Chương 33: Terms Between Neighbors

Bellhaven rang for them before they reached the first houses. The bell did not sound as it had the previous night. Last night, each frantic strike had carried the warning of immediate danger. The rhythm had rolled across the town in sharp, breathless waves, summoning guards and driving civilians behind locked doors. This morning's tolling was slower. One heavy note, followed by enough silence for the sound to travel over the lake before another replaced it. Not an alarm, but an announcement. They are coming.

Orion walked at the front of the family. Roy kept pace beside him. Aurelia followed with Kindle cradled against her chest, the Hearth Drake wrapped in a thick blanket despite the mild morning. Garrick and Talia walked together behind them. Nimbus floated happily between the siblings as if they were approaching a festival rather than a town whose leadership had tried to divide their household less than a day earlier. Her pale-blue body bobbed with every movement.

She occasionally rolled onto her back in the air, chirped at a passing bird, then hurried to catch up when she realized the family had continued without her. Talia looked toward the bellhouse rising above the upper streets.

"Are we certain arriving this early was the wisest choice?"

"No," Roy said.

"It was the most strategically sound choice available, though. Wisdom is harder to establish." Bellhaven's streets were still distant enough that the family could speak without being overheard. Roy kept his eyes forward as he continued.

"They have had one night to respond. At most, the council held several urgent meetings, argued about jurisdiction, and attempted to understand what happened."

"You say that as if interrupting them before they finish is good," Garrick said.

"It is good for us."

"Will they not consider it underhanded?" Roy glanced at him.

"They may." Garrick waited for more, but Roy offered none. Talia looked between them.

"That does not bother you?"

"It bothers me less than giving Bellhaven several days to contact Elysium, surround the estate again, or construct a legal argument before we have finished understanding our own position. Yesterday's engagement did not end cleanly enough for me to believe we owe them additional preparation." Orion touched the new weapon hanging from his belt. The axe rested where his hatchet once had, but it possessed nearly twice the weight and far more reach.

Its head was broad without becoming unwieldy, balanced for one-handed use despite enough metal to make most men require both. The surface was a deep, dark blue. The color existed throughout the metal, visible even where the sharpened edge caught the morning light. No lightning moved through it. No static snapped around the haft. Dormant, it looked like an unusually crafted battle axe. Orion knew better.

"Your hand has not left that thing for more than a minute," Aurelia said.

"I am becoming accustomed to the weight."

"You slept with it beside the bed."

"That helped." Unexpected was the mildest word Orion could use to describe how he had acquired the weapon. The memory returned as the family continued toward Bellhaven. After the estate had finally finished reassembling, Roy had remained kneeling on the floor for several minutes. Aegis kept one hand on his shoulder until the last fractured board settled into place. Then the Storm Dragon had released him. Roy had nearly fallen face-first. Aurelia ordered him to rest, but Aegis ordered him to follow.

The disagreement had ended with Aurelia threatening to make Aegis personally carry Roy if he collapsed and the dragon replying that this was already an acceptable contingency. They had gone to the estate's workshop. Orion expected a conversation about the hatchet. Instead, Aegis placed the weapon on the workbench beside two dark-blue scales that were each nearly as long as Orion's forearm. Fresh blood remained along the torn edges. Aurelia stared.

"What did you do?" Aegis glanced at the exposed section of his side where the conjured armor had opened.

"I removed material."

"You ripped off your own scales?!"

"They will grow back."

"That was not permission." Aegis looked genuinely confused by her anger. Orion picked up one of the scales. It was lighter than steel but nearly impossible to bend.

"What exactly do you expect Roy to accomplish by attaching scales to an axe?"

"More than that," Aegis turned toward Roy.

"You possess the necessary ability." Roy leaned against the workbench, still pale from the estate reconstruction.

"You are becoming an impressive slave driver for someone less than a day old."

"I am efficient."

"You are exhausting." Aegis pointed to the hatchet.

"Can you improve it?" Roy examined the weapon, then the scales. His irritation gave way to interest.

"I can try." He lifted one hand, and golden threads spread through the room. They traced the floor, walls, and ceiling before forming the silhouette of a forge around them. A broad hearth appeared where no hearth existed. Tool racks, anvils, quenching basins, and worktables took shape from intersecting lines of light. The design matched Roy's Constructive Tapestry, but Orion had never seen it form anything like this. System text appeared in front of him.

[Kindle's Forge Activated] The golden forge shifted to accommodate the workshop. Everything adjusted in size and placement until the cramped room held the outline of a complete smithy without one tool overlapping the physical furniture. New lines formed over the workbench. Possible weapon shapes branched out above the hatchet, each surrounded by symbols Orion could not interpret. Roy smiled, which meant Roy had forgotten he was tired.

"Your Kindle ability," Orion said.

"You never mentioned it."

"I had not found the correct material for anything worth making." Aegis tapped one scale.

"You have now." Roy's hands moved through the projected patterns. Several designs collapsed. Others expanded, displaying balance, heat tolerance, and structural compatibility. The forge did not create the weapon for him, but it turned the work into a puzzle with rules Roy could understand. He selected one shape. The old hatchet's silhouette stretched into a larger axe. Roy looked at Orion.

"I will see what I can do." The result now hung at Orion's side. The bell rang again. Bellhaven had come fully into view, and a crowd waited near the upper road. The five council members stood at the front: Velara Dault, Edric Vane, Dorian Vey, Oren Halvern, and Torvin Bale. Behind them, a line of guards separated the council from several dozen civilians. No weapons had been drawn. Spears remained upright. Swords stayed sheathed. That did not make anyone relaxed.

Orion recognized several guards from the previous night. He also recognized civilians who had watched from doorways and corners while Aegis held the storm over their homes. Their expressions ranged from fear to fascination. Some stared at Kindle, most stared at Nimbus, and a few stared only at Orion's new axe. The siblings stopped approximately fifteen feet from the council. Edric examined Orion first; his gaze moved from Orion's face to the weapon.

"A fine-looking axe."

"Thank you."

"How did you obtain it?" Orion glanced down.

"Unexpectedly." Edric's eyes narrowed as though he suspected the answer concealed an entire disaster. Velara looked past Orion.

"Why is the Hearth Drake here?" Aurelia adjusted Kindle against her chest.

"Because bringing him demonstrates that we did not come expecting violence." Velara's attention lingered on Kindle's pale scales and weakened posture.

"We would not willingly bring him into a confrontation," Aurelia continued.

"If we intended to fight, he would be somewhere safe." The answer seemed to satisfy her only partially. Her eyes moved to Nimbus.

"And her?" Roy answered.

"If Bellhaven and our settlement are expected to maintain a prosperous relationship, then your citizens need an opportunity to see that the drakes are not inherently dangerous." Nimbus chirped at the sound of her kind being discussed. The crowd stiffened immediately. Aurelia lowered one hand.

"It is all right, Nimbus." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Nimbus floated closer to her. Aurelia smiled.

"Why don't you show the children something gentle?" Nimbus turned toward the crowd. The guards did not move, though several tightened their grips on their spears. She drifted forward. Orion watched Edric rather than Nimbus. The captain's attention moved along the guard line, ensuring none reacted badly. Nimbus stopped several feet from the nearest spear. Adults stared at her with rigid uncertainty, but the children did not. A small boy leaned between two guards to see better.

A girl on a woman's shoulders pointed at Nimbus's rounded belly. Nimbus tilted her head, then she exhaled. A stream of bubbles floated from her mouth. They drifted over the guards and into the crowd, catching the sunlight in soft colors. Several landed on helmets before bursting. Others descended toward the children, who reached upward with both hands. The first laugh came from the boy. Then the girl. Within moments, children were chasing bubbles between the adults' legs.

Nimbus chirped excitedly and produced more, adjusting the stream whenever one child received fewer than the others. The adults remained cautious, but several smiled. Orion saw one guard lower his shoulders. Talia moved closer to Roy, her expression sharpened for a moment.

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

"My skill." Relevant Detail had found something. Talia studied the crowd.

"They are afraid of her," she said.

"But they are more afraid of what reacting badly might cause." Her gaze shifted toward Bellhaven's council.

"And Velara is watching the guards more closely than Nimbus." Orion understood. The demonstration was not only about whether Nimbus could be trusted. It was about whether Bellhaven could control itself around her. Edric waited until Nimbus returned to Aurelia before speaking.

"A reasonable attempt at diplomacy. But it does not answer where the most troublesome member of your settlement is." Orion resisted the urge to smile.

"Aegis is at the estate." Several people in the crowd whispered.

"Watching the other drakes," Orion continued.

"Waiting for our return." Dorian stepped forward.

"A generous gesture. Trusting Bellhaven enough to arrive without your greatest military asset should be recognized."

"No." Dorian's smile faltered. Orion continued.

"We did not trust Bellhaven enough to arrive without him." Aurelia closed her eyes briefly. Roy looked toward Orion but did not interrupt. Dorian frowned.

"I was providing you a clean entrance into diplomacy. Why would you kick it apart?"

"Because this relationship will fail if it begins with polite lies." Edric's expression showed the first hint of approval Orion had seen that morning. Orion rested one hand near the Firebreaker Axe.

"Brotherly Bond can reach Aegis from here." The council became still.

"If something happens, I can teleport to him in a heartbeat. If I do that unexpectedly, he will assume Bellhaven attacked us."

"And then?" Velara asked.

"He will come here." No one required an explanation of what would follow. Dorian exhaled through his nose.

"Negotiation and subtlety appears to live exclusively with Roy."

"Yes," Roy nodded.

"That has generally been our arrangement." Orion looked toward Velara.

"I want a good relationship with Bellhaven. That requires trust. Trust requires transparency, especially when the truth is uncomfortable." Edric folded his arms.

"I prefer the uncomfortable truth." Dorian glanced at him.

"Of course you do." Velara stepped forward.

"Then we will begin with clarity." The bruising around her throat had faded since Aurelia healed her, though faint marks remained.

"Bellhaven's position has changed." Roy's posture sharpened. Velara looked at each sibling in turn.

"Upon reflection, it is difficult to condemn Aegis's use of overwhelming power without acknowledging that Bellhaven attempted to use its own advantage in much the same way. I continue to believe his threat against our civilians was indefensible."

"It was," Aurelia said. She met Velara's gaze without hesitation. Velara gave one restrained nod.

"But Bellhaven surrounded your residence," she continued.

"We demanded custody of members of your household after you refused. We believed our authority and military superiority made that course acceptable. We cannot pretend the morality of coercion changed only because we lost the advantage." Roy looked surprised. Not because Velara had made the argument, but because she had said it publicly.

"I still consider your declaration reckless," Velara said.

"A cottage occupied by five young adults does not become sovereign territory because one of those adults says the word settlement."

"We did not say sovereign," Roy replied.

"Good. Because Bellhaven is not recognizing sovereignty. We are acknowledging your intent to establish a neighboring community for the purpose of negotiation. Nothing more." Roy inclined his head.

"That is sufficient for now."

"Strategically, denying even that much would serve little purpose outside satisfying wounded pride." She looked toward the road leading out of Bellhaven.

"Your household has grown from three Awakened residents and several drakes into a force comparable to Bellhaven in a matter of weeks. There is no reason to believe that growth will stop." Her eyes moved to Orion's axe.

"Contacting Elysium remains an option. Beginning a military proceeding remains an option. But distant authorities could underestimate you as we did. If they failed to contain the threat immediately, and Aegis learned Bellhaven initiated the action, our town would face retaliation long before further aid arrived." The crowd had become very quiet. Velara straightened.

"Therefore, Bellhaven will informally support your intention to build a settlement. In return, I expect your representatives to negotiate in good faith regarding borders, trade, defense, travel, and the safety of both communities." Relief moved through Orion so abruptly that he almost swayed. Garrick released a long breath behind him. Talia closed her eyes, and Aurelia smiled into Kindle's scales.

Roy stared at Velara as though his improvised claim had just stepped outside his imagination and become something physical.

"We agree," Roy said. Dorian noticed Roy's expression.

"Did you not expect that to work?"

"I expected it to create room for negotiation."

"That was not my question."

"It is the answer you are receiving." Dorian smiled.

"These negotiations will require months, perhaps longer. Each side must learn what the other can provide and what risks it presents. As a token of Bellhaven's willingness to begin, is there an immediate request your community would like to make?" Everyone looked at Roy. Roy noticed.

"You could pretend to consider someone else."

"No," Orion said. Roy sighed. His gaze moved toward the restored estate above the town.

"The estate." Dorian's expression became wary.

"What about it?"

"We request that Bellhaven grant it to our community as a permanent embassy."

"Grant?"

"As a gift." Dorian looked pained.

"That property has considerable value."

"It was foreclosed and vacant."

"It was also reconstructed overnight after being destroyed by you."

"Primarily Aegis."

"Your distinction does not improve the offer." Roy raised one hand.

"The estate would allow us to test the maximum transport range of Shimmer and Spark." Dorian's irritation paused.

"If they can connect the estate to our settlement, goods could move between us instantly. Greenbind could be delivered without wagons, travel delays, or road costs." Dorian's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Other dragon products as well?"

"Potentially," Roy gestured toward the town.

"Clover requires material to process. Keeping an embassy here is simpler than transporting Bellhaven's usable waste to the cottage every time Clover returns home." Dorian looked toward Velara, then Oren. Neither spoke.

"I would require first right of negotiation for any new dragon products entering Bellhaven," Dorian said.

"First right of negotiation," Roy repeated.

"Not ownership."

"Not custody. Not exclusivity unless separately agreed. I receive the first opportunity to distribute the product through my network before you seek another merchant." Roy considered it.

"Agreed." Dorian extended a hand. Roy took it.

"I hope," Roy said, "that you will see value in helping our settlement grow beyond Bellhaven. The greater our production, the farther your trade network can carry it." Dorian's smile became genuine.

"You are becoming more businesslike every day."

"I am learning from a dangerous example." Torvin Bale laughed once. Dorian chose to ignore him. Oren Halvern stepped forward clutching a ledger against his chest. The Bellhouse Clerk looked more nervous approaching the siblings than Dorian had looked beneath Aegis's storm.

"For the record," Oren said, "I would need to note who will primarily occupy the embassy." Aurelia frowned.

"Why can we not come and go as we please?"

"You may. This is not a restriction," Oren adjusted his grip on the ledger.

"However, the proposed arrangement relies partly upon the two Light Drakes remaining separated for transportation. I assumed at least two residents would remain here to supervise." The three older siblings looked at one another. The reasoning was obvious, but that did not make the reality less abrupt. Someone would remain in Bellhaven. The household would no longer sleep beneath one roof every night. Talia raised her hand.

"I will." Orion turned. She stood straight, but her fingers curled tightly against her palm. Nervous, but not uncertain.

"Talia," Aurelia said.

"Are you sure?"

"My class is Envoy. It makes the most sense." Talia looked toward the town.

"If this estate is our embassy, someone should be present who can speak for us and understand Bellhaven." Relevant Detail would help. So would the fact that Talia noticed things the rest of them missed even before Awakening. Velara looked unconvinced.

"You are fifteen. You cannot reasonably serve as the permanent head of a diplomatic residence."

"Then I can commute." Dorian blinked.

"From the cottage?"

"We tested it this morning. Aegis can fly from the estate to our settlement and back in roughly fifteen minutes." Dorian's expression changed instantly. Orion had seen the same look on Roy's face when presented with an impossible construction problem.

"Fifteen minutes," Dorian repeated.

"Approximately."

"With a passenger?"

"Yes."

"The trade implications—""Talia is not cargo," Aurelia said.

"I was not suggesting—""You were about to." Dorian decided not to finish. Talia smiled faintly.

"I am not certain Aegis will enjoy becoming my daily carriage."

"He will complain," Orion said.

"Then he will do it." Oren dipped his quill.

"Shall I list Talia as the primary resident?"

"List me as well," Orion said. Roy looked at him.

"You intend to remain?"

"On paper. With Aegis supplying Overcharge, Brotherly Bond can reach between the estate and our settlement. If Talia needs me, I can be here immediately." Oren frowned.

"That is a technicality." Velara rubbed her temple.

"It is the least ridiculous request made in the last twenty-four hours. Accept it." Oren wrote Orion's name. Garrick stepped forward.

"Add me." Talia looked at him.

"You do not have to."

"I know," he glanced toward Edric.

"I will stay with Talia. And I would like to continue training, if Captain Vane is still willing." Edric studied him.

"I am," his gaze moved to Orion.

"And you?" Orion shook his head.

"Formal training like yours will never be my style."

"That sounds like an excuse."

"It probably is." Edric almost smiled.

"Offer remains." Velara looked between the siblings, the council, and the crowd behind them.

"Then we have a beginning." Nimbus released one final bubble. It floated between the two groups and burst against Edric's shoulder. The captain looked down at the damp mark on his armor, and a child laughed behind the guards. Velara's expression softened by the smallest degree.

"I appreciate that your family chose diplomacy this morning." Orion looked toward Aurelia holding Kindle, Roy standing beside Dorian, and Talia and Garrick facing the town where they had just volunteered to remain.

"We prefer it." Velara glanced at the Firebreaker Axe.

"And when diplomacy fails?" Orion rested one hand on its deep-blue haft.

"We prepare better diplomacy." Edric gave a quiet grunt of approval. The bell above Bellhaven fell silent, and no alarm replaced it.