuffled around to the other side of her companions, checking that Prisoner Tythes was not attempting anything. He occasionally made faces at one of the Arbaians, which seemed horribly unprofessional, but otherwise he appeared to be behaving.
Truthfully, her presence was no longer truly necessary, there was simply no good way of appearing during such negotiations. So Fiyu continued to hover nearby, listening and trusting that her companions could settle on good terms. Unfortunately, it seemed like it would still be largely their obligation to handle matters and the Orphic Cabal would step in only to take the dangerous material off their hands.
That part did concern her at times... the Asplundat Movement had not agreed to such a thing, so in a sense her companions were negotiating in bad faith. In theory, the final crest would be so powerful that it would be clear to everyone that it could not be used by Dominions, so hopefully they would be happy to have allies who could support them. It was still uncomfortably close to deception for Fiyu's taste, and if anything went wrong...
The crystalline Arbaian continued to look around the cube's surface in an apparently random pattern, which unnerved Fiyu. It was difficult to tell which direction the eyes were looking, but she could feel its attention sweeping the area. At least she was secure within-
All at once, the host of eyes swarmed together, fixating on her.
Fiyu's breath caught in her throat and she froze, as if hoping that it was a mistake. Her stealth technique was highly refined, fused with her body and soul, and it had been sufficient to escape the notice of even far superior soulcrafters. And yet now she knew that this being was looking at her.
Lights swarmed briefly and then eyes appeared within her sphere of stealth, looming in an arc above her, staring down with attention so intense it rooted her to the spot.
"There is the mass unaccounted for." The words rang in her mind like a gong. "A spy."
"I am not here as a spy!" Fiyu protested. "I am only looking out for my companions."
"Not credible. If it came to battle, your contribution would be negligible."
"You think we want to attack you? We were afraid you would attack us! Retreating via an unexpected weirkey was the only option we thought had a chance."
The eyes continued burning down at her for a time, then floated closer together in a cluster. For a time the Arbaian said nothing and Fiyu wondered if it would just stare at her for the entire rest of the negotiation. That was better than an outright attack... but not much. Fiyu did her best to gather herself and stare back, even though there was nothing to focus on with such floating eyes.
At first the presence had been so overwhelming she hadn't sensed anything, but now Fiyu did her best to analyze properly. The eyes seemed to have no density at all, not even that of a gas. They must be a purely spiritual essence, then, though she didn't think it was cantae. There were still eyes within the crystal as well, yet they were linked... was the spirit the true Arbaian, and the crystal only a vessel?
"Your chance of success is extremely low," the eyes said abruptly. "Your opponents outclass you, and due to the disparity, recruiting other aeon-class forces to match them is improbable."
"That is true," Fiyu said. She considered saying more and instead closed her mouth again.
"It is comprehensible why local Fithans might fight, but that is not your home and you are cognizant of the odds. Perhaps not fully aware, but you have at least a semblance of an idea. Why then do you persist?"
Fiyu glanced toward the others, still talking, and shifted her weight. She would have preferred someone else handle this discussion, but there was only her. "These are my allies," she said eventually. "Why would I abandon them?"
"Self-preservation. The Authority tier is the first inflection point for freedom, and you are an above-average, if young, Authority. You could easily find safety, growth, or other requirements elsewhere in the Nine Worlds."
"There is only one House Blacksilver." Fiyu took a deep breath and faced down the eyes. "I don't know if you understand that, but these companions are uniquely important to me. It would be... irrational to leave them."
After burning at her for several painful seconds, the eyes suddenly vanished. Fiyu detected a subtle swarm of light within the crystal as the essence returned, then the Arbaian's presence was gone as if it had never been. She found herself shivering slightly even though the other soulcrafter hadn't once generated cantae or directly threatened her.
The conversation had felt simultaneously brief and much too long. When Fiyu attempted to reorient herself, she realized that the primary negotiation was already ending, so she scrambled to join the others, trying to pick up what had happened from context. She didn't gain a full understanding before the Mundhin took them back to Fithe via weirkey.
Clearly the Orphic Cabal did not struggle with limitations that required trading weirkeys among themselves.
"Many of us thought any involvement was guaranteed to end poorly," the Mundhin said on the other side. "Perhaps we were mistaken. If you can accomplish this, despite the odds, none of you will regret having reached out to us."
Then he was gone, precisely vanishing from amongst them. Fiyu let out a sigh of relief and collapsed her stealth technique. She must have looked very tired, because Friend Nauda immediately shifted beside her, partially reaching out to support her back and then hesitating.
"Are you alright, Fiyu?"
"It was merely very tiring." Fiyu shifted into the other woman's arm and let herself relax slightly. "Do we have a deal with the Orphic Cabal?"
