Aether Beasts

Chapter 176

As the people of Evenord waited to welcome the expedition, across the city another gathering was occurring, though much smaller and secretive.

Within the large estate of the city's most influential family, around a large table sat a group of men, most dressed in expensive clothes while others wore armor and arcane robes. They varied from the young-looking to the old, but all were there for the same purpose.

"Is there any news of attack?" An older-looking man with reddish-brown hair asked. "I heard you sent out men to search, Lex, arcanists from your own personal guard, what of that as well?"

The man known as Lex sighed, his face a mask hiding the mix of anger, and weariness that threatened to boil over. His face, now wrinkled, and his aching body had reached its limit, and the past years had not been kind to him, and now another problem had presented itself at the worst possible time.

He clenched a fist and turned his cold gaze to the overweight merchant, Henry. "No. My men have found nothing and there have been no reports of an attack. Whoever destroyed the north brothel and the warehouse seems to have stopped for time being."

"That's good." Another man dressed in the robes of the burning sands sect leaned forward. "We have time to prepare."

"For what?" Henry asked. "Do you plan something?"

"Of course I do," the sect elder replied. "I have lost much profit, and whoever these people are, they will pay."

"Do you think your disciples could take them?" A tall dark-skinned man asked. He sat to Lex's right and held a relaxed posture, as though he wasnt in a meeting with the most powerful people in the city. "From what I've heard, they did quite a job of messing things up."

"They caught us off guard," the elder snapped. "That will not happen again. Why are you even here, Will?"

"I asked him to come," Lex announced and immediately the sect elder's face calmed. He may have been an elder of a powerful sect, but Lex was still the most powerful man in the city. At least, he would be once those from the expedition left.

This was the hardest time as one wrong move could bring down arcanists of a level they could not handle. Lex was delusion enough to think he and his forces could stand a chance against any from beyond the scar. If they wanted they could wipe this city out. He and the rest of them needed to lay low.

"You need to be careful," Lex said to the sect elder. "Do not cause any trouble that will attract attention."

The elder sniffed. "I know better than that. I am no fool."

Will snorted. "Could have fooled me."

The elder glared at will.

"What of the remaining stock?" Henry asked, eager to change the subject. He'd come here to talk profit and sales, not plans of attack.

"We've moved everyone to the underground storehouse," Lex answered. "As for those amongst the families. Well, many have sent theirs to us for safekeeping. Only half a dozen or so remain with their buyers, and I imagine that won't last. By tomorrow we should have all the slaves we sold along with the newly bought stock that wasn't stolen.'

Henry sighed and wiped a hand across his sweaty brow. "Good, and I take it you have a plan to mitigate the drop in profit."

Lex smiled darkly. "I do indeed. These houses have too long grown from what I have given without any repayment. When the time comes, I will pull from them, just hard enough. I don't want to start a war in the city after all, though I will require some assistance. I have plenty of men, but I need more if I wish to cover the city and completely overpower any who stand against us."

"You think some will?" Will asked.

"The Hyde family and Krills have been eyeing me for a while now." Lex rubbed his temples. "I was planning something for them, but it seems it will have to wait. Nevertheless, if you give me what I need then they shall not be a problem."

"That's all fine and well." A short man who had been silent until now stood, his face obscured by a hood. "This all hinges on your ability to deal with the main problem, the people who caused this."

"I've already said I will handle it," the sect elder spat.

"Not alone," the hooded man replied. "Allow me and my knives to assist. We are far greater in stealth and keeping things quiet than you are, and don't forget it was my men who died watching that damn warehouse."

The sect elder was about to protest, but Lex cut him off. "A brilliant idea. You two shall work on that while the rest of us prepare. When the expedition leaves, then we move."

"Fine," the sect elder said reluctantly. "But I do not take orders from you."

The hooded man raised both hands and chuckled. "Fair enough."

"One last thing before we go," Henry said and he turned a critical eye to Lex who started back unblinkingly. "Is it true that one of the devices was destroyed?"paꪧda ᱅ovꫀl

Lex frowned. He hadn't yet informed them that one of the control devices had been destroyed.

"It was," Lex said, not seeing a point in lying. They would all find out eventually.

'Need to find the one who leaked it and skin him.'

"So they know then?" Will asked.

"Or they found out during the attack," Lex replied. "None of it matters anyway. The device is gone and we must look to the future. We will deal with then and go on as we have been for the past dozen years."

"Has it only been that long?" Henry asked.

The sect elder nodded. "We should have started this long ago. Just imagine how rich we'd be if we had started fifty years ago."

"No point in dwelling on it," Lex said. "This meeting is done. You all know your roles. Get it done, and we will meet when the expedition leaves."

As everyone left, Lex signaled for Will to stay. He had other business he wanted to speak off.

"I assume this has something to do with the elixirs?" Will asked after everyone else had left. "Need more?"

Lex shook his head and relax somewhat. Will was a friend and though he wouldn't turn his back to the man, he could trust him far more than the others in their little group. 'It has stopped working altogether. I need something else."

Will lost his relaxed posture and leaned forwards with a frown. "Are you certain? Those elixirs were expensive and powerful. Surely your disease cannot be that bad?"

"It's gotten worse." Lex sighed. "I need something stronger."

"I don't know of anything stronger," Will said and raised a finger just as Lex was about to speak. "Not in the plains at least, but there is another way, maybe."

"What way?"

Will stroked his chin and said nothing for a long moment before he snapped his fingers. "Tell me are you familiar with the green court?"

Lex frowned. "I am."

Will smiled and suddenly Lex realized what he meant.

"You think they might know of a solution?" Lex asked.

"Think? No, I know they know of a solution," Will replied. "What they hand to us are scraps yet far beyond anything we can produce here. They undoubtedly have a cure for your sickness. The only problem is getting their help. If they even arrive with the expedition. They don't come every time. It's a risk, but what other choice do you have?"

None, he knew, but making contact with those from the scar was something he did strictly through others and even then, only for minor things. He never pushed too far. Some before him had, and they'd learned the hard way just how large the difference in power was.

"Is that all?" Will asked. "I want to get back home, and partake in my girls before I send them over to the bunker."

Lex nodded, and leaned back as Will left, thinking over his options, his only option now. If the green court didn't arrive then he had a few years at most, but if they did then he would need to sue everything he'd learned to try and get their help. Trickery and force would do nothing so he would have to try something else.

Perhaps money? No, his crystals would be worthless to them, as would any of the usual things he might use for trade.

Maybe an artifact he had might pique their interest. He would have to play it carefully and slowly, but it might just work if luck was on his side, which it had been for most of his life.

As the most influential man in the city thought and schemed, his only hope was arriving, and little did he know that his bid for a cure would only lead to a quicker downfall.

Lex's luck was about to change for the worse.

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